2025 DF95 National Championship Regatta – Henry DiPietro
The 2025 DF95 US National Championship in Newport, Rhode Island attracted 58 competitors on October 17-19. Entrants came from Barbados, United Kingdom, and across the USA. Almost all of the RC “Big Hitters” were on the entry list with 8 of the top 10 nationally ranked sailors in attendance. Organized by Sail Newport and hosted by the Newport Model Sailing Club, the event showcased Newport sailing at its best. Sail Newport has a history of hosting and managing regattas with events ranging from Opti regattas to Volvo Ocean Races being managed by the staff. Because of this legacy of race management Sail Newport and MNSC volunteers managed everything associated with the NCR from boat inspections, race management, scoring, protest hearing, post-race adult beverages, all was orchestrated to perfection. Sail Newport is NMSC’s home sailing venue with weekly club racing.
The forecast was encouraging, with everything from 7 to 20 knots of breeze, the air temperature cool yet not cold. The racing was challenging in many ways. Anytime you are sailing right on the cusp of different wind ranges, for the different rigs, it adds to the excitement of the competition. Day one featured north winds in the mid to high teens
resulting in the competitors breaking out their B Rigs for the day. On Saturday, day two of the event, the winds went light and eventually died away before reversing 180 degrees. Day three was a medium A Rig day. So, over the three days of racing, the competitors were challenged with managing rig configuration to match the prevailing conditions.
Thursday saw the bulk of the competitors arrive for inspection and practice off the docks. It was an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the racing area, the facility and the City of Newport. The racing quickly evolved into to two man, two brother competition. Brad Read carried day one. His brother Ken Read prevailed on day two. But Brad roared back on day three to win the day and the regatta. Brad won the 14 race series with 26 total points, beating his brother Ken Read by three points with Brian Shores 36 points off the lead.
If you truly want a clear story of how the sailing was over the three days, go to Dan Shier’s YouTube channel, Olympia Model Sailing at https://www.youtube.com/
@olympiamodelsailors440. Shier’s videos bring you the conditions, strategy, tactics, and tons of humor that only Shier can supply.
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Sail Newport Report:
Brad Read Wins DF95 National Championship – Sail Newport
10-17/19-2025 Newport, Rhode Island Dragon Flight 95 Nationals – report from Len Bose
Almost all of the RC “Big Hitters” were on the entry list. The forecast was encouraging, with everything from 7 to 20 knots of breeze, the air temperature cool yet not cold, even for someone from Southern California. At the awards banquet, I commented that walking into this venue has to be like walking into Fenway Park for the first time, the perfect arena, surrounded by all of the history.
Having the 2025 Nationals in Newport, Rhode Island, was conceived by Chuck LeMahieu, who contacted Brad Read, the director of Sail Newport. Also in the loop was the Newport Model Sailing Club, along with DF95 Region 1 director Henry DiPietro. 15 Volunteers who I would estimate would have put in over 40 hours by the time the trophy tables were folded up and put away. Team Newport earns a Bravo/Zulu for a job well done. Everything on the checklist was double-checked, from boat inspections, race management, scoring, protest hearing, post-race adult beverages, and PuPu’s was all being orchestrated to perfection. The PRO, Tom Kirk, demonstrated his advanced skill and knowledge of the venue, along with the management of HMS scoring.
Sail Newport is a magical place; it does so much more than any yacht club at the same time embraces the feeling of the long-lost old-fashioned sailing club. The focus is on sailing alone, across the board from safety at sea, navigation, and cruising. I arrived on Thursday, it was blowing in the high teens and a little cool out, when out of nowhere, at least twenty-five kids under the age of twelve showed up. “Look how windy it is.” “This is going to be great.” I wish I could have recorded them because some of the quotes made me stop what I was doing and just start laughing. The kids disappeared into a classroom for what I heard were some Math lessons, then about an hour later, appeared in fluorescent green foul-weather gear, life jackets, and headed out to the J22 on the dock. They all joined an instructor and went out for a good hour of sailing with reefed mains. I was a little apprehensive, yet watching the kids return to the dock was enlightening. This is how it’s done, and I hope Sail Newport does not mind if I can find a way to copy this program here in Newport Beach, California.
The racing was challenging in many ways. Anytime you are sailing right on the cusp of different wind ranges, for the different rigs, it adds to the excitement of the competition. It reminds me of many more similarities with big boat sailing. Which headsail, spinnaker, staysail, keeping your mast dry in the puffs, and making repairs? One thing that does not happen in big boat sailing is that you don’t start mixing up your competitors’ boats and start sailing a different boat. As always, if you truly want a clear story of how the sailing was over the three days, go to my good friend Dan Shier’s YouTube channel, Olympia Model Sailing at https://www.youtube.com/@olympiamodelsailors440. Shier’s videos bring you the conditions, strategy, tactics, and tons of humor that only Shier can supply. To quote a friend of mine, Alex Klokke, who called me up to review everything that I learned from this regatta. “ I have never seen something that gives back so much to the sport as Shiers Videos.” Klokke then went on in fine detail about how he felt that the Read brothers’ tune was so much better than the other competitors, and they were so much faster coming out of their tacks than the other competitors.
Klokke went on to tell me how he rewound the videos and watched them over and over. Klokke is right, although I have a tendency to watch my races first and shake my head at all my mistakes. Now, I have to go back and pick out some of the details that Klokke brought up.
Speaking of all my mistakes and lessons learned. I’m sure every competitor had to deal with unforeseen breakdowns ie, servos and batteries failing. The key is to make those repairs ASAP. In a four-flight HMS system, one has half an hour to make the pit stop. I watched Chuck LeMahieu replace at least three rudder servos, Jon Rodgers swap out his Sail Winch servo, and both make it to their next heat on time. I was lucky that when my rudder servo went out, it was the last race of the day. It took me way too long to swap it out, which will make me practice on these simple repairs. Each competitor had to deal with being wrapped up with competitors or fouling a competitor due to distance and the line of sight. I made plenty of simple mistakes, like not staying out of heavy traffic at marks. Choosing a leeward gate, not because it was favored but because it was just easier to find your boat. Finding my boat was the most costly for me this weekend. I lost my boat twice in the glare of the sun and twice from brain fade. I’m adding colored draft strips to my sails and some off/larger sail number font. I’m hoping this will help me in the future.
I need to give one more shout-out to Henry DiPietro, Brad and Ken Read, Charlie Enright, Chuck LeMahieu, Tony Gonsalves, Steve Landeau, and my good friend Gene Elliot. Now, I did get some memorable quotes from the Read brothers. The first one was when Ken mentioned to Brad that the starting line needed to be moved a little. Brad thought the line was working well. A couple of moments later, PRO Tom Kirk called for the line to be adjusted. At the awards presentation, Ken brought up how difficult this Thanksgiving was going to be with Brad winning the regatta. Brad brought up that he was going to have to remind their father that he “Kicked his brother’s ass in the DF 95 Nationals”. Something tells me that the Perpetual Trophy will be the centerpiece at the dinner table. The jest between the brothers was fun to watch and hear. Charlie Enright stopped by the racing on Friday to meet me and spent some time watching the racing. His quote was “This is great, I never would have guessed all the banter between the competitors.” LeMahieu, Gonsalves, Landeau, and Elliot all helped me with my boat, and for that, I thank you all.
I’m already looking forward to the 2026 Nationals at the Lakewood Yacht Club in Seabrook, Texas.
Lets Go Sailing!
Len Bose
Results:
2025 DF95 NCR Newport Final Results
Credit: Sail Newport
(left to right) Henry Dipietro, Newport Model Sailing Club, Tony Gonsalves (fifth place), Peter Feldman (fourth place), Brad Read (first place), Ken Read (second place), Brian Shores (third place) and Tom Kirk, PRO.
Videos: Credit Dan Shier
Day 2
Day 3