Five Cubed – Series 3 Winner

Skipper Brian Lyman of Five Cubed, a Johnson 18, took Series 3 honors in the Round Bay Sailing Association (RBSA) Wednesday night series. Series 3 was an odd one for RBSA. Two of the six races in the series were canceled, a rarity for RBSA. Because Round Bay on the Severn is a bit more protected than the Chesapeake, many times when Annapolis racing is canceled, RBSA soldiers on. However, thunder, lightning and stormy conditions forced the RBSA board to cancel both August 11 and 18, leaving only four of six races for scoring.

Five Cubed, which docks on the flats at Sherwood Forest, raced only three of the remaining four Series 3 races, as Lyman had to fulfill race committee (RC) duties for race one. Five Cubed did exceptionally well in those three races, taking second, first and second, respectively, in the July races. For RC responsibilities, per RBSA rules, Five Cubed took an average of its sailed races in the series.

Crew for Five Cubed consists of skipper Brian and crew, including brother Jeremy. The Lyman brothers have been racing together since their early teens. They raced with their dad on Wednesday nights on a Catalina 27 on Middle River. Then in 2004, Brian bought Five Cubed, named after the boat’s Hull Number, 125, or 5³. From 2005 on, the brothers have been sailing together on Round Bay. Brian drives and trims the main sail, and Jeremy flies the kite and trims the jib. There was a hiatus/COVID break for the brothers last year, but otherwise, the duo has sailed Five Cubed together most Wednesdays since 2005.

When asked about success in the series, Lyman attributed the win to “good boat-handling and several reaching legs.” It’s important to “keep your boat in clean air [where the air is not disturbed/blocked by other boats’ sails], even at the expense of tacking more. You have to avoid dirty air.” Lyman further commented that winds were interesting for this series. For example, two of the races had easterly winds and a third had northerlies. The prevailing winds on Round Bay are southerly, so it’s important to know where the wind shifts will be. Sail smart, sail fast, keep your rig tuned correctly – all good advice from the Series 3 winner.