(Tampa, FL)- It was not to be. Racing the last two days, that is. No
chance for the top five to fight it out for top honors at this years
J/24 Midwinters sailed on Tampa Bay; the final two days of the four day
Midwinter event were cancelled due to no wind. As a result, the Davis
Island YC in Tampa, FL, host to the Twenty-seven boats that participated
in the Midwinters, did an admirable job in getting off six good races
on Thursday and Friday. As a result, Peter Bream from Jacksonville, FL
racing TEAM TARHEEL won the J/24 Midwinter Championship with just 7
points, counting three first and two seconds in his score after six
races. Getting silver on the podium was Pan Am Games Trials Gold
Medallist John Mollicone sailing the "green" boat, 11th HOUR RACING/
SAILORS FOR THE SEA with 13 points. Third overall was Rossi Milev on
ORANGE BLOSSOM/ CLEAN AIR, another "green" boat. Fourth was class
veteran and wise man, Tony Parker sailed the
"never-say-die-cause-we-will-catch-you" BANGOR PACKET from Washington,
DC with 30 points. Fifth was Robby Brown on USA 799 with 35 points. The racing was tight in sailing conditions that ranged from 5 to 12 knots in the two days the fleet did race. The usually aggressive starting line maneuvering got some boats in trouble while others took advantage and gained solid positions on the first upwind legs to carve out better fleet positions. In these conditions, lanes upwind on the first leg were critical for clear air and boat speed. Aggressive tactics downwind often bunched up the fleet at the leeward mark, creating very tight, contentious mark roundings-- permitting some boats to swing past a half-dozen boats or more and jump higher in the race standings. For more J/24 Midwinter sailing results