PALADIN Dominates Double-handers
(Annapolis, MD)- With one of the biggest turnouts in 28 years, the J Team contingent were certain to factor in amongst the leaders of the PHRF and IRC classes racing this year. The race course runs south on the Chesapeake Bay for 120 miles to the Bay Bridge Tunnel, then 20 miles out into the Atlantic to the Chesapeake Light Tower and finally up the coast to Newport for a total of 473 miles.
In the PHRF Division I, it was pretty clear the J/120s were going to be the class to beat. In the end, the Annapolis J/120s took 4 of the top 5! Leading the pack was Greg Alden's IRIE, finishing second in class. Third was Richard Born's WINDBORN, fourth Greg Leonard's HERON and fifth to round out the top five was Jim Praley's SHINNECOCK. This was quite a showing for this group of long-distance offshore sailors from the Chesapeake. Bill Fields' J/160 CONDOR from Galesville, MD lead the J/fleet home in PHRF and was second J across the line on elapsed just behind the Weiss' J/122 CHRISTOPHER DRAGON. Finally, in PHRF II, perennial offshore competitor Bob Fox's J/42 SCHEMATIC from Annapolis, MD finished fourth.
The IRC Division III saw Andrew Weiss's J/122 CHRISTOPHER DRAGON from Larchmont, NY and American YC finish first, winning by five hours corrected over the famous Bermuda Race winning 48 footer, CARINA sailed by NYYC Rear Commodore Rives Potts, in second. Third was Paul Milo's determined crew aboard their J/109 VENTO SOLARE from Leesburg, VA just off the pace enough to, in fact, miss winning overall. Just 24 hours out from the finish, it was a nearly a boat-for-boat dead heat between VENTO SOLARE and CARINA as to who would get to the finish first.
In
the Doublehanded IRC Division Jason Richter's famous J/35 PALADIN from
Port Jefferson, NY pulled it off again, winning the Double-handed class
by over two hours corrected time and eclipsing the recent Class 40
champion called DRAGON. Never count this highly successful
double-handed team out of the running, it's like the American TV ad, the
"Energizer bunny", the battery that just keeps on ticking! Finally, the J/Family wishes Jim Muldoon and friends on his maxi-sled DONNYBROOK a speedy recovery from bumps and bruises sustained while pulverizing an uncharted rock-pile just off the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. For more Annapolis-Newport sailing and tracking information
