(Annapolis, MD)- The East Coast Championship and the Chesapeake Bay
Championship were combined for the fleet of eighteen J/105s that
participated this year, including sailors from the extreme far north of
the Canadian border (Toronto). Extreme and unusual weather resulted in a
Friday cancellation of Saturday's racing as high winds, extreme low
temperatures, and wind driven wintery mix brought a halt to championship
weekend on the Bay. If any of you followed the weather this past
weekend, you'd know that even now some people are without electrical
power mid-week after snows up to 3 FEET (e.g. 1 meter) wiped out parts
of the Northeast!Sunday turned into a beautiful fall day and three races were held. The conditions were typical trailing edge filling winds from the Northwest with puffy 30 degree oscillating shifts, a persistent right shift, a big ebb current, and 16 boats trying to sort it out!
After 2 races THE MYSTERY MACHINE (Peter McChesney) had 5 points. Just behind in a tie with 6 pts each were the Canadian team from Toronto, Ontario sailing HEY JUDE-- James Rathbun skippering with the 2011 New York YC Invitational Cup Winner Terry McLaughlin aboard as tactician-- and a local Annapolis team, INIGO skippered by Jim Konigsberg.
The AYC PRO set up a 5 leg finishing race for the championship. MYSTERY MACHINE won the last race to capture first (6 pts), with HEY JUDE in 2nd (8 pts), and INIGO a 6th to hold onto 3rd place (12 pts). VELOCE (Marty Bublitz & Eddie Hornick) finished 4th (13 pts) and BAT IV (Andrew Kennedy) in 5th (22 pts) to finish out the award positions. Incredibly, only 5 points separated 5th to 11th place, the last and final race literally determining that 5th place trophy!
No one can say that they completely solved the tactics but the top boats mostly went to the left side on the upwind legs, inside the 1AH-Thomas Point current line, and that seemed to be the difference maker. The variety of conditions across the course made for big differences, with the boats that tried to protect the forecast right shift, to use the apparent better pressure, taking the biggest hit. Incredibly, as the fleet spread over 7.5nm in the final race, the difference between the top of the fleet and the bottom finishers was about 20 minutes! Nevertheless, all in all a fun day of racing, gorgeous, sunny and considering the craziness of Saturday, everyone was pleased to get in some good racing Sunday.
Special mention must be made of the performance of the US Naval Academy sailors. Showing up five strong, the US Navy J/105 teams sailed well and the top honors amongst that group of college sailors goes to Mary Cox on ALLEGIANCE. Mary's team finished in 9th overall, part of that group that could easily have snatched 5th in the final go around. For more J/105 East Coasts sailing information
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