(Annapolis, MD)- Forty-four all-amateur teams vied in Annapolis, MD for
the honor of being named the first ever J/70 Corinthian US National
Champion. Peter McChesney’s Alice & WondeRRRland (with crew Alice
Christman, Scott Snyder and Shane Zwingelberg) earned that distinction
by tallying just 9 points in the six-race series, including three
bullets and three second-place finishes.The regatta opened on Friday with perfect breezes and close battles- truly “chamber of commerce” conditions with sunny skies and 12-14 kt winds on Chesapeake Bay. Eastport YC’s PRO and regatta management team set a perfect race course and ran three races.
Working his way to the top of the leaderboard on Friday was local Peter McChesney, who notched a 2,2,1 for just 5 points. Jack Franco’s 3BALL JT won two races, but added a sixth-place tally, landing him in second place overall at 8 points. Jenn & Ray Wulff’s JOINT CUSTODY stood in third with 11 points.
Franco
got things going with the day’s first bullet, followed by McChesney and
the Wulff’s. Behind Franco in race two were McChesney and Henry
Filter’s WILD CHILD. McChesney secured the day’s overall advantage by
winning the last meeting, as John Wilsey’s SEA BAGS SAILING TEAM and the
Liebel/Rubin/Walsh/Britts gang on REACH AROUND rounded out the top
three.After Saturday’s races were postponed due to high winds on the Chesapeake Bay (25-30 kts!), sunny skies and breeze between 15-20 knots allowed three more races to be completed on Sunday. Reach Around won the day’s first battle, trailed by McChesney and Peter Bowe’s TEA DANCE SNAKE. McChesney returned to the top spot in the final two races, with 3BALL JT and REACH AROUND comprising the top three in both cases.
As
a result, McChesney’s ALICE & WONDERRRLAND won by 11 pts. Taking
the silver spot on the podium was the Liebel/Rubin/Walsh/Britts gang on
REACH AROUND with 20 points. Franco’s slow start on the day came back
to haunt them, having to count an 8-2-3 to finish one point back and
secure the bronze medal. Rounding out the top five were Jenn & Ray
Wulff’s JOINT CUSTODY in 4th place with 25 pts and fifth was Wilsey’s
SEA BAGS SAILING TEAM. Jenn Wulff was also Top Women’s Skipper for the
regatta.Joe Colling, US J/70 Class Association Past President, summarized, “The J/70 Class may only be four years old, but it has proven to have Championships that serve all levels of the membership. Whether it be a Corinthian division of an open event or a Corinthian Championship like this, there’s a place in this Class for pros and amateurs alike.” Sailing photo credits- Dan Phelps/ Spinsheet.com For more J/70 Corinthian Nationals sailing information
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