(Tampa, FL)- The scene might have been right out of a Caesarean drama!
As Julia Caesar once commented after quickly conquering yet more lands,
“vene vidi vici”, and that’s the way it was for the Fort Worth, Texas
based team on the mighty STAMPEDE. Led by owner Bruno Pasquinelli, the
STAMPEDE crew that included Jamie Wilmot and Willem van Waay simply
smoked the fleet, winning the first five races and sailing home after
race six to let the others fight for the leftovers. 
Such
a thorough spanking of the fleet was not what anyone anticipated, nor
expected, in the highly talented fleet of forty-eight J/70 teams that
traveled to Davis Island Yacht Club in Tampa, Florida for the middle
weekend of the 2016-2017 Quantum J/70 Winter Series. Conditions ranged
from wet and wild on Saturday (winds up to 28 knots) to sunny and cool
on Sunday (winds 10-18 knots). Bruno Pasquinelli’s STAMPEDE reveled in
the breeze, racking up four consecutive bullets and a second to allow
them to sit out the sixth and final race. Tom Bowen’s REACH AROUND, that
won the first weekend of the Series in December, took second place with
13 points. Allan Terhune’s DAZZLER edged out Darby Smith’s AFRICA (top
Woman skipper) for third place (Terhune with 16 points to Smith’s 17).
Rounding out the top five was Will Welles’ SCAMP from Newport, RI. Andrew Fisher’s BUTTON FLY from American YC on Long Island Sound topped the 24-boat Corinthian division; they also placed 6th overall in the Open Division! The Winner from the last event, Andrew Loe’s DIME PIECE from Seattle YC, continued their good performance by taking 2nd in Corinthians to be leading the series overall. Third was Dave Kerr’s USA 364, 4th place was Jacob Christy’s PALE HORSE and 5th position was J/70 Class President Henry Brauer sailing his RASCAL to 5th place with his crew from Eastern YC in Marblehead, MA. For more Quantum J/70 Winter Series sailing information
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