Battle For J/27 Midwinters Supremacy!(New Orleans, LA)- Over the March 2nd to 5th weekend, the “northernmost Caribbean yacht club in the world”- New Orleans Yacht Club- hosted the Mardis Gras Race Week, presented by Gulf Coast Bank & Trust Company. The NOYC RC/PRO crew managed to run NINE races for the J/27 Midwinter Championship as well as give the PHRF A & B Classes some awesome racing on Lake Ponchartrain, with five races counted.
The story of the day for the J/27 Midwinters was the virtual match race that took place all weekend between the top two teams. In the end, after posting five 1sts and three 2nds, Patrick Ryan’s DEMITASSE from Southern YC walked off with class honors, being named the 2017 J/27 Midwinter Galactic Champion of the Milky Way! Hoping to prevent a “light years out” scenario was Merlin Wilson’s ALEGRE also from SYC. However, after leading the regatta with an astounding 2-1-1-1 after four races, they somehow, miraculously, lost their edge and could not hold back a five straight bullet comeback by their lovingly erstwhile buddies on DEMITASSE. Behind the regatta leaders, it must have been fun to watch from the bleacher seats for Canada’s Maddy Beese from Oakville Yacht Squadron in Ontario. Maddy ultimately took the bronze.
Meanwhile, it was the PHRF handicap world for offshore keelboats saw a LOT of drama taking place on the great lake north of New Orleans’ infamous Bourbon Street. Winning class was Burton Benrud’s J/111 ZYDECO from Southern YC with a 3-2-1-1-2 record for 6 pts. They had their hands full taking on well-sailed crews on a Swan 42, B32, three Melges 32’s and Salona 380. For more Mardis Gras Regatta sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.
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