(Rye, NY)- The final weekend of the American YC Spring Series was full
of “comeback kids” stories. However, the flipside of that scenario,
were the anxiety-ridden tactics and strategies of many boats to try to
maintain control and position on the racetrack without falling further
behind!This past Saturday, sailors aimed to pick up where they had left off. However, the weather had other plans. With very little wind on both courses, sailors were forced to wait for breeze throughout the day.
In
total, the East Course was only able to get one race in. In the J/44
division, Bill Ketcham’s MAXINE battled it out with Chris Lewis’ KENAI.
In the end, KENAI won the only race of the day by one point as MAXINE
finished second.The South Course managed to get two races in by shortening the last race. Trevor Roach’s J/70 SEMI-CHARMED bounced back from a rough finish to last weekend by placing first and second in the two races.
In the J/105 division, LOU LOU held on to its lead, winning both races; making it four race wins in a row.
Bengt & Marie Johansson’s ZIG ZAG and Carl Olsson’s MORNING GLORY maintained control of first and second place, respectively, with two points separating them in the J/109 division.
After
racing, sailors were treated to a special presentation in the American
Yacht Club ballroom by Tucker Thompson, who was the official host of the
35th America's Cup. Tucker gave a unique behind the scenes look at the
competition for the 35th America's Cup held in Bermuda. His presentation
included stories, analysis, and a look at the rich history of the
America's Cup. Tucker also gave the attendees a sneak peek at the 36th
America's Cup in New Zealand. On a day that also celebrated Cinco de
Mayo and the Kentucky Derby, it's safe to say Saturday had plenty of fun
for sailors both on and off the water.Sunday morning brought overcast skies as competitors returned to AYC for the final day of racing.
On
the East Course, the J/44 MAXINE sustained its solid performance
throughout both weekends to win the J/44 class. By winning three of the
last four races, Lewis’ KENAI rocketed into a solid second place. Third
was Don & Dick Rave’s RESOLUTE. Fourth and fifth, respectively,
were Len Sitar’s VAMP and Tom Blackwell’s BREAKAWAY.On the South Course, the battle in the J/70 division continued, where first place was anyone's for the taking. Roach’s SEMI-CHARMED persevered to win the division with Daniel Goldberg's BAZINGA right behind finishing second. Both boats had quite the comeback considering at the end last week SEMI-CHARMED was second in the division and BAZINGA was fifth. Third was Alex Meleny’s TRUCKIN, fourth Carrie & Ed Austin’s CHINOOK, fifth Mike Gavin’s USA 202.
With
thirteen boats, the J/105 class was the largest fleet in this year's
regatta. Paul Beaudin's LOU LOU was no stranger to the competition, as
it took first place for the fourth year in a row. Trailing right behind
in second place was the YOUNG AMERICAN SAILING ACADEMY helmed by Maddy
Ploch. This junior team boasted a crew of sailors mostly under the ages
of 18. Third was Harald Edegran/ Jeremy Henderson’s CONUNDRUM. Rounding
out the top five was Thom Hering’s TRIFECTA and George Wilbanks’
REVELATION in 4th and 5th, respectively.
In
the J/88 division, Elizabeth and Matt Barry’s ESCAPE finished first,
with Mike Bruno’s WINGS finishing second. Perhaps the most surprising
performance was the extreme contrast of results from the first weekend
to the second by Justin Scagnelli’s ALBONDIGAS. Sitting in fifth after
round one, the screamed back into contention and leapt onto the podium
after posting a 1-1-1-2 tally to finish only 4 points in arrears of
second! Iris Vogel’s DEVIATION dropped back into 4th, while Paul
Strauch’s ANDIAMO/ JAZZ sailed steadily to take 5th in their first
outing in the 88 class.Over the course of both weekends, the J/109 division was hotly contested. Though neck and neck, ZIG ZAG pulled through to win the division. MORNING GLORY placed second just one point behind. Then, in an eerily similar fashion to their 88 colleagues on ALBONDIGAS, Adrian Begley’s MAD DOGS & ENGLISHMEN truly went mad, mad, mad round and round the track and finished with all bullets in their last five races! As a result, they took the bronze after a less than stellar outing the previous weekend.
In the ORR division, Neil Hindle's J/145 MUSKOKA won not only the division but also the only distance race of the regatta. For more American YC Spring Series sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.
|
