(Marblehead, MA)- The 2019 J/105 North American Championship started on September 5th off Marblehead, MA on the open waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. Hosting the event is Corinthian Yacht Club, along with title sponsor “The British Virgin Islands Tourist Board”.
The eighteen teams from across the USA and Canada enjoyed spectacular early fall sailing conditions, with winds starting clear, cool from the Northeast, and saw winds shifting into the Southeast by late afternoon. The Corinthian YC PRO managed the conditions well, getting off three races in a breeze that persistently shifted right all day, as forecasted.
Leading the regatta after the first day is Bruce Stone and Nicole Breault’s GOOD TRADE from San Francisco, CA with a 2-2-1 record for 5 pts, in a no-throw out up to 12 race series. Second is Ken Horne’s FINAL FINAL crew from Houston, TX with a 3-1-6 tally for 10 pts. Third is hometown local hero Charlie Garrard’s MERLIN with a 6-4-3 scoreline for 13 pts. Rounding out the top five are Tim Russell’s NE*NE crew from San Francisco, CA with a 8-3-4 scoreline for 15 pts and Terry Michaelson’s Canadian team on THE USUAL SUSPECTS with a 1-8-8 score for 17 pts.
In the first race, Terry Michaelson’s THE USUAL SUSPECTS banged the left corner hard on the first leg to lead the race at the first mark, followed by Stone/Breault’s GOOD TRADE. Those two boats finished in that order, followed by Horne’s FINAL FINAL. In the second race, a similar scenario played out, with Stone/Breault’s GOOD TRADE leading around the first leeward gate, but with Horne’s FINAL FINAL splitting from the fleet all alone into the deep left corner and rounding the second weather mark in first, holding on for the lead at the finish; GOOD TRADE second again, and Russell’s NE*NE passing two boats on the final run to take third place. In the final race, GOOD TRADE took off from the port end of the line, tacked and crossed the feet, and led around the first mark, the first boat to lead from wire-to-wire in the racing on Thursday. Second was Steven Goldberg’s AIR EXPRESS and third was Garrard’s MERLIN.
Good racing is expected on Friday prior to Hurricane Dorian upsetting things a wee bit on Saturday (possibly no racing). And, there should be great racing on Sunday post-hurricane Dorian. For complete J/105 North American Championship results For more J/105 North American Championship sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.
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