Star Midwinter Championship-Levin

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Coconut Grove

Two races were held today on Biscayne Bay for the Star Class racing for the Bob Levin memorial trophy.

The breeze was on at 16 knots from the East which got the temperature up into the 60’s. It was a shifty again with the wind coming over the key onto the track.

Magnus and I went into the day one point behind Jack Jennings and Frithjof Kleen. But today was to be our day.  In race one, we started at the pin and never looked back.  Jennings and Kleen were in 5th at the first mark but their speed brought them up to second but the final run.  Diaz/Prada were also sailing well and finished third.

So going into the final race it was “who beats who”  to take the Levin Trophy for 2018.  Magnus and I had a conservative start under Diaz/Prada. Jennings and Kleen were slightly ahead as we all taked onto port.  Our speed was superior and we slipped out front and to leeward of the pack. We then got a header. The whole fleet flipped over onto starboard and Magnus and I were on top of the fleet.  And that’s where we stayed.

Jennings/Kleen finished second with Diaz/Prada in third. And that was the order for the regatta.

My hat is off to my crew! Magnus is 64 years young. 5 races in 16 knots in two days is hard on anyone, but Magnus is ageless. A gold medalist in 2000 the man is a true athlete, mentally and physically. Here’s to you Magnus!!

The next event will be the Masters regatta February 3, 4. followed by the Walker and Midwinters the following weekend.

For complete results go to www.yachtscoring.com

Paul

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Star Midwinter Championship-Levin

Photo: Marco Oquendo/imagesbymarco.com

Coconut Grove

A brisk and chilly northerly greeted the Star fleet for the first regatta of 2018.  Winds on the race track ranged between 8 and 18 knots with a few rain showers.  Three races were held for the 19 boat fleet. The wind was very shifty, not oscillating predicatably but rather randomly shifting. This made for a game of “shoots and ladders” especially rake in the races when the fleet was tightly bunched.

Magnus and I were sailing a new boat, so we had a bit of famiarization to get through and race one was toughest for that.  In that first race Larry Whipple and Austin Sperry led around the first lap and then Jack Jennings with Frithjof Kleen crewing took over for the win. Magnus and I battled with Augie Diaz and Jim Buckingham and finally settled in 5th.

After getting a few things sorted out, we hit the start line of race 2 at pace and led wire to wire for the win.  Andy MacDonnald with Brad Nichol crewing gave us a good run for our money with Augie Diaz and Bruno Prada crewing in 3rd. Jennings/Kleen finished 5th so Magnus and I were tied for the lead at that point.

In the third and final race of the day, Andy MacDonnald was the early leader but Magnus and I were able to capture the lead just before the first mark. We rounded the right gate at the end of the first run in the lead with Augie Diaz hot on our heels at the right hand gate while Jennings and MaxDonnald rounded the left hand gate. The first shift of the next leg went to the right so we were disadvantaged but with good speed we caught up and were leading 300 meters before the last mark of the race. Just after we crossed ahead, a large wind-shift favored Jennings/Kleen and the we able to slip though to the mark, beneath us.

With the large windshift, the final leg was a fetch so no positions were changed down to tha finish.

At the end of day 1, Jennings/Kleen are leading, 1 point ahead  of Cayard/Liljedahl. There is a 6 point gap to Whipple/Sperry in 3rd, Buckingham/Strube are 4th and Diaz/Prada round out the top 5.

Two races are scheduled for tomorrow with an 11:00 start.

For complete results go to: www.yachtscoring.com

Paul

 

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