Another aerial from Jeff Russell that captures the glare on Green Lake.
DN North American Championship Day 2
GREEN LAKE, WI
Regattas are supposed to offer a range of conditions, and the second day delivered exactly that. Light air that could not make up its mind.
We were able to complete three races for each fleet, starting with Gold.
Canada’s John Curtis won the Gold fleet race. It was good to see his persistence pay off. The Canadian contingent has logged the most miles over the past week, from Wawasee to Green Lake, and they did not let the brutal cold slow them down. If anything, they seemed to thrive. They must have antifreeze in their veins.
Another Canadian followed with a win in the Silver fleet. Paul Chamberland took the victory there.
The Bronze fleet race was won by junior sailor Sebastian Sorensen, and that result brought a lot of smiles. It has been great to watch his progress. Sebastian sails under a U.S. sail number, but he is also from Denmark and splits his time between the two countries.
The sunshine was welcome, but it came with a tradeoff. As the day wore on, glare off the ice became a real factor. By late in the day the weather mark was positioned directly into the sun, making it difficult to see and adding another layer of challenge for the sailors.
Off the ice, the speed clinic held Wednesday night was well attended. About 30 sailors gathered to ask questions and dig into technique with Chris Berger, Ron Sherry, and T. It was an engaged group and a good reminder of how much shared knowledge exists in this class.
Looking ahead, conditions are expected to change dramatically. As PRO Pat Heppert shared in his message last night, Friday is shaping up for good winds and continued fast ice.
Once the North American Championship concludes on Friday, we will move directly into U.S. Nationals racing as time allows. Sailors have been asked to self select their fleet preference.
This year marks the first time the class has tried this format. On off Worlds years, the class voted to hold both the North American Championship and a separate U.S. Nationals. The Nationals are a non ranking regatta, which allows us to skip qualifiers and go straight into racing.
Another major regatta also gets underway, with two courses running on the lake. The International Skeeter Association regatta begins, with A Class and B Class Skeeters, along with Nites and Renegades, all sailing.
Nina Fleming and I are staying on to help with that event on Sunday, because apparently we just cannot get enough of brutal cold.
After two days of contrast, we are ready for fast races and higher winds.
HOW TO FOLLOW:
Regatta Information Page
US Nationals Results
North American Results
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