Siblings Eddie and Kate Cox win the MC National Championship

by Hannah Noll on 19 Jun 2017 Eddie and Kate Cox won an epic shootout to take home the MC National Championship title. It is the first MC Nationals win for the sibling duo from White Bear Yacht Club. They won three out of seven races at the event hosted by Rush Creek Yacht Club.

The title came down to the final race. Leading up to the final day’s one scheduled race, Cox was close at the heels of regatta leader Mark Tesar. It was Cox vs Tesar in the final shootout. Cox set up on the starting line immediately to leeward of Tesar. Cox’s boat speed put his bow out, and just after the cannon the race was his to control.

At the first windward mark he had a 30 second lead ahead of Kenny Wolfe and Virginia Hannen, the second place boat. Tesar was 18 boats back. Cox led the race wire to wire, holding off Wolfe and Tesar. Tesar climbed back on the last beat and finished with a 13th place, the deepest finish in a very strong, consistent regatta for the MC veteran.

The day started with winds blowing 20 to 26 mph. A patient Principle Race Officer Chip Mann and the race committee team held the fleet onshore until the breeze came down to 15 to 20 mph. It was fun sailing all regatta long with fair racing in moderate to heavy winds on Lake Ray Hubbard. Rush Creek Yacht Club proved to be a great venue for the championship, bringing masses of volunteers, strong leadership, and an excellent racetrack.

Andrew Vandling won the Youth Division. Katie Arvesen took the Women’s Division. In the Grand Master’s Division, Greg Gust edged out Eric Hood and Kelson Elam. Mark Tesar won the Master’s Division followed by Bill Draheim and Ron Baerwitz. Mike Keenan took the Mega Master’s Division. In the Singlehanded Division, Mark Tesar beat out former US Sailing Team member Andrew Casey and Ivan Lopatin. Races were won by Eddie Cox, Mark Tesar, Bill Draheim, Will Crary, and Ivan Lopatin.

The next three major-scale events for the fleet are the Masters Nationals, the Inland Lake Yachting Association Championship and the Western Michigan Championship, in addition to over 50 fun events per year for the MC fleet.

Final Results

Top Twenty (57 boats)

Pos	Sail		Skipper	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Total Points
1	2685		Cox, Eddie	[18]	5	1	11	1	2	1	21.00
2	2178		Tesar, Mark	5	3	4	12	6	1	[13]	31.00
3	808		Casey, Andrew	2	7	13	2	[15]	4	3	31.00
4	2579		Wolfe, Kenny	7	2	6	[23]	5	14	2	36.00
5	1973		Draheim, Bill	1	15	[16]	5	2	6	8	37.00
6	2220		Baerwitz, Ron	6	12	3	4	[34]	3	14	42.00
7	2675		Crary, William	[26]	6	7	1	3	9	17	43.00
8	2644		Colburn, Bill	4	20	5	[21]	18	7	4	58.00
9	1790		Lopatin, Ivan	19	1	2	10	7	20	[31]	59.00
10	2153		Johnston, Rob	10	4	14	13	9	12	[19]	62.00
11	2040		Chesnutt, Henry	13	14	[31]	24	4	5	11	71.00
12	2656		Slocum, Scott	14	[30]	8	7	12	23	7	71.00
13	2323		Hatton, Brett	20	10	[29]	15	8	16	5	74.00
14	2085		Schloemer, Erich	9	16	[20]	20	13	8	9	75.00
15	2122		Gust, Greg	8	17	15	[58/OCS]	20	10	15	85.00
16	2148		Adams, Justin	25	18	[58/RET]	3	16	24	6	92.00
17	2645		Hood, Eric	3	19	[30]	22	25	11	12	92.00
18	2401		Tesar, Todd	17	8	[28]	17	19	15	24	100.00
19	2549		Hoye, David	12	13	17	32	[38]	18	10	102.00
20	2392		Harestad, Scott	29	11	[32]	9	11	27	16	103.00