2015 USODA National Championship – Day 2 overall + Video

by Talbot Wilson on 26 Jul 2015 Once more lightning has cut a day short in the 2015 USODA National Championship. This was a short day to begin with because the Sailing Instructions had been amended to change the Schedule of Races setting the first warning for the beginning of Qualifying Round Four at 1200hrs.

The total fleet of 278 sailors were divided into new groups for the day.The sailors are divided into different groups each day of the Qualifying Rounds. At the end of the day, when the fifth set of qualifying flights are raced, the sailors are redivided into Medal groups, Gold for the top 33% of the competitors and silver for the rest.

Thursday, the fourth set of races was completed in good order. Then in the fifth set boats were on the course when a thunderstorm moved toward the bay from the northwest. Some coaches and parents saw visible lightning and pulled their sailors from the course.

By Opti Championship rules, when lightning is visible the race is abandoned. Therefore, races in the fifth set for the Pink and Purple groups do not count. They will be re-sailed on Saturday.

The top three after combined preliminary results with four flights for each group saw Luke Arnone of Mantoloking Yacht Club CERT in first at 2-2-1-1 and six points. Tayte Stefaniuk of Bermuda's Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club LOOT dropped to second with scores of 1-1-2-3 and seven points. Third is Brice Tone of Sarasota Yacht Club with 2-5-3-2 and 12points.

Big changes will come in the standings when the sailors get in their fifth race and can drop their worst score. Some of the top sailors in the championship were black flagged Thursday for being over the starting line within a minute of the start will be able to throw out 94 points.

Winds for the day were like Jekyll and Hyde— a nice seven knots from 270º from 12 to 2PM and and a gusty sea breeze from 185º that gusted from 16 to about 18 knots.

Racing starts sat noon on Saturday.

The 2015 National Championship regatta is a USODA Team Trials Qualifying (TTQ) event. The top 50% of Team Trials eligible Championship Fleet competitors, as defined by the USODA, based on the final results using the total number of boats registered in both the Championship and Green Fleet, are eligible for entry into the 2016 USODA Team Trials.

The top team in the Team Race National Championship LISOT Black will be invited to represent the USA at the Opti Team Cup Berlin in October.

Racing continues on Friday morning with the First warning for the first race of the day scheduled for 10:00 on Pensacola Bay.

Spectators are invited to come to the Pensacola waterfront at Plaza de Luna, Pensacola Maritime Park, Sanders Beach or Pensacola Yacht Club.

Pensacola Yacht Club welcomes all of the young Opti sailors for these elite events from beginners to experts. A ‘beginners’ Green Fleet raced their own course near Sanders Beach. Greenies, like the National Championship sailors will race through Sunday. Pensacola Yacht Club expects about 2000 people to be involved in the championships as participants, coaches, race officials, volunteers and parents supporting their young green and championship fleet challengers.

The USODA Opti Nationals week is a great time to enjoy all that Pensacola and Northwest Florida have to offer.

Watch day two highlights