U.S. Match Racing Championship - Day 1

by Kimball Livingston on 4 Oct 2014 With high pressure blocking the early seabreeze at the U.S. Match Racing Championship, the race committee staged the first three races of Round Robin One in light easterlies against an ebb tide current that the boats could barely overcome.

As expected, a seabreeze eventually gathered steam in that ultimate Venturi tube, the Golden Gate, but it came with a long delay. Racing resumed mid-afternoon in a light seabreeze—the normal direction on San Francisco Bay—allowing Round Robin One to go to completion.

Nathan Hollerbach of the Chicago Match Race Center had the only perfect seven, zero record for the day, but had to work hard for it in Race seven against Dave Dellenbaugh of Pequot YC, Easton, CT.

Hollerbach carried a thin lead through the first weather mark rounding, but Dellenbaugh gained enough through the race to tack inside him on the next weather leg—both boats were sailing in flood tide relief close to the cityfront and host St. Francis YC—and Dellenbaugh led around the second weather mark. The finish was overlapped and the win went to – Hollerbach, whose crew includes Taylor Canfield, Mike Rehe and Maggie Shea.

Dave Perry (Pequot YC) and Ryan Davidson (Balboa YC) are tied for second place at five - two. Racing continues through Sunday. The fate of Round Robin Two, planned for Friday, is yet to be determined.