US Sailing’s Championship of Champions - Raab takes the lead

by Jake Fish on 21 Oct 2011 The Championship of Champions, hosted by the Corinthian Sailing Club on White Rock Lake in Dallas, Texas, is being held from 20th to 22nd October 2011. Twenty of the top one-design champions in the country raced in Flying Scots for the Jack Brown Trophy.

Skipper Chris Raab (Sunset Beach, Calif.), the defending 2010 Champion, and crew Bill Draheim (Heath, Texas) has a narrow two point lead over skipper Andrew Eagan (Metairie, La.) and crew Marcus Eagan (Madisonville, La.).

Raab, the 2010 Mercury National Champion, has 28 points after day one. They won the final race of the day to take the lead. His scoring line on Thursday was 3-3-4-5-12-1. Eagan, who qualified for this year’s Championship by winning the 2011 Flying Scot North American Championship, has the advantage of racing in a familiar boat. The Eagans won race five and finished second twice. Their scoring line was 2-10-2-3-1-12 for a total of 30 points.

In third place is skipper Mike Gillum (Loomis, Calif.) and crewmates Mardi and Alison Gillum (Loomis, Calif.). The Gillums are eight points behind Raab. Their day was highlighted by a win in race three. They posted a scoring line of 8-5-1-6-13-3 for a total of 36 points. The Gillums are representing the Daysailer class this week.

This year’s special guest competitor, Tom Ehman (Valencia, Spain) is in fourth place and 13 points behind Raab. Crewing for Ehman this week is Kelson Elam (Heath, Texas). Ehman was in the hunt for most of the day. They won race two and finished with a scoring line of 5-1-3-15-15-2 for 41 points. Ehman is no stranger to the Championship of Champions. He won the Jack Brown Trophy in 1976.

After an 80 minute delay due to lack of wind, racing started just before 11:00 a.m. CT. The wind filled from the south at five knots. By mid-afternoon the wind built up to 10 knots. It was a beautiful, sunny day with temperatures in the high 60s.

A cold front moved through Dallas Monday evening, dropping the temperature and providing a blustery north wind. The practice races on Wednesday were run in 20 to 30 mph winds out of the north.

Racing resumes Thursday morning at 9:30 a.m. CT and the Championship of Champions concludes Saturday. All competitors have qualified for this event by winning a 2010 or 2011 one-design class National, North American, or World Championship.

The Championship is a Sailors for the Sea - Clean Regattas certification event.

Championship Notes:

- Selection Procedure

- Each applicant is evaluated on the following criteria:

- 40% Sailor Criteria – how many major events have they done in the past three years; number of races in national championship, number of attendants at national championship

- 20% Class Criteria – size, diversity, depth and activity of class nationally

- 40% Other – Sailor Athlete status, class membership in US Sailing, previous experience, demonstrated Corinthian spirit, etc.

- When fewer than eight races have been completed, a competitor’s series score will be the total of that competitor’s race scores.

- When eight to thirteen races are completed, a competitor’s series score will be the total of that competitor’s race scores excluding the competitor’s worst score.

- When fourteen or more races have been completed, a competitor’s series score will be the total of that competitor’s race scores excluding the competitor’s two worst scores.

- Four races are required to constitute the Regatta.

- Windward/leeward or Triangle

- Racing starts at 9:30 a.m. Event website