2015 Detroit Cup – Challenging light air conditions on day 3

by Luiz E. Kahl on 30 Aug 2015 2015 Detroit Cup – It was yet another day of challenging light air conditions and multiple delays awaiting breeze in day three, but race managers had just enough wind to make progress on the double Round Robin and have options on how to move forward in the format for the final day of racing tomorrow.

The light conditions have prompted race managers to plan the start for one hour earlier tomorrow, at 0900, for the final day of racing.

Leading the event from the first day and amassing an impressive 11-2 win-loss record, Australian Sam Gilmour and his Neptune Racing team will come into tomorrow with a strong hand regardless of what is decided. His most likely opponents in a Semi-Final or a Final may be from among the following teams at the top of the leaderboard: Chris Steele and his 36 Below Racing Team from New Zealand, who has 10 points and lies in second place; or Nathan Hollerbach from Chicago or Matt Jerwood and his Redline Racing team from Australia, who are both tied on nine points.

Jerwood has the best record in the second round robin among the ten competing teams, winning every one of his five matches sailed. This has vaulted him from sixth place at the end of the first day to third at the end of today’s racing.

This third day of the competition started with only a short delay to wait for a weak but sailable easterly that yielded three flights, followed by a break in the action to hold a fun pro-am race to benefit the event charity, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Detroit.

A resumption of racing after the pro-am yielded another flight held in a dying and shifting breeze, so another postponement was needed before a final flight of racing was held to end the competition for the day after Flight six of the second Round Robin.

Event managers and the Race Committee will decide on the format for last day of racing tomorrow, with options being to complete the Round Robin and advance directly to the Finals, or score the this stage with the completed races and advance to a Semi-Final with the top four teams.

The Detroit Cup is the fourth and final event on the Grade 2 USA GRAND SLAM series, with the winner of the series receiving an invitation to the Grade WC Congressional Cup at Long Beach YC in 2016.

Current standings:
1. Sam Gilmour (AUS) 11 points
2. Chris Steele (NZL) 10
3. Matt Jerwood (AUS) Nine
4. Nathan Hollerbach (USA) Nine
5. Chris Poole (USA) Eight
6. Chris Van Tol (USA) Six
7. Ryan Seago (USA) Six
8. Patrik Sturesson (SWE) Five
9. David Storrs (USA) Four
10. David Niemann (USA) One