J/105 North American Championship at Lakewood Yacht Club - Overall

Of the 10 races at the J/105 North American Championship, Steve Rhyne's Mojo won five of them, en route to a commanding victory in the 22-boat fleet. No races took place Sunday due to lack of wind, but it wouldn't have mattered for Rhyne, who had already wrapped up the Championship, hosted by his own Lakewood Yacht Club in Seabrook, TX. With Brian Shores, Jake Scott, Joe Taylor, Alan Woodyard and Ryan Glaze, the Mojo team recorded scores of 4,1,1,2,1,5,1,1,1,6 for a slim 23 points in the no-throw-out series. Fellow LYC members Bill Zartler on Deja Vodoo (49 points) and Bill Lakenmacher on Radiance (57 points) completed the top three overall.

Rhyne only bought his J/105 in the past year, lured by the strong Fleet 17 in Galveston Bay as well as this Championship at his own club. The conditions did not disappoint over the three days of competition, as winds held in the teens for the duration. "These were physical conditions but not unmanageable," summarized Rhyne. "After we got the lead on day one, we went into conservative mode. We felt we had speed, so we just couldn't do anything stupid with no throw-out. It was about points management." Rhyne gave all the credit to his team, saying, "Crew is everything on any boat. I think my crew could've stepped on any boat and won."

Photos are available on the J/105 Class Facebook page, and see event website www.j105nac.com for the full results.