J/88 North American Championship at Chicago Yacht Club - Day 1
by Julie & Christopher Howell 9 Aug 2018 20:41 PDT
9-12 August 2018
Fourteen J/88s vying for the title of 2018 North American Champion revelled in beautiful breeze and sunshine on the opening day in Chicago, IL. Laura Weyler's Hijinks started her quest to repeat as Champion with two bullets and a fourth for 6 points.
Ben Marden's Banter also won a race and holds second place with 8 points, one notch ahead of Mike Bruno's Wings. Douglas Newhouse's Yonder is just one more point back with 10.
Winds started around 8 knots and increased to 12-15 for the fleet racing as part of the Verve Cup Offshore Regatta at Chicago Yacht Club. Weyler's Hijinks opened the Championship with her first victory, as Marden's Banter and Newhouse's Yonder followed. Marden's Banter moved up to the top spot in the day's middle race, ahead of Bruno's Wings and John & Jordan Leahey's Dutch. Looking at Weyler's Hijinks in Thursday's final contest were Newhouse's Yonder and Bruno's Wings.
Racing continues through Sunday.
Results after Day 1:
| Pos | Bow No | Sail No | Yacht Name | Owner | R1 | R2 | R3 | Pts |
|---|
| 1 | 27 | USA 27 | Hijinks | Laura Weyler | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 |
| 2 | 21 | USA 21 | Banter | Ben Marden | 2 | 1 | 5 | 8 |
| 3 | 9 | USA 80 | Wings | Mike Bruno | 4 | 2 | 3 | 9 |
| 4 | 35 | USA 35 | Yonder | Douglas Newhouse | 3 | 5 | 2 | 10 |
| 5 | 18 | USA 88 | Exile | Andy Graff | 6 | 10 | 4 | 20 |
| 6 | 24 | USA 24 | Deviation | Iris Vogel | 8 | 6 | 6 | 20 |
| 7 | 28 | USA 82 | Blondie 2 | Tod Patton | 5 | 7 | 9 | 21 |
| 8 | 29 | USA 29 | Dutch | John & Jordan Leahey | 9 | 3 | 10 | 22 |
| 9 | 39 | USA 93 | Seaweed | Tim Finkle | 7 | 8 | 8 | 23 |
| 10 | 46 | USA 64 | BLUE | Brian O'Malley | 11 | 9 | 7 | 27 |
| 11 | 30 | USA 30 | Windsong | Tim Wade | 10 | 11 | 12 | 33 |
| 12 | 15 | USA 83 | Hokey Smoke | Richard and Lori Stearns | 12 | 12 | 11 | 35 |
| 13 | 12 | USA 12 | Rambler | Benjamin Wilson | 13 | 13 | 13 | 39 |
| 14 | 1 | USA 89 | Slyaza II | Gordon Dill | 14 | 14 | 14 | 42 |