Star North American Championship at California Yacht Club

Star North American Championship at California Yacht Club - Day 1

by Paul Cayard 17 Aug 2018 00:25 PDT 16-19 August 2018

2018 Star North American Championship - Day 1 © Mary Stuyvesant

Thursday was day one of the Star North American Championship in Marina del Rey, California. The conditions were beautiful for Star sailing; 7-9 knots with a moderate sea.

In race 1, Eric Doyle, with Payson Infelise up front, held a narrow lead of Arthur Lopes and I. Eric had a bad start but dug his way out by playing the left side of the course and it worked. Rick Merriman, Vasella/Trinter and john MacCausland with Arnis Baltins rounded out the top 5 and things pretty much stayed that way around the 6 mile race track.

In Race 2, I was a bit late at the start and was just barely able to get a clean lane. We were forced to the right pretty quickly and rounded the first mark 8th. Benny Mitchell with Patrick Powell crewing held a comfortable lead at the first mark after a 1.7 miles windward leg. Eric Doyle was second, with Vasella, Andy Mac Donald, and Merriman in a tight group. Mark Reynolds, out sailing for the first time in a while rounded just ahead of Arthur and I.

2018 Star North American Championship - Day 1 - photo © Mary Stuyvesant

Arthur and I had a good downwind leg to round the gate 4th and all but caught Doyle and Mitchell by the second windward Mark. We could not quite get around them and the three of us finished within 3 boat lengths with Mitchell taking the win, Doyle 2nd and Arthur and I third.

So after Day 1, Doyle leads with 3 points, we are second with 5, Vasella is third with 9 and MacDonnald and MacCausland are tied on 11.

Six more races are scheduled for the championship which will end on Sunday.

Results after Day 1:

Pos	Sail No	Bow No	Helm	Crew	Nat	Club	R1	R2	Pts
1	8423	23	Eric Doyle	Payson Infelise	USA	SDYC/NHYC	1	2	3
2	8466	39	Paul Cayard	Arthur Lopes	USA	StFYC	2	3	5
3	8459	16	Peter Vessella	Phil Trinter	USA	StFYC	4	5	9
4	8520	26	Andrew Macdonald	Brad Nichol	USA	ScutSC/LSYC	7	4	11
5	8521	31	John MacCausland	Arnis Baltins	USA	CRYC/AYC	5	6	11
6	8250	22	Rick Merriman	Rick Peters	USA	SDYC/CYC	3	10	13
7	8129	33	Mark Reynolds	Roger Cheer	USA	SDYC	6	7	13
8	8082	30	Ben Mitchell	Patrick Powell	USA	CYC/CorYC	13	1	14
9	8440	19	Jim Buckingham	Craig Moss	USA	NHYC/SDYC	8	8	16
10	8218	21	Charlie Buckingham	Jamie Buchan	USA	NHYC/SYC	10	9	19
11	8464	12	Jack Jennings	Craig Monk	USA	CMRC	11	12	23
12	8518	10	Doug Smith	Brian O'Mahony	USA	StFY/CYC	14	11	25
13	8259	15	Cristian Noe	Fernando Mugerle	ARG		9	21	30
14	8379	24	Erwan Le Gall	Edoardo Natucci	USA	HYC	15	18	33
15	7462	35	Dave Watt	Phil Toth	USA	CYCS	16	17	33
16	8059	17	Bob Lippincott	Guy Avellon	USA	TAYC	20	14	34
17	8275	18	Nick Madigan	David Wood	USA	NHYC	12	23	35
18	8268	28	Alejandro Bugacov	Huy Nguyen	USA	CYC	19	16	35
19	8189	46	Scott Mason	Peter Kinney	USA	NHYC	17	19	36
20	8507	36	Jim Revkin	Alexey Selivanov	USA	MYC	24	15	39
21	8088	44	Stephen Gould	Greg Sieck	USA	StFYC	22	22	44
22	7294	45	Charles Beek	Chas Beek	USA	NHYC	21	25	46
23	8083	43	Derek DeCouteau	Jamie Stewart	USA	CYCS	27	20	47
24	8336	37	Steve Brown	Erick Lange	USA	BCYC	23	24	47
25	8302	41	Julian Soto	Gregory Smith	USA	DRYC/CYC	18	30	48
26	8230	38	Erik Lidecis	Tim Ray	USA	BCYC/BCC	DSQ	13	51
27	8163	40	Jon Pelliconi	Henry Brawner	USA	CYC	25	27	52
28	8324	32	Bruce Long	Ray Rogers	CAN	RVYC	26	26	52
29	8065	29	Doug Steele	Isao Toyama	USA	CYC	28	28	56
30	8267	47	Stephen Gunther	Phil Mancusso	USA	DYC	32	29	61
31	8006	25	Jon Massaro	Jim Alexander	USA	ScutSC	29	33	62
32	6560	11	Kirsten Bergstrom	Joshua Siudyla	USA	STYC	30	32	62
33	7932	27	David Brown	Todd Buese	USA	CYC	31	31	62
34	8072	14	Keith Dodson	Myles Pritchard	USA	ABYC/CYC	DNF	DNC	76
34	8306	20	Charles Buckingham	Mark Strube	USA	NHYC	DNF	DNC	76
34	8420	42	Jock Kohlhas	Carroll Beek	USA	CPYC	DNC	DNC	76
34	8271	34	Al Cullen	Dave Martin	CAN	RVYC	DNC	DNC	76