Flying Scot North American Championship 2019 at Pensacola Yacht Club - Day 1

Zeke Horowitz and crew Jay Horowitz, father and son from Annapolis (6196) had perfect scores of 1-1-1=3 in qualifying races to lead top 15 boats into Championship Races. GYA 314 Van Rogers sailed by Van Rogers of Birmingham was a close second 2-1-3=6 © Talbot Wilson

Zeke Horowitz and crew Jay Horowitz, father and son, from Annapolis, MD had scores of 1-1-1 for 3 points in their qualifying races to lead the top 15 boats into the Championship Races. That's a perfect score on a perfect race day. Welcome to Pensacola Yacht Club and sailing on Pensacola Bay.

PRO Hal Smith and his volunteer race committee from Pensacola YC managed their courses Monday with precision. Racing got under way with the first warning sounding as scheduled, precisely at 12 noon (atomic time). The team banged out three sets of races for the qualifying races. By 1600 the fleet was divided into 15 teams moving on to the Championship races and 12 teams sailing in the Challenger group.

Van Rogers (Birmingham AL) in GYA 314 get's his bow out front in the middle of the line at the start of the second race in the Pensacola YC's Flying Scot North American Championship Qualifying Race #2. - photo © Talbot Wilson

Rounding out the top three were Van Rogers and crew of the Birmingham Sailing Club with a score of 2-1-3=6 and Tyler and Carrie Andrews from Deer Park, MD with a 2-2-4=8. The top Pensacola YC sailors John and Susan Domagala made the Championship fleet in 9th place with scores of 5-3-8=16.

In the Qualifying Series, the fleet of 27 boats were split by the Flying Scot class organizers into A, B, C, and D divisions. They sailed a three-race round robin, so all boats sailed against each other. Results for the day are posted at Flying Scot NAC Results.

Race Chairman Tom Pace Jr. said, "We couldn't have had a more perfect day for the qualifying series. The breeze was a good 'gradient' southerly left behind by Hurricane Barry. We had 10 - 12 knots from 175-180º that died a little for the last race."

"The current was running out of the bay stronger than usual because of heavy rains to our north during the week and week end so we saw three boats over early in the second race. They all came back, but Steve Comen Renee Comen in Scot 6090 didn't clear the line properly. They were finally scored OCS in that race. They ended up 21st for the day, sliding into the Challenger group."

Tyler and Carrie Andrews (6130) from Deer Park, MD were third in the Flying Scot North American Championship Qualifying Series at Pensacola Yacht Club with a three race score of 2-2-4=8. - photo © Talbot Wilson

Two races are scheduled Tuesday and Wednesday and one on Thursday for both the Challenger and Championship Divisions with the first warning at 12 Noon each day. They will all sail five races for the final results. 98 trophies are up for grabs on Thursday.

The Flying Scot North American Championship Regatta at Pensacola Yacht Club is supported by the international bank BBVA, by the PYC Satori Foundation, Inc. - a 501(c)3 corporation, and Bud Light and the volunteers from the club.