VX One Midwinter Championship at Pensacola Yacht Club - Overall
by Talbot Wilson 18 Jan 2022 22:59 PST
January 15-17, 2022
VX One Class President Chris Alexander from Gulfport MS Yacht Club held on to third place by the skin of his teeth in the final race of the final day to win the VX One Midwinter Championship and Winter Series #2 at Pensacola Yacht Club. Sailing # 276 'Counterproductive', Alexander and his crew Madeline Gill and Ricky Welch were in a battle with Newport RI sailor Hayden Bennett's #269 'Double the Fun' for the top two slots.
In the first three races on the day Bennett had already scored two bullets and dropped his worst score of 23. He was well ahead and scored another win.
On the final run to the finish with winds gusting above 14 kts, Alexander, who led after the first four races sailed on Saturday was in second place coming in to the finish on the starboard lay line when he got a big gust and took a hard round-up knockdown. His crew scrambled to the high side and was able to hike hard to save them from capsizing and drive the boat back downwind.
Meanwhile Paul Kleinschrodt from Buccaneer YC in Mobile AL in #196 'Merica"', who stood second going into the day, got in between Alexander and Bennett. Luckily, Alexander's third place was enough to take the win. Bennett's run of three bullets in the last for of eight races for the regatta wasn't quite enough. Alexander ended with 26 points to Bennett's 21. Kleinschrodt finished with 31.
In the VX One Winter Series #1 in December, Canadian Trevor Parekh's 'Bro Safari' won the regatta in a photo finish on the last leg of the eighth race. This was déjà vu all over again. The Midwinter Championship/WS#2 came down to the last leg of the eighth race.
Saturday: A gear buster
Racing on Day 1 (Saturday) had been tough for all the sailors with seven boats capsizing and two crew going overboard in Race #1. Gusty winds built ahead of an approaching cold front. In Race #2 the fleet seemed to have learned from their first encounter.
Rain moved across the bay at the start of race #3. The first W-L around the course in race #4 was wet, but the final two legs for Day 1 were better with only 10-12kts and no rain.
Leading after four races on Saturday was eventual winner Chris Alexander in #276 'Counterproductive'. Alexander had finished third overall in the WS#1 regatta in December.
Paul Kleinschrodt from Buccaneer YC in Mobile AL in #196 'Merica"' stood second after four races. Kleinschrodt finished WS#1 in fourth place.
Sunday: No racing
Pensacola Yacht Club's VX One Midwinter Championship PRO Hal Smith and the VX One Class officials signaled no racing for Sunday as they hoisted AP over A up the club flagpole. The decision was made for the safety of the competitors.
At 0800 Sunday, the temperature had dropped to 38ºF and winds were gusting to the mid 20's knocking the wind chill down into 20's. Some weather models predicted gusts in the high 30's or even mid 40's later in the day. With no relief in sight, the decision was unanimous.
Monday: VXciting for the final
Racing continued as scheduled on Monday morning with a 0955 first warning. After one general recall on the first start of the day, race five for the regatta, racing got under way with a fresh 10kt breeze from 320º. For the second race, the course was adjusted slightly and the breeze dropped to about 6-8Kts. The median direction held for the next two races with oscillations moving 10º up or down. It was shifty.
In the fourth race of the day, winds were 10 to 12 with occasional higher gusts to 16+ in wind lines running across Pensacola Bay. The eighth race of the regatta was another pace setter.
Overall Results:
1. 276, Counterproductive, Christopher Alexander/Madeline Gill/Ricky Welch, Gulfport YC / Edison Sailing Center, 1-1-3-5-6-7-[15]-3, 26pts
2. 269, Double The Fun, Hayden Bennett, Sail Newport, 5-7-7-6-[23]-1-1-1, 28pts
3. 196, Merica", Paul Kleinschrodt/Karl Kleinschrodt Georgia Huffstetter, Buccaneer YC, 4-4-5-1-7-4-[21]-6, 31pts
4. 284, Jailbreak, Matt Haddon/Ched Proctor/Hannah Sellers, None, 15-3-[16]-12-3-6-2-2, 43pts
5. 275,, Greg Griffin/Jeff Eiber, EYC, 2-2-8-4-[13]-12-5-13, 46pts
6. 232, Katana, William Lydens, MBYC, 10-5-1-8-[27]-9-13-9, 55pts
7. 343, far side, John Porter/Will Glenn, tomorrow, 7-9-[26]-18-9-2-7-18, 70pts
8. 327, Angry Baboon, Rod Favela/Victor Bloede, Rush Creek Yacht Club, 19-[24]-9-7-4-13-12-8, 72pts
9. 310, Old Man's 5-0-5, Paul Murphy/Mike Coe, Storm Trysail Club, 3-6-18-13-[29]-20-10-4, 74pts
10. 123, Bro Safari, Marc Farmer, RSTLYC, 12-11-10-3-[25]-17-17-10, 80pts
41 VX One competitors initially registered for the second VX One Winter Series regatta hosted by Pensacola Yacht Club. Now, with two Winter Series Regattas including their Midwinter Championship completed, racers are looking forward to returning to Pensacola for the final... Winter Series #3 scheduled for February 19-20. By then it should almost be springtime in the Florida panhandle...
Full daily results are posted here.
Regatta Entry and the new combined NOR/SI's for the series and are now available on Regatta Network.
Series 2: www.regattanetwork.com/event/23476
Series 3: www.regattanetwork.com/event/23477
VX One Winter Series information will be posted on Regatta Network and the Pensacola YC web site 'Racing' section, www.pensacolayachtclub.org/Racing, and on the VX One Class website, vxone.org/na.