2023 J/70 Midwinters Championship at Miami, Florida - Overall
by Julie & Christopher Howell 26 Mar 16:16 PDT
March 23 - 26, 2023
The J/70 Midwinter Championship in Miami, FL proved to be a roller coaster ride for the full nine-race series. The top finishers kept changing, and even the more consistent teams all had a couple double-digit scores or penalties. The team who outlasted the others and therefore crowned 2023 Midwinter Champion is: Savasana, led by Brian Keane, with crew Thomas Barrows, Conner Harding and Ron Weed.
Three more idyllic races went in the books Sunday on Biscayne Bay. Keane, locked in a three-way tie for third heading into the final day, controlled their own destiny by racking up a 5,2,1 to close with 47 net points. Bryce Kalow's Superior 2 compiled a steady series for second place with 55 points. Charlie Thompson and Thomas Mallindine on Brutus III won two races and were always in the hunt, ending in third place with 68 points.
Topping the all-amateur division: team Dime with Andrew Loe, Mallory Loe, Spencer Kunath and Chris Roberts. In the runner-up position is Zachary Segal's USA 1154, followed by Henry Filter's Wild Child. The Eker group from Turkey prevailed in the One-Pro Division with Ahmet Eker, Burak Zengin, Doga Aribas and Ates Cinar. Convergence secured the Mixed+ Division with an all-female team of Ava Wilson, Giulia Conti, Sarah Stone, Megan Gimple and Annie Longo.
Savasana is on the heels of winning the recent Bacardi Cup in Miami as well as the Davis Island Winter Series in Tampa. Thomas Barrows summarized, "The fleet was really deep here, so unless you had a good start, you'd find yourself in the back really quickly. Brian, Ron and I have sailed together for 9-10 years, so when things are going well, we catalogue that. When things aren't, we troubleshoot on the fly. The teamwork is really good."
Overall Results: (top five)
1. Savasana, Brian Keane, USA - [21] -4 -6 -4 -21 -4 -5 -2 -1; 47pts
2. Superior 2, Bryce Kalow, USA - 1 -5 -18 -8 -[26] -7 -7 -3 -6; 55pts
3. Brutus III, Charlie Thompson/Thomas Mallindine, UK - 12 -21 -[29] -1 -14 -9 -1 -7 -3; 68pts
4. Midlife Crisis, Bruce Golison, USA - [51] -10 -12 -5 -6 -1 -12 -10 -13; 69pts
5. Black Mamba, Fernando Perez Ontiveros, MEX - 5 -2 -10 -28 -1 -3 -23 -[34] -4; 76pts
The J/70 Class Association extends its appreciation to Shake a Leg Miami and Coconut Grove Sailing Club for hosting, Mark Foster as PRO and sponsors Quantum Sails and Bacardi.
Sunday's race winners were Thompson/Mallindine on Brutus III, Bruno Bethlem's Joker and Keane's Savasana. Fifty teams, including 10 Corinthians, competed from the United States, plus Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Great Britain, Mexico, Sweden and Turkey from March 24-26.
Complete results available here.