The 2023 Club 420 North American Championship at Sail Newport started strong with four races for 130 boats. On a race course located in the Potter Cove area east of Jamestown, the race committee set a trapezoid course with an inner and outer loop for two racing fleets of competitors. Boats are separated into Blue and Yellow fleets for two starts per race to have at most 60 boats at a time on the start.
Chamber of Commerce Conditions
Before the first race started, Newport conditions were almost perfect for racing – 8-12 knots from a south/southeasterly direction. It was a 40-minute race, and immediately, it was evident that this was a superbly talented and very competitive group of sailors who were close at each mark rounding and with 13 minutes of each other at the finish.
In Race 2, the breeze stayed a steady 8-12 south/southeasterly for a quick set-up for the race. At the outset, however, the Blue Fleet sailors made an aggressive start, despite a flooding tide, and 50% of the fleet was called early, which resulted in a general recall. The race committee then hoisted the U flag so that boats were kept behind the start line during the minute immediately before their start. Breeching the “triangle” with any part of the boat or crew would mean immediate disqualification from the race.
Breeze Building, Sailors Pushing the Start Line
With two races on the scoreboard, the sailors started in a building breeze of 12-15 knots coming up the bay. Both fleets sailed under the U Flag. All in the Yellow Fleet started clear, but four teams in the Blue Fleet suffered the disqualification penalty for not staying under the start line.
Before the day’s final race, the race committee moved the race course to adjust for the shift to the 15-18 knot southerly. White caps were peaking throughout the race course.
The Yellow Fleet started, again under the U Flag, and three boats were disqualified.
The Blue Fleet, however, in this last race of the day, was now under a Black Flag. The penalty for a Black Flag call is similar to a Y Flag disqualification from the race, but the boat cannot compete even if the race is restarted. All competitors successfully stayed clear of the start line for Race 4 with no penalties applied to any racers.
At the end of the race day after four races, Gilman Hackel (Gulf Breeze, FL) and crew Ashtyn Tierney (Costa Mesa, CA) topped the leader board with five points overall (1-3-1-[5]). The Hackel/Tierney team sailed well with two first places, a third, and they dropped a fifth-pace finish. Only one point behind with six points overall after the drop of a sixth-place finish points is Will Kulas and Grant Schmidt (Sewells Point, FL) (1-1-[6}-4). Tied with six points as well is Peter Herlihy (S. Dartmouth, MA) and Finn Sperry (New Bedford, MA) ([4]-2-3-1) but a scoring tie-breaker places them in third.
Day 2 Tomorrow
Racing continues tomorrow with a brisk forecast of 10-18 knots from the south. The race committee intends to complete multiple races again for Race Day 2.
Images: Rodrigo Fernandez
Editor: Kim Cooper