For a second day in a row, sailors experienced what they come to Newport for – a steady 8-10 knot breeze coming into the bay from the south , a sparkling bay, and a clear and sunny sky. It was a perfect setup for Day 2 in the C420 North American Championship.
Today’s first race, Race 5 in the series, was about 42 minutes long on both the inner and outer trapezoid course for the 130 boats entered in the regatta.
Prior to Race 6, the wind shifted slightly to the left but remained steady at 8-10 knots. Continuing the pattern from Day 1, racers were aggressive at the start, so the race committee flew a U Flag. All boats got the message and were clear at the start in both fleets.
In the early afternoon, the breeze built to 10-12 knots giving the sailors a further workout in Race 7. Again, the yellow fleet steered clear of a U Flag penalty. But, the Blue Fleet has one general recall, and on the restart under the U Flag, three boats received a scoring penalty.
After Race 7, the entire fleet is split into a gold and silver division starting tomorrow and for the remainder of the races. Tomorrow’s breeze is expected to be lighter, and Thursday is being watched closely as heavy gusts are forecasted.
Images: Rodrigo Fernandez
Editor: Kim Cooper