RACING Tasar North American Championship

TASAR NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

Organizing and executing a championship regatta in the time of Covid-19 is no small feat. Not only did the Tasar North American Championship deliver on a high caliber of sailing, but Seattle Yacht Club (SYC) ran it like a world-class event. PRO Ben Glass, event chair Lisa Renehan, and SYC sailing director Brian Ledbetter ran an excellent regatta in preparation for the 2021 Tasar World Championships, which will be hosted by SYC in Seattle next September.

Tasar NAs boasted great turnout. Due to current pandemic gathering restrictions, the event was capped at 22 boats. It cannot be overlooked that Canadian sailing friends could not attend the event because of border restrictions. Hopefully travel across the border can resume soon, so there will be better representation of competitors across the region.

Nonetheless, enthusiasm in the fleet is notable. There are many new boat owners, most are recently out of college, some still in school. Dieter Creitz and Sam Bush are undoubtedly the youngest, their combined age would likely still qualify for healthcare coverage as a child dependent. In a deep field of talent, Creitz and Bush hung on in the windy races, and competitively raced near the top of the fleet in the lighter winds. Also among the growing fleet of Tasar competitors are many familiar sailing family names that jog the memory banks — Burzycki, Stewart, Pistay, Kaseler.

The event was broadcast live in entirety on Facebook and viewed around the world by Tasar community friends and family. It included live on-the-water commentary by Brian Ledbetter along with some overhead drone footage. This level of coverage is not common for events in the Northwest and the fleet is looking forward to similar coverage for the World Championships. The footage is still available on Seattle Yacht Club’s Facebook page.

The course was held to the northwest of Shilshole Bay on the edge of the shipping channel, far enough from shore to negate shore effects that would cause favoritism to one side of the course.

Saturday’s wind was fresh, blowing in the upper teens, gusting around 20 knots from the south. Four races were

Three-time Tasar World Champions, Jonathan McKee and Libby Johnson Mckee were second in this regatta, 29 years after winning their first Tasar North American Championship.

completed, each being 40-50 minutes in duration. A flooding tide pushing against the wind created a two-foot wind chop.

The team of Jonathan and Libby McKee started the day strong, showing their world championship form, scoring two first place finishes and a second place finish. But in a more consistently dominant performance, the team of Jay and Lisa Renehan managed to finish the day first overall. After the four races, the Renehans scored 8 points, the McKees scored 10 points, and Mike and Molly Karas scored 11 points.

Sunday’s racing was a bit lighter, requiring an on-the water postponement after the first race. A building northerly wind ensured the completion of the scheduled three races. The last race was held in about 8-10 knots and almost no sea-state on the course. In the lighter conditions, the fleet was closer and the results more mixed. Despite this consolidation, the Renehans were able to stay consistent, maintaining first and second place finishes in the day’s racing to take the North American Championship title. Jonathan and Libby McKee finished second place overall, and Molly and Michael Karas hung on to third place after having some challenges in the lighter winds.

The attraction of the Tasar Class is multifaceted. The boat is a design sized for two adults and it is light, responsive, and comfortable. The sailors are all like family — enjoying each other’s company. There’s an eager openness to share information so everyone improves and has a good time. And importantly, racing is competitive in the water — genuinely top caliber racing. Author, Mike Karas, sailed with his better half, Molly. They shared the podium with two past Tasar World Champion teams.

This year’s Tasar North American Championship was run and sailed as a truly world-class event. Thanks again to the efforts of the Seattle Tasar Fleet, the Port of Seattle, and Seattle Yacht Club for pulling together a high quality, fun, and safe regatta. As with any event, volunteers that help out are a large part of the event's success, and they are deeply appreciated. If this year’s North Americans are any indication of what’s to come when the World Championships come to town — the 2021 Tasar Worlds will be an event to remember.

By Micahel Karas Phots by Jim Skeel

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