THE RACING
flag starting rule. So Jud Smith's Africa, out of Massachusetts, took first place in that race. Jennifer's competitors took note of her left-side start and crowded that side in the second start. Calvi Network finished with a generous lead over Petite Terrible and Jennifer. "We started on the right side of the course, and we controlled the right side," said Cayard. "We kept the boat upright on the run and we had some great steering. It's a long series," he added. Wednesday morning's flat waters would grow steep and nasty in the afternoon's ebb. Contributing to the churning of the race course surface were a fleet of chase boats, including jury and press boats, looking for all the world like an ad for Protector. A 13-year-old from Virginia, Gannon Troutman of Pied Piper won the day's first race. "It was hard in the chop, but it got easier in the flatter water," said the teenager. Pied Piper sailed low and fast on the downwind leg through the building waves. The young skipper said the win was due to "the start, a later jibe on the first downwind leg, and sailing conservative." Troutman started out on Optis at age 6 and began sailing on big-
GERARD SHERIDAN
J/70 Worlds Hit the Wash Cycle World-class talent and local heroes peppered the fleet at the Alcatel J/70 Worlds, hosted by St. Francis Yacht Club on the Berkeley Circle September 27-October 1. The 68 boats hailed from 15 countries, and the star power included the likes of first-ever J/70 world champions Tim Healy of Helly Hansen (2014) and Julian Fernandez Neckelmann of Flojito y Cooperando (2015), the latter fresh from winning the Pre-Worlds at Rolex Big Boat Series; former North American champions Jud Smith (Africa) and Joe Bardenheier (Muse); and former European champion Carlo Albernini (Calvi Network) and reigning Euro champ Claudia Rossi (Petite Terrible). Worldclass tacticians John Kostecki (Catapult) and Paul Cayard (Calvi Network) both grew up sailing in the Bay Area. Cayard is also a US Sailing Rolex Yachtsman of the Year (1998), as is Flojito's tactician Bill Hardesty of San Diego (2011). The first race, on Tuesday, was delayed during a shoreside postponement, waiting for a 15- to 18-knot westerly to reach the Berkeley Circle. Chris Kostanecki of Ross, sailing Jennifer, crossed the finish line first. "We nailed the start," he said. "The weather end of the line
StFYC commodore Kimball Livingston (right) presented the awards to the new J/70 World Champions, left to right: tactician John Kostecki, coach Grant 'Fuzz' Spanhake, Chris Stocke, Joel Ronning and Patrick Wilson of 'Catapult'.
was favored, and we went left. It was our game plan, and we stuck with it." Unfortunately for Kostanecki, the race committee decreed that he and 15 other skippers were over early under the blackPage 90 •
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ger boats at age 8. In Wednesday's second race, Flojito y Cooperando led by 42 seconds for a decisive win, while other teams were getting schooled by the Circle. The day's
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It's wash, rinse and repeat at the Alcatel J/70 Worlds on the Berkeley Circle; RYC's Sportboat Regatta provides a picture-perfect contrast; Steve Benjamin repeats in the Etchells North Americans as does Nick Gibbens in the Express 27 Nationals; the Shields National Championship returns to scenic Monterey; Vanguard 15s race on a storm-tossed Tomales Bay; Box Scores includes more Beer Can results; and we end with a few Race Notes.
press release says it best: "Shrouds kissed the brine and more than one crew watched valuable sand bleed through the metaphoric hourglass as they fought to retrieve their waterlogged kite." "It was windy at the top mark, but we're having a great time!" enthused Heather Gregg of Muse, the 2014 Corinthian world champion. "It's tough sailing in such a big fleet — you make a few mistakes and you're shot out the back." Sneaky Thursday started out mellower — and foggier — than the two previous days, but the prediction called for 20 knots by 1 p.m. In the morning race, the right side of the line was favored — none of the series leaders could be found on the left side. The breeze clocked in at 10-11 knots on the first beat, and 14 on the first run. Hooligan rounded the first mark ahead but got passed during the jibe approaching the leeward gate. Catapult sailed across the finish line first — wing-on-wing. "It felt great to get in a fairly light-air race," said skipper Joel Ronning. He credited the crew and tactician Kostecki. "I listened to him and we kept the boat going fast." "You guys all did a great job, all very close, very lined up," said Principal Race Officer Mark Foster about the day's first start. "It was a beautiful sight to see."
