What’s Red, White, Blue, Yellow, Gray and has 23 boats on the start line?

It must be the 2009 Martin 242 North American Championships. I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted.

Marylynn Hoenemeyer, Tom O’Conor and the California Yacht Club pulled out all the stops and put on a world-class event for all of us to enjoy.

Starting with:

• Bruce Cooper of Ullman sails heading up the start clinic on Thursday.
• Three days of racing with tough conditions that really leveled the playing field.
• Terrific hospitality from the California Yacht Club waiting for us on the docks when we returned from the racecourse each day.
• More hospitality, a Bocce Ball Tournament and a wonderful dinner served on Saturday evening.
• Even more hospitality and a memorable trophy presentation on Sunday.
• Stephanie Hathaway running up and down the docks taking great pictures to chronicle the event.
• Susan Verrett serving as our applause-o-meter for the Broken Mast Award.
• Kattack reviewing the events of the day and prizes courtesy of MG Marine.

I need to stop here and catch my breath!

PRO Bill Stump ably executed the weekend events with his inimitably keen sense of humor. He observed that the fleet looked incredibly competitive and very friendly to each other. It shocked him that there was not one protest and how well everyone got along. You are the model of what an OD fleet is all about and you should be proud of yourselves."                                

Day One

Shifting gears was the key to a successful Day One. Although the regatta started in 10 knots of breeze, and finished the last race of the day in 14 knots - there was some five, six and seven knot stuff in between. And major shifts. And kelp.

Steve Hathaway, who won the first race with Strange Crew (hull #9), looked red hot when he crossed the fleet on port tack shortly after the start of Race Three - charging towards the favored right side of the course. He rounded the top mark in the bottom four. Kelp.

The only semblance of consistency was the performance of Yumio Dornberg on his un-named hull 305, and Mike George on All In - hull 307. Dornberg won two of the three races and his fourth in the regatta opener gives him six points - and the nod in the tie-breaker with Mike George who also has six points with a 2-2-2 series. Although Steve Hathaway is eleven points further back in third place, don’t forget that a throw out will undoubtedly kick in tomorrow when three more of the scheduled eight races will be sailed.                                                                                                          

Day Two

No one was thinking about shifting gears on Day Two of the Martin 242 NAs. It was a day to power up - all day - on all legs. It’s unlikely that any of the ‘gusts’ on the Santa Monica Bay exceeded eight knots, and sadly, many of the teams found holes with less than five knots of breeze.

Yesterday, it was Yumio Dornberg who won two of the three races. Today, it was Yumio’s father-in-law, Brack Duker, who had the hot hand. With Dave Ullman calling tactics, Duker was consistently in phase with the shifty Zephyrs and won the first two races before settling for a fourth place finish in the final race of the day. But it was Duker’s son-in-law who had the last laugh. Dornberg, with his wife Barbara as part of the crew, won the final race of the day and continues to lead the regatta with a four point cushion over Mike George’s All In - after a throw-out was factored in.

Steve Hathaway’s Strange Crew spent the entire day just one place behind Brack Duker’s Velerito. His 2-2-5 series kept him in third place, just one point out of second place, and five points behind the leader with two races remaining on Sunday. Velerito is now in fourth, just three points behind Strange Crew.

Interestingly, only two competitors in this 23-boat championship who have all single digit finishes are Dornberg and Duker, and they’re relatives.

Day Three

Mike George came from behind to successfully defend his Martin 242 North American Championship - but it certainly wasn’t easy. Yumio Dornberg led the regatta for the first two days, but an OCS in Sunday’s opening race moved him one point behind George going into the final race. Dornberg led George off the starting line in that race but George managed to find a lane to the favored left side of the course - and that was all he needed. He won that race and the championship! Hey Mike, how about it. Are you calling for a three-peat?

Dornberg settled for second place- just a single point ahead of his father in law, and the only competitor to finish the eight-race championship with only single digit finishes, Brack Duker.

Dave Ullman sailed with Brack Duker all weekend. They were kind enough to share some of what was happening on their Third place overall boat. It was noted that many of the boats might look at their rig tune. Throughout the regatta Velerito’s rig was set at 44 on the uppers and 35 on the lowers (using the old gauge). Also, they spent a few minutes each day tuning against other boats. That made a big difference in helping fine-tune their adjustments and getting Brack dialed in on the helm.

Brack has also noticed on Wednesday night that Steve Hathaway and Bill Peterson frequently go out and tune together.

Dave Ullman was constantly monitoring and fine tuning the headsail upwind.  This seemed to make a big difference.  Beyond that it was a matter of playing the shifts and guessing right as to where the breezes were going to be, which is the same old story in MDR.

All the results are below.

I’ll see you on the water!

Sandman

More photos from CYC S/C Martin McCarthy can be viewed at www.flickr.com/photos/m242nas.

Martin 242 North American Championship
August 6-9, 2009