The just concluded 2011 Martin 242 North American Championships were highlighted by beautiful conditions, featuring high temperatures and frustrating, shifty winds. The 2009 North American championship team skippered by Mike George along with Mike Pentecost & Kenny Dair showed why they’re at the top of their game. After 40degree shift to the right put them on the wrong side of the course in the first race they settled in to see three bullets over this three day world class event. Well-deserved for this long time participant of this event!

Paul Zambriski’s “Pau Hana” was only two points out in second place. With three thirds and two seconds, it’s hard to believe that anyone could have topped the super consistent effort from one of the King Harbor Yacht Club’s four entrants. Great work from a great team!

Peter Stazicker’s “Trolleycar” took two bullets along their way to a third place finish.

Duncan Cameron’s fourth place “Dean”, after only a few years in this highly competitive fleet needs to be honorably mentioned, as does the top placing Canadian team, “New Channels”, skippered by Craig Strand in sixth place, and the 13^th place all women’s team skippered by Denise George aboard “Mischief”.

After kicking off the weekend with a Thursday race clinic put on by the California Yacht Club, the fleet was treated to a wonderful taco party hosted by our own Barbara Duker & Yumio Dornberg. The Canadian skipper of “Daisy”, Richard Spooner, offered a colorful commentary to a North of the border slide show presentation, showing what’s happening on & off the race course in Fleets One, Two & Four. There were “revealing” photos of a fun loving group with an infectious, child like joy about themselves.

At the Saturday night party featuring “Roscoe’s chicken & waffles” one of the four Canadian teams called for a Team Swim???? At which time they all launched themselves into the pool, breaking out in a rendition of “Oh Canada”, their national anthem. I talked to many Fleet Three members who found them to be a refreshing breath of fresh air, bringing an international flavor to the event. The evening also featured an Ullman Sails sponsored team challenge of “Flippy Cups”, won by The Fluid Mocean team of Drew Stauffer, Mr. And Mrs. Derek Simms and Trevor Simms. The prize was a new Ullman jib for their skills.

All of the festivities were ably handled by the California Yacht Club’s Mary Stuyvesant & Mike Priest, who were awarded beautiful flowers and a bottle of Mount Gay Barbados Rum by our own Denise George, who in turn received a tearfully  presented gift of red roses from her husband in appreciation of her first place bullet during the competition.

“Winning”, I think is a term all the participants of this year’s event can use.

Check out all the results below.