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Diane Chase (401-965-472
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
San Francisco (Calif.) September 1, 2002 San Francisco Bay served southern California weather to the 120 yachts racing in 9 classes in the San Francisco Sailing World NOOD Regatta, presented by Mount Gay Rum and hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club, August 31-September 1.
The light airs suited the crew of the winning boat in the J105 class to a T.
“We grew up sailing in light air in Long Beach so we were more experienced in the conditions than the rest of the boats,” said Sean Bennett, of J105 ZUNI BEAR. “Knowing what to do to tune the boat for six to eight knots and then having the guts to do it made a big difference. We cracked off six turns on the shrouds.”
The moderate airs were no help at all to the crew of EGO, Don Jesbergs Melges 24. After sailing to the head of the class on the first day and winning the Hall Spars & Rigging Boat of the Day award–a special award presented by support sponsor Hall Spars & Rigging to the fleets top performer on opening day–EGO lost her rig in the last race. With EGO placing 20th in that race close competitor Seadon Wijsen, of San Francisco, had the edge to win the class in the regatta.
“The only reason we won was because Don Jesberg lost his rig in the last race,” Wijsen said. “We beat him in the first race (of the last day) and were beating him in the second before he lost his rig but it wouldnt have been enough to win.”
The Melges 24 class–at 19 boats the second biggest at the regatta–was particularly competitive as the fleet is preparing for the Melges Gold Cup at the St. Francis Yacht Club at the end of September and the Worlds at the same location next year.
In a tight battle John Kilroy of Los Angeles, CA, in SAMBA PA TI, won the 18-boat Farr 40 class. Some six to seven of the crew have been sailing the boat since 1998, Kilroy said in an interview before the regatta. They had a hand in winning the Farr 40 Worlds in 1999 and placing second at the Worlds in 2000. Among the current crew, Kilroy added, there are probably 30 world championship wins in different classes.
“We are a team of good sailors and we know what to expect from each other,” Kilroy said. “We communicate well and are consistent in how we go about things.”
What Kilroy likes best about the class, he said, is the camaraderie. “Our crew likes to win, sure, but you only have one winner and not every boat can win. We make sure, when we are not up there, we show our enthusiasm and congratulate those who did win. In this class there is good fellowship–both locally and globally.”
John S. Wimer, of Half Moon Bay, CA, is the new J35 North American champion. Sailing his J35 FAST LANE Wimer and his crew took two firsts, two seconds, and one third in their five-race competition, topping second place Robert Bloom, of Greenbrae, CA, by four points.
In the 1D35 class, Bill Wright, of Larkspur, CA, in ZSA ZSA sailed a perfect regatta, winning with five points in the six-boat fleet. Barry Lewis, of Atherton, CA, missed perfection in his J120 CHANCE with a third in the second race but won the class with just six points. Tom Baffico and Forest Baskett, of Los Altos Hills, CA, in their Express 27 BAFFETT, came similarly close to all bullets except for some slips during the first race of the first day, resulting in a sixth place to mar the march of firsts on their class-winning score.
Mark Varnes, of San Rafael, CA, owner of J80 DB1 was another skipper who came tantalizingly close to all firsts, missing by placing second in only the last race for a class win with six points. Dave Klatt, of Oxnard, CA, skipper/owner of J24 JADED, won in the 13-boat J24 class with 12 points.
The San Francisco NOOD is presented by Mount Gay Rum and hosted by the St. Francis Yacht Club. Support sponsors who joined Sailing World magazine in San Francisco include: Boat U.S., Frederiksen, Hall Spars & Rigging, Marlow Ropes, Maserati, Mount Gay Rum, North Sails, Raymarine, Ronstan, Samuel Adams and The Boston Beer Company, and Sunsail.
For more information on the National Offshore One-Design (NOOD) Regattas, visit www.sailingworld.com. The circuit next moves to Larchmont, New York (September 6-8), and concludes in Texas on Galveston Bay on September 22.
—Gail Scott/reporting by Stuart Streuli
RESULTS (preliminary)
Hall Spars & Rigging Boat of the Day Winner: Don Jesberg, Mill Valley, CA, EGO
Top 3 Results in Each Class:
J35 North American Championship
1. John S. Wimer, Half Moon Bay, CA, FAST LANE. 2-1-1-2-3. 9 points
2. Robert Bloom, Greenbrae, CA, JARLEN. 1-3-3-1-5. 13 points
3. Robert George, San Rafael, CA, KIRI. 3-4-2-4-1. 14 points
J105
1. Bergman/Bennett, Alameda, CA, ZUNI BEAR. 1-4-3-1. 9 points
2. Peter Wagner, Atherton, CA, NANTUCKET SLEIGHRIDE. 2-5-4-4. 15 points
3. Phil Perkins/Dave Wilson, Mill Valley, CA, GOOD TIMIN. 7-3-1-5. 16 points
J120
1. Barry Lewis, Atherton, CA, CHANCE. 1-3-1-1. 6 points
2. Steve Madeira, Menlo Park, CA, MR. MAGOO. 3-1-4-3. 11 points
3. Timo Bruck, Mountain View, CA, TWIST. 4-5-2-2. 13 points
1D35
1. Bill Wright, Larkspur, CA, ZSA ZSA. 1-1-1-1-1. 5 points
2. John Musa, Ft. Collins, CO, TABASCO. 2-2-2-3-2. 11 points
3. Doug Ament, San Diego, CA, KOINONIA. 3-3-3-2-4. 15 points
Express 27
1. Tom Baffico/Forest Baskett, Los Altos Hill, CA, BAFFETT. 6-1-1-1-1. 10 points
2. Jason Crowson, Point Richmond, CA, EXOCET. 1-3-2-6-3. 15 points
3. Eric Deeds, San Francisco, CA, MAGIC BUS. 3-4-5-3-2. 17 points
Farr 40
1. John Kilroy, Los Angeles, CA, SAMBA PA TI. 3-1-5-1-8. 18 points
2. Peter Stoneberg, Orinda, CA, SHADOW. 1-2-2-13-4. 22 points
3. Hasso Plattner, MORNING GLORY. 2-5-4-8-5. 24 points
J24
1. Dave Klatt, Oxnard, CA, JADED. 1-2-5-3-1. 12 points
2. Doug Nugent, Sausalito, CA, TEAM AUDI. 4-7-1-1-3. 16 points
3. Kermit Shickel, Sausalito, CA, NIXON WAS COOL. 2-1-3-6-4. 16 points
J80
1. Mark Varnes, San Rafael, CA, DB1. 1-1-1-1-2. 6 points
2. David Pacchini, San Francisco, CA, HUM. 2-2-2-3-1. 10 points
3. Rob Ziecke, Chicago, IL. 4-3-3-2-6. 18 points.
Melges 24
1. Seadon Wijsen, San Francisco, CA, STAR. 4-3-3-4-1. 15 points
2. Argyle Campbell, Newport Beach, CA, ROCK N ROLL. 2-2-6-8-3. 21 points
3. Don Jesberg, Mill Valley, CA, EGO. 1-1-1-5-20. 28.
