USMCA NEWS

NEWS

HOLZMAN HANGS ON TO THE LEAD AND WINS THE M24 ANNAPOLIS NOOD

30 APRIL 2006 • With a mild cold front rolling through, Annapolis greeted the NOOD sailors with bright blue skies and slightly colder temperatures than normal. Conditions couldn’t have been much better as the Melges fleet planed down to the starting area, with winds in the teens with some nice little gusts. The Melges were again racing on circle #3, this time with the J29’s J30’s and S2’s, with Eastport Yacht Club running the RC.

Racing got underway promptly at 11am and 17 Melges battled off upwind into a strong ebb tide, the order of the day seemed to be go left, left and left and the boats that got closer into the shore early showed large gains. Inside Voice seemed to master the conditions early to record a 1st and second in the first two races, being pressed hard by Bora Gulari in Flyer 02 and Geoff Ewenson helming for Evan Jahn on Bling Bling. By the third race the tide had eased and shelter was not as important as finding pressure in the decreasing breeze and playing the shifts, Bora ended the day with a 3,1,2 closely followed by Geoff with a 2,4,1.

Saturday seemed as though it may be a carbon copy of Friday, although when the Melges cleared the city of Annapolis on the way out to the course it was evident that there was less pressure. The tide was still at a strong ebb and once again the teams raced for the shelter, Flyer posted a solid 2,1,2 on the day still being chased hard by Bling Bling. Paul Hulsey’s Hoodlum team showed the fleet the way round in the third race of the day. The Mid West teams continued their strangle hold on the fleet by ending the day in the four top spots.

With only one race scheduled for Sunday everything was still up to play for, Flyer held a 4 point lead over Bling Bling and Inside Voice a point ahead of Hoodlum. Once again the fleet got away to a clean start on a five leg course and headed upwind and to the left to find shelter, some of the fleet split off to the right where there appeared to be more pressure, but the 4 top boats were on the left side of the course match racing each other. Things were close between Flyer and Bling Bling, but it was apparent on the leg over to the mark that the right side of the course had paid off, with Chillout rounding with a good lead over the fleet, Gill rounding in second followed by Bling Bling, Flyer, Lamorak, Inside Voice and Hoodlum. Downwind, Flyer was trying to keep on Bling Blings wind with Hoodlum doing the same to Inside Voice on the other gybe. Back upwind Flyer was still chasing Bling Bling and Hoodlum managed to get ahead of Inside Voice, most of the fleet going right this time after the huge gains of the first beat. At the top mark the fleet was a little more spread out and Chillout was still showing great pace as they held onto the lead. At the last leeward mark the fleet rounded closer and the tide was running a little harder, again most of the top pack went right but Flyer, Brilliant and Tiburon played the shifts and went to the left of the course. At the finish Chillout took the gun followed closely by Bling Bling and Flyer, with Bling just having the advantage as they match raced to the finish, Gill was next to finish followed by Brilliant. Hoodlum finished 7th managing to put two boats between them and Inside Voice, that being enough to take third place for the regatta.

FULL RESULTS