2010 North American Championship – Marina del Rey, California, USA
Report races 1-4:
In seven to eight knots of breeze, reigning Star World Champion George Szabo has been almost untouchable. He logged straight bullets on Day One in those conditions, and scored a deuce in Race Three on Day Two in identical conditions. However, for the second race on Day Two the Santa Monica Bay was covered with small white caps, and Szabo dropped into double digits - 12th place. That opened the door for Lars Schmidt Grael, sailing with Ronald Seifert. With straight single digit scores the two Brazilians moved four points ahead of Szabo into the lead for the championship.
Former Star World Champions and multiple Olympic medalists Mark Reynolds and Hal Haenel drew a flag from the judges for "rocking" in Race Four. Reportedly this was Reynolds first kinetics violation ever. Although they did a 360 degree penalty turn they still were able to finish second in that race for their fourth consecutive single digit finish. Unfortunately - the penalty for rocking the boat is a 720 degree turn - not a 360, which led to their disqualification, and moved Carl & Jamie Buchan into third place.
While Reynolds and Haenel are out of contention for the moment, after six races are completed they will be able to discard that DSQ, so no one will be ignoring their shiny new silver (definitely not white) very fast PStar.
Races 5-6:.jpg)
A complete understanding of Marina del Rey local knowledge proved to be a big handicap on Saturday when the wind started light from 235; built quickly and shifted left to 255 - with some huge bumps. But the breeze turned off almost as quickly as it built, and backed to the left.
Once again George Szabo and crew Frithjof Kleen were incredible in the light stuff. On the first beat of the day in five - maybe six knots of breeze - they rounded well in front of the pack. They protected that advantage for an easy win. Meanwhile, the regatta leader Lars Grael did everything wrong and wound up deep - 24th. It was Grael's only double digit finish of the regatta.
For the second race of the day it was breeze-on with the bumpiest race course that many of the competitors have ever seen. Local knowledge would encourage a skipper to go right, but that was absolutely wrong. The breeze died, the bumps remained and the left paid. Grael was launched and won easily with Szabo five boats further back.
Now that six races have been completed, a discard kicks in which shakes things up a bit. Szabo is back in the lead with a slim three point advantage over Grael. John MacCausland, Mark Reynolds and Carl Buchan are 14 or 15 points further back - tightly bunched, and dueling for the remaining spot on the podium.
Race 7:
The final race of the Star North American Championship was a match race, pure and simple. While the two leaders - 2009 Star World Champion George Szabo and Brazilian Lars Grael - did not engage before the start, after the first cross it was match racing 101. Szabo and his crew, Frithjof Kleen controlled that match race throughout as both boats moved steadily backwards in the fleet. The pair finished deep - it was the throwout for both - but Szabo was smiling. He'd done what was necessary to win another North American Championship - his third. Szabo also beat his boss, Mark Reynolds, who took second place.
Results
