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'HEARTBREAKER' WINS BIG BOAT SERIES AND 2000 1D35 SEASON CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Both results are close in points to nearest rivals
San Francisco, CA -- In winning last weekend's St. Francis YC Big Boat Series, a tally of the year's results reveal that Bob Hughes' 'Heartbreaker' has also won the year's overall 1D35 Season Championship Series. Both results were close-fought, with the Big Boat Series win earned only through a tie-break with John Wylie's 'Tabasco', and the Season Championship victory over Dan Cheresh's 'Extreme' achieved by a mere quarter point.
The Season Championship Series this year consisted of low point scoring the best three-of-six events from among the following events: GMC Yukon/Yachting Key West Race Week in January; Sailing World's Annapolis NOOD Regatta in April; the Newport Gold Regatta in June; the 1D35 Great Lakes Championships in Holland, MI in August; and the two final events in San Francisco last week, for which the National Championship had a bonus in points value.
Hughes' win was an appropriate metaphor for the competitiveness of the class, as it happened in the last few hundred yards of the last race of the last event in the series. Following a day of relaxation after a tough three days' sailing in the 1D35 National Championship presented by Carroll Marine, sixteen of the eighteen Nationals participants took to the waters of San Francisco Bay again on Friday, September 22 for the St. Francis YC's annual Big Boat Series. Rather than the eight-race format used in the Nationals, this series featured two long races daily on Friday and Saturday, with a final race on Sunday. And unlike the breezy 15-30+ knot conditions encountered earlier in the week, the Big Boat Series saw postponements every day to await the strengthening of the prevailing westerly breeze, which ranged from 8 to 20 knots.
And if 16 one-designs revved up after their Nationals weren't enough of a challenge, the fleet also faced the vagaries of the San Francisco tides and all the traffic created by the other 150+ entries in this year's regatta.
Nonetheless, the class produced some of its closest racing to date, with one weather mark observer noting in one race that after four miles of sailing, the entire class had passed through the leeward gate in 39 seconds! And while it looked as though Owen Kratz's 'Joss' could dominate after their first-day scores of 3-1, a poor third race brought them back into the pack behind 'Heartbreaker' going into the final day.
So, with a six-point lead going into the final race, it seemed Hughes' strategy would be a simple matter of staying in touch with the nearest rivals. "We got off the start line OK, but on the first beat a jib sheet shackle opened, we had to crash tack into an unfavorable lane, and it all went downhill from there," said Hughes. Spinnaker wraps and poor traffic control added to 'Heartbreaker's' slide into 12th place as John Wylie's 'Tabasco' vaulted into the lead, a scenario which would deprive Hughes of the regatta and series win.
"We were so nervous on the last beat, and were desperate to pass someone to get at least into tenth place. Fortunately, at the last mark we were just able to get by [Doug Ament's] 'Koinonia' before the short run to the finish," said Hughes. "I get confused with tie-breaks, so it seemed so ironic to have such a bad race yet still pull out this win."
On the rivalry within the class, Hughes said "this class is so competitive, that one slip and five or six other boats are right there to take your place. But what's really great is that off the water we're all good friends and everyone has a great time. This is a real hallmark of the class. We've enjoyed sailing against everyone, but are especially looking forward to going up against 'Extreme' again next year." A week ago, Dan Cheresh's 'Extreme' won their second consecutive 1D35 National Championship title.
Greg Dorland, guest helmsman aboard Dick and Doug DeVos' 3rd-place finisher 'Windquest', echoed Hughes' views. "This class is great, and I've really enjoyed the closeness of the racing. Good performance really comes down to mastering the basics: getting off the start, having good speed, picking your lanes, and having excellent crew work." Dorland hails from Lake Tahoe, CA and like some 1D35 owners is an alumnist of the Mumm 30 class.
The 1D35 is a high-performance, amateur-driven yacht built to exacting one design standards by Carroll Marine of Bristol, RI, and designed by Nelson/Marek Yacht Design of San Diego, CA. To date there are nearly 50 1D35's built or on order, with owners distributed throughout the US, Asia, and Europe.
For more information on the 1D35 Class, contact the class office on phone +1 410-263-8092, fax +1 410-263-8091, e-mail at 1D35@compuserve.com.
Complete Final Results, StFYC Big Boat Series:
1 Heartbreaker Bob Hughes Ada MI 1-7-2-2-10 22 points 2 Tabasco John Wylie San Diego CA 5-5-7-4-1 22 3 Windquest DeVos/Dorland Lake Tahoe CA 8-3-5-3-8 27 4 Widowmaker Nick & Tina Worth Norfolk VA 10-8-3-6-3 30 5 Zsa Zsa Bill Wright Larkspur CA 4-2-14-10-2 32 6 Joss Kratz/Foster Houston TX 3-1-13-1-17 35 7 Center of Gravity Lehman/Johnson Phoenix AZ 11-4-9-5-15 44 8 Wild Thing Zylstra/Camet San Diego CA 16-14-1-9-5 45 9 Avalanche Sledd Shelhorse Virginia Beach VA 14-9-4-14-4 45 10 Northern Bear Steve Pfeifer Cedarburg WI 6-12-11-7-13 49 11 Avanti Frank Schinco Frankenmuth MI 16-6-8-11-9 50 12 Smiling Bulldog Garth Dennis Ithaca NY 7-13-10-16-6 52 13 Koinonia Doug Ament San Diego CA 2-17-15-8-11 53 14 KT's Choice Bud & Jason Stratton San Diego CA 15-15-6-12-12 60 15 Victory Buddy Cribb West Palm Beach FL 9-11-12-15-14 61 16 Kaizen Fred & Steve Howe San Diego CA 16-10-16-13-7 62 Top Ten Final Results 1D35 Season Championship Series (3 best scores listed):
1 Heartbreaker Bob Hughes Ada MI 1-1.5*-1 3.5 points 2 Extreme Dan Cheresh Holland MI 1-2-.75* 3.75 3 Widowmaker Nick & Tina Worth Norfolk VA 3-1-4 8 4 Tabasco John Wylie San Diego CA 2-6*-2 10 5 Joss Owen Kratz Houston TX 6-3-2 11 6 Windquest Dick & Doug DeVos Holland MI 6-3*-3 12 7 Smiling Bulldog Garth Dennis Ithaca NY 3-4-5 12 8 Roxanne Kip Meadows Rocky Mount NC 6-5-3 14 9 Northern Bear Steve Pfeifer Cedarburg WI 5-7-3.75* 15.75 10 Zsa Zsa Bill Wright Larkspur CA 4-9.75*-5 18.75 *Nationals bonus
