1988 US NATIONALS

Severn Sailing Association in Annapolis hosted the Nationals this year on June 7, 8,9, and 10. Fifteen U.S. boats, including most of the US Olympic FD circus-and three Mexican teams participated.

The seven race series started on June 7 with a race in the afternoon. Series chairman Marty Huppert had decided on an informal approach to the Regatta based on the fact that the Trails would shortly begin in Newport. Consequently, free substitution of equipment was allowed. For the soft underbelly of the class, this didn't mean much since we own only one mast and a couple of sails anyway, but the lack of a formal measurement added to the related atmosphere. At the skipper's meeting the competitors adopted the 720 rule and decided to allow Paul Foerster to sail with a Sailcomp digital compass. Everybody knew that the class had ruled them out for this Olympic year but most felt the issue wasn't that important at this meeting since they would have to refit a standard compass if they went to the Olympics.

Anyway, the first race that afternoon was sailed in a kind of blustery northwester blowing 15-20. For those with Hyde 1 CR + jibs, everybody was in the second hole with from one to three inches of halyard off. It was very critical to power back up quickly in the relative lulls. Paul Foerster was trying out a new rudder which fell off on the run causing him to go swimming.

Day two brought races two and three in some what less wind. The system had veered about 40deg and everybody had lockstepped into the bottom cringle of the jib. The beats were mainly a matter of staying in phase with the shifts. Race four held a surprise for everybody who went to the left on the final beat. With a 30deg shift to the right there were some major position changes. With most of the leaders on the left of the course Crump-Bertocci and Graham-Biase rounded the leeward mark in approximately tenth and eleventh. Both teams went hard right before going on to starboard tack. As the compass told the amazing story, the shift had caught most of the big guys in the wrong place Foerster-Goldman had been able with their lead to get back over to the right in time to salvage the win. Graham- Biase and Crump- Bertocci had moved to third and fourth.

group pic On the next day, the system was really developing some power. We all went out and crashed around in the 20-22 knot winds out of the northeast. Some of the  blasts may have hit 30. The plan here was to see how much adjustment you had in your rigging. I, for one, found out I didn't have enough. From the"normal" setting for the third cringle Guido Bertocci told me you should try to get another four or five inches off. The waves were developing and becoming a challenge. With so much water and wind, people were beginning to get cold, which was kind of unexpected for the Chesapeake Bay in the beginning of June. Neil FowlerOn the next day, the system was really developing some power. We all went out and crashed around in the 20-22 knot winds out of the northeast. Some of the told me he was wearing everything he had brought in the way of clothing. The standings show the results since I spent a lot of time in the water. I can't comment much on tactics but it seems that it was absolutely imperative to be able to control your boat. To this end I can report seeing unbelievable instances of mast torture. There were two schools of thought here; one was to rake so much that the mast-head seemed to be back about three feet from its normal position with a moderate bend, and second, allow bend in the mast which seemed to exceed the possibility of metallurgical physics about eighteen inches deflection at the spreaders. Most of the guys going well had tremendous rake with moderate bend.

Everybody was glad to have the Annual Dinner and Meeting that night which kind of soothed the aches. Peter Wells' report on this meeting appears in this issue.
Races six and seven on Friday were sailed in the trail end of the system which had persisted most of the week. It was a very nice day of sailing with the wind out of the northeast at about 8-12 under bright sun. The enemy on the right side of the course was the current which surprised a lot of people with it's ferocity. The plan was to work the left of the course and hitch over on the little lifts. If you went just a little too far you got hammered in the tide. In the sixth race Braun-Kenney rounded the lee mark in second place an out of desperation (and knowing they had throwout) went right. They wound up in twelfth.
The Proctor series was won by Foerster-Goldman and the Carling by the team of Delalama-Aguilar from Mexico who were chartering ES 134. The Junior award went to Bruce Edwards and the over the hill nod to Keith Graham. (F.D.-Grandfather).

RESULTS
PLACE   BOAT #    NAME                           1      2     3      4      5     6      7   PTS

1     US 166    Paul Foerster-Andrew Goldman    DNF    1    2     1     1    2    1    6
2     US 210    J.B.Brnun-Bill Kenney            1     3    1     3     2   12    3    20.1
3     US 145    Ron Rosenberg-Steve Rosenberg    2     4    7     2     4    3    4    35.7
4     US 265    Allen Lindser-Fritz Lanzinger    3     2    5     7     3    4    6    44.1
5     US 488    Ron Baerwitz-    Tom Pollock     4     5    6     4    DSQ   1    2    54
6     US 98     Neal Fowler-                     5     6    10    5     7    6    5    66.4
7     US 177    Bruce Edwards-David Shelton      6     8    9     6     5    5    9    72.4
8     US 410    Pat Crump-Guido Bertocci         8    11    4     8     6    8    8    75.2

9     US 134    Geronimo Delalama-Luis Aguilar  10     7    8    10     8    13   8    86
10    US 85     Rob Evans-Mark Christianson      9     9    11    9     9    9   10    91
11    US1441    Keith Graharn-Ralph Biase       12    12    3     DNF    DNF 10  12    100.7
12    MX 3      Jose Morett-Femando Morett      14    12    10    11     10   7  11    103
13    MX 33     Fernando Rabago-Guillermo Tapia 14    12    10    DAf    11  11  13    107
14    US 1435   Peter Wells-Ed Healy            11    14    14    DNF    DNC 14  14    122
15    US 26     Ugo Bertocci-Rick Rickert       13    16    17    12     DNF DNC DNC   132
16    US 56     Ben Dawson-Steve Granger       DNF    15    12    DNC    DNC 15  DNC   136
17    US 109    Michael Loeb-Peter Alarie        7   DNC   DNC    DNC    DNC DNC DNC   138
18    US 194    Marty Huppert -                DNC    17    16    DNC    DNC 15  15    138