MELGES - BENTSON VICTORS
 AT 1967 U. S. NATIONALS
by Robert N. Lyon

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1976 Champions, Melges and Bentsen

It was Melges and Bentsen in "Widgeon" all the way at the U.S. National Open August 8-11. They established their lead by winning the opener of the 6-race series (one throw-out allowed) and stayed ahead with 1-1-4-1-4 finishes. These five placings wrapped it up for the Pan Am champions and sent them to Montreal as U.S. representatives in the World's Championship. Scott Allan from California and Roger Green from Toronto placed second and third, each winning one race and being among the first five finishers in each race (Green, though, missed the first race). John Jennings, Florida, Ted Turner, Georgia, Harry Sindle, Virginia, Bill Roberts, Florida, Art Lange, California, Craig Coltharp, Texas, and Joan Haber, Florida completed the top ten overall, Coltharp becoming 1967's National Junior Champion.

The Buffalo Canoe Club, some ten miles west of Buffalo on the north shore of Lake Erie, provided excel-lent facilities, top rank hospitality. and superb organization and management of the regatta. Lake Erie cooperated with plenty of wind and wave - at times, an FD full - for many of the forty-six contestants who competed on Olympic courses with Olympic scoring.

Following a rather wild tune-up race on Monday, August 7th -one which resulted in repairs as well as tuning -the fIrst race of the championship series started on Tuesday afternoon. It became a four-way battle between Melges, Allan, Sindle and Roberts, who finished in that order after each had led somewhere around the course. Coming to the finish line, Melges on port tack shot under Allan's stern and up sharply into the wind to nip the win. On their heels, besides Sindle and Roberts, appeared Jennings for fifth, who had been nowhere early in the race. It was a beautiful and close finish to nearly ten miles of course, vigorously corrugated by 20 knots of southwest wind blowing all the way from Erie, Cleveland or maybe Sandusky.

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Close cover by R. Jeffery of Dallas over Chatain

In slightly moderated conditions, the second race on the morning of Wednesday, August 9 was aborted by the Committee when word of an approaching severe line squall was received. This happened at the end of the first leg, and all went ashore to sit out the rugged bit of weather which soon arrived. With slight further moderation of the wind to 15-18 knots and less sharp seas, the regatta resumed in the afternoon. Leading most of the way, Melges beat James, who came up on the closing legs, by 300 yards. Turner and Green, in close combat with James, lost him on the last leg, while Allan came forward to take fourth, behind Turner, ahead of Green, in a blanket finish.

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The latest style in genoas. "Dink" Vail in front.

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New President Marv Haber aboard US 1075 at the start.

Came Thursday, with the intention of running three races posted by the Committee. Eight boats had at least one first-five finish in the bag, and each was eager to step up front should Melges fall from his winning habit. It became an heroic morning when a rain-laden, 25 knot squall spent fifteen minutes testing self-rescue capability on the second and third legs. Accelerating the 8-12 knot offshore northwester, it up-set the then-existing order of things, but skill still showed -the eventual first five overall finishers wound up 1-2-3-4-5: (Turner, Green, Jennings, Melges, after his capsize, saved the fourth spot by climbing the mast to rescue his spinnaker halyard while Bentsen showed his new-found talent for ballet by balancing the boat while steering downwind, wing and wing before a 15 knot blow.

Turner's win put him hot behind Melges in the series, and Green's second moved him to a series fourth just behind Allan. Pressing infIfth and sixth were Jennings and Sindle. The issue was resolved by the afternoon's two races back-to-back. Melges' 1-4 and Allan's 3-1, in moderating wind and wave, nailed down first and second places, overall. Allan was consistent around the marks, but Melges had to tromp on "Widgeon's" accelerator in the afternoon finale (fifth race) after being tenth at the first mark, as did Green in the fourth race -fourteenth at the first mark.

Fourth race: Melges, Jennings, Allan, Sindle, Green, the latter three gaining a place when Al Hobart was protested.
Fifth race: Allan, Roberts, Green, Melges, Haber.

Friday finally produced gentle conditions, calm sea and 5 to 10 knot northerly breeze. There was to be no change in the top spots. Melges/ Bentsen did not sail, and new names appeared among the leaders as Pete Chatain and Craig Coltharp followed Green, Jennings and Allan across the finish line.

Congratulations to forty-six FD's and many thanks to our hosts for wonderful times and great sailing!   


                        RACES                 Total
                  1    2    3    4    5   6   Points
 1. Melges/Bentsen    1    1    4    1    4 DNS    16
 2. Allan/Twist       2    4    5    3    1   3    22.4
 3. Green/Green     DNS    5    2    5    3   1    28.7
 4. Jennings/Pardee   5    6    3    2    7   2    33.4
 5. Turner/Green      7    3    1    7   17   8    45.7
 6. Sindle/Winters    3    7   18    4    9   7    54.7
 7. Roberts/Kerr      4    8  DNF    6    2  12    54.7
 8. Lange/Lange      10    9    7   11    8   9    73
 9. Coltharp/Jeffrey 12   11   13  DNF   11   5    81
10. Haber/Haber      15   15   12  DNF    5  13    89
11. Chatain,
12. James,
13. Vail,
14. Hogshire,
15. Allen,
16. Obersheimer,
17. Hobart,
18. Scales,
19. White,
20. Waters,
21. Hoffman,
22. Guedry,
23. Joslin,
24. Kenyon,
25. Schafter,
26. Harris,
27. Walsh,
28. Coupland,
29. Wells,
30. Walser,
31. Smith,
32. Morse,
33. West,
34. Ilko,
35. McLaren,
36. Watson,
37. Hibbert,
38. Carosella,
39. Gocker,
40. Peddie,
41. Oller,
42. Steffen,
43. Oldhauser,
44. Bartlett,
45. Hastings,
46. Stout


Buffalo Canoe Club

Scott Allan
Scott Allen finishing

skippers meeting
Skippers meeting

john jennings
John Jennings


Roberts / Kerr   
Bill Robetts and Ernie Kerr