KNAPP/LEWIS WIN 1983 NATIONALS
by Peter Wells
All of the teams trying for the Olympics were present at the U.S. Nationals hosted by Rush Creek Yacht Club in Dallas from September 14 -18. Although visitors from south of the border were anticipated, no Mexican boats participated. Duncan Lewis and Ian Struthers were the sole Canadian entry.

A scheduled practice race was cancelled for lack of wind. Fortunately, this did not prove to be prophetic, as winds for most of the races were in the 12-15 knot range. In the afternoons (even-numbered races) the winds were shifty! We sailed the "new" Olympic course (triangle, windward-leeward, triangle, finish to windward). The races were very well run with consistently square lines. Overall it was an excellent regatta.

Current World Champions McKee and Buchan got off to a strong start in the first four races, (winning races 1 and 3) playing all the shifts right with good starts and good boatspeed. The fourth race was particularly difficult for many competitors due to a series of significant wind shifts on the first weather leg, while the wind stayed in the 6 to 10 knot range for most of the race.

Knapp and Lewis won the fifth race (their first in the series), when McKee/Buchan were early at the start and unable to catch the lead boats after returning and had to settle for a fourth. In the sixth race, Knapp/Lewis earned another bullet, while McKee/Buchan were on the wrong side of another first leg windshift.

When the final results were tallied (no obvious winner still after the final race), Knapp/Lewis won by just over one point after their throwout race. Elam/Gough (possibly local knowledge provided some benefit for predicting shifts) tied McKee/Buchan for second and third positions overall.

Top honors in the second division (Carling Fleet) went to newly elected class president Alston Boyd and his crew Quentin Baker. Boyd also received the Hibbert Trophy for top skipper over 40 years of age. Knapp/Lewis claimed the new Levinson Memorial Trophy -just the beginning of the "silver" they would win in the days that followed.

1983 FD NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
                              Race                          Final
1 US210   Knapp/Lewis           3   6   2   7   1   1   2    23.40
2 US83    Elam/Gough            2   1   7  11   3   2   1    24.70
3 US106   McKee/Buchan          1   3   1   2   4   4   5    24.70
4 US300   Burton/Burton         6   2   3  DNF  7   3   3    44.80
5 US145   Young/Grinnan         5   4   6   1   6   4   7    49.40
6 KC15    Lewis/Struthers       7   5   4   3   2   6 PEN    51.40
7 US217   Sullivan/Cheney       8   8   5   4   9   10  4    69.00
8 US109   Loeb/Peck             4  PEN  8   5   5   7   8    69.00
9 US143   Boyd/Baker           10  12   9   6  13   9   9    90.70
10 US45   Hallman/Lehotsky     11   9  12  10  11   8  DNF   97.00
11 US1436 Stoll/Stoll           9  13  10  17   8  PMS 10   103.00
12 US1395 Hight/Daugherty      14  10  13   8  DNF 12  11   104.00
13 US194  Deuchler/Keegan      13  14  14  16  10  11  DNF  114.00
14 US 56  Johnson/Granger      12  17  11  DNF 12  15  12   115.00
15 US06   Christiansen/DiLoren 16  16  16   9  15  14  13   119.00
16 US1411 Schwantz/Garrett     15  19  15  14  17  13  14   124.00
17 US1406 Wells/Wells          17  11  17  12  16  17  17   126.00
18 US1427 Bruns/Bruns          DNF PEN 18  13  14  16  15   131.00
19 US1109 Scott/Busby          18  18  19  15  18  19  DNS  143.00
20 US102  White/Bernard       DNS DNF DNS DNS DNS  18  16   158.00
21 US1410 England/Morton       19  20 DNF DNS DNS DNS DNS   163.00
FRANK K. LEVINSON, JR. MEMORIAL TROPHY

Knapp and Lewis with th Levinson Trophy 1983 National Champions Gary Knapp (left) and Cam Lewis (right) were the first winners of the new Levinson Trophy, donated by Frank's widow, Joan, and their two daughters, Barbara and Jeannie.

The trophy is a beautiful half model of the FD, complete with a protective box for shipping. Prior to the trophy presentation, Class Secretary- Treasurer Peter Wells spoke about the valued contributions Frank had made to the FD class during more than 20 years of sailing. To "unveil" the trophy at Rush Creek was especially appropriate since Frank had won the previous Rush Creek Nationals in 1980 -the last Nationals in which he had sailed.

Frank began and ended his FD sailing career as a winner. "Levinson Wins" was a headline in issue #7 of the Trapeze (Feb. '59): "Frank Levinson with Francis Seavy crewing (Snipe skippers, both) narrowly edged Pat and Jack Duane at St. Petersburg for the 1958 Florida FD championship." The Levinson name reappeared regularly on the "winners' roster"; in ads as a sailmaker and boatbuilder; as a byline for "how-to" articles; as a class official (measurer and longtime Regional Administrator).

His influence and inspiration will be long remembered. The trophy and the man behind the trophy are worthy of our admiration and respect.