2008 MCYRA Yearbook
Electronic Edition

2008 MERCURY NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

The Mercury Class was trying a new format for this years championship, three races on day one and two on day two. Normally the regatta was 2, 2 and one over three days. This meant the wind had to be right. Twenty two Mercs showed up on the course on a very nice Southern California day. The wind was very light , creating a delay for the twelve o’clock start.

The wind was about six knots and shifty when the first race was started after one pm.The course was a double sausage, with a gate at the leeward end and a downwind finish. The class wanted at least an hour and a half race and the race committee did an excellent job all day long controlling the course. The tendency was to go right as is normal on the coast, but the shiffs were in the 15 - 20 degree range and with the wind velocity stronger in some areas than others, it created very interesting racing. Doug Baird with Jim Taylor stayed right most of the race and had a big lead at the first weather mark. They held the lead to the finish to win the first race and the Ray Johnson Perpetual trophy. Meanwhile Pax Davis with Dave Morris were duking it out with Mark Comings with Geordy Hershman and Eric Conn with Don Shirley. Davis seemed to have a little more speed up wind, but Comings and Conn were able control downwind. Davis was able to stay ahead on the run to the finish and take second, but Comings was able to pass Conn to get the third spot, while Conn gor fourth. Mac Kilpatrick with Kent Massing did an excellent job of passing a bunch of boats to get a fifth place.

Race two was the same course, but with a slight increase in the wind velocity and the same shifts. This was Chris Rabb with Kenny Dair’s race, the 2007 National Champions. They started on the favored leeward end of the line, but then tacked across the fleet to get to the favored the right side of the course, but played the shifts very well to get an uncontested first place and win the Park and Lynn Densmore Perpetulal trophy. Mike Burch with brother JJ came back from a disastrous first race to hold off Davis and Kevin McCarthywith wife Cathy. Davis and Mccarthy just could could not get to Burch on the runs and had to do battle with each other.
Birch got second, Davis and McCarthy finished within a couple of seconds of each other with Davis getting the third and McCarthy fourth. John Hansen with Tony Basso were always with the front group, but not enough to catch them and placed fifth.

The breeze was getting to ten knots for the start of the third race and the course was changed to a double sausage with a fifth leg to finish on the wind. The starting line was favored again to the leeward side. Burch got an excellent start and made his way to the right side of the course. He maintained this lead for the entire race to win the Matt and Mimi Jenkins Perpetual Trophy. The rest of the troops had to duke it out. Kilpatrick was a solid second for the first part of the race, but he had Raab breathing down his neck for the last three legs of the course. Rabb prevailed to get the second spot with Kilpatrick getting third place. Jack McAleer with Evan kort played the right side of the course to get up in the fleetand it seemed like he dragged Davis with him as it took both of all three legs for McAleer to get the fourth spot and Davis the fifth place.

So far, much like last year, there has been a different winner each race. The scores after the first day and three races are Raab 9, Davis 10, Baird 14, Kilpatrick 18 and Burch 19.

The second day, fourth race, the breeze was light, but the velocity was getting stronger to about 10-12 knots . The course was the double sausage, finishing downwind. Once again the lead merc got off fast, Dave West with Chris Kreuger. They were not challenged and won the Holden Sanford Perpetual Trophy for the winner of the fourth race. Series leader Raab was doing his best to catch West, but only enough to get a second and hold off Baird and the oncoming Burch. The fifth spot was taken by Comings, who broke his mast in race three and with the Burch brothers resleeved it last night and was good to go. Going into the last race Raab had a six point lead over Baird.

Race five was a triple sausage with a finish to weather. The bree started at 12 and increased to 15 with a mean little chop at the bottom of the course. This was to Baird’s liking as he took an immediate lead and held it all the way. he won the John Koenig Perpetual trophy for winning race five and being the only double race winner in this series. Meanwhile Raab got buried at the start and it looked like Baird was going to pull one out, but with the long course Raab made it into the front group after two laps. Burch still sailing very well was able to hold the second spot with Raab getting third. Fourth place went to Bill and Katie Warden who sailed their best race. Hansen came from deep inthe fleet to get fifth.

The winner for the second year in a row was Chris Raab chartering Kenny Dair’s Merc with Kenny as crew. Great job. Baird and Taylor were second, Burch brothers in third, Davis and Morris fourth and Kilpatrick and Massing fifth.

The Silver fleet was won by the McCarthys with Eric conn and Don Shirley getting second.
However the third place was awarded to Comings and Hirshman, who felt they did not qualify and they were correct. Steve Jeppesen and Ken Maring won the third place in the Silver fleet.

Eric Conn did an excellent job of putting the regatta on. His choice of Mark Townesnd as the PRO could not have been better. The idea to have the five races on two days certainly has advantages and also requires a little more stamina compared to a three day event. Many thanks to all the helpers and staff of ABYC for a super weekend for the Mercury class.

This story and the scoring will be on the web later today.