KINGSTON, OT, CANADA, AUGUST 24-26, 2012: Throughout 2012 the Eastern Area F18 Summer Series, several teams from Canada have made the drive across the border to support our events and raise the level of competition in our local fleet. The weekend of August 24-26 was our fleet’s turn to return the favor, with six Eastern Area boats making the drive to the Portsmouth Olympic Harbor in Kingston, Ontario for the F18 Canadian Nationals, hosted as part of the CORK One Design Regatta. Known for a reliable thermal and beautiful freshwater, CORK hosts an incredible 16 straight days of racing in August for boats ranging from Optis to International 14s, and everything in between.
With over half of the registered boats sailing their last tune-up event before the 2012 World Championships, there was no shortage of talent in the boat park as boats were rigged on Friday morning. Three races were completed Friday in 5-10 knots of Southwest wind and clear skies. It quickly became apparent that the left side of the racecourse was heavily favored, a theme repeated often throughout the weekend. The bias of the left side placed a huge emphasis on getting off of the start line and holding a lane upwind, while the fickle breeze required stringing bands of pressure together to make gains downwind. Picking up right where they left off from the USF18 Eastern Area Champs, Mike Easton and Tripp Burd on the Ronstan Racing Nacra Infusion MKII started strong with three bullets to lead the fleet after day one. They were followed closely by the Infusions of Sandra Tartaglino and Max Kramers, and Jim Zellmer and Joe Valante, making it an all American top three.
Keeping with the competitive nature of the fleet, a spirited game of crew vs. skipper ultimate Frisbee took place at Queen’s University following racing, with the crews predictably emerging as the dominant winners (as if their was ever a shred of doubt). Friday night was one to remember, with a large contingent of sailors heading into Kingston to celebrate the birthdays of Tripp Burd and Brooks Reed. The Kingston Blues Festival provided an excellent atmosphere for the festivities, with Jim Zellmer leading the way on the dance floor to the sounds of an outstanding local band.
Sailors awoke to the promise of more wind on Saturday morning, with whitecaps on the water during the sail out to the course. Unfortunately, it was not to be, as three more races were completed in a gradually dying breeze that left large variations in pressure across the course area. The unstable breeze required eyes to be constantly out of the boat, with the right hand side filling on multiple occasions and paying large dividends for teams who managed to stay in the pressure. The Easton/Burd and Tartaglino/Kramer teams continued their strong performances, solidifying their places atop the leaderboard. Robbie Daniels and Chris Prentice also had a good day, moving into third overall on their AHPC C2, with Brooks Reed and Jeff Dusek moving up to fourth on their modified Infusion. Saturday concluded with an impromptu fleet picnic on the lakeshore, and some additional birthday celebrations in downtown Kingston.
Just like Saturday, Sunday dawned with the promise of fresh breeze and a fast sail to the racecourse. Just like Saturday, however, the breeze soon began to fade, placing a premium on changing gears and powering through the growing regions of light wind. Easton and Burd finished off the event in style, taking two more bullets before heading in early to start packing for worlds. The final race of the regatta proved to be one of the toughest, with the breeze dropping off dramatically and puffs rolling down the course that sent crews scrambling from hitting on the bow, to full double wiring. Daniels and Prentice mastered the tough conditions, taking the final race and third overall for the event. Reed and Dusek solidified a fourth place finish with a second in race 8, and Zellmer and Valente finished strong to put four Easten Area boats in the top five.
For the Canadian Championship, Matt Smider and Hugh Goodday were first, followed by Anthony Boueilh and Maxime Picard, and Nicolas Dube and Vincent Gagne, all on AHPC C2s.
Overall, CORK was a spectacular place to sail, despite the fabled thermal failing to make an appearance all weekend. The Eastern Area fleet would like to extend the biggest possible thanks to the regatta organizers and volunteers, and to the entire Canadian Fleet for continuing to support our events. We look forward to seeing everyone at the World Championships September 7th-15th, and at the High Performance Dinghy Open at American Yacht Club and October 6th and 7th.
Photos from Dave Hein here: Dave Hein Photography
Part of the Narragansett Beer Eastern Area F18 Summer Series:
Photos courtesy Dave Hein from Boatyard Photography