Battling in Bermuda

Talbot Wilson reports on the Bermuda Invitational Race Week

Under clear skies with a steady breeze of 8-12 knots and small tactical wind shifts, there were lots of passing lanes today. Only one tie’s left after day two of Bermuda International Invitational Race Week sponsored by Bacardi. Mike Lewis of Bermuda and Stuart Jardine of the UK are still tied in the J/24 class. John Nichols who trails by 6
points needs more consistency with finishes of 1-6-9-1, a throw-out race will be important to him in the final standings.

The International Etchells sailed only one race, a planned late one, after their annual party at RBYC’s Past Commodore Les Crane’s house, Peter Duncan from Rye NY got a first and moved into a one-point lead over Bermudan Tim Lynch.

IOD leader Bill Widnall got a 1-3 again and is seven points ahead of J.P. Roed of Norway and his US rival Kevin Farrar is one point back with sixteen.

The J/105 battle between Tom Coates' Masquerade from California and the Bermuda’s Adam Barboza in Mark Cloutier’s Addiction was interrupted by some excellent sailing from Bermuda’s Glen Astwood in Passion who got a 4-1 today. Astwood is now tied with the Californian five points behind Addiction.

Bermuda sailors dominates all the dinghy classes. Chuck Millican leads the 505 class one point ahead of Craig Davis, Bret Wright leads the 18-boat laser class over Maryland’s Bob Tan, Stevie Dickinson leads Gladwin Lambert in the Comet Class and Malcolm Smith leads Canadian Gordon Fleming in the Snipes.

Al classes will hold two races on Tuesday except the 505s who plan three.