Well earnt

Thomas and Bernier win US Mulithull Championship

For Greg Thomas and Jacques Bernier, a dream came true on Sunday when they won the U.S. Multihull Championship for US Sailing's Hobie Alter Cup. Thomas and Bernier had been trying to win the National Championship for years without success, but this year they were ready for the challenge. After qualifying to compete in the event by winning their US Sailing Area qualifier last year, Thomas and Bernier continued to train together. They competed in the Hobie Tiger World Championships last month and finished in a respectable fifth place, the highest U.S. finishers in the event.

Every year, the U.S. Multihull Championship travels to a different part of the country and a different multihull class is chosen for the competition. When Alamitos Bay Yacht Club was selected to host this year's event with Hobie Tigers as the boat, Thomas and Bernier knew they'd have a good chance to do well in the event. They both work at the Hobie factory in Oceanside, Calif., which provided the boats.

"This is good," said Bernier. "It's the most prestigious event for multihull sailing in the U.S. and considering the people who were here, like Jay (Glaser) and Pete (Melvin), it's a very good win."

Thomas, 35, and Bernier, 34, took the lead on the first day of racing and never relinquished. But it wasn't as easy as it sounds. They beat 19 other teams from across the country and Mexico. All the other teams had also qualified for the event by winning other qualifying events or by winning a national championship in another multihull class. The list of competitors included 1984 Olympic silver medalist Jay Glaser who sailed with A-Class World Champion Pete Melvin, Hobie 16 North American Champion Armando Noriega of Mexico, just to name a few.

The final scores of the event reflect the close competition: there was a three-way tie for second place. In the end, Stan Schreyer and Jonathan Farrar took second place, followed by Pete Melvin and Jay Glaser in third, and John Tomko and Ian Billings in fourth.

Qualifying events are currently being held across the country for next year's event, to be hosted by Pensacola Beach Yacht Club and sailed on Nacra F18s.