Martin and Holt back in the driving seat

Going into the final day of the SAP 505 Worlds in San Francisco

Mike Martin and crew Jeff Holt, down in points to Mike Holt and crew Carl Smith and faced with lighter winds than they would prefer, pulled off a clutch victory Friday to carry the championship of the 2009 SAP 505 Worlds into the final race Saturday.

Now, after scoring their fifth win in eight races while Holt/Smith finished ninth and with both discard scores cashed in, Martin/Nelson lead with 7 points to 12, as all other contenders slipped out of contention.

Martin/Nelson finished 50 seconds ahead of late chargers Dalton Bergan and crew Fritz Lanzinger, who have sailed the hottest boat of all (1-5-2) over the last three races to climb into fourth place.

The title showdown will start at noon on the Berkeley Circle course in the East Bay, where wispy winds the last two days have severely strained the venue's reputation for big breeze. Especially Friday, with the temperature in the mid-70s - that's a heat wave here, even in summer - and families and dogs flocked to the beach, the orange wind sock at the Crissy Field staging area where kite boards rule drooped like yesterday's noodles.

Weather watchers blamed it on the dissipating tropical storm Ignacio off Baja California whose thermal spinoff has turned California sailing sites into Golden Ponds.

Early in the afternoon St. Francis YC race manager John Craig drove the committee boat around to the beach, fired two shotgun blasts and hoisted the red and white AP flag to hold boats from launching, as if anyone was seriously considering it. Then a short time later, when scout boats outside the Golden Gate Bridge reported wind conditions building optimistically, the hold was lifted and race committee boats enlisted to tow almost everybody the six miles downwind to the course for a 3 o'clock start.

This wasn't what either Holt or Martin wanted, preferring, respectively, to just call it a regatta or wait for much more wind.

Otherwise, before his worst finish of the week, Holt was in position to end it all with a day to spare by driving Martin/Nelson deep into the fleet. They had already spent both of their discards brought on by a non-finish with a broken mast and a 12th place in fluky winds Thursday.

"We didn't manage to do it today," said a disappointed Holt. "We put him in a tough spot, and I thought we had him."

The tough spot was not only in the standings but at the start when Holt/Smit stalked Martin/Nelson into the Gate (a.k.a. "rabbit") Start, and put themselves in the controlling leeward position but couldn't make it stick. They moved up the line in the last moments before they would tack to starboard and cross behind the "rabbit"---this time Howie Hamlin and crew Paul Cayard, who earned the honor as the 10th-place finisher in the previous race.

Martin said, "They got under us but we sailed up the line and found a hole. We tacked and got off the line."

Meanwhile, Holt/Smit fell into the second row as they looked desperately for a place to tack toward the line, and by the time they crossed they had all but lost sight of their rivals. They were as deep as 20th at one point and never threatened Martin/Nelson again.

Over the 3 1/2 laps to an upwind finish, Martin said, "We were keeping an eye on them the whole race."

Bergan led the race midway, running away from everybody except Martin/Nelson, the only boat that passed them, which happened downwind.

"He cleared us by only a foot," Dalton said.

Dalton credited Lanzinger with much of their success and claimed he has felt no pressure in his rookie effort at the top level of 505 dinghy sailing.

"If I were calling the tactics I'd be nervous," he said. "Fritz makes all the calls. As a skipper you just keep the boat sailing fast."

Then there are the other competitors who make the leaders look good. Two are Steve Kleha, 32, a Stanford University grad and a financial analyst in real life, and his crew, Mattias Kennerknecht from Germany, who owns the boat.

"I just started sailing 505s seriously a year ago," Kleha said. "Mattias has been bringing me up to speed."

Even in 39th place, they are doing well, considering that they have started ands finished every race, which even Martin/Nelson and 64 of the other 97 entries can't say. Their best finishes are a 16th and 22nd in the first two races, but they are learning.

"There are four major adjustments upwind," Kleha said. "[Mast] rake, vang, ram and centerboard. These boats are highly technical. You'd be surprised how a small adjustment can make a big difference. One day we were sailing upwind and Mattias suggested we move the vang back, and immediately we gained a knot or a knot and a half. You could feel it leap."

That's where Martin and Holt were once. Now they're going for the glory.

What conditions would they like?

"About 18 knots would be nice," Martin said.

Results:

Pos	Skipper	Crew	Nat	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	Tot
1	Mike Martin	Jeff Nelson	USA	1	[99/DNF]	1	1	1	[12]	2	1	7
2	Mike Holt	Carl Smit	USA	2	1	2	2	2	3	[4]	[9]	12
3	Chris Nicholson	Casey Smith	AUS	4	3	3	3	3	7	[8]	[8]	23
4	Dalton Bergan	Fritz Lanzinger	USA	8	8	4	[10]	[15]	1	5	2	28
5	Jens Findel	Johannes Tellen	GER	[72]	5	6	5	[12]	2	3	10	31
6	Nick Adamson	Steve Bourdow	USA	9	2	13	4	4	4	[17]	[14]	36
7	Howie Hamlin	Ian Mitchell/Paul Cayard	USA	5	6	[99/RAF]	7	[14]	5	10	5	38
8	Ian Pinnell	Carl Gibbon	GBR	7	[14]	8	13	[20]	10	11	3	52
9	Tyler Moore	Geoff Ewenson	USA	11	13	11	[15]	[16]	8	6	4	53
10	Ryan Cox	Stuart Park	USA	12	11	12	6	8	6	[15]	[22]	55
11	Kevin Taugher	Ben Benjamin	USA	14	4	10	18	[99/DNF]	14	[24]	13	73
12	James Hunt	Neil Fulcher	GBR	10	21	[26]	9	9	[32]	7	23	79
13	Ethan Bixby	Simon Gorman	USA	15	18	9	21	7	[27]	[26]	11	81
14	Bruce Mahoney	Paul Allen	USA	24	7	7	8	19	17	[38]	[48]	82
15	Bruce Edwards	David Shelton	USA	[49]	[99/DNF]	5	12	6	9	28	28	88
16	Malcom Higgins	Nick Johnston	AUS	[99/DNS]	[99/DNS]	23	25	13	22	1	15	99
17	Sandy Higgins	Paul Marsh	AUS	3	12	17	24	24	[33]	[25]	21	101
18	Peter Chappell	Ian Davidson	AUS	6	24	[99/DNF]	17	10	37	[51]	7	101
19	David Chatham	Jon Bell	USA	17	10	21	[30]	[35]	13	20	20	101
20	Jan Saugmann	Lasse Andreasen	DEN	18	9	25	[42]	[99/DNF]	25	9	18	104
21	Michael Babbage	James McAllister	AUS	20	16	[37]	20	[48]	19	22	16	113
22	Stefan Böhm	Andreas Achterberg	GER	31	[99/DNF]	24	19	5	[36]	31	19	129
23	Michael Quirk	Simon Reffold	AUS	[99/DNS]	[99/DNS]	14	14	11	42	18	41	140
24	Jeff Miller	Mike Smith	USA	[38]	15	22	16	25	[57]	33	32	143
25	Terry Scutcher	Christian Diebitsch	GBR	13	[99/DNF]	18	33	18	[40]	39	25	146
26	Christian Kellner	Martin Schoeler	GER	[52]	[99/DNF]	31	35	17	26	36	6	151
27	Nicolai Voelckner	Lars Dehne	GER	19	17	20	41	26	28	[60]	[99/DNS]	151
28	Ted Conrads	Brian Haines	USA	22	33	32	[47]	29	24	14	[40]	154
29	Carter Jackson	Peter Holden	AUS	36	30	[99/DNF]	22	[38]	20	19	27	154
30	Macy Nelson	Parry Barclay	USA	[41]	29	[36]	28	36	15	21	31	160
31	Claas Lehmann	Leon Oehme	GER	[42]	27	40	23	32	[43]	12	29	163
32	Tim Boeger	Markus Schoener	GER	[46]	20	16	43	[64]	29	27	30	165
33	Matt Noble	Bill Erklends	USA	[61]	25	29	27	34	21	29	[35]	165
34	Jen Morgan Glass	Ben Glass	USA	47	[99/DNF]	15	11	22	31	46	[99/DNS]	172
35	Augie Diaz	Tommy Fink	USA	25	31	35	[36]	[41]	23	35	24	173
36	Keith Davids	Jesse Falsone	USA	[48]	38	[99/DNF]	37	33	11	43	12	174
37	Nick Davis	Michael Duffield	AUS	35	23	[41]	[45]	40	30	16	33	177
38	Hasso Plattner	Peter Alarie	GER	28	[99/DNF]	19	46	21	[63]	50	36	200
39	Steve Kleha	Matthias Kennerknecht	USA	16	22	[58]	[53]	28	47	37	53	203
40	Norman Rydge	Jordan Spencer	AUS	39	26	[99/DNF]	38	23	39	[58]	38	203
41	Nick Deussen	Jonno Bannister	AUS	30	19	[45]	34	[99/DNF]	44	34	43	204
42	Paul Mitchell	Dale Mitchell	AUS	26	28	28	29	[99/DNF]	48	48	[57]	207
43	Ted Ferrarone	Doug McKeige	USA	53	[99/DNF]	[99/DNF]	48	31	46	13	17	208
44	Ramsay Key	Andrew Buttner	USA	34	[99/DNS]	[51]	26	49	35	41	37	222
45	Frieder Achterberg	Arne Lanatowitz	GER	29	[99/DNF]	39	40	39	[62]	30	45	222
46	Douglas Hagan	Robert Woelful	USA	51	32	[99/DNS]	39	44	18	[55]	42	226
47	Martin Hodgson	Adrian Miles	GBR	40	40	34	[44]	30	38	[44]	44	226
48	Neil Long	Mick Odonnel	AUS	[99/DNS]	[99/DNS]	27	32	27	55	42	47	230
49	Robert Tennant	Rich Mundell	USA	33	51	42	[75]	46	16	45	[60]	233
50	John Turney	Ned Turney	USA	27	35	44	50	42	[52]	47	[55]	245
51	Derek Campbell	Jon Henderson	USA	23	[99/DNS]	43	31	47	56	49	[99/DNS]	249
52	John Loe	Craig Thompson	USA	45	34	47	[52]	37	50	[52]	49	262
53	Pierre Jeangirard	Paul Von Grey	USA	57	49	54	49	[99/DNF]	[60]	32	34	275
54	Philip Cragg	Reto Corfu	CAN	[99/DNS]	46	33	51	58	34	[99/DNS]	61	283
55	Richard Gallimore	Tom Woods	AUS	[80]	43	30	54	50	[77]	65	46	288
56	Earle Alexander	Ian Gregg	AUS	21	[99/DNF]	66	[99/DNF]	99/DNF	68	23	26	303
57	Evert Meyer	Peter Funke	USA/RSA	56	[99/DNF]	53	56	43	[66]	53	56	317
58	Aaron Ross	Rob Waterman	USA	54	39	38	[99/DNF]	[99/DNF]	72	57	59	319
59	Martin Kittsteiner	Oliver Stieglitz	GER	62	41	52	58	55	51	[71]	[65]	319
60	Jeffrey Robinson	Bryce Penfold	AUS	43	37	50	[99/DNF]	56	67	[77]	74	327
61	Matt Hansen	Anthony Dean	AUS	64	47	56	[67]	[99/DNF]	45	59	58	329
62	Kevin Cameron	Matt Bowden	AUS	37	36	[99/DNF]	64	[99/DNF]	58	40	99/DNS	334
63	Hubert Guy	Xavier Detappe	USA	68	48	46	61	63	[76]	[69]	51	337
64	John Gray	David Rasmussen	USA	55	45	61	55	59	[78]	[75]	63	338
65	Marcos Vivian	Luke Payne	AUS	59	[99/DNF]	[99/DNF]	62	51	59	63	54	348
66	Thad Lieb	Pat Diola	USA	60	[99/DNF]	48	63	57	53	[73]	68	349
67	Ian Burford	David Christie	AUS	66	42	57	66	[99/DNF]	61	67	[75]	359
68	Brett Sharpe	Anthony Gaunt	AUS	65	[99/DNF]	[99/DNF]	68	54	49	56	71	363
69	Bill Jenkins	Dan Merino	USA	[77]	[99/DNF]	55	59	45	73	61	72	365
70	Douglas De Couto	Gareth Williams	BER	67	[99/DNF]	59	77	[99/DNF]	41	79	52	375
71	Angus Brackett	Colin Orsini	USA	32	[99/DNF]	[99/DNS]	99/DNS	99/DNS	54	54	39	377
72	Andrew Watters	Tripp Burd	USA	63	44	[99/DNF]	69	52	[79]	74	76	378
73	Lennart Tasche	Frederik Tasche	GER	44	[99/DNS]	[99/DNF]	60	53	99/DNS	66	62	384
74	Philippe Kahn	Peter Spaulding	USA	70	50	67	[83]	65	71	62	[78]	385
75	Katherine Long	Stephen Long	USA	71	[99/DNF]	62	71	61	64	[78]	66	395
76	Sarah Withall	Marcus Cooper	AUS	69	[99/DNF]	[99/DNS]	57	60	70	72	69	397
77	John Wyles	Gareth Fletcher	USA	58	[99/DNS]	[99/DNS]	72	66	69	64	73	402
78	Olav Schluter	Mike Renda	USA	78	[99/DNS]	[99/DNF]	65	62	65	70	67	407
79	Mike Coe	Russell Miller	USA	73	[99/DNS]	60	70	[99/DNF]	99/RAF	68	64	434
80	Jan Sell	Wiebke Gewinn	GER	74	[99/DNS]	65	76	[99/DNF]	80	80	70	445
81	Mark Christensen	Arthur Kinsolving	USA	50	[99/DNF]	49	[99/DNS]	99/DNS	99/DNS	99/DNS	50	446
82	Charles Fulmer	Steve Gay	USA	84	52	[99/DNS]	73	[99/DNF]	85	76	99/DNS	469
83	John McLean	Jack McLean	AUS	82	[99/DNF]	64	81	[99/DNF]	82	81	99/DNS	489
84	Matthias Tellen	Moritz Luether	GER	76	[99/DNF]	[99/DNF]	80	99/DNF	84	83	77	499
85	Ryan Staszko	Thomas Hurwitch	USA	88	[99/DNS]	[99/DNS]	74	99/DNF	75	86	84	506
86	Charlie Dore	Joe Requa	USA	83	[99/DNF]	[99/DNF]	84	67	88	87	99/DNS	508
87	Antoine Laussu	Alexandre Laussu	USA	92/MAN(1)	[99/DNF]	68	[99/DNF]	99/DNS	83	85	83	510
88	Kirk Twardowski	Steve Anderes	USA	75	[99/DNS]	63	79	[99/DNF]	99/DNS	99/DNS	99/DNS	514
89	Peter Scott	Jonny Moseley	USA	85	[99/DNF]	[99/DNS]	99/DNF	99/DNF	81	99/DNS	80	543
90	Jennifer Lawson	Soren Jensen	USA	81	[99/DNS]	[99/DNF]	99/DNS	99/DNS	87	82	99/DNS	547
91	Michael Lazzaro	Mark Lazzaro	USA	[99/DNS]	[99/DNS]	99/DNF	82	99/DNF	86	84	99/DNS	549
92	Tom Kassberg	Guy Rittger	USA	[99/DNS]	[99/DNS]	99/DNF	78	99/DNF	99/DNS	99/DNS	79	553
93	Christian Dechamplain	Alistair Boyle	CAN	89	[99/DNF]	[99/DNS]	85	99/DNF	99/DNS	99/DNS	82	553
94	John Billings	Bill McKinney	USA	[99/DNS]	[99/DNS]	99/DNS	99/DNF	99/DNS	74	99/DNS	99/DNS	569
95	Gilles Carvallo	Jean-Yves	FRA	79	[99/DNF]	[99/DNF]	99/DNS	99/DNS	99/DNS	99/DNS	99/DNS	574
96	Jesse Corlett	Ryan Nelson	USA	[99/DNS]	[99/DNS]	99/DNS	99/DNF	99/DNS	99/DNS	99/DNS	81	576
97	Patrick McGale	Jonathan Ross	GBR	86	[99/DNF]	[99/DNS]	99/DNF	99/DNS	99/DNS	99/DNS	99/DNS	581
98	Louis Wrede	Magnus Ryde	SWE	[99/DNS]	[99/DNS]	99/DNS	99/DNS	99/DNS	99/DNS	99/DNS	99/DNS	594

SAP is the naming sponsor and APL is the presenting sponsor. Marine Media Alliance, Drystone Berridge Vineyard Estates, Lindsay Art Glass, North Sails, Ronstan and 505 American Section are supporting sponsors.