Irwin takes women's championship

A report from the US Sailing event in Hawaii

Three races were held on the final day of the U.S. Women's Sailing Championship, hosted by Kaneohe Yacht Club in Hawaii and sailed on J/24s, and it was a tight finish.

In the end, it was Kathy Irwin of Rush Creek Yacht Club who won the Championship and US Sailing's Mrs Charles Francis Adams Trophy.

This year’s Championship was unique in that the top four included not only previous winners Vicki Sodaro (2002) and Joni Palmer (2003), but also two granddaughters of 1946 winner Virginia Weston Besse: skipper Whitney Besse who sailed with her cousin, Sonya Stevens.

Only five points separated the top four boats at the beginning of the final day of the U.S. Women’s Sailing Championship. With strong and consistent finishes throughout the week, Kathy Irwin and her crew, Kern Cummingham, Wendy Vaun and Nancy Flynn, ended up winning the Championship.

Vicki Sodaro of San Francisco Yacht Club and 2002 winner of the event, was over the starting line too early in the first race of the day, but then went on to win the final two races. However, it was not enough to come back and she finished fourth overall.

Joni Palmer of Deep Creek Yacht Club and last year’s winner, and Whitney Besse of Vineyard Haven Yacht Club, were in strong competition to win the event, but wound up tied before the discards. Palmer won the tie-breaker and earned the second place finish overall.

The event is sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A., which sponsors all US Sailing's Adult Championships, and by Chubb.