Shark Kahn ahead

After multiple OCSes greet day one of the Etchells World Championship in San Francisco

It was almost a surprise as the 72 boat fleet was away at the first attempt in the first race of the 2005 Etchells Worlds on San Francisco’s Berkeley Circle today.

In the practice race yesterday, there were four general recalls before the fleet sailed away on an I flag. Today there was a bulge in the line between the Committee Boat and the Midline Boat and it appeared there might have been a host of boats over, but only two came back.

Fast off the line was Craig Healey’s I Love My Wife, Jeff Pape’s No Justice, Russ Silvestri’s Leverage and tucked in just a little back was Samuel ‘Shark’ Kahn helming Pegasus 1278. In glorious conditions, with 14 knots from 225, most of the fleet had decided right was the place to be. However the wind built and shifted left, funneling down from the Golden Gate Bridge, as the fleet sailed up towards Angel Island.

Out on the left Craig Healy and Shark Kahn were among the group that found the favorable 15 degree shift. Healy was first to the top mark with impressive speed, he rolled over Kahn who under-laid the mark by a length and was almost pinned on port tack. Third behind them was Jeff Pape and Russ Silvestri, ahead of Dennis Conner.

Down the first run the fleet split across the Bay, with Kahn’s tactician Jeff Madrigali positioning perfectly for the gybe, to lead into the bottom mark. However Healy came back on the second beat and led round the top mark by less than a boat length.

Kahn edged underneath the leader to squeeze around the offset mark. Behind them, more than 30 seconds back, were Jeff Pape, Tito Gonzales, then Russ Silvestri and Judd Smith.

As the wind continued it was surf city on the second run, with Kahn extending to a 30 second win from Pape and Silvestri, on the beat back to the finish line. Former World Champions Stuart Childerley, Simon Russell and Roger Marino and the top British hopes, had a promising opening coming home in fourth place.

It was a happy fleet that sailed into the Richmond Yacht Club Marina under spinnaker, but when the sailors strolled up to the notice board the mood change for ten of the fleet. The OCSes were Vince Brun, John Jansheske, Jeff Pape, Dennis Conner, Jeff Moseley, Russ Silvestri, Jeff Warlow, Jim Carrick, Craig Healey and Jim Gregory. At this time, there have been five OCS protests lodged.

There are seven races scheduled, with six races constituting a series in the non drop series. As a result, the protests are expected to be robust.

Jeff Madrigali from Team Pegasus commented dockside, before the number of OCSes were unknown "There were a lot of boats ahead of us at the start, we were a bit nervous, we were close, but we were close enough to the boat to have a pretty good angle, so I am sure we are OK.

‘We had a great race with Craig, it was a lot of fun, and the lead kept changing. I hope he is not OCS.

"The defining moment in race for us was the second run. Craig ran down right on us, but Shark held him out and between us we did a really good job of adjusting the sail trim and positioning the boat just as they were about to roll us, and we held them out round the mark and that was the boat race.

"We might have won the first race, but this is a great fleet and it’s going to be a long week.’

Provisional results:

Pos	Skipper and crew	Sail no	R1	Tot
1	Samuel Kahn, B Lee, J Madngali, A Finglas	USA1278	1	1
2	William Palmer III, T Corkett, Jr., B Cavanaugh	USA889	2	2
3	Jud Smith, H Frazer, A Wills	USA1300	3	3
4	Stuart Childerley, S Russell, R Marino	GBR987	4	4
5	Tito Gonzales, B Mauk, B Batzer, D Gonzales	USA928	5	5
6	Hank Lammens, M Lammens, P Gow	CAN1298	6	6
7	Iain Murray, M Coxon, A Palfrey	AUS1223	7	7
8	Peter Vessella, S Gordon, M Carter	USA1168	8	8
9	Rob Brown, G Gudmunson, B Wookey	AUS1088	9	9
10	Philippe Kahn, F Loof, M Ivey	USA1226	10	10
11	Steve Girling, J Kemoe, E Doyle	USA1212	11	11
12	Ante Razmilovic, D Bedford, S Fry	GBR1302	12	12
13	Brian Thomas, M Brink, H Schreiner	USA1210	13	13
14	Brian Camet, A Camet, D Camet	USA522	14	14
15	Peter McNeill, P Smidmore, J Mayjor	AUS1315	15	15
16	Doug Jorgensen, N Busek, K Currier	USA126	16	16
17	Buddy Cribb, E Delisser, T Banks	USA1309	17	17
18	Rob Bird, G Johnson, N Gray	AUS1160	18	18
19	Frederic Lafffitte, J Laffitee, M Renoir	USA1081	19	19
20	Wayne Clough, D Wiard, S Pickel	USA905	20	20
21	Steve O'Roueke, S Condie, G Boyd	AUS1102	21	21
22	Marvin Beckmann, L Horvat, M Curtin	USA1232	22	22
23	Andrew Whittome, K Burrell, L Bekins	USA1283	23	23
24	Kirk Palmer, T Stamper, S Spence	CAN973	24	24
25	Ed Warwick, T Wetherell, B Dunning	GBR1123	25	25
26	Cordelia Ellis, D Rickard, S Allan, A Peake	GBR1075	26	26
27	Dirk Kneulman, D Smithers, C Guthrie	CAN1328	27	27
28	Jamie Boag, J McCarthy, A Yates	GBR1195	28	28
29	Ben Wells, J Hardesty, B Erkelens	USA666	29	29
30	David Levy, K Clausen, R Harring, T Grimes	USA1234	30	30
31	Jason Antill, J Antill, M Phillips	AUS1275	31	31
32	Robert Capita, G Mitchell, I Storer	USA1157	32	32
33	Tom Hughes, B Pistay, J Stewart	USA1169	33	33
34	Peter Duncan, W Barton, T Blackwell	USA1073	34	34
35	Mark Thornburrow, T Parsons, A Webster	HKG1051	35	35
36	James Howells, N Miller, C Mitchell	GBR1323	36	36
37	Shannon Bush, E Ellis, C Dickey	USA1137	37	37
38	Chris Clark, R Sherry, T Dawson	USA1177	38	38
39	Tom Oller, G Papilion, T Austin	USA977	39	39
40	Jeff Wayne,	USA530	40	40
41	Tim Patton, W Thompson, J Carter	BER1249	41	41
42	David Steffan, D Gervais, R Broward	USA556	42	42
43	Ken Womack, J Taylor, J Peine	USA1241	43	43
44	Dale Hoffman,	USA922	44	44
45	Tom Malone, B Pascoe, J Langlois	USA1230	45	45
46	Michael LaPort, D Scoggin, D Rumbaugh	USA966	46	46
47	Jervis Tilly, C O'Carroll, P Tindale	GBR1250	47	47
48	William Melbostad, B Moore, M Dowdy	USA658	48	48
49	John Sutak III, S McCormack, R Smith	USA901	49	49
50	Kjeld Hestehave, D Loysen, J McCann	USA971	50	50