Brazil with a race to spare

Mauricio Santa Cruz wins J/24 World Championship in Mexico, reports Chris McLaughlin

The UBS sponsored J/24 World Championship closed in particularly testing conditions for competitors at Banderas Bay, Puerta Vallarta, Mexico.

As 2006 World Champion, Mauricio Santa Cruz of Brazil retained his title with a race to spare, seven competitors battled for the runner-up spot. Chris Snow of the USA held the spot overnight having sailed a careful series. Third placed Mark Hillman hoped to move up while Britain’s Ian Southworth led American Mike Ingham for fourth place. Also poised to pounce were the Japanese crews of Sakamoto and Funazawa.

The race officer moved the start of race 9 forward by one hour, but the wind had decided not to join in. This resulted in an attempt to start in 5 mph wind with current pushing the fleet up into the committee boat. The resultant raft saw damage, a general recall and a black flag start.

Wataru Sakamoto led the charge and was black flagged, while 54th placed Keith Whitemore, sailing Tundra Rose, wriggled clear to take his first win of the day. Argentine sailor Alejo, was second with Ken Porter of Mexico, sailing Comex, third. Porter had a great week in the light, local conditions to finish 14th overall.

Series hopefuls headed for their calculators as Chris Snow picked up a 36th place. European Champion, Ian Southworth, sailing Inmarsat, finished 17th, after being blocked by the starting raft, and slipped to fifth overall.

Competitors scoured the course for wind but none was to come.

As on many previous occasions during the week, the Race Officer struggled with the local tidal effects. His three boat line system had not worked well. The middle boat, from which he sought to control the race, was often ahead or behind the line. Competitors were further stressed by race spectators, who moved ever closer to the weather mark to cheer friends, before endearingly powering their Sunseekers down around the fleet to the leeward mark. Light winds and motorboat chop are not a happy mix.

Race 10 started with a general recall and a further black flag. It was a rerun of the morning. 5 mph winds, chop, spectator wash and a raft of boats and collisions as boats sought to start starboard end and tack right. Local, Ken Porter led the charge and got black flagged as did eleven other boats.12 were black flagged.

Tundra Rose took the lead from Wataru Sakamoto in Siesta and Luis Grimaldi of Argentina. Mark Hillman recovering from a morning 26th finished 4th, the local Mexican crew of Murieta and Beho, sailing GQ Mexico, took 5th.

As the dust cleared, Mike Ingham, joint 4th in the morning, had moved up to a well deserved second overall, ahead of Mark Hillman, who was sailing with a crew that included 2005 World Champion, Anthony Koutoun as tactician. Yasutaka Funazawa of Japan, sailing Cerezo, scored a 5th and a 12th to grab 4th overall and on arrival at the dock, Wataru Sakamoto discovered he had passed Ian Southworth by a single point to take 5th place. The Argentine crew of Alejo and Gonzalez then found that they had pushed previously second-placed Chris Snow into 8th, while Rossi Milev of Canada came within two points of also beating the leading USA crew. Taking 10th place was Luis Grimaldi of Argentina, who did just enough with a last race 3rd to beat Ryan Cox, USA to a place trophy.

This was a highly competitive series, sailed in predominantly light airs. 70 boats were extensively measured by internationally qualified judges over three days and the Race Committee worked hard to provide great racing. Once again the J/24 Fleet showed itself both competitive and good humoured, even on days when there were over 30 protests to be heard.

Elite corporate sponsorship from UBS Bank, the Regional Puerta Vallarit Regional Government, Globalstar, Lincoln Cars, Scappino Clothing and American Express made the 29th J/24 World Championship 'The Best Ever' and set a high bar for the Italian Fleet, hosts of the 30th World Championship at Porto Rotundo, Sardinia in 2008.

Ian Southworth comments: "What a championship: very hard racing and on the last day so many could still get second place. My congratulations to Mauricio Santa Cruz and his team, who did so well and my thanks to our sponsors, Inmarsat plc, to Henri Lloyd for the clothing that kept us cool and to technical helpers, Harken GB. We look forward to Sardinia."

Ian Southworth’s crew were: Andy McLelland, Cockpit; Max Skelley, Tactics; Chris McLaughlin, Mast and Chris Crockett, Bow. They used Ullman Sails On a Charleston Spar and an Italia J Boat hull.

Other British placings were: Bob Turner in Serco Defence, 28th and Gareth Chalmers in 33rd. Both were sailing charter boats.