Posted by: j70nac September 24th, 2015

Day One of the 2015 Green Flash J/70 North American Championship is officially in the books with three races completed.

Coronado Roads gave a fickle start to the day, forcing Race Committee to postpone the starting sequence and reset the course to adjust for significant changes in wind direction. With only 5.5 kts of wind blowing, finding the perfect pocket on the starting line was more crucial than ever. The most prime real estate on the line was on the starboard side, which wind direction and the occasional puffs both seemed to favor. A bit eager to get the regatta going, the first attempt ended in a general recall. After a second try, the fleet was finally off.

At the upwind weather mark, it was Africa, skippered by Jud Smith, that led the fleet, followed closely by Zounds (Doug Strebel), Helly Hansen (Tim Healy), Midlife Crisis (Bruce Golison) and 3 Ball JT (Jack Franco). For this first day of racing, this weather mark proved to be a strong indicator of the fleet's top competition.

By the second leg of Race 2, Tim Healy and his crew took over as fleet leader and led Zounds (Strebel), Africa (Smith) and Midlife Crisis (Golison) around the remainder of the course and across the finish line.

Winds began to fill in for the second race of the day, with speeds ranging from 7-9kts across the course. The stronger winds were just the push that Strebel and his team needed to secure the bullet. The were followed closely by Savasana (Brian Keane) in 2nd, Catapult (Joel Ronning) in 3rd, Sugoi (Chris Raab) in 4th and Africa (Jud Smith) in 5th. Previous race winner Tim Healy finished in 13th, proving that with this competitive fleet, consecutive race wins will be no easy feat.

Ultimately, it was Doug Strebel who would finish the day as the regatta leader, with a fourth place finish in Race 3 securing his spot as the top overall boat. Strebel holds a ten-point lead over second place overall finisher Jud Smith, who finished Race 3 in 9th place. The winner of Race 3 was Will Welles, a new name for the top of the fleet after finishing the first two races in 22nd and 25th, respectively.

With three different winners in as many races, the J/70 North American Championship is still anyone's to take. Racing continues tomorrow with the first warning scheduled for 11:30am.

For more information, skipper's lists and regatta documents visit the 2015 J/70 North American Championship website. To set up an interview, obtain photographs or coordinate any media coverage, please contact Katelyn Montero, Communications Coordinator.