STEVE MASEDA REPORTS FROM NORTH SAILS WEEK

The Melges Class was not only the largest One Design Class at North Sails Race Week it was also the most competitive. You do not need to take my word for it - the Regatta organizers voted it most competitive, an accolade usually reserved for the larger boats. Among the top 7 boats 2 tied for first place, at 18, a tie broken by who had the most 4th place finishes; two tied for fourth place, a tie broken by who won the last race, since they both had the same number of first place finishes, second place finishes, etc.; and two tied for sixth place. Ten points separated the first and eighth place boats, while the eighth place boat had an average score of less than 6 points per race.

As usual the conditions were ideal. Friday's late afternoon race, sailed outside the breakwater, provided 15 plus knot breezes, with the right side of the course paying dividends, if you could get there without a lot of company - not an easy feat to achieve. Hull 3, Dave Ullman, with Pease Glaser calling tactics, won by a good margin, with Argyle Campbell, Jack Franco calling tactics, hull 457, second, Charlie Ogletree with Mike Stone calling tactics, hull 159, third, and Mark Golison, with Steve Flam tactician, hull 302, fourth.

Saturday was sailed inside the breakwater in 8 to 12 knots with flat water. In Race Two the right again paid, as did going left and deep down wind, with the breeze down. The finish was close with Golison and Flam taking first, followed by hull 248, with Jay Mosher steering and Kevin Thomas calling tactics, and Ullman and Glaser a close third. Ogletree and Stone were fourth. In Race Three the wind lightened and the entire fleet worked to the right on the first beat, which made finding a good lane tough work. Campbell managed to do it, and rounded the top mark first. Again,
finding the wind lanes, and sailing deep down wind, paid dividends for Campbell and Franco who finished first, followed by Ullman and Glaser second, and Kevin McCarthy steering hull 133, with Mike Pentacu calling tactics, third, and Bob Tennant, hull 445, fourth.

Sunday the racing moved outside again. The wind was light in the first race and picked up for the second and final race. Again the right paid dividends in Race Four, and early in Race Five, but the left came in on the final beat of Race Five and paid off handsomely for those who thought, correctly, that it might. Race Four was won by Ogletree and Stone, with Mosher and Thomas second, followed by Campbell and Franco third, and Bruce Ayres, hull 480, in fourth. Race Five started in more pressure, with the right the place to be early, but as happens more frequently than Southern California sailors like to admit the wind went left late, rewarding those who chose that side on the final beat. Bruce Ayers picked this race to pop out on, and had to work very hard to maintain the lead to the finish, but he managed to finish first, followed by McCarthy and Pentacu, second, Mosher and Thomas third, and Ullman fourth. Ullman needed that fourth to tie Campbell, who had beaten him by five boats in Race Four. He also need Campbell to finish at least two places behind him, which he did, in sixth, setting up the tie for first place.

As always consistency was the name of the game. Ullman's highest finish was an eighth, and Campbell's a sixth, but unfortunately he had two of them. McCarthy, while never winning a race, also finished no higher than eighth, and was rewarded with a third place for the regatta. While both Golison and Ayres each won a race, they each also had two seventh place finishes, as well as a sixth.