Competitors in the 2007 US Offshore Championships arrived for what looked to be another soggy looking day at the US Naval Academy.

However, the rain ended just as the boats got left their slips and the sky progressively cleared as the day went on. It turned out to be a spectacular day for big boat racing on the Chesapeake Bay. PRO Wayne Bretsch and his race committee pulled off 4 windward/leeward races in west/northwesterly breeze varying between 6 and 20 knots. There were plenty of shifts which provided opportunities to for some to recover from misfortune.

John Hoag and his crew from Seattle YC dominated the first race of the day then suffered a couple of I flag penalties in later races. Robert Hobbs and his team from David Island YC nailed the right hard on the first beat in race 2 and were rewarded with a horizon job lead which they never relinquished. Bill Zartler and his Lakewood YC team called the shifts perfectly in the third race to take the bullet and Midshipman 1/C Chris Hamilton and his Navy team finally found their 44 form to wrap up the day with a first as well.

The top 4 teams are within 5 points of each other making for a showdown for the title on Sunday. Pictures from Friday and Saturday are posted online.