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US SAILING Championship for the Alter Cup   --  Day Four

Local Sailor Posts an Upset Victory at the Alter Cup
(as posted by Roger Jenkins on CatSailor forum)

Alter Cup Final Results:
1.) Keith Christensen/Shala Youngerman, Long Beach, CA.
2.) Robbie Daniel/Glen Ross, Clearwater, FL.
3.) Enrique Figueroa/Pedro Colon, San Juan, Puerto Rico
4.) Brian Lambert/John Bishop, Fort Walton Beach, FL.
5.) Larry Harteck/Roger Jenkins, Santa Barbara, CA.

(Long Beach, CA) The talk of the Alter Cup was how Larry Harteck and Roger Jenkins claimed 4 straight bullets, the most of any team in the event, and still did not win. At the awards banquet, Event Chairman Steve Leo announced that "if the wind had blown all week, you guys would be in deep Cacca". Hobie Hero Jeff Alter said, "I have never seen two fat guys go so fast." Well, the problem was the team only had one gear, high. Harteck won the first race of the finals with little problem. In the next race it was "Team Chubb" again smoking to weather, but this time after leading two-thirds of the race the wind dropped from 16 knots to 7 knots. The fleet started knocking on the door with Robbie Daniel overtaking and winning the last race of the regatta.
        The big picture, of course, was the duel between Keith Christensen/Shala Youngerman of Long Beach and Enrique Figueroa/Pedro Colon of Puerto Rico. Going into the final day of competition the Tornado Olympians trailed Hobie 16 Champ Keith Christensen by two points. Los Dos Streak'n Ricans took a second in race one of the finals with Local Christensen/Youngerman taking third. This set the stage for the final race. It would be who beat whom to take it all. Enrique got a bad start, but managed to work his way to Christensen's hip. Christensen, who was also back, just kept taking nips at the fleet slowly working his way up. Then when the wind dipped a bit Christensen came on hard. Christensen and Youngerman managed to move into second placing well ahead of Figueroa. Figueroa by that time needed to try something else to pull it out. That something else did not work and cost him second overall as well in the standings. Robbie Daniel moved into the bridesmaid position for the second time in a row for the Alter Cup.
        Christensen's acceptance speech thanked his crew Shala Youngerman, giving her credit for doing all the work. And in his typical understated way said, "we had a good regatta." The truth of the matter is this was a major upset against a very powerful fleet of the best catamaran sailors in the country, sailors who are very familiar with this boat or at least similar boats. Christensen had been on a Hobie 20 once for a couple hours before the event. The new Alter Cup Champion has hardly ever been off of a Hobie 16. Congratulations on a superb job by Keith and Shala.
        A big thanks goes to the host club Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, PRO Paul Ulibarri and the team he had working for him, beach captain Matt Miller, sponsor Rolex, Bill Jolley and his foundation for all of their support, Hobie Cat for providing 10 new Hobie 20 Miracles for the racers to enjoy, and especially the hard work of Steve Leo and his committee for putting on a great event.
        Rumor has it that two yacht clubs from Florida have put in requests to host the Cup for next year. Also there is a strong possibility that the event will be held on a spinnaker cat next year.