Daily Reports

Day 1 – Wednesday, September 22, 2004

Hurricane Ivan left St. Petersburg Yacht Club, site of the 2004 U.S. Match Race Championship, sponsored by Rolex Watch USA, and gave way to brilliant sunshine and nasty brisk 20+ knots winds.  Eleven teams from around the country gathered to compete for the national match race title. Seven teams qualified through the local and area ladder system.  The ladder sail off system gives every sailor in the nation the opportunity to sail for a national title.  This grass roots program is part of the effort by US SAILING to grow match racing at the club level.  Four teams were invited by the USMRC committee based on their performance in other match races, and one team came by resume. 

 Racing was run by PRO Pat Siedenspinner, an International Race Officer and her crew from St. Petersburg YC.  The day saw the sailors from Bayview Yacht Club, Detroit, MI  led by Chris VanTol  in the lead and defending champion Nathan Hollerbach  tied with with Karl Ziegler and Colin Campbell.  Of note, Bill Hardesty was dinged a ½ point for wiping his bow across the toe rail of the leeward Ziegler.  But, Bill remains in the hunt to move to round 2 with a crowd at 2 1/2 wins. 

 The top eight skippers will make the cut and move to the second round robin.  Scores at the end of day 1:

 Chris Van Tol              5

Nathan Hollerbach        4

Colin Campbell             4

Karl Ziegler                   4

Robby Brown                3

Andy Lovell                   3

Bill Hardesty                 2 ½

Ross Griffith                  1

Steve Lowery                1

Brian Comfort                1

Franklin Christopher       0

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Day 1, 2, 3