Long, hot, and light describes day two here in Chicago at the Chubb Junior championships. Competitors saw a fickle North-Easterly breeze die on the sail out to the race course. With temperatures in the low nineties and no sign of wind, racing was postponed for an hour and a half till a 2-6kt Easterly filled early in the afternoon, allowing the race committee to get off their four planned races. While the breeze was light, conditions improved slightly on the water with minimal chop today and oscillations inside of 20 degrees. Courses were the same as yesterday, double windward-leewards with gates at the leeward mark.

On the 420 course, Corbin and Haley Kirk of Long Beach YC continued to build onto yesterday’s lead, now holding an eleven point lead over the Midwest duo of Kaye Siemers and Hilary Kenyon of Wayzata YC. The girls are still within striking distance of the lead, sitting comfortably fourteen points ahead of third and a showing a fifth as a throwout, which should allow Kaye and Hilary to take some risks and make the final day interesting on the 420 course. Kaye attributes their consistency in these tough conditions to “keeping our heads out of the boat, and the boat flat and moving forward.” Hilary added that, “we’re having a lot of fun out there as well, and that can’t hurt either.”

On the Laser course, racing continues to get tighter with every race. E.J. O’Mara of Sarnia YC sits in first place with a seven point lead, but only six points separates second place, Cleve Hancock of Clearwater YC, and seventh place, Chicago local, Drew Shea. Drew Shea, representing Chicago Yacht Club, said, “racing continues to be tight in the top of the fleet. Those boats getting clear lanes of the start are extending out and able to play the shifts better up the first beat.” With light winds in the Laser class, rule 42, kinetics, is always a concern and the judges were patrolling. According to clinic coach, John Pearce, “the sailors were pushing the rule 42 limit all day, but only one yellow flag was issued.”

The Lightning course leader board continues to get closer as well. Nevin Snow and crew, representing San Diego YC, finished the day with a 2, 2, 1, 4 winning the day on the Lightning course. Nevin attributes his team’s success “to the change in conditions. The chop was much less of a factor today for us. We also had strong starts at the pin, which was the favored end of the line most of the day.” Despite this strong push, Nevin and his team are currently sitting in fourth, with Will Stocke of Sarasota Youth Sailing in first and Andy Gunkler of North Cape YC in second.

Look for some exciting races on the final day of competition to decide the winners in all three classes.