Day 3 Final Recap: Lehman 12 Class National Champs Win Jack Brown Trophy
Sunday, October 11
US Sailing’s 2020 Championship of Champions came to a close on Sunday following three days of challenging and exciting racing on Newport Harbor. Local sailors Jake La Dow (Huntington Beach, California) and Alex Curtiss (Newport Beach, California) took first place honors against a talented and accomplished fleet of class champions. La Dow and Curtiss won by a 44-point margin. They won six races and placed in the top four in 17 of the 21 races.
La Dow earned his way to compete at this US Sailing National Championship by winning the 2019 Barney Lehman 12 Class National Championship, hosted by the Newport Harbor Yacht Club.
One design class National and North American Champions raced for the prestigious Jack Brown Trophy at the 46th Annual Championship of Champions, hosted by the Balboa Yacht Club in Corona del Mar, California.
The Championship of Champions is one of the more unique regattas in the world. Champion sailors from a wide array of one design classes fleet race against each other in a boat that is often unknown to many and is typically held on a body of water with challenging conditions.
La Dow discussed the three days of racing against class champions this week in Newport Beach. “Everyone who is here knows how to win,” said La Dow. “That’s what’s cool about this kind of event. Sailing against all these legends is incredible. It’s great to make the Lehman 12 class proud.”
“All the competitors felt comfortable being here and racing at this championship,” added La Dow. “The Balboa Yacht Club, Organizing Authority, and all the competitors did a great job of social distancing, staying outside, and being safe.”
“Jake and I were college roommates and teammates at St. Mary’s College of Maryland,” said Curtiss. “We’ve been sailing together for about eight years, and that includes match racing, J70s, Etchells, you name it.”
Press Officer Report: Peter Bretschger, Balboa Yacht Club –
Jake La Dow of Newport Beach, California won US Sailing’s Championship of Champions with an outstanding final day of racing going 1,1,2,2,2, to close out the series.
La Dow with crew Alex Curtiss were almost flawless over the three days. Placing in second was Chris Raab (Sunset Beach, California), La Dow’s father-in-law. With Bill Menninger (Newport Beach, California) taking third, it was a clean sweep for Newport Harbor Yacht Club sailors all of whom were very familiar with the Harbor 20 class and the racing venue.
The final day of racing was in near perfect conditions with 8-9 knots of wind and comfortable sailing conditions. All of the competitors were very pleased with the host Balboa Yacht Club’s extraordinary efforts to keep the boats sanitized at each boat rotation and the social distancing and protocols during the four days of the regatta. Event Chair Walter Johnson had been looking forward to hosting the event and organized an experienced Race Committee as well as a seasoned regatta of volunteers to make it a safe and memorable four days.
Social Media Updates –
For additional information about this Championship, visit the event website.
The 2020 Championship of Champions is nationally sponsored by Hobie Polarized.
Media Contacts:
BYC Press Officer: Peter Bretschger, peter@imwagency.com
US Sailing Communications: Jake Fish, jakefish@ussailing.org
Day 2 Recap
Saturday, October 10
-Report provided by BYC Press Officer, Peter Bretschger
Day two of racing started almost 40 minutes late as the winds were slow to fill in. But once it did, there were seven great races in 6-8 knots of shifty winds.
Jake La Dow from Newport Harbor Yacht Club (NHYC) maintained his lead over Chris Rabb and Bill Menninger both also from NHYC. While La Dow increased his point lead over 2nd place, less than 10 points separated the next 4 boats. That close spread will focus the spectator fleet on the leading boats in the final four races tomorrow.
The racing started in a fairly wide open Newport Harbor, but as the day went on the racers had to pick their way through a number of large power boats anchored in an area which included the windward mark which was also located within 50 yards of Lido Isle, All of this made for tight quarter racing. In one of the final races an errant rental boat added to the excitement by the windward mark and there will be a hearing in the morning over Race 14 and the impact this party boat had on the standings.
On a personal note, it is getting personal as the leader Jake La Dow just got married last Saturday to current 2nd place skipper Chris Rabb’s daughter.
Winds as expected to be fluky tomorrow and we expect more boats to be anchored in the harbor area as the heat builds and a bit of a political rally may appear on the water by the race venue.
Day 1 Recap
Friday, October 9
-Report provided by BYC Press Officer, Peter Bretschger
The opening rounds of racing for US Sailing’s Championship of Champions started today in Harbor 20’s within Newport Beach Harbor hosted by Balboa Yacht Club.
The winds started out light (4-6 knots) for the first two races. Many of the participants sorted out the nuances for racing these local boats. All in all there were 8 races today with the crews rotating boats every three races, with a crew of BYC volunteers spraying down the boat in between rotations.
By the late afternoon the wind built to 7-8 knots the racing became much tighter as all of the teams quickly learn the tricks of racing the boat and how the winds swirl around Newport Harbor’s Islands.
Jake La Dow from Newport Harbor Yacht Club started strong with two firsts and then stayed in the top three for several more races to open a 16 point lead over fellow NHYC Member Bill Menninger. Menninger who qualified by winning the Harbor 20 Fleet was closely followed by Douglas Wake out of Sheboygan Yacht Club, who is representing the Lightning Fleet.
In the first two races the field was extremely spread out by the first windward mark. But by race 6, the fleet was tightly packed at every rounding.
PRO Mark Townsend did an outstanding job of keeping up with the shifting winds setting four different courses throughout the day.
“It’s an outstanding field of one-design racers and they are as excited to be racing as they are excited to meet and compete again so many other talent racers from around the country.”
Photo by Tom Walker
Preview
A talented list of current one-design class National and North American Champions will race for the prestigious Jack Brown Trophy at the 46th Annual Championship of Champions, hosted by the Balboa Yacht Club in Corona del Mar, California. This three-day US Sailing National Championship gets underway this Friday, October 9 and concludes on Sunday, October 11.
The Championship of Champions is one of the more unique regattas in the world. Champion sailors from a wide array of one design classes fleet race against each other in a boat that is often unknown to many and is typically held on a body of water with challenging conditions.
The 2020 edition of this US Sailing National Championship is even more unique. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, all US Sailing National Championships for adult and youth have been either postponed to 2021 or cancelled, with the exception of the Championship of Champions.
The Balboa Yacht Club has hosted several US Sailing National Championships in the past and indicated that they were interested in hosting the Championship of Champions for quite some time. They are confident in their processes and procedures for hosting this event while carefully following all safety protocols and recommendations. The Balboa Yacht Club leadership has been very proactive in ensuring safe and successful summer and fall seasons of racing and club events.
All Balboa Yacht Club facilities are cleaned and sanitized on a regular basis in accordance with or exceeding the State and County regulations. The club features two large open decks on its main floor and a large flag deck near the water for acceptable seating/dining for over 160 people.
All areas have hand sanitizer stations and wipe downs happen on a regular schedule. There is a large indoor area that has a state-of-the-art air purification system just recently installed. Restrooms also have special ultraviolet lights for added protection. All staff and club members regularly wear masks.
The property has been well marked with signs for appropriate distancing wherever lines form or people may congregate. Outdoor tents provide shade and open spaces for small group conversations and meetings.
“This is a great opportunity to bring together the best of the one design sailors and demonstrate the wonderful Harbor 20s here in Newport Beach,” said Peter Bretschger, Staff Commodore of the Balboa Yacht Club. “We all look forward to seeing how these very accomplished sailors adapt to the Harbor 20s. While they are easy to sail, they are very hard to optimize for speed and handling characteristics.”
Nineteen doublehanded teams will be racing in Newport Harbor this week in the Harbor 20, a classic modern daysailer which is ideal for both competitive racing and comfortable cruising. Teams will fleet race in a round robin format. According to the Harbor 20 Class Association, the boat’s torpedo-like bulb keel keeps the weight low in the water. This keel design gives the boat plenty of stability in heavy winds without slowing the boat down in light air with excessive weight. The Harbor 20’s excellent performance makes it a natural club racer.
“US Sailing is thrilled to see such a talented and robust field of sailors raring to go racing in this year’s Championship of Champions,” said Betsy Alison, US Sailing Adult Director. “Balboa Yacht Club’s commitment to the safety of everyone involved in this event from sailors, to officials, to volunteers and club members has allowed us to move forward with this incredible event. I can’t wait to see the outcomes from racing each day and ultimately, who will claim the title!”
Every year, US Sailing invites an accomplished guest competitor to the Championship of Champions. This year’s guest competitors are Sally Honey (Palo Alto, Calif.) and Stan Honey (Palo Alto, Calif.). The married couple has collected three Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year awards between them over their storied careers. Sally won the Yachtswoman of the Year in 1974 and 1973 and Stan earned the Yachtsman of the Year distinction in 2010.
“We were excited to accept the invitation because it sounded like something we wanted to support and we are especially looking forward to seeing old friends,” said Sally Honey about their participation at this championship.
Sally’s competitive sailing career features an array of top results at major one design national and international events, including a 505 North American Championship where she defeated a fleet of mostly male skippers on her way to a first-place finish. Stan is one of the best navigators in the world and has set numerous sailing speed records in various sailboats around the globe.
Augie Diaz (Miami, Fla.) will also be skippering this week after qualifying for this event by winning the 2019 Star North American Championship. He will be sailing with crew, Charlie Bess (Miami, Fla.). Diaz also won a Rolex Yachtsman of the Year award in 2003.
The 2019 505 World Champion Mike Martin (Mill Valley, Calif.) will be ready to compete this week in the Harbor 20 with his wife and crew Stephanie Martin (Mill Valley, Calif.). He earned the 2019 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year award for the victory at 505 Worlds.
Ten years ago, Chris Raab (Sunset Beach, Calif.) and Robert Kinney (Newport Beach, Calif.) captured this title raced in the Ideal 18. They have returned to take another shot at this unique championship after Raab won the 2020 Mercury Class National Championship in August. List of Competitors.
For results, standings, photos, recap updates, and more information from the 2020 Championship of Champions, please check back for news coverage and content through the weekend. Follow @USSailing on Instagram for updates from Corona del Mar!
For additional information about this Championship, visit the event website.
The 2020 Championship of Champions is nationally sponsored by Hobie Polarized.
Media Contacts:
BYC Press Officer: Peter Bretschger, peter@imwagency.com
US Sailing Communications: Jake Fish, jakefish@ussailing.org
About US Sailing
The United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), the national governing body for sailing, provides leadership, integrity, and advancement for the sport in the United States. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Bristol, Rhode Island, US Sailing is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. US Sailing offers training and education programs for instructors and race officials, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, issues offshore rating certificates, and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country, including National Championships and the US Sailing Team. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org.