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Forum Index: DISCUSSION: Event Reports: 2009 Beneteau First 36.7 North American Championship

The Publisher ***** Sep 2, 2009, 11:56 AM Post #1 of 2 (2808 views) Shortcut 2009 Beneteau First 36.7 North American Championship Log-In to Post/Reply Perfect Conditions Close Out a Perfect Week at the Beneteau 36.7 North Amrican Championship DETROIT, MI (September 1, 2009) - Most of the 28 competing boats at the 2009 Beneteau First 36.7 North American Championship have been returned to cruising form, but memories from the hotly contested championship continue to fire up the nearly 300 sailors that attended Bayview Yacht Club for last weekend's hot action. "I don't think we could ever have predicted the great wind we saw for most of the Championship," said Event Chairman Luiz Kahl. "Bayview is one of the best clubs in the world, but it's a rare August event that sees 12 races over four days with 15-20 knots for most of them. One of the few times when the familiar statement 'It's not normally like this' is a great thing to say!" While the opening day of the event saw typically light summer winds on Michigan's Lake St. Clair, a cold front's arrival on Friday brought stiffer conditions to the fleet for the remainder of the event. Longtime Detroit sailor Phil O'Neil III owns fourth place competitor "Natalie J", and was pleasantly surprised by the weather: "With cold temperatures and over 20 knots of wind on both Friday and Saturday and plenty of breeze on Sunday, you'd think it was October - not a bad thing when it means great racing," said O'Neil. International Battle Ends With Canadian Victory Since the design's North American introduction, the Beneteau 36.7 has seen its strongest fleet growth on the Great Lakes, quickly becoming a huge favorite with both Canadian and US-based sailors and creating a great international showdown between teams from both countries. While the level of competition within the fleet continues to grow every year, the top three boats in Detroit were identical to 2007's leader board - with Port Credit, Ontario's Richard Reid and "Zingara" once again claiming the North American Championship in dominating fashion. With the help of tactician and international champion Geoff Moore, Reid won five of the twelve races, clinching the title with a race to spare. "We were really comfortable coming into this one," said Reid. "We decided to try to relax more than last year, and the heavy air helped - those are the conditions that our crew really enjoys." Reid credits his speed to his crew's ability to stay cool in a big fleet as well as his cross training as the owner of a high-performance Melges 24 sportboat. "We've been able to get a lot of practice racing with the Melges, and this summer I sailed a match racing clinic with Andy Horton that I think really helped with the starts." Hailing from Sarnia, Ontario, skipper Claudio Martin sailed "Critical" to a strong third place despite late challenges from "Natalie J" and Youngstown, NY's "Type A." Martin's tactician was two-time Olympian Brad Boston, who continues to be impressed with the boat and competition. "It's great to see Claudio sail at such a high level in such demanding conditions, especially when the cockpit was covered with full cruising canvas and sported a barbecue just a week ago," Boston said with a chuckle. Martin and family spent more than a week cruising Lake Huron's North Channel in August, and according to Boston, "that's what is so great about this boat - you can have showers, hot meals, and total comfort one day, then top-drawer One-Design racing the next. There are a lot of people who don't want to own two boats - the 36.7 is just about perfect for them." When asked about the Canadian talent in the fleet, Boston said, "It's not about any cross border rivalry at all" - though his smile said otherwise. Fleet Maintains Strength During Hard Economic Times With 28 boats at this year's North American Championship, the Beneteau 36.7 continues its position as one of North America's strongest big boat classes. As Kahl explains, "in tough times, value becomes more important, and the 36.7 is a spectacular value. For half the cost of competing cruiser-racers designs, the boat provides a great cruising platform and the kind of competitive One-Design racing we saw this week at Bayview in numerous regions around the country. Another factor in the boat's success is the strong family-friendly nature of the fleet, even at the most competitive events. "Strength isn't important at most positions aboard," said O'Neil. "That allows me to sail with both my father and son, and cruise with my wife." "Natalie J" was one of three competing boats with three immediate family members aboard, a fact acknowledged to big applause at the closing ceremony. Kahl summed up the emotion of the event best. "Whatever peoples' motivation for competing, whether they had World Champions aboard or their family, the entire fleet had a spectacular time. The weather cooperated, Bayview was as welcoming as ever and provided great dinner parties each night, and the competition was as good as any big boat fleet in North America. We can't wait until next year in Annapolis!" For a full gallery of photos, go to (more photo links to come): Meredith Block: www.printroom.com/GHome_main.asp?domain_name=blocksail Charlie Scott: www.seascottphotography.com Kattack (race tracking): www.kattack.com Video: www.weyachtyoucovered.com

The Publisher ***** Sep 2, 2009, 11:58 AM Post #2 of 2 (2807 views) Shortcut Re: [The Publisher] 2009 Beneteau First 36.7 North American Championship [In reply to] Log-In to Post/Reply By Don Finkle, RCR Yachts: This was the eighth NAC for the 36.7 class and I've been lucky enough to compete in every one, six times as skipper and twice as crew. The event has grown into a first-class competition with superb off-water support, organization, and activities. Yacht Scoring on-line software managed the event, giving immediate results and making it much easier for owners to sign up, pay and manage their required forms. People were watching on line and already had the daily results before I called home each day. Luiz Kahl, owner of Yacht Scoring, was the Event Chair, and was always there to assist as needed. The PRO, Dick Neville of the Storm Trysail Club in Annapolis, ran great races, maximizing the time on the water and still getting everyone back to the dock for food/drink. We especially liked the final day, when Dick got off three good races and the last one finished upwind. Sadly he was victimized by some mistakes made by RC volunteers that resulted in redress being given as a result of incorrect signals on the pin boat. This hiccup was overshadowed by an otherwise excellent overall job turned in by the RC. 12 races over four days was a true test and in the end the best boats gravitated to the top. Richard Reid and his crew aboard "Zingara" won in convincing fashion, repeating as champs (they won before in 2007 in Buffalo). I hope we have finally broken people of the habit of referring to this event as "The Nationals", as Richard is from Toronto, and the third place boat "Critical", is from Sarnia, Ontario. "Critical" was third in 2007 as well, and its skipper Claudio Martin is a super guy. The Corinthian award (no pros on board) was won by "First Today", skippered by Gary Tisdale of the Youngstown YC. Guess who was second in 2007 as well? Two-thirds of the fleet had a pro on board and in my mind that makes it more fun. Sure it is much harder to win, but it is kind of cool to have people like Bora Gulari, who just won the Moth Worlds, crewing on the boat next to you. After racing Bora would take his Moth Foiler out and put on a show in the river in front of the club. If you've never seen a modern Moth you are in for a treat, they lift up on the water on hydroil daggerboard and rudder and attain ridiculous speeds. Like watching an iceboat, downwind they are sheeted in. As for the racing itself, there was ample position-changing from race to race and day to day. It was not easy to find a clear lane unless you got out front early. These boats get to the laylines very quickly when the breeze is at 15 knots, and the weather mark was often crowded. We got caught up a few times overstanding on the port layline, pushed a bit by the current too, and ended up with some MAJOR ducks to avoid the starboard tackers. A quick way to lose 6-7 places! We usually adjust the rig before every race, and with the wind up and down we had to guess what it was going to do. We found that our old tuning numbers are no longer valid, we were too tight on the rig in several races and slow as a result. The class has evolved, as have the sails, and we feel the rig needs to be looser than before. Once we figured that out we were fast again…not always smart enough, but at least better on speed. Looking back on the event I was reminded of something Chris Doyle told me last year. I asked him what he had learned in recent years while moving up to the top of the J/22 class. He thought a moment and said "I learned to be more patient". A few times during this regatta we got a bit jumpy and would have been better off staying the course. Chris is correct. I understand that SA has a thread running that is critical of the Class, but I very seldom read SA and I haven't had time to read it this time either. That is not surprising, their posters often have been negative in the past. It seems criticism comes easier to a lot of people than praise does. Often the people doing the complaining are not owners, aren't really part of the class, and want us to be something we aren't. I can say that the 36.7 class is doing very well, I've attended 7 regattas where we sailed OD so far this year and at each one there were a lot more happy people than grumblers. Next year we'll go to Annapolis for the 2010 NAC. Pictures from Meredith Block: www.printroom.com/ViewGallery.asp?userid=blocksail&gallery_id=1728510 Interview with NA Champion Richard Reid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0iTYkXWBjE

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