by Bruce Sherman
In this region’s J/24 fleet, it’s usually Keith and Harry, in that order. Then there are the rest of us. So it was no surprise that during the district championship Oct. 3 – 5, which featured Saturday racing with reported gusts up to 40 knots, Keith Whittemore was the winner and landed a slot in next year’s world championship in Annapolis. Harry Dursch finished second among the 18 competitors.
But there are times when others rise to the occasion and come close to or meet the level of these world-class sailors. Among them are Eric Sanderson, who qualified for the worlds by winning at the Columbia Gorge in August. Mike Johnson, hobbled by a previously broken foot during districts, also steps up frequently.
At this year’s districts, it was Harry Brown, a former Thistle sailor and a Minnesota native who has only been sailing his J/24 Mouse Trap for a few years. Brown and his crew survived Saturday and posted five thirds and a fourth on Sunday, coming within just six points of Dursch and beating the fourth place boat by a whopping 13 points.
The J/24 districts were held in conjunction with the annual CYC Fleet Championship Regatta. With the exception of the Js, and a few Thunderbirds and Lasers, most boats sat out on Saturday.
photo by Andrew Kerr
Mouse Trap, foreground, nails a start on Lake Washington.
The wind was so strong that residents of the hillsides overlooking Puget Sound were calling the Coast Guard to report the numerous capsizings and crashes occurring before their eyes. The Coast Guard called CYC a couple of times, to be assured that the situation was under control.
A Hobie capsized on the south course and, refusing help, reportedly floated all the way to a landing at Richmond Beach, some six miles.
After two races, when PROs Kevin Cunningham and Charlie Rathkopf wisely called it off, no serious serious injuries were reported, though physician and J/24 sailor Scott Milne stitched up a gybe-caused head cut in the clubhouse. In the J/24 fleet, numerous spinnakers were sacrificed, but all the rigs were still standing and the boats still floating (which if you know history, is no small accomplishment).
Brown himself broached once in the first race and twice in the second.
“Calling off racing was absolutely the right decision,” he said. “The wind had increased to the point where people were likely to break something or hurt themselves – that was our biggest concern. We were ready to go if they had another race, but we were greatful to be going in.”
After sixth and ninth place finishes Saturday, Sunday was Brown’s day.
“The breeze was down to what we had done well in all year – we just kept loosening the rig,” Brown said. “We did what we were coached to do by (professional coach) Andrew Kerr. It was all about finding the pressure and feeling the boat speed and doing a lot of gear changes. We were constantly trying to find the pressure on the race course.”
Crewing for Brown were Kelly Pensell, Chris Carden, Bev Multerer, Kristin Kilgore and wife Lauren Brown.
“We have a lot of fun together,” Harry Brown said. “And we just put in a new stereo.”