Great Racing at Lightning NA’s

Published on August 18th, 2016

Rochester, NY (August 18, 2016) – Championship racing kicked off today for the 2016 Samson Lightning North American Championship and there was wind in Rochester. After some light air days on the water for qualifying racing, crews were all three on the rail today in a nice 10 knot breeze from the Northwest at 330. With the breeze from the Northwest this caused chop across the course. With the competitive fleets, lane management was key over the three races sailed.

Ched Proctor from Cedar Point YC sailing with his son Charlie and Meredith Killion took the first bullet of the day. The local team of Mark Sertl, his wife Cory and Christine Moloney won the second race. Qualifying winners from Chile Tito Gonzalez, his daughter Trinidad and son Alberto Jr. won the third race of the day. But it was the consistency of Todd Wake from Sheboygan and his team of wife Kristine and Neal Fowler. They sit in the lead tonight with 13.5 total points. Team Sertl is tied for second with Team Proctor.

Chileans Alejandro Perez, Rodrigo Robles and Jose Lopez showed impressive downwind speed to win the first two races in the President’s Cup Division. The Ecuadorian Team of Jonathan Martinetti, Francisco Almeida and Juan Rafael Santos is tied with Team Perez for first with 8 total points. Rochester local, John Newell sailing with Owen MacDonald and Ava Esquier won the third race of the day and sit 1 point behind Perez and Martinetti.

Junior North American Champion, Doug Wake from Sheboygan, WI sailing with Meredith Ryan and Katie Braungart won the first two races of the Governor’s Cup Division and are leading with 5 points. Local Philip Lange sailing with daughter Alexandra Lange and Allister Thompson posted a 2, 6, 5 and sit in second with 13 points. Stu Nickerson from Maine sailing with Kip Hamblet and Elizabeth Elliott Whitener are tied for third with Gerry Paoli from Carlyle, IL sailing with Bryan Burke and Ian Moriarty.