James Rathbun Extends Lead at J/105 North American Championship

Annapolis, MD (November 1, 2013) – James Rathbun’s Hey Jude won both of Friday’s races at the J/105 North American Championship to open up a 10-point lead on day two of the event. Rathbun, of Toronto, now has three consecutive bullets, succeeding a sixth and third in the initial races on Thursday, for 12 points. With a pair of fourth-place finishes today, Cedric Lewis’ Mirage moved into second overall with 22 points. The next two boats are tied at 24: Ken Colburn’s Ghost and Stephen Phillips’ Le Renard. The championship is hosted by the Annapolis Yacht Club in Maryland.

Teams were postponed onshore until noon, waiting for a line of storms to pass through the area. Once they did, the fleet was sent out for two races. The first was started in about 5 knots of breeze that died quickly as the boats went up the first beat. When the wind filled in, it shifted left and settled in at 6-8 knots for the rest of the day. Following Hey Jude in Friday’s opening battle were Chuck Lawrence’s Froya and Damian Emery’s Eclipse. In the second contest behind Rathbun came Hugh Bethell’s Jester and Phillips.

Racing continues through Sunday for the 27 teams from Bermuda, Canada and the USA. Photos are available on the J/105 Facebook page, and complete results may be found at www.j105nac.com.

Report by Christopher Howell