Benz Faget Tops Fleet at J/22 Midwinter Championship

New Orleans, LA (February 16, 2014) – Benz Faget utilized his home-field advantage to dominate the 25-boat fleet at the J/22 Midwinter Championship.

Hosted by the Southern Yacht Club in New Orleans, LA, Faget helmed Fats to all top-four finishes in the nine-race series (after dropping an eight in race five). With crew Devon Sweeney (cockpit) and Randall Richmond (bow), the local team tallied just 22 points. Chris Doyle’s The Jug 4 1 of Youngstown, NY captured the silver position with 34 points. And local Zak Fanberg’s Wild Tchoupitoulas closed out the top three with 45 points.

“These guys are a good team together,” Faget said, crediting his crew for their success. “And there’s nothing like sailing in your own backyard.” He also attributed their consistent performance to more time on the boat, including last year’s J/22 World Championship in Newport, RI.

Conditions on Lake Pontchartrain on Sunday featured light breezes, between 5-6 knots. The local competitors ruled the day, as David Loeb’s La Jolie Vie took victory in Sunday’s first race. Richard Heausler’s Fast Company was second, and Faget third. Chip Carpenter’s Wizard snagged the win in the next contest, trailed by Faget and Dwight Leblanc’s dliii. Faget closed out the championship with a bullet, as Dale Currie’s Supper Club and Fanberg followed.

The top 5: Benz Faget (22 points), Chris Doyle (34), Zak Fanberg (45), Kevin Doyle (49), Terry Flynn (50).

Winning team

Event website – Results

Photos: J/22 Class Facebook page
Photos: New Orleans Sailing

Christopher E. Howell reporting