Motorcycle Irene Wins Express 27 Nationals

Published on October 8th, 2017

Richmond, CA (October 8, 2017) – The 2017 Express 27 Nationals and Sportboat Invitational was held October 6-8, 2017, a weekend of classic autumn racing at the Richmond Yacht Club. Twenty-eight Express 27’s participated in the National championship.

Despite a two-hour postponement on the first day of racing, the southwesterly finally arrived and delivered 10-12 knots of breeze allowing the Race Committee to get in the scheduled buoy race and the fleet’s favorite, the long distance race.

With Fleet Week in town, crews also got some visual entertainment during the delay, courtesy of the US Navy and associated aerobatic aircraft. When the dust had cleared on the day, Hood Rivers’ Erik Hauge’s Thumper had served notice taking the distance voyage in a race that featured lots of holes and oscillations.

Day 2 of racing got off on time with a 3 double lap windward leeward race, Zachary Anderson’s Motorcycle Irene showing some moxie, leading around the cans all day and racking up 3 bullets in relatively flat water and a pretty consistent 10-12 knot southwesterly and a steady current flowing to the north.

“It was pretty classic Berkeley Circle conditions” indicates Will Paxton at the helm of Motorcycle Irene “With the fleet spread out right and left with all the boats coming back pretty evenly at the top, no huge benefit on either side.”

The last day of racing offered two races on the circle with a bit of northerly attempting to reinsert itself while the southeasterly had the stage, leading to more oscillating breezes where keeping your head on a swivel paid dividends. Motorcycle Irene kept the throttle open and took a pair of seconds to the bank, extinguishing Shenanigans hopes, taking the title of Express 27 National Champion.

The Sportboat contingent of the regatta raced on the weekend only, in handicap mode. The J/70s would place 1-2-3 in Division A, with Mark Thomas’s Prime Number near perfect with 5 wins and one 2nd to claim top position. In Division B, Phil Kanegsberg won, Dale Scoggin’s 5.70 claimed 2nd in very close racing.

Event Details – Photo Gallery – Results

Source: Erik Simonson, Pressure Drop