Lead narrows at Viper 640 North Americans

Darien, CT (October 8, 2021) – After three more races on Day 2 of the 2021 Viper 640 North American Championship, two teams have emerged at the top of the leaderboard with a bit more separation in the top cluster.

Similar to yesterday, a two-hour shore postponement due to lack of wind, with the fleet sent out at about noon to find a 6-knot easterly that eventually filled to around 10 knots. This shifty easterly, with the start of a long fetch down Long Island Sound, created some challenging conditions when the strong, ebbing current was added to the mix. That said, given the boat speed advantage today vs. the lighter air Day 1, there weren’t the tide-induced mark snagging incidents.

With the throwout now kicking in after six races, Mark Zagol sailing with Tim Desmond and Drew Buttner posted a 6-2-3 to take over the lead as Jay Rhame, and Peter and Rachel Beardsley, now in second, threw out their first score in a 10-8-1 day. Zagol stands atop with 14 points to Rhame/Beardsley2 with 17 points.

“Our goal today was not to sail a ‘throwout’ race,” said Zagol. “We knew it was going to be a dicey day once the current began ebbing against the wind. For the starts, we did all mid-line starts just to stay clear of the pack at the favored end, allowing us to get onto the racecourse cleanly and sail our own race.

“We had a pinch mode that allowed us the holy grail of height and speed. That made it much easier. As the day progressed, and the velocity increased, we consistently increased our shroud tension to depower the boat but still leaving enough fullness in the rig to let us drive through the chop.

“Looking at tomorrow, the regatta will start over as we have another seven races ahead of us. We’re looking to see how we stack-up in the breeze that is forecast to start tonight. And, of course, we’re looking forward to the down winds.”

Breezes in the mid-teens are forecast tomorrow. Three to four races per day for a total of 12-16 races are scheduled on October 7-10.

Race details – Results – Facebook

Day Two Results (Top 10 of 37; 6 races, 1 discard)
1. Mark Zagol / Tim Desmond / Drew Buttner , USA – 4 -4 -1 -[6] -2 -3 ; 14
2. Jay Rhame / Peter Beardsley / Rachel Beardsley , USA – 1 -5 -2 -[10] -8 -1 ; 17
3. Cardwell Potts Ted Ferrarone / Meredith Killion / Jennifer Potts , USA – 6 -1 -4 -[16] -1 -11 ; 23
4. Bill Vickers / Jim Lodico / Tim Williams , USA – 7 -3 -3 -8 -10 -[16] ; 31
5. Lee Shuckerow / Brad Boston / Eric Vigrass , CAN – 9 -2 -9 -[14] -3 -9 ; 32
6. Max Albert / Andrew Brennan / Matthew Dupuy / Noah Jones , USA – 12 -8 -5 -1 -[14] -7 ; 33
7. Steve Chapman , CAN – 13 -7 -14 -3 -[19] -2 ; 39
8. Marek Zaleski / Chris Zaleski / Jake Bradt , USA – [20] -10 -11 -5 -6 -8 ; 40
9. Patrick Ryan / Norman Vallette / Mason Ryan , USA – 10 -11 -[13] -7 -7 -6 ; 41
10. Mary Ewenson / Austin Powers / Carl Smit , USA – 5 -[26] -8 -11 -5 -13 ; 42

Source: Buttons Padin