Team Rascal Prevails at 50th Shields Nationals

The 2014 Shields U.S. National Championship returned to the Larchmont Yacht Club in Larchmont, New York where the class was born 50 years ago. The venerable design boasts strong fleets across the country and all of these were well represented at the 2014 Nationals on September 11-13.

The 33-strong boat fleet faced a mixed bag of conditions with solid breeze on the first and third days bookending light and unstable winds on day two.

After two days, Team Rascal (Com Crocker, Kurt and Maura Weisenfluh, Matt Tym and Chad Corning) had the clubhouse lead with two races remaining on the final day. Past national champs John Burnham and Reed Baer and their team aboard Grace narrowed the margin in the first race of the day, finishing 2nd to Rascal’s 5th to set up a winner take all final stanza. After nailing a pin end start, Rascal was able to carefully cover Grace for the last race of the series to take the title.

Winners of the last two Nationals, Tim Dawson and Tom Hirsh’s Aeolus won 4 of the 7 races but struggled in the light conditions on day two and had to settle for third overall. Complete results.