PODIUM SWEEP AT THE VX ONE WINTER SERIES

Congratulations Chris Alexander and Team Counterproductive

Twenty-two VX One teams gathered at the Sarasota Sailing Squadron for the first of three Winter Series regattas. The weekend started with practice races on Friday followed by a socially-distant onshore debrief with North experts Austin Powers and Mike Marshall.

The Saturday forecast called for winds in the mid to upper 20s, but when competitors left the dock the velocity was nowhere to be found. Then, just as promised 3 minutes before the first race the wind went from a mild 7 knots to a blustery 25 knots in the span of 3 minutes. Sporty conditions made for hard work upwind, but a sleigh ride down wind with a few teams seeing 20 knots of boat speed on their instruments. The key to this race was the ability to gybe and keep the mast point towards the sky. After 1 race, the wind built even stronger prompting the race committee to postpone ashore for more favorable conditions. Unfortunately, the wind never let up ending the day with only the single race completed.

Sunday blew from the 5-9 knot range with varying conditions as dark clouds passed over the course. All credit to the RC as they were able to run seven races in five hours utilizing the 3 markset bots and just one chase boat. With shifty conditions and medium length courses, every mark rounding came with emphasis on clean boat handling and the ability to separate from the peloton and find clean air.

When all was said and done, Chris Alexander’s “Counterproductive” came away with the victory with North’s own Madeline Gill aboard. Second place was occupied by Doug Clark and Mike Marshall, with third place being “Tudo Bem” being sailed by Michelle Warner, Reed Baldrige, and Austin Powers.

North Sails powered teams finished 1,2,3,5,6,8,9,10*. Full results

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