Chris Carroll from Cleveland Yachting Club won the J/22 Eastern Great Lakes Championship hosted by Fleet 73 and The Buffalo (NY) Yacht Club from July 21-22. The 52-boat fleet sailed five races in very challenging conditions.
Saturday started with a postponement on land as the high pressure area over the Great Lakes produced a beautiful blue sky with little wind. The fleet was sent out about 10:00 a.m. and managed to complete two races on a day that saw a 140-degree wind shift from start to finish.
Carroll, sailing with Skip Dieball and Jamie Malm, summarized, “Staying consistent in light shifty conditions is always a challenge. Our goal in Buffalo was not to get stuck on the right side of the course for fear of the breeze dying.”
Sunday started the same with blue skies and a bit warmer temperatures, but no wind. The PRO postponed on land, and the fleet took the time to recover from the food coma that was induced the night before by an endless raw bar and a huge dinner of grilled chicken and pork. The wind filled in by 11:00 a.m., and the fleet completed three races to make five total.
One noteworthy observation is that, of the top four boats, none won an individual race. The key, in these shifty conditions, seemed to be to stay consistent in the top group and don’t get yourself too committed to one side or the other.
Cory Sertl finished second with 34 points. Cory’s performance was very impressive based on her limited experience in the J/22. She was using this regatta as a warm-up for the J/22 North American Championship in Cleveland (September 19-22) and the Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship in Houston (November 12-17) sailed on the J/22.
“All weather conditions considered, Buffalo Yacht Club did an outstanding job in running five challenging races,” Carroll concluded. “The raw bar was outstanding. We look forward to more fun next year!”
Keven Doyle finished third with 37 points. For complete results, visit www.j22buffalo.com.
