S20 Nationals: Day 2 (an Australian hairdresser’s nightmare)

SANTANARAMA 2008: Day 2 Report by Snapper via Sailing Anarchy.

With the prospect of a light air day the R/C postponed racing until early afternoon and sent the fleet out around 1230. Once again the conditions were trying with breeze on both sides of the course and lots of holes to deal with. This event has certainly been one of the most challenging Class Championships I can remember and the high scores can attest to that.
Going into today, yesterday’s leader Paul Stephens, was comfortably in the lead by six points over Jim Martinez’s ‘Loose Nuts’ team with last year’s runner up Eric Kownacki in third five points back and trying to recover from a deep place (15th) in the first race. Britt Williams from OKC was in fourth place, seven points behind adrift of third. Britt has truly been on of the stalwarts of the class and has hooked up his boat ‘Fayest’ and driven to many of the West Coast events. His enthusiasm and Corinthian spirit is one of the reasons the class has remained active outside of the West Coast and everyone appreciates his commitment to the class and to Oklahoma sailing in general.

So, race one today was another mixed bag with big shifts and picking the correct leeward gate for the next round of pressure. Kownacki and crew sailed a textbook race and worked their way through the fleet to score an important bullet. Bruce Golison and crew Andrew Kerr and Blair Wallace finally got going with a second and Gordon Mattatal, after leading most of the race took third. Gordon’s boat is one of those classic Santana 20’s that looks like an Australian hairdresser’s nightmare – yellow with brown stripes!

After a short delay race two got underway in a nice Southwesterly and once again the fleet split on the beat. The shifts were big and frequent and if you weren’t on top of them you were toast. Local yokel and overall good guy, Niccoli Lenn picked his way though to score a well earned bullet. Paul Stephens rolled on the run and took second with Golison in third. Once again the points were getting interesting.
One thing to note in race two was the performance of the team from Valle de Bravo Mexico, Jorge Murrieta and crew sailing S-20 hull #1 (not carbon fiber, carbon dated), sailed a great first two legs then took the left gate and headed West. They hit the far right side and came rolling back to round second ending up seventh after the run. Jorge was sailing an old boat with old sails and made it work.

Your scribe, Snapper, was not pleased after the first two races having been in contention only to get shot out the back like a melon seed. I tracked down my friend Shannon Clune who is skippering ‘The Reverand Big Bad Bob’ and seeking salvation and benevolence from the good reverend I asked for deliverance and a consignment of beer or ‘thought cylinders’ to get me through race three.
Apparently this worked as after a battle with Bay Area Express 27 sailor Jason Crowson, we finally took a first in race three with Crowson in second followed by Golison. Golly put together a solid 2,3,3 day but is reeling from a 17th and 33rd on day one.

Going into tomorrow we have the Loose Nuts team in first with 37 points - they have quietly been consistent and sailed a really good series. Kownacki is two points behind and Stephens is now twelve points adrift in third. It has been an epic event and knowing that the overall winner will end up having a score approaching forty points shows how competitive it was. The event management has been top shelf and the race committee has been fantastic.

Only one race is scheduled for tomorrow and based on what we have seen thus far anything can happen! -Snap

With stronger winds for day 2, we had better results -- all single digit finishes (3, 6, 6). That puts us in a tie for 5th with Sea Bear. We've got one more race to seal our final position.