Mission Bay Yacht Club based in San Diego, hosted a successful US Championship, mainly put together by Pam and John Walton, club members and Soling lovers.

11 teams, 9 from the US, one Canadian and another one mixed showed up on Friday 27 to face the first three races of 8 scheduled at the Pacific Ocean, the West coast sailors used to the conditions of a really nice wind 12 knots reaching occasionally 18 knots at the gust and an incredible swell showed the visitors how it is done. This left the overall score with a local MBYC member leader USA 791 with Mark Baker, Cole Baker and Jordi Heguilor who had achieved a bullet, a second and a third. They were followed close by another local Sailor but this representing So Cal USA 797 with Andrew Folz, Nina Folz and Andrew Keller they started strong with a second and a third falling a bit with a 6th on the third race. Friday had three-time World Champion CAN 225 Peter Hall from the RStLYC sailing a local boat with David Snodgrass and Steve Lacey start slow with a 6th but then achieve two bullets leaving them in third overall. The starting line was quite short making all starts quite aggressive and after a general recall all starts were made with I flag up the swell deserved a specific comment “Huge huge huge waves, and very syncopated rythm with intermittent chop. A rolling swell with all sorts of shapes and sizes.”

By Saturday the wind decreased substantially, but the Pacific kept its frequency, no reason the state is so famous for its Surfing spots, sun, waves and light wind best in the mornings when the land wind direction really smooth the wrinkles for a perfect flat wall.
USA 797 showed how it is done obtaining two bullets not enough after the discards came into place to reach the top overall this done by CAN 225 who started the day with a third, then improved into a second and finish the day with a smile and a bullet, just one point ahead USA 797. Friday leader USA 791 scored a second and two thirds endind the day two points behind USA 797 and three from CAN 225. Two more races to go on Sunday, but first a Dinner on Saturday night to share the day experiences.

Sunday two races were held while CAN 225 controlled their direct oponents USA 797 and 791 it was time to veteran USA 782 John Walton, Alex Perry and Brad Stump to achieve their bullet ahead CAN 225 and USA 770 with Marc Pinckney, Jon Mendham and Brian Collick sailing Daniel Capperucci’s boat who missed the event celebrating his daughter’s graduation. USA 791 controlled USA 797 enough to secure their second place overall for the MBYC ahead of SoCal while CAN 225 with Peter Hall, David Snodgrass and Steve Lacey won the event.

Amongst the visitors, USA 852 with Henry Thomas, Joe Brase and Peter Siegel from the East coast, future hosts of a crowded North American Championship with already 17 entries and 4 countries to be held next May 8 to 12 at Severn Sailing Association in Annapolis, MD, and CAN 227 with Tom Mitchell, Tom Freeman and Matt Chaplin, all the way from Ontario, and saying goodbye since CAN 227 will remain in California, now to be sailed again under USA 827 under command of Josh Lippit at So Cal increasing the competitive fleet of the area.

Complete Results


NA Champs website

Article wrote by Matias Collins and read by 305