MASQUERADE WINS J/105 NORTH AMERICANS

J/105 –  Chris Perkins led his Masquerade team to victory at the J/105 North American Championship. Hosted by the San Diego Yacht Club, the San Francisco-based boat led from race 1 through race 9 with a remarkably consistent line of 1,2,2,1,3,2,4,4,4 for 23 total points. The team consisted of Perkins, Steve Marsh, Tom Purdy, Mark Chandler, Larry Swift and Rose Eberhard. This triumph marks the boat Masquerade’s third North American Championship, after winning in 2006 and 2007 with Tom Coates. Perkins, Marsh and Chandler were part of those crews.

Perkins praised Masquerade, veteran hull #17, and the teams’ familiarity with it. “We know this boat intimately. It’s well prepared in its set-up with a nice new set of sails,” he stated. He also applauded his crew for their flawless efforts, saying “There were no crew mistakes, despite the fact that we’re all very busy and we had little practice. That’s where luck comes in sometimes.” It was easy to notice that Masquerade quickly launched to the front of the 25-boat fleet at the starts. “We had consistent starts where we got the nose out and didn’t have to play ping pong,” Perkins explained. “Some regattas go your way, and this one did for us.  We were in the right place for the shifts.” Gary Mozer’s Current Obsession 2 finished as runner-up with 37 points, and new J/105 owner Dennis Connor placed third on DC’s Pholly with 45 points. Sunday’s first race was won by Conner’s DC’s Pholly, with Mozer’s Current Obsession 2 and Chuck Driscoll and Tom Hurlburt’s Blow Boat behind.

Dennis Case’s Wings closed out the regatta’s final contest successfully, trailed by DC’s Pholly and Bennet Greenwald’s Perseverance. The day saw winds from 6-8 knots at the start, up to 10-12 knots with building seas in the second race. The top 10: Chris Perkins, Masquerade (23 points), Gary Mozer, Current Obsession 2 (37), Dennis Conner, DC’s Pholly (45), Chuck Driscoll/Tom Hurlburt, Blow Boat (57), Bruce Stone, Arbitrage (58), Dennis Case, Wings (73), Tom Fisher/Joe Dagostino, Viggen (74), Bennet Greenwald, Perseverance (84), Rick Goebel, Sanity (93), Dave Vieregg, Triple Play (99). The J/105 Class Association extends it appreciation to everyone at the San Diego Yacht Club for their first-rate regatta management and hospitality. Photos are available on the J/105 Facebook page. For complete results, CLICK HERE