WINDMADE Leads Santander Bank J/70 Winter Series

(Algarrobo, Chile)- This past weekend (July 28-29), Juan Reid and crew onboard J/70 #1 WINDMADE, won the first weekend of the Santander Bank Chilean J/70 Winter Series that is being held in Algarrobo Bay.

With great winter conditions- sunny days, 16 degrees Celsius, 8-12 kts and flat seas- nine boats sacrificed a couple of ski days and got together in Algarrobo for a weekend of sailing. Also, due to the temperature and the wind direction, it was much tighter racing than normal, as the favored lefty wind shifts on the left side of the course never showed up all weekend.

After the first two races on Saturday, the anticipated fight for the lead materialized between WINDMADE and MORENITA. Finally, the Doyle team from MORENITA, with lots of learning after the last Doyle clinic in Marblehead, MA (USA), was leading after the first day of sailing with a great day of good starts, great speed and good tactics!

On Sunday, WINDMADE started off with two bullets (thanks to half the fleet been over the line at the gun and having to get back to start). As a result, that put MORENITA in a complicated situation, making it harder for them to win the weekend.

In the final race on Sunday, WINDMADE had an average start with MORENITA to leeward, forcing WINDMADE to tack clear. However, WINDMADE found better breeze and clear air in the middle of the course, rapidly closing the distance upwind, then closing to a half-boat length at the leeward gate after a smart downwind run.

On the second beat, WINDMADE passed MORENITA on a wind shift. In the final approach to the windward mark, some boats didn’t notice the change of course, with WINDMADE taking advantage of the situation. In the final approach on the port tack layline, SENSEI overstood, but with full speed, established an inside overlap at the 3-boat length zone over WINDMADE. At the mark, WINDMADE closed the gap too much, forcing SENSEI to touch the mark, so SENSEI screamed “protest”. With MORENITA farther down the standings, the WINDMADE crew made the sensible/ wise decision to “spin” their circles, dropping from 3rd to 6th in the race, just one place behind MORENITA.

With one final leg to finish the race, WINDMADE managed to sail deeper than MORENITA and, with great tactics from Rodrigo Amunátegui, managed to gybe at the right moment, getting the righty and better breeze on the center right of the course to get back to 3rd at the finish line!  A dramatic comeback for the ecstatic, wildly cheering, WINDMADE crew!

In the final scoring, WINDMADE won the weekend with 9 points; Vernon Robert’s MORENITA was second with 11 pts; and Víctor Lobos’ LEXUS was third with 13 pts.  The balance of the top five included the Doyle Sails team on PELIGRO, skippered by Alejandro Pérez, in fourth place and Marcos Fuentes’ SENSEI in fifth.

In the Corinthians Division, Diego Natho’s TRILOGIA won; truly a family affair, sailing with his Mom, Dad and brother!! Taking second was Cristián Pérez’s ELEANOR RIGBY.

The second date of the Santander Bank J/70 Winter Series will be 25-26 August, hosted by Cofradía Náutica del Pacífico, in Algarrobo. Add to Flipboard Magazine.


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