(Harbor Springs, MI)- Thirty-six amateur crews sailed the 2019 J/70 Corinthian National Championship in Harbor Springs, MI from August 8th to 11th. Regatta host Little Traverse Yacht Club did an amazing job of running the event, managing eight races over the three-day event.
It was an impressive, talented group for a “corinthian” event, with teams attending from fourteen states from across America, Canada and Brazil. In the end, it was JENNIFER (Chris Kostanecki, Matt Sessions, Carlos Robles, & Scott Kozinchik) from San Francisco, CA that won the event in the final race. Here is how it all went down over the three days of racing.
Day One- Postcard Perfect?
Under sunny skies, temperatures in the 70s and winds in the mid-teens, Scott Sellers’ TRES BURRITOS excelled in the epic conditions with a pair of firsts and a fourth for 6 points in three races. Chris Kostanecki’s JENNIFER tallied a 3-3-4 for 10 points and second place. Two teams— Jake Christy’s PALE HORSE and Peter Vessella’s SISTERSHIP— were tied at 14 points for the next two positions.
Local Fleet Captain Sellers’ TRES BURRITOS kicked off the event with a win, as Henry Filter’s WILD CHILD and Kostanecki’s JENNIFER followed. Peter Bowe’s TEA DANCE SNAKE from Maryland racked up the next bullet, ahead of Sarah Renz’s BERTEAU GROUP and Kostanecki again in third. Sellers secured the day one lead in the final contest, notching his second victory. Christy’s PALE HORSE and Vessella’s SISTERSHIP completed the top trio.
Representatives from North Sails (Jackson Benvenutti) and Quantum Sails (Travis Odenbach) were on the water for Thursday’s practice race and Friday’s competition. Both nights also featured “Hear from the Pros” sessions at LTYC, including video education and question-and-answer opportunities.
Day Two- More Storybook Conditions!
All teams again reveled in glorious conditions on Little Traverse Bay. Winds between 12-14 knots, puffy white clouds and temperatures in the 70s greeted racers on the middle day of the Championship. Kostanecki’s JENNIFER moved to the top of the leaderboard, rebounding from a sixth in Saturday’s opening contest (eventually discarded) with a 1-2 to hold a three-point advantage after six races. Friday’s frontrunner, Sellers’ TRES BURRITOS, ended the day successfully, but two lower finishes in the earlier competitions dropped him to second place with 16 points. Peter Vessella’s SISTERSHIP was five points in arrears of Sellers for third place.
Henry Filter’s WILD CHILD got off on the right foot in race four, topping Vessella’s SISTERSHIP and Dave Dennison’s PIRANHA. Kostanecki’s JENNIFER triumphed in the next battle, as Tod Sackett’s FM and Bowe’s TEA DANCE SNAKE got in on the action too. Sellers’ TRES BURRITOS then got their third bullet of the regatta, shadowed by Kostanecki and Bowe. Jackson Benvenutti of North Sails was again on the water to offer helpful advice to the Corinthian sailors.
Day Three- Wash, Rinse, Repeat!
Kostanecki’s JENNIFER handled the closing race of the J/70 Corinthian US National Championship like true experts. They went into Sunday’s final pair of races with a three-point advantage over Sellers’ TRES BURRITOS. But Sellers nailed another bullet (his fourth of the regatta) in race seven to take the lead. Back came Kostanecki, with crew Matt Sessions, Carlos Robles and Scott Kozinchik, to win the eighth and final contest and become the 2019 J/70 Corinthian National Champions. Sellers placed eighth in that race for the runner-up position, ultimately five points behind the winner. A pair of threes on Sunday shot Christy’s PALE HORSE into the bronze spot with 37 points.
This event was California-based Kostanecki’s first in Harbor Springs. “Fresh water, windy, and the waves were bigger and steeper than San Francisco,” commented Kostanecki. “It was the Pure Michigan experience with world-class sailing and social activities.” Kostanecki admitted that, “We thought we nearly threw it away in the last day. Thank you to my team who worked hard in some difficult moments.”
Rounding out the top five were Filter’s WILD CHILD in fourth and Vessella’s SISTERSHIP in fifth place. For more J/70 Corinthian National Championship sailing informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.
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