It's Thursday March 28, 2024
October 21, 2014
In the Neuse River waters off of Camp Seagull, Francisco Renna of Argentina took the top honors at the 2014 Sunfish Senior Worlds. In 9 races between October 13 and 16, Renna placed first in four of them — all of them on Tuesday, when conditions were at their most blustery.The start of the final race.Racing was called on account of rain on Wednesday, then on Thursday, the 6 dozen sailors raced 3 times. After the last race was run, Jean Paul de Trazegnies of Peru was second overall, after taking first place in the last race. In third was Conner Blouin of the US.
Francisco Renna of Argentina, winner of the 2014 Sunfish Worlds, while waiting for Thursday’s competition to begin.This competitino was the first time the Sunfish Worlds took place in the Oriental area. The 72 sailors competed came from ten countries. South and Central American nations fielded strong teams. Among the nations taking part were: Argentina, Peru, Venezuela, Equador, Bermuda, Colombia, Canada, Bonaire, the US as well as, Puerto Rico. Several competitors came from NC and Oriental in particular.
Jesus Bailon of Equador winning the first of two races Thursday. He would finish 11th overall.Photos from last day of the 2014 Sunfish Worlds.
There had been a delay Thursday in starting the race because the winds faded. That led a lot of sailors to stretch out as best they could in their Sunfish cockpits.Jackson Morton on the course with the Minnesott-Cherry Branch ferry making its run in the background.Kara Wheeler of Oriental after rounding the downwind mark at the Sunfish Worlds.Spectators aboard the Camp Seagull vessel Joy Boy hone in on the Sunfish they were watching. Not always in the same part of the race.A downwind run on the Neuse on the last day of competition.More photos ahead.
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Competitors head out on to the Neuse from the launch site at Camp Seagull.The scene at the launch site Thursday morning.The racing was scheduled to start at 10a on Thursday but when the appointed time arrived, the winds were subdued. So began a long wait of more than an hour.
A slow moment during the doldrums before Thursday’s first race. The sailor, David Mendelblatt of the US placed fourth overall in the competition.Meanwhile, on the committee boat, Bill Jarvis, of Fairfield Harbor looks for wind.Mott Parks Blair with protective coloring – blue sunscreen.Kicking back while the race committee waited for the right wind. Some bared their feet…Some sported the black sock look.More doldrums while waiting for the winds to pick up. Alexander Dean at left looks for a glimpse of wind. At right is Sonya Dean. The couple from NC placed 55th and 56th,respectively[page]
First place winner Francisco Renna on his coach’s boat waiting for the start of the race, as race organizers were sorting out the course with the best wind. Several of the Central and South American sailors had support vessels on the river.Waiting for the race to start, a cluster of Sunfish sailors from Equador and Peru.The pier at Camp Seagull where spectators boarded boats to watch the competition. Over the 3 days of racing, organizers moved the course to various spots on the river to catch the wind.The last day of the 2014 Sunfish Worlds, as boats sailed out to the race course area..Some in-water fine tuning before the racing began.Sunfish rubbernecking.Sailor shadow before the races.Paul Welles, of Triton Yachts, at right, was ready on the scene.[page]
Some local sailors, no strangers to races, tended to the marks.The start of the first of three races on Thursday.Sailors on the second leg, a downward run.In contrast to the doldrums earlier, the rounding of the downwind mark saw lots of churn.Rob Findlay of Chicago, who won the Sunfish Masters in Oriental earlier this year.Rounding the mark.Another racer past a mark.[page]
The blue and yellow and white of the Sunfish sails were everywhere, even on the surface of the water.On the upper deck of Camp Seagull’s boat, Joy Boy.Bill and Camilla Wheeler of Oriental watch the competition and their daughter, Kara.In the last race, the mark at the end of the upwind run had a lot of close quarters….…. which opened up after a few seconds.But in at least one case, a boat became attached to the mark.After rounding a mark, a downwind run.[page]
Alone on one side of the course, was George Midyette. The strategy seemed to pay off – in this last race of the competition, he had his best showing, coming in 22nd.George Soliano of Bonaire after a race.Two spectators from Colombia. Juan Sebastian Martinez, at right, had competed in the Youth Worlds a few days earlier and finished 8th, and was watching his father — on the Neuse — compete in the Worlds.Juan Carlos Martinez, of Colombia.Turtle Midyette, of Oriental, one of several competitors with ties to the town.On the spectator boat, a 4-year old from Boston excitedly called out to his stepfather, Eric Woodman, after the race was over.Katherine and Jackie Dean watched through the day as their parents, Sonya and Alexander, competed. After the races ended, they greeted their mother from the deck of the spectator boat .Sailors huddle around the kiosk where Bill Kirsch of Oriental Dinghy Club posted the results of Thursday’s competition, and, by then, the Sunfish Worlds tournament.To download the 2014 Sunfish Senior Worlds Results, click here.
Posted Tuesday October 21, 2014 by Melinda Penkava