| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 17, 1998 | Contact: Joe Hoffman Information Director, 505 Worlds 98 508 790 4800 508 790 1322 fax 800 347 8057 Dennis Burroughs,Int. 505 Class 508 778 6100 Hyannis Yacht Club 508 778-6811 Hyannis Yacht Club Fax E-Mail: int505worlds98@hotmail.com |
HYANNIS, MASS. - Nick Trotman and crew Mike Mills of Massachusetts won Race 5 of the Sea-Land International 505 North American/Pre-World Championships, and then finished 9th in Race 6, to take a commanding lead in the event, with only one more race scheduled. The 1997 World Championship team of Mark Upton-Brown/Ian Mitchell of Great Britain are lying in second, the Rhode Island team of Mike Zani/Peter Alarie are third, and Jan Saugmann/Morten Ramsbaek of Denmark are fourth. Trotman/Mills have 34.00 points, Upton-Brown/Mitchell have 52.40, Zani/Alarie have 58.00, while Saugmann/Ramsbaek have 68.40. Each team will discard its worst race result. With this worst race discarded, the Zani/Alarie team would then be currently in second place, ahead of Upton-Brown/Mitchell.
Zani/Alarie are the only team that can catch Trotman/Mills for the title. Race 7 should be very interesting, as these teams have dueled each other in team racing events for years. They know each other's moves.
"I expect they will come after us at the start," said Alarie, "hoping to force us into a bad first beat. We need to win the race to win the regatta, so we will be bringing out our most aggressive tactics."
In Race 5, the Swedish team of Mikael Ahrbom/Claes Thurell held a commanding lead at the first windward mark, but Trotman/Mills, who rounded the mark second, were able to close the gap and pass the Swedes on the first reach. Trotman/Mills led to the finish; Ahrbom/Thurell finished second, Saugmann/Ramsbaek third, and Zani/Alarie fourth. In Race 6, Howard Hamlin/Mike Martin of California won, with Upton-Brown/Mitchell 2nd, and Tyler Moore of Hyannis MA/Scott Ikle of NY 3rd.
Conditions were excellent for racing, with the first race starting in about 8 knots from the NNE and building to 14, the second race starting in 14 knots, dying back to 8 for one windward leg and then building back to 14 knots with a significant shift to the East, which favored those teams that sailed to the right on the beat.