| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 22, 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. - It's been more than a decade since an American team won the 505 world championship. And there are still three long races to go. But the team of Nick Trotman and Mike Mills, both of New England, moved one step closer today to capturing the Sea-Land 43rd International 505 World Championship. Trotman/Mills won today's heat on a rainy day on Nantucket Sound, battling light chop and variable wind conditions from 8-14 knots.
"We did a lot of changing gears today," said Trotman. "We started out with our mast just about upright and raked back four inches as the breeze built."
Trotman/Mills were 12th around the first windward mark, passed six boats on the first reach and rounded the leeward mark in sixth place. On the next windward leg, Trotman/Mills played the middle, passing three 505s on the right but lost two on the left. At that point, they were in third. On the third beat, they went hard left and were launched into the lead.
"To be honest, we haven't good first beats," said Trotman. "Most of our first beats have been pretty mediocre."
Trotman/Mills now lead the regatta with ten points. Ian Barker/Daniel Cripps from Great Britain are in second with 20.4 points and defending World Champions Mark Upton-Brown/Ian Mitchell are in third with 22 points. The 1981 505 World Champions, racing the same boat they used at the '81 event, are in 4th place with 28.7 points.
Further information is available on the Sea-Land 43rd International 505 World Championship web site, at URL: http://standard31.infoboard.net/ft/505worlds.html.
Complete results will be posted on the web at URL: http://www.sailing.org/int505/98wrld/s22res.htm.