Perfect Pacific Trade Winds
Kaneohe, H.I. (Oct 11, 2010) – The famous Hawaiian Pacific Trade Winds came up perfectly as the dramatic final day of the International 14 Pacific Rim Championships started on Kaneohe Bay. The winds were a steady 15 kts for most of the two races that closed out the 8 race series. The Race Committee started the racing promptly at 12 noon. Steve Goodson and Alan Diercks held a one point lead over former World Champion Kris Bundy and crew Fritz Lanzinger. Paul Galvez and JV Gilmour were in third place and Joe Bersch and Herb Cole were two points back going in to the final two races.
Photo © Terry GleesonThe racing was very close all across the fleet. There were numerous position changes during the first race--but Joe Bersch caught a very good lift that no one else got (!) below the starboard lay line about a quarter mile from the mark on the third lap that gave him a solid 100 meter lead at the weather mark. He held that position downwind and finished ahead of Bundy and Lanzinger by less than 5 seconds at the finish. Goodson and Diercks were third and Brad Ruetenik and Jake Sorosky finished in fourth place. Galvez and Gilmour held on for a fifth place finish. Going into the final race Goodson and Diercks were tied with Bundy and Lanzinger each with 17 points. Bersch and Galvez were now just one point a part for third place.
Photo © Jess Rohr
The wind moderated just slightly before the start of the final race. The fleet got off the line cleanly. Most of the boats stayed on starboard tack and sailed up the left side of the course towards the Marine base runway. At the windward mark Joe Bersch rounded first closely followed by Galvez, Goodson and Ruetenik. Bundy had fallen in to a hole on the left side of the course about half way up the weather leg and rounded a distant fifth place. They would spend the rest of the race chasing the leaders from a distance and finally catching Paul Galvez and JV Gilmour at the finish line to take forth place in the race and a close second place in the series, just one point ahead of Bersch and Cole who won the race. The lead changed hands between the top three boats during the three lap race with Goodson and Diercks taking second place, securing them the overall victory. This was their fourth PAC RIM event and after coming close in past years this victory was well deserved. They sailed mistake-free and had consistently fast boat speed. Bersch and Cole had two bullets on the last day which moved them in to third place, one point behind Bundy and Lanzinger. Paul Galvez and JV Gilmore were fourth and Brad Ruetenik and Jake Sorosky were fifth overall.
Photo © Jess RohrElise Leroux and Doug Gordon took the Silver fleet award and Elise was the first woman finisher. Alan Laflin and Eric Arens won the Masters division and finished tenth overall. The two long-time 14 sailors are both over 70 years old. They finished all the races and fought the younger sailors every inch of the way.
The final event of the PAC RIM is the Hawaii State Championship pursuit race. This race is handicapped based on the results of the PAC RIM series. The course and is “Bay Tour” of Kaneohe Bay plus a short venture out in to the Pacific ocean.
Top 5 Results:
1 Goodson/Diercks 19
2 Bundy/Lanzinger 21
3 Bersch/Cole 22
4. Galvez/Gilmour 27
5 Ruetenik/Sorosky 41
Final results: http://bit.ly/9FFVEj
Daily video coverage by Sailgroove: http://www.sailgroove.org/coverage/237703-I14-Pacific-Rims
More info about Kaneohe YC: http://www.kaneoheyachtclub.com/
Congrats, Alan and Steve!