ISSA Team Race Championship (Baker Trophy)

Twelve teams of top sailors from districts nationwide arrived to beautiful blue skies and moderately warm temperatures on the Elizabeth River at Old Dominion University. The wind was not so favorable, starting the morning Northwesterly, and oscillating back and forth through every compass point except due east. Velocity was equally temperamental ranging seemingly randomly up and down from 0 to 10 mph with gusts to 15 mph. Sailors waited out multiple delays while the committee adjusted the course and waiting for the wind to full in. Twice they were sent ashore for lengthier postponements. Despite the difficult conditions, the committee ran 27 races on a digital N course. Sailors finished racing at 6:30PM, with the threat of lightning looming on the horizon, before retiring to shore for a pig pickin.

For the second day of racing, teams converged on Old Dominion University to be met with another day of erratic oscillations again covering every compass point except due east. Wind velocity varied unpredictably up and down from 0-15 mph with higher gusts reaching into the lower 20 mph. range. Seas started flat and moved through bumpy to a bit of a chop by the end of racing.

Teams reported at 8:00, and launched at 8:30 only to find themselves in postponement waiting for the breeze to fill in. Shortly after sailing commenced, amidst a concert of constant postponements, course shifts, and outright relocations, the committee chose to go to Baker format "Plan C, Option 1". The remaining 3 races of the first 30 races of the initial round robin were completed constituting complete rounds for each of the two embedded divisions. The teams were seeded into Gold, Silver, and Bronze. Gold Round 1, four out of six races of Gold Round 2, three out of six of the Silver Round, and four out of six races of the Bronze Round were completed before races were abandoned shortly before 2:00 due to an approaching thunderstorm. Because Gold Round 2, Silver Round and Bronze Round were not completed, they were discarded, with only two bronze races retained as a tiebreaker sail-offs. Ranking was determined using the Gold Round finishes for the first four places, and results of the first 30 races for places 4-12 per the SI's, Format Options, and rules.

Final ranking resulted in Antilles High School taking the first Place in the national team race championship! Second place was earned by Point Loma High School and third place went to Milton Academy! Placing teams were rewarded with swag from Patagonia in addition to medals and plaques.

We extend out thanks to the volunteers that not only made this event possible, but worked tirelessly with challenging conditions to complete as many races as possible. Special thanks to Gary Bodie for serving as PRO, Rob Overton for serving as CHUMP, and to Randy Stokes for serving as the regatta chairperson.