MDISA Fleet Qualifier

Seventeen teams gathered at Tall Timbers Marina for the Spring 2019 MDISA Fleet Qualifier Regatta. After a 0900 competitors' meeting, the racecourse was set in an 8-10 knot southerly in the Potomac River. The breeze built to 12-14 knots throughout the day and gradually shifted left, prompting Race Committee to frequently move marks to maintain a square course. Three breakdowns were experienced over the course of the day, but were repaired quickly by the breakdown crew afloat and ashore. Eight races were completed in both A and B divisions, and sailors landed boats and derigged by 1700. First warning tomorrow is scheduled for 0930. At the end of the day, the Severn Admirals lead the regatta with 21 points, followed by St. Mary's Saints (59) and Key Zags (68).

Sunday morning brought westerly winds in the high teens. Considering the safety of the sailors and equipment, Race Committee decided to bring the course into Herring Creek for the day. First warning took place at almost exactly 0930 in a 6-8 knot westerly that became very light and shifty near the windward marks, just to leeward of the marina. After two rotations, the wind swung around to the north and steadied to a fresh 14-16 knots with occasional gusts above 20 knots. After a major course reset, racing resumed, with several capsizes inbound. Most sailors were able to self-right and continue racing, but several DNF's and DNS's resulted from the challenging conditions. One uncontrolled gybe and knock to the head sent a sailor in to the dock via safety boat; thankfully no other injuries occurred during the day. After 8 races in each division had been run, Race Committee sent the fleet to shore to beat the 1600 deadline. After some final protest hearings had been concluded, 16 races in each division resulted in a final regatta podium: Severn Admirals, 52 points; St. Mary's Saints, 120 points; Key Zags, 135 points. Bethesda Chevy Chase Battlin' Baron (183) and Bishop O'Connell Knights (213) rounded out the top 5. Congratulations to these five teams who will be MDISA's contribution to the MASSA Fleet Qualifier in two weeks. Good luck to all, and we hope you represent our league well. SCC extends many thanks to all who made this regatta possible. Special mention goes to Guy Barbato for serving as PRO, Dobbs Davis as Protest Committee, and Curt and Dottie Hamilton for updating techscore entries throughout the weekend. However, we could not have run this event without all of our willing parent and sailor volunteers, who filled every spot from safety boats to snack table monitors. We look forward to hosting many more events in the future!

The following chart shows the relative rank of the teams as of the race indicated. Note that the races are ordered by number, then division, which may not represent the order in which the races were actually sailed.

The first place team as of a given race will always be at the top of the chart. The spacing from one team to the next shows relative gains/losses made from one race to the next. You may hover over the data points to display the total score as of that race.