(Newport, RI)- 2012 marks the first year that Bacardi Brands are
supporting the SailNewport Regatta as primary sponsors. It promises to
be another banner year for the event with 200+ boats participating, with
49 J/Teams participating representing about 25% of the total fleet in
J/22, J/24, J/80 and J/105 classes. The weather forecast looks
promising for some great racing both in Narragansett Bay as well as
offshore for the bigger one-design fleets.The J/22s are going to have an incredibly competitive fleet, with Rochester's ring leaders factoring into the overall scheme of things. Mark & Cory Sertl call both Newport (Jamestown) and Rochester as "home base" and will be tough competitors due to their "local knowledge" from hundreds of beer-can races in Jamestown YC's Tuesday evening races. Not to be outdone will be Chris Doyle on US 1649, a top notch competitor on a world-class level.
Sailing
in the J/24s, not surprisingly enough, are enough World, National and
Regional Champions that one could not possibly predict any outcomes
other than the fact that all will be competitive and it could be the
"Old Man of the Sea" that clobbers them all! On that note, it's
wonderful to see Tony Parker on his BANGOR PACKET continuing to have fun
in the middle of an American Presidential election year (ask him why in
the beer tent after sailing)! Never underestimate this wily old fox,
having made some Melges 24 World Champions and J/24 World Champions in
the past wonder why they ever tangled with him in the first place!
Certain to give Tony a run for the money will be some young bucks like
Will Welles, Tim Healey, Travis Odenbach, Mike Ingham and Matt Herbster,
amongst others-- their collective pedigree as champions are undeniable!J/80 world also sees a few ring leaders amongst the core of the fleet. A combination of world-class sailors are distributed across the fleet and there's no telling how it will all end up in the final tally as all have proven in various Worlds, Key Wests and North Americans to play or win at the top of the heap in various classes. Chief amongst the top teams will be Bruno Pasquinelli from Houston, Texas; Brian Keane from Buzzards Bay, MA (multiple J/105 Key West Champion); and some tough "Newport locals" like Andrew Burton, Chris Bulger and Jeff Johnstone.
The J/105s may have one of the most competitive J/Fleets rolling. With past champion 105 sailors participating like Nelson Weiderman, Joerg Esdorn and Duncan Hennes on KINCSEM, Kevin Grainger on GUMPTION3 and Damian Emery on ECLIPSE, it simply means the battle lines will be drawn early and fast amongst the leaderboard in this trio of gunfighters. For more Bacardi Newport Sailing information
