The 2012 Hampton Nationals was a huge success, and was easily the most competitive and exciting Hampton national championship in several years.  We had 15 very fast boats, a median skipper age of 25 yrs., and lots of wind.

Friday brought wind from the south southwest that was a steady 18-20, with gusts in the mid 20s.  There were several barges in the Lafayette off of ODU, and the PRO Gary Bodie and KC Fulmer adapted by running windward leewards with leeward gates to make the barges a nonfactor.  The RC got in two races Friday, but the conditions were heavy enough to force several retirements due to break downs.  For example, the deck on Gordon Wolcott’s boat started to lift off the hull by the starboard shroud, and two boats lost jib halyards.   Experience proved key in those conditions, and Mark Wheeler, sailing #718 with Dave Chapman won the first race (if HOD experience was not enough, then the perhaps the thousands of hours Dave and Mark have flying complex military and commercial aircraft helped make the conditions feel a bit more “routine” than for some of the rest of us).  This is easily one of the most skilled sailing duos ever assembled.  When we say “Best on the Bay” this team is exactly what we are talking about.  Bring thousands of hours analyzing the weather, and managing a complex wind-craft for a living to the Nationals, and see how you do.   Latane and Aidan Toms pulled down second with fewer flight hours to their credit, and Randy and Ann Stokes in 3^rd.   If billable hours were more relevant, maybe the order would have been different.  In Race #2, Aidan Toms, sailing with me for the first time, worked out a few kinks with the manual whisker

 pole to take the race, followed by Randy and Ann in 2^nd, and Opti National Champion Ian Stokes with father Gordy on the wire taking third.

On Saturday the conditions “moderated” to 15-18 for the first two races, and a little less for race 3.  These conditions made for even closer racing.  The regatta was truly a showcase of local sailing talent from several recent generations of young guns and this became clear on Saturday.  From the 1990s we had NYCC Jr. sailing all-stars Will Roberts and Chris and Jeff Harrell.  Will and Mary Roberts have a serious program (and can’t get over how much easier it is to campaign a Hampton compared to their Hobie 33 program).  Chris Harrell just completed the bar, and has moved back to Norfolk and is committed to rebuilding the NYCC and HYC fleets his grandfather helped build.  From the 2000s we had Andrew Newbold who sailed for ODU, hales from Hershey, PA originally, and did the pink HOD #709 proud by sailing with a different crew each day of the regatta (with remarkable consistency).  From the mid-first-decade of this millennium, we had John Stokes, who was a former Harvard sail team Academic All-American,  Norfolk Collegiate high school sail team captain,  Mid-Atlantic Champion skipper 4 years in a row, and State Champion Skipper 4 years in row.  He was also All-Virginia Team, and Virginia high school Sailor of the year in Senior year.   John is entering his second year at Yale law school.   Gordon Wolcott is entering his 4th year on the UVA Sailing Team member, was a Norfolk Collegiate high school sail team captain, Mid-Atlantic Champion skipper 4 years in a row, State Champion Skipper 4 years in row, and  All-Virginia Team, Virginia high school Sailor of the year in Senior year.  Kav Stokes skippered 716 and is a rising sophomore at Sewanee.  Kav was a Norfolk Collegiate sail Team Co-captain,  Atlantic Coast Champion skipper 1 year,  Mid-Atlantic Champion Skipper 2 years,  State Champion skipper 4 years and member of the  All- Virginia Team.  Billy Van Buren skippered 729 and is a rising Sophomore at College of Charleston. He was on the Norfolk Academy Sail team, and qualified as skipper for Mid-Atlantic Championship 2 years and Atlantic Coast Championship.  Ian Stokes skippered 708 with his dad as crew.  He just graduated HS and is headed to UCLA Santa Barbara where he plans to sail on sailing team.  He was a Norfolk Collegiate Sail Team Co-Captain, Atlantic Coast Champion skipper 1 year,  Mid-Atlantic Champion skipper 2 years,  State Champion skipper 4 years, All Virginia Team, Virginia High School Sailor of year,  Sailboard World Championship qualifier,  Sailboard Olympic Development Team; selected for several Opti National Teams and last but not least Opti National champion.  Anderson Granger, chartered #720 and is looking for his first HOD.  He just graduated HS is headed to UVA where he plans to sail.  He was a Norfolk Collegiate sail Team Co-captain, Atlantic Coast Champion skipper,  Mid-Atlantic Champion Skipper 2 years, State Champion skipper 4 years, and member of the  All-Virginia Team.  Sam Hitch crewed for Anderson and is headed to UVA.  His father used to race #625. Aidan Toms crewed on 727, was a top Opti sailor from FBYC, multi Opti Nationals Competitor, and last weekend was 6’2”, 140 lbs of pure trapeze leverage!  Aidan was also rewarded the William Dougherty Perpetual Trophy for Most Valuable Crew.

From where I sat, the regatta was won and lost in the first race on Saturday.  Latane & Aidan had pulled into a nice 15 boat length lead on the last beat of the race, but failed to cover the fleet.  The wind went left at the top of the last beat, and Mark and Dave lead the top 4 around the windward mark and never looked back to win the race, with Latane and Aidan dropping back to 5^th at the finish.  Mark/Dave and Latane/Aidan each took 1 and 2 over the next two races, but Mark and Dave held a two point lead, with a major edge in the tie breakers going into Sunday’s final race.

On Sunday, the wind had significantly moderated to about 4 or 5 kts at the start.  Latane and Aidan had to win the last race, or get a second with Mark and Dave in 4^th or worse to win.   That put Mark and Dave in the driver’s seat, and match race tactics commenced with a little over 1 minute to the start.  We used other boats to set a pick, and were not pushed over the line at the start (much to our surprise).  Unfortunately, we started with 718 directly to leeward and Randy and Ann directly to windward.  About 30 seconds after the start, we were getting squeezed by Mark and Dave, who contacted 727.  We could not head up because of the proximity of the Stokes to windward.  #727 did a 720 and was not able to get back into the race there after.  Gordon and Eddie Wolcott took the critical 1^st and 2^nd places in the race, and Mark and Dave took home the National Championship Trophy.

This was a truly a great Nationals, and will likely prove pivotal for the future of the class.  We welcomed several new members who are all great sailors and the best of their generation, got a great new webmaster (thanks Mary Roberts!), and crowned a very worthy new National Champion.  The class could not ask for more.

Special thanks to Eddie Wolcott for having the vision, and putting it all together at NY&CC.