Welles avoids penalties, takes lead at J/24 Worlds

Newport, RI (September 23, 2014) After a morning postponement ashore, the fleet got off two more races at the 2014 J/24 World Championship hosted by Sail Newport. With scoring and starting penalties littered among the 71 boat fleet, the first two days of the championship are generating some alphabet scorelines amongst the top teams (click here to view penalties).

Avoiding the letters is reigning US National Champion Will Welles and his Cougar team, which moved to the lead after posting a 9-1 today. Conditions offered a more stable sea conditions on the ocean course than yesterday, with wind speeds from 10 to 14 knots out of the southwest.

The first race of the day was won by Carter White’s SeaBagsj24.com (USA) followed by Mike Ingham’s Nautalytics (USA) and then Shawn Murray’s Roo (USA). Local Welles thrived in the second race with a building sea breeze and logged his second bullet of the event. Welles was followed by Santa Cruz and Griffin.

Hosted by Sail Newport, 10 races are scheduled through Friday.

Day Two Standings (Top 10 of 71; 4 races)
1. Cougar, Will Welles , USA – 1 -6 -9 -1 ; 17
2. Bruschetta, Mauricio Santa Cruz , BRA – 12 -4 -10 -2 ; 28
3. Extasis, Pedro Garra , URU – 14 -3 -13 -6 ; 36
4. Gringa DC, Vernon Robert , CHI – 3 -2 -16 -16 ; 37
5. Team Tarheel, Greg Griffin , USA – 23 -7 -4 -3 ; 37
6. Pipe Dream, Mike Marshall , USA – 13 -13 -8 -10 ; 44
7. Bangor Packet, Anthony Parker , USA – 29 -14 -5 -5 ; 53
8. Clear Air, Rossi Milev , CAN – 8 -34 -14 -7 ; 63
9. Luca vive, Alejo Rigoni Gonzalez , ARG – 10 -25 -26 -4 ; 65
10. Nautalytics, Mike Ingham , USA – 27 -29 -2 -8 ; 66

Event website – Complete results – Photos

Report by class media.