US Qualifying Series for New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup Day 1

The team from the Florida Yacht Club lead Blue Fleet after day one of the 2012 New York Yacht Club U.S. Qualifying Series for the 2013 NYYC Invitational Cup © Billy Black / New York Yacht Club

Fast start ends with a whisper

Selection of three U.S. yacht clubs to join the 2013 NYYC Invitational Cup presented by Rolex

What started with 15-18 knot planing conditions for the quick J/70s came to an end when the final rain squall killed the breeze by mid-afternoon. What did not change throughout the day at the U.S. Qualifying Series was Newport Harbor Yacht Club's grasp on the top spot of the red fleet.

One point ahead of San Francisco and Seattle yacht clubs, Payson Infelise and his crew of Chris Raab and John Fuller have put up nearly all top-five finishes save a ninth in the sixth and final race of the day. The red fleet started the day in Sonars and swapped with the blue fleet after four races.

One of the most impressive performances of the day was given by the team from Jacksonville and the Florida Yacht Club. Posting a 3,2,6,2,2,1, skipper Greg Griffin and teammates Andy Culver, Will Newton and David de Camp were fast in both fleets of boats. Two points behind is the team from Indian Harbor Yacht Club.

"The first half of the day we just played the pressure on the left," said red-fleet leader Payson Infelise of Newport Harbor Yacht Club. Defending that side allowed them to stay in the top five until a focus on current caused them to falter in the last race.

Infelise's tactician added that their ninth place in race six reminded him that they can't be too confident. "You should never be a frontrunner in this event," said Chris Raab, referring to U.S. Yachtsman of the Year Bora Gulari and his Bayview Yacht Club's fall from grace after dominating the first half of the 2010 Qualifier Series. "Anything can happen. We're happy we had a good day today."

Event co-chair Will Crump said the two fleets of boats made for great spectating and were a welcomed challenge for the teams. "It was great to watch these boats," said Crump who raced in the inaugural Invitational Cup with his wife and fellow co-chair Marie Klok Crump. "We asked the competitors last night if in the future they would prefer just one fleet of the same boat, and they all said no."

With three more days of racing, organizers expect by Friday to move the top six from the red and blue fleets into a Championship series in J/70s with the remaining 12 racing in a Consolation series. The winner of the Championship series will not only hold a berth along with second- and third-place finishers for the 2013 Invitational Cup but will also win the Resolute Trophy.

Results after Day 1: (six races, 1 discard)

Red Fleet
1 Newport Harbor Yacht Club 2,1,1,3,4,(9) 11pts
2 San Francisco Yacht Club (7),4,3,2,1,2 12 pts
3 Seattle Yacht Club 1,2,4,(5),2,3 12 pts
4 Little Traverse Yacht Club 5,5,2,1,(7),7 20 pts
5 California Yacht Club 6,6,7,(10),3,1 23 pts
6 Texas Corinthian Yacht Club 8,3,(11),4,5,4 24 pts

Blue Fleet
1 The Florida Yacht Club 3,2,(6),2,2,1 10 pts
2 Indian Harbor Yacht Club (11),3,2,1,1,5 12 pts
3 Carolina Yacht Club 2,5,3,3,(9),2 15 pts
4 Eastern Yacht Club 4,(6),1,4,5,3 17 pts
5 Ft. Worth Boat Club 1,1,5,(8),7,8 22 pts
6 Pequot Yacht Club (8),8,4,5,3,6 29 pts

U.S. Yacht Clubs represented this week include American Yacht Club, Bay Head Yacht Club, California Yacht Club, Carolina Yacht Club, Eastern Yacht Club, Edgartown Yacht Club, Fishing Bay Yacht Club, Florida Yacht Club, Fort Worth Boat Club, Grand Maumelle Sailing Club, Grand Traverse Yacht Club, Indian Harbor Yacht Club, Larchmont Yacht Club, Little Traverse Yacht Club, Nantucket Yacht Club, Newport Harbor Yacht Club, Pequot Yacht Club, San Francisco Yacht Club, Seattle Yacht Club, Southern Yacht Club, St. Francis Yacht Club, Storm Trysail Club, Texas Corinthian Yacht Club and Youngstown Yacht Club.

www.usqs.org