2021 International Masters Regatta at San Diego Yacht Club - Day 1
by San Diego Yacht Club 22 Oct 2021 07:41 BST
21-23 October 2021
2021 International Masters Regatta - Day 1 © Mark Albertazzi
It's no secret that the skippers invited to San Diego Yacht Club's International Masters Regatta (IMR) come with a decorated sailing resume and outstanding accomplishments on the water. In fact, if you ask most of them, they'll likely tell you that the moments in their careers leading up to now were all in preparation for the International Masters Regatta...or what it stands for anyway - the right to take the helm for three days of intense competition on the water and enjoy three days of nostalgic camaraderie off the water.
Their talents were evident in South San Diego Bay today for the first day of the 2021 IMR. If you look at the scoresheet, you'll find bullets in the top, middle and bottom of the fleet. The four races sailed were there for anyone to take, but one sailor in particular made day one of the regatta a real "field day."
Alan Field came out strong, showing his competitors what to expect from the first race. Field pushed into first place in race one, and then sped up even more in race two, finishing with a solid lead against the rest of the fleet. In race three, he was able to stay on the podium and finished in third place.
"I got lucky twice," joked Field. "The crew did a phenomenal job today. The conditions were beautiful and allowed a lot of passing lanes. Our start in the second race wasn't very pretty so to find ourselves at number one at the top mark was pretty interesting. Tomorrow is another day, we have two more days of racing, and the team is looking forward to more fun!"
The current standings have Alan Field in first place with 12 points, Bill Campbell in second place with 18 points tied with Rod Davis in third place, also with 18 points.
Race one seemed to set the tone for the scoresheet. Bill Menninger (4th) and Bill Campbell (2nd) both earned their places in the current standings from the start. Menninger finished race one in second place in front of Campbell who finished third. Other than Campbell's OSC and 9th place recovery in race two, his scores keep him in a position to also be a regatta leader.
The SDYC Race Committee shifted the course from 255 degrees in race one to 265 degrees in race two. The shifts apparently worked in Field's favor and gave Craig Healy a nudge into 3rd place after finishing the first race in 11th. Race three proved that many teams might have just needed a little warming up. Carl Buchan sailed an exceptional race finishing first. Don Jesberg was close behind in second.
"The competition was really good. There are some great guys in last and first, and every race is upside down," said Bill Menninger.
The final race of the day, race four, continued to see more shifts in the breeze and in the scoresheet. The Race Committee saw shifts of up to 20 degrees, but settled on a course axis of 280 degrees. Scott Harris started the day with a 12, 10 and 8, and finished race 4 in first. Campbell followed behind him in second, and Rod Davis sailed his best race of the day taking third place. Finishing the day, places four through seven are only four points apart.
Today's racing leaves spectators and fans on the edge of their seats. With this close of racing, and with so much history and skill on the water, tomorrow can bring entirely new results.
After racing, the teams enjoyed what most of them look forward to when they come to San Diego for this regatta... some post-race camaraderie! Skippers and their crews were invited to partake in SDYC's annual Taste of Point Loma where they can enjoy trying some of Point Loma's local food and beverage establishments.
Races will resume tomorrow, Friday, October 22. Bring your vessels to South San Diego Bay to watch the races in person or follow the results online here.
Join us on Facebook live at 8 am tomorrow morning for more interviews with skippers, race officials and volunteers, and watch this morning's interviews below. Follow us on Instagram for story updates and daily information.