Zoom wins 2012 J/24 U-Gotta Regatta, District 15 Championship

Event sponsor: Excelsior Brewing Company

Minnetonka, MN—The annual J/24 U-Gotta Regatta—District 15 Championship—hosted by Fleet #1 and the Wayzata Yacht Club, was held on Lake Minnetonka October 5 through 7, 2012. Teams traveled from Duluth, Chicago and other parts of the Midwest to join the competition. 19 boats competed in eight races over two days of the regatta. The top three boats for the regatta, include first place, Minnesota boat Zoom—skippered by Chad Olness; second place, Oz—helmed by Billy Allen and VooDoo—skippered by Randy Gould.

Saturday morning began with the first snowflakes of the season and a very chilly—low 30 degrees Fahrenheit—start to the regatta. Winds were shifty from the northwest at 9 to15 knots. Sunday temperatures were even colder in the upper 20 degree Fahrenheit range. Sunday’s winds—building from 12 to over 20 knots—clear skies and sunshine created ideal championship conditions.

The competition was strong and created intense rivalries and frequent lead changes throughout the regatta. After the first day of racing, Zoom and Motorhome were tied for the lead, followed closely by VooDoo, Oz and Bubbles. After another four races on Sunday, the consistency of Zoom—skippered by Chad Olness with crew John Monson, Roy Rinkjob, Matt Johnson and Nicole Hendrickson—allowed them to stay in front of the highly-experienced Oz team led by Olympic medalist, Billy Allen and boat-owner Rolf Turnquist, two of the men who started J/24 Fleet #1 in 1977. VooDoo, Kattack, and Bubbles rounded out the top five finishers. To view additional results, visit www.wyc.org/j24/Regattas/2012UGottaRegattaResults.aspx.

J/24 Fleet #1 would like to thank regatta sponsor Excelsior Brewing Company for providing craft beers enjoyed by many. We’d also like to recognize the exceptional race management, led by PRO Jared Silverman, and regatta volunteers for great food and parties.

The regatta was a great success and a preview for the 2013 J/24 US National Championship, hosted by J/24 Fleet #1 and Wayzata Yacht Club. The US National Championship will be held next spring, June 20 to 23, 2012.

The Wayzata Yacht Club and the neighboring Minnetonka Yacht Club have a strong one-design mentality and Lake Minnetonka has a long history of highly-competitive sailboat racing. Lake Minnetonka—with 14,000 acres of water, 120 miles of shoreline and a depth averaging 40 to 113 feet—is well known for challenging winds, spirited sailboat racing and spectacular vistas.

TOP