Olympic Reunion for Competitors

The ICCT was revived last year after a hiatus of more than seven years. Like the classic match racing event it mimics and from which it long ago derived its nickname "The Little America's Cup," the 2003 ICCT had matured into a new class of boat--the dynamic F18HT. Reborn in Newport, Rhode Island, the 2003 ICCT came down to the final match in a best four-out-of-seven finals before the champagne was uncorked for winners Johnny Lovell (New Orleans, La.) and Charlie Ogletree (Houston, Texas). Following the example of the ICCT's namesake, the winners will now compete for the right to defend the Trophy for Southern Yacht Club, which will host the 24th running of this event through October 23.

Olympic Re-Match: The win of the 2003 ICCT last year launched a banner year for Lovell and Ogletree. In February, they won the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in the Tornado class--the only catamaran ever sailed in the Olympic Games--for their third consecutive trip to the Olympics. Two months later, they were victorious in a fleet of 53 Tornados at the Princess Sofia Regatta. That event, sailed in Palma de Mallorca, was a warm-up for the Tornado World Championship where 62 teams from 24 nations competed in the final qualifying event for the Athens Olympic Regatta. Lovell and Ogletree won the Silver Medal at the Worlds with a performance that included winning two of nine races, before moving on to Hyeres, France, the following week where they collected yet another silver medal at Semaine Olympique Francaise.

Hurricane Jeanne hits regatta location with less force than expected - Nacra North American Championship is still on!

Tuesday, September 28, 2004 - Hurricane Jeanne came barreling up the coast of Florida and Georgia late last weekend and the Nacra North American Championship regatta site was in jeopardy.

Weather Channel's Jeff Morrow was on Tybee Island over the weekend, keeping a watchful eye on the winds and waves. However, the storm was downgraded to a tropical storm and Tybee Island did not receive the damage that was expected or experienced in other parts of the Southeast.

After contacting Regatta Official Chuck Bargeron this morning, he briefly stated Itıs a go! and quickly hung up with no time to chat.

Pete Melvin and Nacra A2 "Team Up" to Sweep A-Class Championships with 7 Bullets!

September 23, 2004 - The new Nacra A2 catamaran, with Pete Melvin at the helm, swept the A-Class North American Championships with 7 bullets out of 11 races! 28 top sailors from North America competed for the championships but were defeated by Melvin on the A2 who¹s total score was only 13 points.

The boat I sailed was a stock Nacra A2, built with the latest materials and production processes, fresh out of the box and included a Hall Spars mast and Ullman sail. "It's performance was outstanding!" says Melvin. The A2 was very fast in all conditions sailed, including the 20 knot+ conditions experienced the first two days, as well as the more moderate conditions at the end of the regatta.

Click on "Read More" to see full story and results.

9/18/04 Final Results, Hobie 16 North Americans Mexicans Armando Noriega and Roderigo Achach are the new Hobie 16 North American Champions. Noriega is a Pan-Am Games silver medallist in the Hobie 16 but the title of North American Champion is a first for him and for Achach. The team dominated the seventy-one catamaran fleet, on Lake Oneida in Syracuse NY, finishing twenty two points ahead of the second place team, and 2004 Alter Cup Champions, Mike Montague and Cathy Ward from California. Defending Champions Paul and Mary Ann Hess finished fourth.

The regatta came to an anticlimactic end on Friday with only one race started in winds just above the class minimum wind strength of five knots. The conditions where light and shifty for most of the week with the exception of Tuesday when the winds topped out at about fifteen knots.

Top Five:

1. Armando Noriega and Roderigo Achach
2. Mike Monntague and Cathy Ward
3. Bob Merrick and Eliza Cleveland
4. Paul Hess and Mary Ann Hess
5. Wall Myers and Tyler Myers

Full results and pictures are on the event website at www.HobieNAC.com .

On September 25th and 26th 2004, Houston Fleet 8 and the Texas City Dike Yacht Club present Wayward Winds 2004 - a beach cat regatta open to all makes of catamaran. This Division 6 sponsored event will also be the US Sailing Area F Alter cup qualifier. The notice of race is available here.

We will have some great T-Shirts designed by Tami Shelton - you can see the design here

For more information/questions got to http://texascitydike.com

Chris Green
Comodore - Houston Fleet 8