Peru's Alonso Collantes wins 2018 USSCA National Championship at Midwinters
by International Sunfish Class Association 25 Mar 2018 18:38 NZDT
22-24 March 2018
2018 USSCA National Championship at Midwinters © Susanna Russell
Reigning World Champion Alonso Collantes saved his best performance for the last day of the regatta to take home the 2018 Midwinters Championship. After ten races, former World Champ Johnathan Martinetti and Alonso Collantes were tied at 42 points while David Hernandez had 43. The eleventh and last race was going to be a three-way match to determine first, second, and third overall.
After rounding the first leeward gate, Hernandez was second, Martinetti third, and Collantes fourth. Martinetti was yellow flagged for the second time in the regatta and had to retire from the race, paving the way for Collantes to closely follow Hernandez around the race course and finish one boat behind to win the tie-breaker.
Martin Alsogaray had to survive a broken outhaul end-cap, but benefited from Martinetti's RET on the last race to take third overall. Divisional awards went to Caterina Romero - top female and 5th overall, Eugene Schmitt - top master and 6th overall), and Adriana Barron - top youth and 10th overall.
Guatemala, Argentina, and Ecuador clinched the three 2019 Pan Am Games berths and will be joining host country Peru next year. Remaining Pan Am Games berths will be decided at the 2018 South Americans in Colombia on April and the 2018 North Americans in Waukegan, Illinois in August.
Principal Race Officer and past US Class President Clinton Edwards was pleased to have completed all the scheduled eleven races in three days of sailing. St. Andrews Bay Yacht Club delivered again another great event following the success of 2018 ISCA World Masters earlier in the week. Event Chair Christine Reiss and the StABYC race committee, staff, and volunteers demonstrated that they are open for business and ready to host major sailing events in the near future.
The International and the United States Sunfish® Class Associations would like to thank StABYC and sponsors Destination Panama City, B&C Technologies, and Coral Reef Sailing Apparel.
Final Results can be found here.
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