J/111 North American Championship at Chicago Yacht Club

Kashmir wins the J/111 North American Championship © Grace Glenny

Karl Brummel, Steve Henderson and Mike Mayer's Kashmir won the J/111 North American Championship at Chicago Yacht Club June 16-19. Fifteen boats competed for the title in southern Lake Michigan with the top four boats within seven points of each other. For the final day of racing, each of the boats also took out a local junior sailor, which for some would be their first time on a keelboat.

Tragedy struck the weekend's leader, Wooton, when owner Bill Smith suddenly passed away on Saturday morning. He was quoted in a Sailing World article published Friday morning saying, "I did better today than I've ever done. We felt good and it will be nice going into tomorrow feeling that way." Smith loved competing in the J/111 Fleet and had spent the winter racing in the south with his boat including Key West Race Week, Cuba and Charleston Race Week. Wooton was leading the fleet by two points going into Sunday due to no racing on Saturday.

Sunday's racing was postponed while waiting as the breeze slowly clocked from southwest to southeast at 8 knots. The racers made it clear that they were ready to roll when they shot off the line causing not one but two general recalls prompting the Race Committee to throw up the U Flag. If any boat crossed the line within one minute of the start, they would have been disqualified without a hearing. This resulted in a very conservative third start by the fleet.

The left side of the course clearly had more pressure when two-thirds of the fleet gravitated towards it and banged into the port layline before short-tacking the windward mark. It was Kashmir's race followed by Spaceman Spiff and Hobgoblin before a cluster formed at the mark. The fleet sorted itself out in the third leg when the Race Committee adjusted the windward mark further east. Kashmir still dominated the rounding to the finish 24 seconds ahead of Perseverance and Spaceman Spiff. Though,Spiff couldn't quite hold on to their place when Impulse sped downwind to take third; their best finish of the regatta.

Spaceman Spiff flies Wooton's spinnaker during the J/111 North American Championship - photo © Grace Glenny

With a corrected course, the final race of the day was for second place between Spaceman Spiff and Perseverance tied with 23 points. Kashmir still led the race, butPerseverance was relentless on their transom. Spaceman Spiff on the other hand fell behind as soon as they made it to the windward mark, but they had other plans. In an emotional display of friendship and camaraderie, Spaceman Spiff opted to fly Wooton's bright yellow spinnaker for the final race of the regatta. The fleet got a bit tangled up with the 22 J/70s sailing the same course headed into the finish, which shook things up allowing Utah to finish in a strong third followed by newcomer, No Quarter.

Kashmir scored two bullets to take the North American title. They will be competing in the J/111 World Championship in Cowes, Isle of Wight, UK August 1-4.

Overall Results: