J/22 North American Championship at Annapolis Yacht Club - Overall

J/22 North Americans at Annapolis © Christopher E. Howell

Michael Marshall earns his first win

Michael Marshall of Jamestown, Rhode Island earned his first J/22 North American Championship at the Annapolis Yacht Club in Annapolis, Maryland. With crew Mark Sertl and Matt Gowell, team Bad News Too took advantage of a discard in the fifth and final race to secure the championship with 12 points. Local teams rounded out the top three, as Chris Gaffney's Chasing Waterfalls took second with 16 points and J.R. Maxwell's Scooby snared the bronze spot with 18 points. Four races were held on Sunday, after light and fluky breeze allowed just one race over the first two days of the championship, bringing the total number of races to five.

Marshall, also the winner of the Annapolis NOOD two weeks ago, credited Gowell in the middle and Sertl on the foredeck for getting him around the race course while he focused on steering. Despite light air and strong current, the team focused on the conditions where they were at any given moment. "You made a decision that brought you to where you are, so you just have to concentrate on that," Marshall stated. "The Race Committee did the best they could with the conditions they were given. It was challenging and tough." Marshall is relatively new to the J/22, having just competed in last year's Worlds and some local club racing.

Winds at 8-10 knots greeted competitors on Sunday morning under sunny skies, as local Jeff Todd's Hot Toddy won the day's first battle. Brad Julian's ThreeDories.com team followed in second, and Jonathan Phillips' Bruiser in third. 2013 J/22 World Champion Allan Terhune on Dazzler dominated the next contest, with Gaffney and Marshall behind him. Chris Doyle helmed The Jug 4 1 to victory in Sunday's third race, trailed by Maxwell and Marshall, as winds decreased slightly. Terry Flynn's Tejas closed the event with a victory. Next were Chris Wilson's Lil' Puffy and Jeffrey Love's Stampede.

Overalll Results: (top five)

1st Michael Marshall, Bad News Too, 12pts
2nd Chris Gaffney, Chasing Waterfalls, 16pts
3rd J.R. Maxwell, Scooby, 18pts
4th Chris Wilson, Lil' Puffy, 21pts
5th Chris Doyle, The Jug 4 1, 27pts

Thirty-eight teams from across the United States and Canada competed. Photos are available on the J/22 Class Facebook page, and complete results are available at www.j22na.com.