2018 Kona North American Championship at Pensacola Yacht Club - Overall
by Talbot Wilson 22 Oct 2018 03:07 BST
October 19-21, 2018
After six races Alexander Temko (R) of Clearwater, FL) won the 2018 Kona North American championship in Pensacola. Florida with 5 points. Noah Lyons (L) of Clearwater, FL was second with 9 points © Talbot Wilson
Sixteen year old Alex Temko from Clearwaater, Florida sailed a near perfect six-race series to capture the 2018 Kona North American Championship at Pensacola Yacht Club in Pensacola, Florida today. Temko scored five bullets and dropped a duce for a net total of five points. Noah Lyons also from Clearwater was in a close second at nine. Billy Mason of Panama City, Florida and regatta chairman Tom Pace were knotted at 20 points, but the tie breaker went to Mason who scored a lower place second in race four.
The regatta awarded prizes to the top six overall, the top three women, the top three juniors and the top 'grand master'. Karen Marriott of St. Petersburg Beach, Florida was the top lady sailor and finished sixth overall. The top masters prize went to Joe Sisson of Tallahassee, age undisclosed, while Alex Temko as an under 18 sailor and as overall winner took the Top Junior prize.
Three of the top six overall winners were juniors so there is a good crop of young sailors on the rise. Tom Pace at fourth is an almost grand master and Karen Marriot is a young lady who is an Olympic hopeful. Maverick Putnum, who is 14, was fifth overall. He challenged the top sailors all weekend and showed international level skills on a shifty course.
Challenging conditions continued Sunday where Saturday racing left off. Eight of the sailors who raced the first day decided to stay on the beach Sunday morning. Winds Sunday morning were northerly at 17-25 knots with holes and 40º wind shifts up and down the course. The overall wind direction was steady but cat's paws of swirly north wind were obvious on the course. One surfer would go flying by hard on a 17 knot wind while 100 feet away another was plodding through the 2 foot chop looking for something new. And it would come to some and not others.
The winners seemed to have some sixth sense to know where that next puff and shift was coming from. The left, heading up into the northerly. Paid big dividends. Alex Tempo who crossed the finish line in the final race with a big thumbs up.
He said, "It was the left." when asked how he liked the course. "Day two of the Kona NA's was pretty interesting... pretty straight forward. Basically I did two tacks on the upwind legs. Downwind legs were a little tricky, pretty puffy so I was trying to stay in the puffs as much as possible to make it fast around the course."
"I got the advantage by starting in front and staying in front, staying in the pressure and getting to the left side of the course. I felt very fast and organized out there and didn't make any mistakes. Being a champion is amazing. This was great training for the Kona Worlds next week back home in Clearwater."
Temko went on to compliment Pensacola and Pensacola Yacht Club, "The venue is great here on Pensacola Bay. You could have a giant regatta here. I totally would support that. The sailing out on the bay is pretty flat with great wind, amazing"
Tom Pace called out winners and Sally Smith, PRO Hal Smith's wife, handed out the prizes... different size wooden boxes with a PYC burgee enamel attached... to all winners. Frist place winners took home spectacular Tissot watches from Jeweler's Trade Shop of Pensacola.
Pace commented that the conditions were challenging, "We had people who ripped their hands, some juniors who couldn't handle the tough wind and waves. This was not an easy regatta weather-wise. Pace complimented the juniors saying thet juniors are basically everyone younger then himself, "And that's difficult because they won, most of them beat most of us." Pace did get a fourth overall behind two juniors.
Pace said. "The wind shifts out there were 30-40 degrees, full of holes, challenges that were dynamic. It was truly a fine regatta and thanks to our Kona Beer sponsor, a party broke out after racing each day."
Next on the Pensacola Yacht Club national racing calendar is the Melges 24 Pre-Winter Regatta, a new event that promises to grow in the years to come.
Results are posted at www.pensacolayachtclub.org/KONA.aspx