2022 International Masters Regatta at San Diego Yacht Club - Day 2
by San Diego Yacht Club 23 Oct 2022 06:13 BST
October 21-23, 2022
2022 International Masters Regatta day 2 © Mark Albertazzi
The 2022 International Masters Regatta saw just as many shifts in the wind today as it did in the leaderboard. After the second day of the regatta, it's still extremely unclear which of the eleven legendary skippers on the roster has this in the bag. There have been just as many ups and downs in the scores of this race as there have been in the emotions of the fans watching it!
The current standings have Augie Diaz in first with 31 points, Alan Field in second with 35 points, and Terry McLaughlin in third with 37 points.
The first race of the day, race five, started off with a big difference in wind direction compared to what we saw yesterday. South San Diego Bay was grey and choppy and winds averaged 8 knots. This change seemed to excite San Francisco Skipper Don Jesberg, who set off with an ideal position at the starting line. Augie Diaz and his crew were able to secure their spot in the front of the fleet early on, making the real battle for second place. Jesberg and McLaughlin sailed all four legs so close they could practically hold hands at the weather mark roundings.
Race six saw some even bigger shifts. A little bit of sunshine peaked through, and clouds and spirits were lifted, especially for Phil Lotz who had his best race of the regatta yet. Lotz earned a bullet on the scoresheet...and with a pretty solid lead at that. McLaughlin was the fleet's biggest competition. The skipper and his crew started the race in fourth place and moved up into second for the finish. These moves brought McLaughlin up a few spots on the current overall standings. The entire fleet seemed unbothered in race six by the massive wind shift (245 to 215 degrees) after the first weather mark.
Lotz explained, "There was a little more breeze today and a little shifty. It was challenging. We try and get a good start, connect the dots on the way upwind, and sail your own race. You're not really trying to play the fleet until later in the race if you have a chance. If you don't sail your boat and sail for the next breeze line, you lose track. You can't do what the others are doing because you're in a completely different breeze. Don't worry about anybody else.
The momentum remained high in race seven and everyone was eager to get going - a little too eager. Bill Abbott, Tom Carruthers, Don Jesberg, and Augie Diaz started the third race of the day with an OCS, hurting their chances at a podium finish for the race. This was a good opportunity for Field and Lacey, who have been sailing consistently in the middle of the fleet, to get ahead. Field finished the race in first with Lacey in second and Lotz in third. Field's win brought him to a tie for first with Diaz. Both teams went into the final race with 29 points.
Diaz made up for lost time with his lead in race eight, the final race of the day. However, the whole fleet stayed close behind and sailed a tight race. All eleven boats rounded the leeward mark within 30 seconds. Jesberg grabbed only a few second lead on Diaz in the final leg and crossed the finish line ahead of the team. Carruthers followed only a half of a boat's length behind in third.
Jesberg returned to the dock feeling positive about the day. "We had a better day today than yesterday. Yesterday was the trickiest day of sailing in a long time, but after winning a race and getting a second today, we're feeling better! It was a little windier, so the shifts weren't as dramatic. We kept the boat going fast all the time."
Each one of these skippers seem to be fully here to win this regatta and sport the blue embroidered blazer in the team photo at the Awards Ceremony tomorrow night. Diaz, a previous winner of the IMR, said it best in his interview with Host Alli Bell this morning, "To win this regatta, you have to have some luck."
After racing, competitors were invited to the iconic Masters Banquet, where skippers and crews can share in camaraderie, old stories, and entertainment. Races will conclude on tomorrow, Sunday, followed by an Awards Ceremony on the SDYC Main Deck.
Spectators are encouraged to bring out their boats or hop aboard a friend's for the final racing day on the water! Remember to hashtag #sdycmasters when posting about the event.
Full results available here.
For more information visit sdyc.org/masters.