Peter Hall, Philip Kerrigan, & Jay Deakin win Lightning Masters World Championship

Peter Hall, Philip Kerrigan, & Jay Deacon have won the Lightning Masters World Championship.

In a remarkable performance, they pulled off four bullets in five races! Jim Carson, Jay Lutz & Michael Schon took second overall, and Bill Mauk, Bill Fastiggi & Suzie Cobrun third overall. Held at the Higuerillas Yacht Club in Chile, the competitors raced their dinghies in 25 knots of wind, and “crazy big and steep waves” and the results were “decided on the last leg of last race” according to Peter Hall. You can read his super report online in the most recent issue of Foghorn (see link below) which is the newsletter of the RSt.L.Y.C.

The South American and World championships held simultaneously, were won by the the “Enlightened Champion Tito Gonzolez (Diego Gonzalez and Cristian Herman)… teaching all of us who the KING is! I am glad I will be too old when Tito really becomes the MASTER."

Here is a snippet of his report:

“Race 5 – final race, SHOW DOWN – BIG WIND! We started at the committee boat, got forced to tack six times, and looked up to see Bill Mauk 100 yards ahead of us upwind, and 300 yards ahead of us downwind. This was TROUBLE – but we had an extended 8 leg course. Jay Deakin wouldn’t give up – he suggested that I might consider hiking a little!! Then the wind started to build to 27 knots at the weather mark with 8 foot steep waves, and boats tipping everywhere! This was really exciting. But Bill was way ahead of us. Every leg we pulled in the distance, and half way up the 7th leg and last windward, we finally ground him down. The last run was a nautical survival test. I forgot to pull up the centre board; Bill Mauk closed to 50 yards, and it was time to jibe! HELP! Both boats executed an out of control jibe, we steered through 2 dumped boats and 5 rescue dinghies, and Bill crashed. Thankfully no one was hurt with the finish line 300 yards off. We survived to win the Masters and placed 3rd in the South American championships, but Bill, Bill and Sue made this a classic dramatic finish – REALLY GREAT RACING at its best."


R.St.L.Y.C. Foghorn
http://www.rstlyc.qc.ca/images/gestion/Foghorn_jan_06.pdf

Results
http://www.lightning.cl/2005Worlds/MastersResults.htm