| LONG BEACH, CA.-(5-9-2002) The early stages of the 2002 Etchells North American
Championships have seen fog, giant ocean swells and a dramatic finish, but
Thursday's racing was abandoned for lack of an element no regatta can do
without: wind.
In a scene as serene as a Monet seascape, the 38 boats drifted encircled by
fog for more than 2 1/2 hours after the scheduled noon starting time before
principal race officer Barney Flam declared the situation hopeless. The
wind had peaked at about 3 knots, but by 2:30 p.m. flags were hanging limp
ashore and at sea.
The Etchells, which have no engines, were towed or paddled back into the
basin at the host Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, where the anemometer wind sensor
atop the clubhouse was motionless.
It all meant that Dennis Conner remained in first place on the strength of
Wednesday's opening win, but it won't be an official regatta until at
fewest four of the seven scheduled races are sailed.
The villain in the scheme is Hernan, the onetime hurricane now downgraded
to a tropical storm lurking off the tip of the Baja California peninsula
some 900 miles south. Hernan sucked the life right of the event Thursday.
The forecast was for subtropical showers and perhaps even thunderstorms.
Temperatures were expected to remain in the 70s.
Event chairman Chris Ericksen said, `We'll have a meeting with the race
committee tonight to talk about the schedule and evaluate our options. I
don't think it's likely that we could run three races on any day with a
fleet this size and an event so important.`
That means that, at best, there would be two races each on Friday and
Saturday for a total of five. There is no provision to use Sunday as a
reserve day.
The leaders (after 1 of 7 scheduled races):
1. Dennis Conner, San Diego, 1 point.
2. Jud Smith, Marblehead, Mass. 2.
3. Mark Thornburrow/Tim Parsons, Hong Kong, 3.
4. Erik Bentzen, Seattle, 4.
5. Dirk Kneulman, Burlington, Ontario, 5.
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