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Lazy Dog gets the jump in Spinnaker Racing!

Lazy Dog leads the Spinnaker Racing after three races, but only on count back from Debbie Clasen's Tartan 10. Photo: Todd Van Sickle/BVI Spring Regatta
Northern Child had a consistent day to claim second place in the Performance Cruiser 1 class. Photo: Todd Van Sickle/BVI Spring Regatta
Northern Child had a consistent day to claim second place in the Performance Cruiser 1 class. Photo: Todd Van Sickle/BVI Spring Regatta
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – Despite some tricky weather conditions and heavy squalls of rains, the first day of the BVI Spring Regatta hosted by Nanny Cay Marina, Tortola, on Friday March 29, 2013, produced some exciting sailing.

With 10-12 knots of easterly pressure providing perfect conditions for the fleet at the start of the day and the Race Committee choosing to use the string of beautiful islands on the south side of the Sir Francis Drake Channel as turning marks, Spinnaker Racing 1&2 Sergio Sagramoso's Puerto Rican J/122 dominated the first two races winning both in fine style. Lazy Dog lead the class after three races, but only on count back from Debbie Clasen's Tartan 10. Last year, Richard Wesslund's J/120 El Ocaso was unbeatable scoring seven straight bullets, but the team from Florida will have to settle for third after the first day of racing.

However, Lazy Dog, Windemon and El Ocaso have all scored the same number of points, so there is all to play for today, March 30, 2013.

"El Ocaso is great competition for us," said Sergio Sagramoso. "It is always a great tussle with them on the water, its great competition. The J/122 is a new boat for us but we are all friends from way back, maybe 20 years or more. Unfortunately, we put the spinnaker into the water on the last race, which cost us a lot; we will be back out there tomorrow and try not to make the same mistake."

The tension before the start of the battle of the Melges proved too much for three yachts that were called back for jumping the gun, including local favourite James Plaxton at the helm of Melges 32, INTAC. However, INTAC, with Canadian Richard Clarke calling the shots, recovered to win the first race of the day and score two second places to lead the class. Morgan Dale's Melges 24, Boogaloo won the second race to move into second place and Russian Valentine Zavadnikov's Synergy GT with Tommaso Chieffi on tactics, finished the day in style with a win to take third place.

Hamnett Hill's Marten 49, Defiance from Montreal, Canada was too fast for the rest of the fleet in Performance Cruiser 1, hanging onto Peter Corr's Alia 82, Aiyana for most of the first race to win after time correction. Defiance went on to win Race 2 to lead the class. Lucy & Christian Reynolds', Swan 51, Northern Child had a consistent day to claim second place. Aiyana is third and looking forward to stronger breeze tomorrow.

Stanford Joines has a very young crew racing J/36, Paladin. Including the skipper's six year old son Jeremiah, the average age is just 14. The team from St. Croix's had an excellent day on the water scoring two wins and a second. "We would have loved to take three wins today but we let it slip in the last race," said Stanford Joines dockside at Nanny Cay Marina. "But the guys did a good job today, especially Victor Ozoria on the bow."

Harold Keating's J/95, Shamrock VII won the last race of the day to claim second after two races and Sophie Olivaud's J/109, Albacor IV racing two-handed is third.

Chuck Pessler's Team Island Water World Racing from St. Thomas and Sint Maarten had a great day in the IC 24 Class, scoring a second and three bullets to dominate the one design class by seven points. Paul Davis' All In is in second place, just a point ahead of Michael Finley's Grey Goose.

In Jib & Main 1, Stephen Schmidt's Santa Cruz 70, Hotel California Too took line honours, however, Robert Beltrano's Swan 53 Nai'a corrected out to win the only race of the day by nearly four minutes with Dennis Edwards' Australian C&C 48 Custom, Patriot in third.

In Jib & Main 2, Charlton & Bonanni's C&C 41, Red Stripe Reba romped home to take line honours and the corrected time win by a big margin from Jim Hoelter's Alerion Express 33, Nymph. Sandy Mair's Antiguan Beneteau First 35, Cricket was third.

Rene Van Dop's Dutch Team Aquaholics was the clear winner today in Bareboat 1, whilst in Bareboat 2, Radboud Crul's all Dutch team on Dundee took line honours but after time correction the win went to USA's Peter Nielson at the helm of Merlin Kief.

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