In my several years attending this regatta in mid September, I'd estimate that 85% of the winds are from the North, NorthEast. Ditto this year, with winds mostly about 5-7 mph, which means the weather mark is tucked up against the shore where big lefty shifts or big righty shifts randomly swirl. Added to the tactical conundrum this year; the start/finish line was moved mid course and protected from crossing in the race instructions. One had to commit to the left or right at the bottom of the course, immediately after rounding the leeward mark, which again was a toss of the dice. Enough to make your brain spin but it gave good close racing throughout the fleet
Jeff Linton impinged on the protected start/finish line and was carrying a DSQ early but turned in five consecutive firsts to take home another National title. Mike Parsons, last year's winner, also carried a DSQ when he sailed through the start/finish line but kept his nose clean with mostly top three finishes to claim second. Previous National champ, Mark Saunders had some dicey first beats early on but managed big comebacks throughout the regatta to finish third, only two points behind Mike.
Your humble scribe raced his Maser to a second place in the slower Gen1 division, behind Rebecca Dudzinski, who borrowed back her Europe dinghy she used in an Olympic campaign. Rebecca gave the faster Gen 2 guys a run for their money, posting an individual race first and a second to finally place 4th overall. John Z in his Mistral and Joe Bousquet in his modified Shelley finished 5th and 6th overall
Number 1 and Number 2 for the regatta; Jeff Linton and Mike Parsons (Jeff on the left). (As always click on the picture for a high resolution image.)
Mark Saunders finished third with a legal fathead. His sail is a foot short on the luff (14' vs 15'). Mark gives up the extra foot of luff so he can eliminate the pinhead and use a fathead (his sail would lie within the outside dimensions of a normal max 15' luff sail).
Us old farts in the Classic Moths always wondered how one of the women Olympic sailors in the Europe dinghy would do if they raced a Europe in the Nationals. Now we know. Pretty damned good! Fourth to Rebecca Dudzinski in her Europe.
John Z, with his modified Mistral, was top Annapolis sailor in fifth......
And Joe Bousquet, sailing his wife's modified high freeboard Shelly was sixth........
Top ten results table;
| Skipper | Races | Hull Design |
| Jeff Linton | 2,[DSQ],4,2,1,1,1,1,1 | Mousetrap |
| Mike Parsons | [DSQ]4,2,1,2,3,4,3,3 | Mistral |
| Mark Saunders | 4,2,[6],4,4,2,2,2,4 | Mistral |
| Rebecca Dudzinsky | 1,3,5,[7],7,4,5,4,2 | Europe |
| John Zseleczky | [10],6,3,3,3,6,3,5,6 | Mistral |
| Joe Bousquet | 7,1,1,5,5,[10],6,6,5 | Modified Shelly |
| Rod Mincher | 5,[11],8,6,9,5,7,7,8 | Maser |
| Rod Koch | 3,7,[DSQ],8,8,7,10,8,7 | Modified Europe |
| Walt Collins | 6,[10],7,9,6,9,8,10,11 | Cates |
| Lewis Hay | 8,5,10,11,10,8,[12],11,10 | Europe |
Thanks again to John and Sarah Pugh for hosting this years regatta on their commodious back lawn. Thanks to Greg Duncan for putting the regatta together. Thanks to Mike and Barbara, Ed Salva, John Z for bringing some tasty beers to swill down.
Thanks to Elizabeth Albaugh and Len Parker for the photos.
And finally I couldn't let Rutledge Young of Charleston, SC off the hook for this great photo of his Savannah Wedge design.
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