2023 El Toro North American Championships
Updated August 2, 2023 11:12 am
El Toros Tour Huntington Lake
Sallie DeWitt was remembering one of her late husband's mottos; "Jim always said you can never win by just following the others." With that spirit in mind, the El Toro Class sailed a different kind of North American Championships at Huntington Lake.
The regatta included real frame-ready DeWitt art for the awards, the same classic Huntington Lake image on the clothing, a selection of unique courses, parties, drama, crystal-pure water and the famous Huntington breeze.
The race courses came with names; Huntington themed (B24 Liberator, Mono, Tradition, Grand Tour), and Jim DeWitt Themed (Spreaders, Mallory Cup, Trapeze, Lake Merritt, DeWitt Dinghy, Flower Pot, 216). The seventh race of the eight-race, one throwout series included three islands to Port as turning marks. It was named Fiasco.
A youth movement went down July 27th-30th in the 17-boat Senior Fleet, with six under-40-year-olds. The kids ruled, the Hawaiians showed up, and the fleet included five women.
Neil Stapleton (Richmond Yacht Club) and Leah Ford (Kaneohe Yacht Club) were sailing at a different level from the others, but Stapleton's consistency and overall excellence overcame Ford's bursts of blinding pure speed. Tom Tillotson, from West Sacramento's Lake Washington Sailing Club, finished third and won the final race. Patrick Tara from Santa Cruz edged Richmond's Gordie Nash for fourth.
Mackenzie Millan (Richmond Yacht Club) was our Junior Champion, braving a crash jibe/turtle/DNF capsize at Mark Eight in Race One to achieve her goal of completing the Fiasco Islands Race.
Fresno Yacht Club provided the infrastructure. Sallie DeWitt took down scores and raised flags with her loyal Bichon Frise "Little Bit" performing duties as PRO, or Pup Race Officer. Pam DeWitt provided her dad's art for awards and shirts, and competed in the Senior Fleet. Susan Burden shot her usual great photos, giving each sailor their Ansel Adams moment rounding rocky islets. Dan Irwin lead a Fresno Yacht Club team, and Linda of Lakeshore Lodge took care of the Saturday event dinner. See Regatta Network for complete results.
Tom Burden
Regatta Chair