Natural High takes first place

NEWS RELEASE

NORTH CHANNEL RACE

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The North Channel Race concluded Friday rounding out five stages over five days of sail racing through the North Channel. 

A total of 13 yachts completed the entire series with three additional yachts participating in limited stages. 

The weather proved challenging providing a variety of conditions from gusting winds in the early stages through to very limited winds on the final stage.  

The first two stages saw very gusty winds as the fleet started the series out of Hilton Beach heading eastward. 

By the end of the first couple of days of racing, several of the boats experienced equipment failure as skippers pushed their boats to the limits in their efforts. 

Crews busied themselves at the end of each stage making repairs from torn sails, bent poles and damaged rigging in an effort to be competitive in the next stage. 

Ironically, the final stage on Friday was anti-climatic with the least wind of all stages. 

None of the competitors were able to make the race curfew due to extremely light winds. 

Using a variety of sails and tactics, skippers worked their boats through the final route from Gore Bay to Little Current through very light winds and several areas of virtually no winds. 

In the end, six of the competitors made it within a few hundred yards of the finish but were unable to scrape out the final distance before the curfew of the race set for 7 p.m.  

Yachts from all over Lake Huron participated including five from Hilton Beach, four from the Algoma Sailing Club (A.S.C.) in Sault Ste. Marie, two from Lions Head by Tobermory, two from the North Channel Yacht Club (N.C.Y.C.) in Spragge, two from Gore Bay and one from Little Current (L.C.Y.C.). 

Sault and area participants included Natural High (Abbott 33), Blue Teal (C&C 35), Skyship (C&C 32), Echo (Nonsuch 30), Aurora Borealis (Farr 40), Sunny J (C&C 27) and Dyin’ Easy (Sabre 30).  

The series concluded with overall results tabulated across both fleets for an overall North Channel Race trophy. 

Results are calculated from the four best finishes of the five stages. 

Overall, Natural High captured first place taking the 2015 N.C.R.W. flag and trophy. 

Seabiscuit took second, Annual Hope third, followed by Skyship, Elusive, Aurora Borealis, Blue Teal, Escape Plan, Dyin’ Easy, Echo, Sloop John B., Moonshadow and Sunny J.  

Series fleet finals concluded with Seabiscuit (Hunter 30) from N.C.Y.C. placing first in the white sail fleet, followed closely by Annual Hope (Hughes 38) from Lions Head and Echo from the A.S.C. taking third. 

The remaining results included Dyin’ Easy from A.S.C., Sloop John B (Hunter 37) from Gore Bay, and Moonshadow (Mirage 26) from Hilton Beach.  

In the spinnaker fleet, Natural High out of Hilton Beach captured first place, followed by Skyship from the A.S.C. and Elusive (J-120) from Lions Head. 

The remaining results include Aurora Borealis from Hilton Beach, Blue Teal from Hilton Beach, Escape Plan (Goman 35) from Gore Bay, and Sunny J from A.S.C.

Tack Too (Tanzer 31) from Hilton Beach retired on day one of the series due to equipment malfunction and was unable to make sufficient repairs to continue. 

Riga (Tanzer 31) from L.C.Y.C. competed in the final two stages with Blue Jacket (C&C 35) from L.C.Y.C. competing on the fifth stage only.

The skipper of Sunny J., John Wright, was awarded the prestigious “On the Edge” Trophy, a skippers' choice award to be awarded to the skipper who best exemplified sailing on the edge.

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