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ROLEX REGATTA OPENS WITH ACTION

April 14, 2001 – The National Weather Service predicted winds of 15 to 20 knots for Friday the 13th, and sailors participating in the Rolex Cup Regatta said the weatherman was right. Race committee head Arlen Wheeler was able to run one race for the cruising classes and two races for the spinnaker racing and beach cat classes.
The strongest consistent winds of the 2001 Caribbean Ocean Racing Triangle series caused some difficulties but there were no reports of major injuries or damage. One beach catamaran was dismasted. However, damage was minimal and the crew expects to race the remaining two days. Aboard Orion, a Melges 24 racing out of Puerto Rico, a crewman slipped and broke his nose according to Dr. Bill Troutman.
Troutman, racing aboard Seaborne Airlines with Chris Rosenberg in highly competitive Melges 24 class, said they won both races on Friday, the first by over three minutes. This is a big change from the previous regattas where Seaborne, Orion, and other top Melges were very close around the course. Rosenberg offered no definitive explanation for their success on day one, but suggested that his experience in the stronger winds and sea conditions was one advantage.
A battle is developing in the spinnaker beach cat class with Puerto Rico's Olympic catamaran sailor Enrique "Kique" Figueroa winning the first race and multiple Rolex catamaran champion John Holmberg winning the second. In the strong winds, the spinnaker catamarans were passing every boat on the race course on the reaching legs of the course.
The winds are predicted to decrease to about 15 knots on Saturday.
Below you will find the preliminary results of day one of racaing.
For ongiong updates on race results when they become available go to www.rolexcupregatta.com.
Class A — Spinnaker Racing (7 boats)
1. EQUATION, Santa Cruz 68, Bill Alcott, St. Claire Shores, Mich., 1-1, 2
2. GRINS, Andrews 70, Richard Orchard, Atlanta, Ga., 4-2, 6
3. TITAN X, Farr 40, Tom Hill, San Juan, PR, 3-4, 7
Class B — Spinnaker Racing (9 boats)
1. CACCIA ALLA VOLPE, Vallicelli 44, Carlo Falcone, Antigua, 1-1, 2
2. LOST HORIZON, Olson 30, James Dobbs, Antigua, 2-3, 5
3. MERMAID II, Custom 40, Bill Berardelli, Tortola, BVI, 4-2, 6
Class C — Spinnaker Racing (8 boats)
1. EX MERO MOTU, J/80, Antonio Mari Jr., San Juan, PR, 1-1, 2
2.(t) INTIMIDATOR, J/30, Lorenzo Lopez, Hato Rey, PR, 4-2, 6
2.(t) SORCERESS, Tartan 10, Paul Lordi, St. Croix, USVI, 3-3, 6
2.(t) MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, J/27, John Foster, St. Thomas, USVI, 2-4, 6
Class D — Spinnaker Racing (11 boats)
1. SEABORNE AIRLINES, Melges 24, Chris Rosenberg, St. Thomas, USVI, 1-1, 2
2. ORION, Melges 24, Efrain Lugo, Ponce, PR, 2-2, 4
3. 2 CONTACT CARIB, Melges 24, Fritz Bus, St. Maarten, 4-3, 7
Class G — Spinnaker Racing (8 boats)
1. DON Q CRISTAL, J/24, Michael Serralles, San Juan, PR, 2-1, 3
2. BRAVISSIMO, J/24, Pedro Quinones, San Juan, PR, 1-2, 3
3. JERSEY DEVIL, J/24, Scott Stanton, St. Croix, USVI, 6-3, 9
Class E — Spinnaker Racing/Cruising (11 boats)
1. COLD BEER, Tartan 10, John Schultheiss, Tortola, BVI, 2-1, 3
2. POLYPHAGUS, Sigma 38, Stephen Porter, London, England, 3-2, 5
3. PIPE DREAM, Sirena 38, Peter Haycraft, Tortola, BVI, 1-5, 6
Class H — Non-Spinnaker Racing (5 boats)
1. WILDFLOWER, Sabre 402, Ron Noonan, Marion, Mass., 1, 1
2. KRACKER JACK, Olsen 40, Freddie Andrews, PR, 2, 2
3. ALLIANCE CHELSEA, Sigma 38, Mark Kenworth, Hamble, UK, 3, 3
Class I — Jib & Main Racing (11 boats)
1. NEMESIS, Hunter 42, Edwin Cruz, Fajardo, PR, 1, 1
2. BOLERO, J/42, Domingo Pagan, PR, 2, 2
3. HIRONDELLE, Rhodes 29, Neil Newhard, St. John, USVI, 3, 3
Class K — Interclub-24 (6 boats)
1. RED DOG, IC-24, Mike Williams, St. Thomas, USVI, 1-1-1.5-1, 4.5
2. NO SEA EM, IC-24, Chris Thompson, St. Thomas, USVI, 2-3-1.5-2, 8.5
3. BOAT DRINKS, IC-24, Bill Canfield/Ed Drury, St. Thomas, USVI, 4-2-5-3, 14
Class F1 — Beach Cats Spinnaker (6 boats)
1. CLAIMS PAID, Inter 20, John Holmberg, St. Thomas, USVI, 1-1, 2
2. SUZUKI, Hobie Fox 20, Enrique Figueroa, San Juan, PR, 2-2, 4
3. WAR, IC-24, Chris Curreri, St. Thomas, USVI, 4-4, 8
Class F2 — Beachcats Non-Spinnaker (9 boats)
1. YUISA, Hobie 16, Rosarito Martinez, PR, 1-1, 2
2. HF MORTGAGE BANK, Hobie 16, Ibrahim Mustafa, PR, 2-2, 4
3. RUSH, Prindle 19, Bruced Merced, St. Thomas, USVI, 3-3, 6

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