F18 North Americans 2015: Sarah Newberry & Matthew Whitehead Champs

 All images Charlotte Regatta FB / Photoboat.com – Check entire gallery at photoboatgallery.net/2015-f18-americas-championship — Last week I wrote on how the Nacra 17 Olympic Class should change from mandatory ‘Mixed’ to Open for 2020 Olympics. And if any fact was needed to support that statement  Sarah Newberry & Matthew Whitehead win at the 2015 North Americans against a pack of the best male crews in the US, put a final closure to any possible counter argument or possbile discussion.

Historic regatta in my view and a milestone event marking the path to follow for future Olympic multihulls. There is no better promotion for the sport, for the Class and for women sailing than what Sarah & Matthew have achieved at Charlotte Harbor, more with wind conditions they had and specially winning over the Nr 1 US crew: Mike Easton & Tripp Burd who can easily be racing together at Olympic level if Nacra 17 would be an Open Class.

This win can match Carolijn Brouwer Texel win some years ago. Congrats to two hardcore F18 & Nacra 17 sailors, Sarah Newberry & Matthew Whitehead for one of the most important wins in the History of Multihull racing.

Below Report sent by Brian Gleason & Top ten, Full results at www.regattatech.com
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2015 Zhik F18 Americas Championship , Oct. 17-25, 2015
Charlotte Harbor, Florida, 33980 , www. charlotteharborregatta.com

TRIPLE CROWN FOR NEWBERRY, WHITEHEAD IN ZHIK F18 AMERICAS

Sarah Newberry and Matthew Whitehead finished off the 2015 Zhik F18 Americas Championship the way they started it, with a bullet. The U.S. Olympic Sailing Team hopefuls didn’t need it. Two third-place finishes in Friday’s races had already sealed the title, but the win added an emphatic finish to a dominant performance that saw the duo win seven of 15 races. Their worst finishes were a sixth and a seventh on Thursday, both of which didn’t count under the regatta’s two throw-out format.

In addition to the Zhik F18 Americas Championship crown, Newberry and Whitehead won the 2015 U.S. F18 Nationals laurels and the 2015 Zhik F18 Americas Mixed-Crew title. They are the first winners of the class’s annual championship not named Easton or Burd.

Three-time defending champions Michael Easton and Tripp Burd had the winners in their sights as Friday began with winds in the mid-teens and a menacing sky. But despite winning the second race, they were still 12 points back with one race to go and no mathematical chance to win. They finished with a sixth place and wound up 17 points back.

John Casey and Colin Page notched two second-place finishes, but a sixth in Race 2 cost them a chance to overtake Easton and Burd for second place overall. They finished two points back in third.

Charles Tomeo and Dalton Tebo jumped up a spot to fourth place on the strength of a win in the first race Friday and a pair of fifths to end the day. Olivier Pilon and Maxime Loiselle of Canada logged a pair of fourths trying to hold onto their Day 4 position, but a 12th place in the last race forced them to burn their second throw-out on that race and they wound up five points back of Tomeo and Tebo.

Robbie Daniel Keenan Madewell had their best day of the week, with a third, a sixth and an eighth, to place sixth overall.

Scott Miller and Alberto Serrano won the Zhik F18 Americas Masters title, beating a 10-crew field of sailors with a combined age of 85 or older. They finished 11th overall, finishing in the Top 10 in seven of 15 races. Their best result was a sixth on Wednesday.

For results and information, go to usf18.com. For more photos, go to the Charlotte Harbor Regatta page on Facebook.

Brian Gleason
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