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Whitman/Dorsett Sailing Finish 2nd at Miami Olympic Classes Regatta

Posted on February 5th. Look for next posting on February 22nd.

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Scott and Julia looking upwind prior to a start.

After a tough first day in the SKUD 18 class, Scott and Julia rallied, finishing off the Miami OCR with finishes of 1-2-1-2-1. It was a predominantly light air event; the breeze in the windiest race was only about 11 knots. Several races were held in the 3 – 5 knot range. Nick Scandone and Maureen McKinnon-Tucker excelled in the conditions, winning the first 5 races of the event. With no finish worse than 3rd, Nick and Maureen were in control of the regatta from beginning to end.

Scott and Julia entered the event this year hoping to repeat their 1st place performance from the 2007 Miami OCR. Although they were unable to duplicate that feat, the pair were happy with how they performed. Scott Whitman remarked, “We had a tough one early on, but we are happy with how we sailed after that. Nick is going really well right now. You make one mistake, and he’s gone.”

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Scott and Julia just after rounding a windward mark in 1st Place.

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Rounding a leeward mark in close quarters.

Scott and Julia should be happy with how they sailed. They were very fast, and had excellent boathandling. It was great to see team USA finish 1 – 2 as the majority of the world’s top SKUD 18 teams were racing in the regatta. The next event for Whitman/Dorsett Sailing will be the SKUD 18 Midwinters, which will be held in St. Petersburg in late February. Scott and Julia have some training scheduled prior to that event with Nick and Maureen. After the Midwinters, they will be heading west for some tuning sessions near Nick’s home in Southern California. That training time will be in preparation for the next big event on the Whitman/Dorsett schedule, the International Regatta in Qingdao, China. Regatta dates are May 8 – 16.

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Bull and Bear Sailing Carl Horrocks, smiles after winning a race in the 2.4 Meter Class.

Carl finished 5th overall in the very competitive 25 boat fleet.