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Lowry and Martin lead the pack with random precision
SAN FRANCISCO, CA—Racing concluded on Sunday, September 24, for the 2023 5O5 Pre-Worlds and North American Championships at St. Francis Yacht Club. The event was held on two sailing areas on San Francisco Bay, with the first day of racing on Saturday held on Race Area A, west of Alcatraz Island, and the second day on Race Area B, just west of Treasure Island.
On Saturday, after three races, San Francisco Bay locals Mike Martin and Adam Lowry were leading the pack of 60 teams, with a 2-2-1 score line. Racing was very tight with boats up and down the fleet gravitating toward each other at the marks, and the leading duo favored the South side of the course for most of the day.
On Sunday, sailors were greeted with a mild cross-current and more champagne conditions for San Francisco Bay. Three races were completed on windward-leeward courses with the final race finishing to windward to help the sailors return to the harbor at St. Francis Yacht Club.
Martin and Lowry continued their lead, finishing first and winning both the new Howard Hamlin Pre-Worlds Perpetual Trophy as well as the North American Championship trophy. Nic Baird and Eric Anderson scored two bullets on the final day, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Martin and Lowry’s lead. Third place for the Pre-Worlds went to the British team of Nathan Batchelor and Sam Pascoe, and the third-place North American team was Howard Hamlin and Jeff Nelson.
On Sunday evening, trophies were awarded at St. Francis Yacht Club and race organizers officially opened the 5O5 World Championship. Racing begins on Tuesday, September 26, with first warning at 12:00pm Pacific Time.
The 5O5 Worlds will run from September 26 through October 1, with five days of racing and one lay day.
The event has drawn a diverse field of competitive teams from the United States, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland and Poland, including several past world champions: Howard Hamlin (1999) and Jeff Nelson (2009); Mike Holt (2014, 2015, 2017) and Carl Smit (2015, 2017); Mike Martin (1999, 2009, 2016, 2019) and Adam Lowry (2016, 2019); and Ian Pinnell (2008).
Photos: https://www.h2oshots.com/2023-Sailin...rth-Americans/
https://www.int505.org/2023-world-ch...san-francisco/