15 Mercurys entered the 2018 National Championship regatta, organized by the Los Angeles YC and sailed in Hurricane Gulch in San Pedro. The courses were from the starting line to a windward mark and then downwind to a gate and finish back upwind.That was considered once around. However for all the races except race.4, an extra leeward/windward leg was added, and for race 4 another leeward/windward leg was added.

Race one started in 10 knots and building to 13 knots. The starting line gave all plenty of room. Normally racers go right in the Gultch but Chris Messano and crew Doug McLean instead went left and had a nice lead at the weather mark. No one could touch them and this set the tone for the weekend. John Ravizza and Chris Boome beat off the others to place second. Chris Rabb and Kenny Dair, using Mike Burch’s Merc, placed third. David West and Tony Basso were fourth followed in fifth place by Chris and Robert Lanzafame.

In race two the wind getting up to 16 with puffs to 19, changed the order of finishes a lot. Dave Bacci and Eric Strassevitch really turned it on to place second as they could not top Messano who won. Third place went to Steve Jeppesen and Ken Maring. Some San Francisco bay boats like this kind of breeze. Bill Worden and Don Whelan eating this breeze alive placed fourth. Class President Park Densmore and Mike Trela had their best race to place fifth.

Race three, the breeze was up a couple of knots. Whatever it blew, it did not matter to Messano. He just went right on winning. Bacci had his groove also and he placed second again. The big guys were doing it as Lazafame placed third. Ravizza after a little stumble in race two, placed fourth. West placed fifth, also after a little stumble in race two.

The first day ended with Messano unchallenged and Bacci with a solid second place. Day two's race four saw different conditions. The breeze came in about 9 knots, shifty and with some holes on the race course. The course had another leeward and windward leg to it. This turned out to be the closest race as 3 mercs, Messano, Ravizza and West were all on the final leg to the finish. It looked as though Ravizza had control over the other two, but Messano aced him out at the finish. West was third followed by Jeppesen and in fifth place, Mac Kilpatrick and Jim Taylor.

In the fifth and final race of the series nobody could stop Messano from getting a clean sweep winning the race and the series. West was second to pull into a tie with Ravizza, who was fourth, for second place in the series. Ravizza won the tie breaker. Third place in the race went to Kilpatric. Worden placed fifth, which was enough for him to place fifth in the series.
Congratulations to Chris Messano, first place and the winner of all the perpetual trophies that are awarded for winning each race of the series. President Park Densmore won the Silver fleet trophy and Doug Baird and Katy Worden won the Jack and Jill Trophy.

Many thanks to Commodore Damon Guizot for organizing the regatta. We thank the Los Angeles YC for their great hospitality and race committee work on and off the water.

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