We would like to thank the Balboa Yacht Club Maritime Sciences and Seamanship Foundation for the generous financial support that enabled us to compete in the 2019 C420 North American Championships. This year’s venue was on the San Francisco city front, which is known for its strong breeze and powerful current. These factors proved to be very important throughout the regatta as the boats who could accurately read the conditions were able to use the current to their advantage instead of fighting against it. One area where we initially struggled at the regatta was in our starts. Because of the current, we found it difficult to hold our position on the line without becoming buried under other boats or being pushed over; however, we were able to improve with each day of racing and our starts significantly improved by the end of the regatta. Finally, we felt that our greatest strength was our upwind boat speed. We were able to keep the boat flat and power through waves, which allowed us to get up on a plane quickly.
Overall, we had a great experience at North Americans, and we are extremely grateful to BYC MSSF for supporting our goals and giving us this amazing opportunity.
Kenny Wanlass and Jean Wanlass, BYC Race Team