Another day, another 2 first place finishes for Jim Richardson and his team aboard Barking Mad at the 2008 Sperry Top Sider Annapolis NOOD Regatta.  For the second day in a row, the blue boat from Newport was just a little bit higher than the rest of the fleet upwind and fast downwind flying the asymmetrical spinnaker.  “Morgan (Trubovich) and Terry (Hutchinson) have done a great job getting the rig tune together,” commented Richardson when asked about his performance.  “The crew work on our boat has also been fantastic, which has really opened up our options.”  Richardson himself has also been a huge part of the winning equation with his immense talents and experience as a helmsman.

The fleet rounds Mark 1 in race #5  - Ian Burman video

The first race of the second day and fifth of the series began in about 8 knots out of the northeast with flat water under mostly cloudy skies.  The current was running against the wind, which created a higher apparent wind on the water and pushed the fleet up to and over the line at the start.  Moxie and Optimum were the biggest victims of the current and both boats were called over early and had to restart.  Bodo and Nick von der Wense’s Turbo Duck got a great start down near the pin and were able to tack out right away to the middle of the bay and more favorable current.  The strategy paid off, as Turbo Duck enjoyed a narrow lead over Barking Mad and Jeff Maludy’s Adrenalin, which were further to the left side of the course, at the first mark.  As Turbo Duck reached the offset, they were a little hast going for the hoist and the team from Annapolis developed a huge twist in the spinnaker that took a while to work itself loose.  The mix up gave Barking Mad the opportunity to establish an inside controlling position and a clear path to victory in Race 5.  Tubo Duck and Illusion were second and third, and Guy Stening’s Optimum from Sydney, Australia completed a fantastic comeback by finishing fourth.

The finish of Race #5 - Ian Burman video

Race #6 started as the current began to switch and the fleet was all clear at the start.  A handful of boats headed out to the middle of the bay up the first beat, looking for the current boost that was there during race #5, only to find themselves well behind at the first mark.  With the current switching to run with the wind, the apparent wind on the course became much lighter and the fleet became much more spread out.  Barking Mad again found itself on top, followed by Optimum, Moxie and Kinetic.  Barking Mad and Optimum were able to remain 1-2 to the finish and David Sutcliffe’s Kinetic was able to pass Jim Allsopp’s Moxie just before the finish as Moxie got held up in slower traffic in the lightening winds.

The fleet rounds Mark 1 of Race 6 - Ian Burman video

After a brief period of waiting around for the wind to settle out, the Race Committee, led by PRO Taran Teague, made the fantastic decision to send the fleet in and conclude the event tomorrow.  Two races are scheduled tomorrow to complete the eight race series.  Barking Mad currently holds a considerable lead over Optimum with a handful of boats holding a chance of capturing third.  There are no throw outs in the M 30 class, so any thing can happen in the stiffer breezes predicted for the final day.  The conplete overall results have not yet been posted, but they will be available at: http://sailingworld.com/nood-regattas/annapolis-md/2008-annapolis-nood-regatta---day-2-results-1000059681.html