East Coast boat holds its own against locals
LONG BEACH, Calif.—Brian and Stephen Tedeschi’s J/109, Tastes Like Chicken, Newport, R.I., got off to a great start Friday to lead the first day of racing by posting first- and second-place finishes in the J/109 North American Championships, leading five local boats and two out-of-towners.
The regatta, hosted by Long Beach Yacht Club, may have only eight boats entered (a disappointing number of entries for the J/109 Class Association) but represents the top boats in the class.
“It was very competitive, tough racing today,” Stephen Tedeschi said. “The numbers may be low, but the competition is high. These are some of the top boats in California. We won major regattas on the East Coast, but some of these California boats like Current Obsession are going to be tough.”
Tedeschi was referring to the current second-place boat of Gary Mozer, from Long Beach Yacht Club. Mozer finished fifth in the first race but came back to finish first in the second.
“The first race, we didn’t work as a team,” said Mozer. “But the second race we came together and it really gelled. With this fleet, there is a lot of competition, but we’re also having a lot of fun.
“Chicken is a great boat and they’re really nice guys. We just have a lot of local knowledge with three of our crew from either LBYC or Alamitos Bay Yacht Club and that will really help us.”
Tedeschi agreed, “We learned quickly today that when the wind starts to fill it shifts to the right,” referring to Friday’s relatively light 5-7 knots. “We tried to sail conservatively today, not wanting to make any mistakes and played the shifts.”
Mozer added, “We plan on being consistent tomorrow and keep working as a team.”
Tastes Like Chicken should keep an eye out for the locals Saturday. In California, some are obsessed with eating chicken.
Racing continues Saturday with three races scheduled followed by two on Sunday, conditions permitting. Racing starts at 12:55 p.m. each day.
Current Standings
1. Brian & Stephen Tedeschi, Tastes Like Chicken, Storm Trysail Club, 1-2, 3 points
2. Gary Mozer, Current Obsession, LBYC, 5-1, 6
3. John Shulze, Linstar, Balboa Yacht Club, 2-5, 7
4. Jon Halbert, Vitesse, Dallas, Tx., 4-3, 7
5. Tony Wetherbee, Commotion, Balboa YC, 3-6, 9
6. Tom Brott, Electra, Seal Beach YC, 6-4, 10
7. Bryce Benjamin, Persistence, California YC, 7-7, 14
8. Chris Mewes, Shadowfax, Navy YC Long Beach, 8-8, 16
Race information and official standings at: www.lbyc.org
