Herrmann Secures Elusive Finn Sailing Championship

As Seattle sailor Mark Herrmann finished the sixth race of the Marblehead (Mass.) Olympic Classes Regatta last weekend, he savored the taste of hard-won victory at the top level of Finn competition.

His celebration was delayed, though. To his surprise and dismay, the race committee managed to squeeze in a start five minutes before the cutoff time.

To maintain his series lead in the final race, Herrmann had to make sure Canada's Larry Lemieux did not finish more than one place ahead of him, not an easy task in an ultracompetitive fleet of Finns.

After getting ahead of Herrmann on the first leg, Lemieux tried to slow Herrmann down and drive him back into the fleet.

During the second windward leg, a boat got between them, but Herrmann repassed it, finished right behind Lemieux and hung on to the series victory. The tough final race made the taste of success even sweeter.

``It was a fight right to the end,'' Herrmann said.

Herrmann's victory came after strong finishes in the nationals in Illinois and the CORK regatta at Kingston, Ontario. The victory, against virtually all of the top North American Finn sailors, also showed he may be a major player in the 1992 U.S. Olympic-team Finn trials.

Herrmann's campaign will get a boost from a fund-raising party Oct. 26 at the Corinthian Yacht Club. For details, call 548-9291.

Large vessel turnout

-- Even the race committee was surprised by the number of boats that appeared for the Seattle Yacht Club's single- and double-handed championships last Sunday. Fifty-two boats started, more than double last year's total.

``We were elated,'' said the committee's Bill Denny, who credited the participation to four local clubs coordinating their separate single- and double-handed racing schedules.

The Seattle Y.C. regatta was third in a four-race series that culminates Sept. 29 with sloop Tavern Yacht Club's double-handed race. For details call 778-9315.

Figuring handicaps into the start times made the Seattle Y.C. race, sailed on Puget Sound Sunday, much more interesting. With the staggered starts, boats of different sizes finished close together.

In the 34-boat double-handed division, Ken and Kathy Vander Hoek's 26-foot Steamer held off Wings, Fred Rowold's 43-footer.

Notes

-- The Tacoma Women's Sailing Association regatta last Saturday was held in light air. Joan Storkman in Fandango won Class 2 and overall honors, while Marilyn Thordarson won Class 1 in Escape. The TWSA is holding a racing clinic this weekend with a star-studded list of instructors. Details: 857-7221.

-- Labor Day weekend in Bellingham, Bill Lenihan's Paddy Wagon won PHRF Class 1 in the PITCH race.

-- Milltown Sailing Association ran a successful fun series in its inaugural sponsorship of Son of Pitch, also held Labor Day weekend. About 50 boats participated in two races Saturday and three Sunday. Several classes were hotly contested, including Class C where Dennis Clark's revamped Olson 30 Lunchbox edged Dick Rose's Sloop du Jour by one point.

-- Jack Christiansen and his well-honed crew of Magic Bullet sailed a consistent series to win the J-24 district championships Aug. 25-26 off Shilshole. Bullet topped the 35-boat fleet without winning a single race.

-- Seattle Star sailors Bill Buchan, Carl Buchan and Larry Whipple will be in Cleveland for the Star World Championships starting Sept. 19. Carl dominated this year on Puget Sound but Bill, his father, has developed a new mainsail/rig combination that may be a big help in the championships .