NEW JERSEY CITY, N.J. (October 12, 2015) – The spectator experience was breathtaking. The racing conditions were fantastic. And the talent on display in New York Harbor was remarkable. The 2015 U.S. Adult Sailing Championship wrapped-up on Monday after three exhilarating days over Columbus Day weekend.
In what was described as a “miracle race” by Eric Leitner, the host club representative from the Manhattan Yacht Club edged out a competitive field in the final race of the regatta to win the Clifford D. Mallory Trophy. Placing just two points behind Leitner in second place was Mark Hillman of the Chesapeake Bay Yacht Racing Association, who was in the lead entering the 12th and final race.
“In the last race, we rounded the windward mark in sixth and were going to gybe, but the boats gybed inside of us, so we held off and all the boats passed us,” explained Leitner. “We went right and just hoped it played out. We were the furthest team right and when we came in we managed to squeeze in front of the two boats and the rest is history.”
Leitner’s crew included Adam Sandberg, Doug Witter, and Michael Ambrose, and Tom Sinatra. The come-from-behind win was capped off when Leitner’s team finished second and first in Monday’s two races. They were eight points behind Hillman when the day started. Hillman posted a pair of seventh place finishes on Monday.
Carter White of the Northeast Sailing Association also had a strong finish by placing first and second on the final day. The top three teams were separated by just five points.
“We probably had about three and a half knots of current out here, so it was pretty crazy,” mentioned White. “In only four or five knots of breeze, that made things difficult. We had some interesting mark roundings where you had to sail past the mark and pray you could get around it. It made it challenging but everyone had the same body of water to sail in.
“It’s just great to get in equal boats with people of equal skill sets, which made for some close racing.
“The nice part of this event is that it moves around the country each year. If we can do it, we’d love to race at this event again.”
Fourteen teams battled it out in this historic US Sailing Championship, hosted by the Manhattan Yacht Club. Teams were comprised of both men and women in J/24 class sailboats. Regional Sailing Associations (RSA) selected their respective teams to compete.
With the Manhattan skyline and the Statue of Liberty as the picturesque backdrop, spectators enjoyed the viewing from the shoreline of Liberty Park and from Ellis Island.
For standings, photos, Twitter updates, and more information from the 2015 U.S. Adult Sailing Championship, please visit the event website. For a collection of great views of this championship, search #MalloryTrophy15 on Instagram.
Top 5 – Final Standings
1. Eric Leitner/Adam Sandberg/Doug Witter/Michael Ambrose/Tom Sinatra, Manhattan Yacht Club, 9-1-7-1-1-1-8-3-9-4-2-1- ; 47
2. Mark Hillman/Jon Forst/Eric Reinke/Ron Weed, Chesapeake Bay Yacht Racing Association, 2-6/TLE-4-2-5-2-3-8-1-2-7-7- ; 49
3. Carter White/Molly White/Michael Mcallister/Ben McAndrew/Fiona Gordon, Northeast Sailing Association, 1-4-1-15/TLE-3-3-12-5-4-1-1-2- ; 52
4. Talbott Ingram/David Whittle/Carol Lee Ingram/Stuart Van Winkle/Robert Slook, North Jersey Yacht Racing Association, 7-2-2-8-6-7-11-6-10-13-4-3- ; 79
5. Bryan Dyer/tony waldon/Jeffrey Keller/Marc Nilsson, Texas Sailing Association, 3-6/TLE-8-10-14-8-2-13-2-6-5-5- ; 82
Complete Standings
Social Media Highlights:
Race 4 start at U.S. Adult Sailing Championship! #mallorytrophy15 A photo posted by US Sailing (@ussailing) on
Race 8 and if positions hold there might be another change on the leaderboard! #mallorytrophy15 #manhattanyachtclub pic.twitter.com/xAPs8SCnIg
— Manhattan Yacht Club (@Manhattan_YC) October 11, 2015
US Sailing Media Contact: Jake Fish, jakefish@ussailing.org
About US Sailing
The United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), the national governing body for sailing, provides leadership, integrity, and growth for the sport in the United States. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, US Sailing is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. US Sailing offers training and education programs for instructors and race officials, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, issues offshore rating certificates, and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country, including National Championships and the US Sailing Team Sperry. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org.
About Gill North America
Gill NA, with headquarters near Atlanta, GA is the exclusive importer and distributor of Gill-brand foul weather gear in North America including Caribbean, US and Canada. Gill is a worldwide apparel and accessories brand serving the marine industry with over three decades of experience. Gill specializes in high tech, breathable waterproof clothing. The company develops and markets a variety of performance-oriented, award-winning apparel and accessories for virtually every type of boating activity with product lines that include foul weather gear; interactive layering systems; footwear; gloves; bags; junior gear; scholastic gear and team wear. Gill products are available through hundreds of independent dealers and select West Marine Stores. For further information, please contact: Gary Barker at 941-505-2111 or gary.barker@gillna.com.
About Switlik Survival Products
Established in 1920, Switlik Parachute Co. has been owned and operated by the Switlik family for four generations and is known worldwide as a manufacturer of the highest quality sewn and heat sealed inflatable safety and survival products for the aviation, marine, and military/government markets. Our capabilities include a wide variety of anti-exposure and anti-g suits, inflatable life rafts, inflatable life vests, inflation systems and other specialty textile-based military equipment all manufactured at our 85,000 sq. ft. facility located in Trenton, NJ USA. www.switlik.com