There was plenty of action from the Open 5.70 North Americans held in San Francisco. Conditions were perfect – 15 to 18 knots of breeze and a slack/flood giving us relatively smooth water in which to race. With 20 Open 5.70s on the starting line the competition was fierce – in the end only 1 point separated 1st and 2nd place after 9 races.

Highlights of the regatta included a fly-by from the Space Shuttle as it crossed over the Golden Gate Bridge. Then on Friday all the Open 5.70 sailors ended up sharing the race course with the AC45s who were out practicing for their event coming up in October. These AC boats are amazing and it was a real treat to be on the water sailing in such close proximity… there were some close calls but ultimately we managed to stay out of each others way!

Tom Baffico and crew narrowly beat out Tracey Kenney (who had 5 bullets) for the title of “Open 5.70 North American Champion”. Full Results.

The event was heavily photographed from the RC boats, the shore, professional photographers, AC photographers, etc, etc. We’re still getting ourselves organized but there are plenty of photos on display on our Facebook Page, and we have an early article published on Latitude 38.

Stay tuned for more videos & articles…

The 2012 Open 5.70 North American Championship is going to be held in San Francisco, CA at Golden Gate Yacht Club. The regatta will see 20+ Open 5.70s competing for the coveted “Open 5.70 Keel” perpetual trophy. The regatta will take place along the city front in San Francisco – the same venue that the AC45s use for the Americas Cup. This venue is known for it’s great breeze and provides spectators on shore with an up close and intimate perspective of all the action!

Visit the North American Championships page on the Open 5.70 Class Association website or follow the event on Facebook!