SAILING NEWS

Crew From AmericaOne Return From Auckland To Race At Acura SORC

Miami, FL, March 7, 1999-- The Southern Ocean Racing Conference in Miami had a new name this year -- Acura SORC. The fleet was slightly smaller than last year but the Grand Prix IMS competition was excellent. AmericaOne Terry Hutchinson, Carter Perrin and Morgan Larson joined designer Bruce Nelson and headed straight for Miami after their two-month training session in Auckland, New Zealand to crew aboard top IMS boats. Morgan sent this report when it was all over:

After returning from two months of sailing in Auckland, AmericaOne crewmembers are back on the water and sailing in the US. Paul and his match racing team will begin the Congressional Cup tomorrow while several of us have just finished racing in Miami at the annual Acura SORC Regatta.

In Miami conditions were ideal for racing. The sun was out and the week started with great breezes. AmericaOne trimmer Carter Perrin was aboard one of the new 1D35's. Carter acted as tactician for AmericaOne Founders' Club member Peter Stoneberg on Wild Thing. This was their first time aboard the 1D35 and they put in a solid performance in the sometimes tricky conditions.

Terry Hutchinson made it back home to Annapolis from Auckland in time to see his new son Elias born on the 27th of February. And he made it down to Miami to race aboard the Bruce Nelson-designed Vim. Terry acted as tactician for most of the regatta and took over as helmsman in the end. Vim is one of the new Nelson designs that is turning heads on the IMS racing scene. Congratulations to Terry and his wife Shell on their new son.

The newly launched IMS 50-footer Idler dominated the regatta. Bruce Nelson designed the boat and raced aboard her as well. Idler won the Grand Prix IMS fleet by over 19 points with nearly all first place finishes. This is good news for AmericaOne as Bruce is heading up our design team. If this boat is any indication of our new boat we are going to be scary fast!

I had a great week sailing aboard the Italian 40-footer Merit Cup. It was a tough regatta for us in Miami. Merit Cup will race on the European team in this summer's Champagne Mumm Admiral's Cup in England. The week was good training for this young Italian team. I came away from the week with a better grasp of the Italian language or at least some good Italian slang!

Look tomorrow for Paul's report on the Congressional Cup being sailed in Long Beach all this week.

Morgan Larson

AmericaOne

For more about Acura SORC, go to regattas.com.

HOME PORT | NEWSLINE