2024 Hobie 16 Open North American Championship at Roton Point Association
by Rich McVeigh 22 Sep 2024 21:33 PDT
September 16-20, 2024
2024 Hobie 16 Open North American Championship at Roton Point Association © Shoreline Photography
The Hobie 16 North American Championship was held at Roton Point Sailing Association in Rowayton, CT. Sailing on Long Island sound, a tidal estuary just north of New York City, 50 teams from the North American region are competing in this week-long event.
A persistent high pressure over the New England states, while delivering very pleasant temperatures, kept the winds on the lighter side for much of the week. An active sea state and full moon tides added to the challenge. Most races were completed in moderate winds of 8 - 14 knots with significant current. Early in the week the strong ebb tide was pushing boats over the line but later in the week the flood showed up with the opposite effect. Crossing the start line and getting around the weather mark was a challenge.
Competition was fierce throughout the event, and after 11 races, the battle for the championship title ended in a dramatic tie. Both leading teams finished with identical scores, forcing the race committee to apply the tie-breaker rule. The tie-break came down to the number of fourth-place finishes. Francisco Figueroa and Faith Payne (PUR) edged out Ben Brown and Casey Brown (USA) by having two fourth-place finishes compared to the Browns' one.
As a result, Francisco Figueroa and Faith Payne (PUR) were crowned the 2024 Hobie 16 North American Champions.
Overall Results: (top three)
1. Francisco Figueroa / Faith Payne (PUR)
2. Ben Brown / Casey Brown (USA)
3. Mark Modderman / Jose Justiniano (USA)
Final results are available on Regatta Network. Additional photos can be found here.