The first stop of the three-stage California Dreamin’ Series attracted eight teams on March 9-10 in San Francisco, CA in J/22s. The inhospitable conditions of rain, variable wind, squalls, lightning and squirrely current didn’t deter local match racing champion Nicole Breault and her team of Molly Carapiet, Karen Loutzenheiser and Hannah Burroughs. The four women, known as Vela Racing, won 11 of 12 races – losing just once to Breault’s husband, Bruce Stone, and his team of Spencer Paulsen, Stephanie Wondolleck and Halsey Richartz, who finished third overall. Second place was nabbed by Chris Nesbitt, sailing with Drew Guay, Michael Nicoletti and Kara Voss. “It was very challenging out there,” said Breault, who’s the top-ranked women’s match racer in the United States. “The theme of this weekend was ‘this is so weird,’ which accounts for all the variables, the currents, the cross-currents. We’ve been sailing together for a long time, and we’re trying to gear up for the Nations Cup, coming here to the St. Francis on April 10-14. This was a great warm-up for us and lays a solid foundation for the year.”
2019 CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’ SERIES
March 9-10: St. Francis Yacht Club in J/22s
October 5-6: San Diego Yacht Club in J/22s
November 2-3: Long Beach Yacht Club in Catalina 37s
For more Series details, visit https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/2019-CDS-NoSFinal.pdf.