Four J/22 World Champions finished in the top five of the J/22 Midwinter Championship at Houston Yacht Club in Texas, but it was 1999 Champion Mark Foster on Pressure Drop who edged out fellow Texan Terry Flynn on Tejas to earn the title on a tie-breaker. Both teams had net points of 23, but Foster’s bullets secured the top spot. Fellow past World Champions Mike Marshall on Bad News and Chris Doyle on The Jug 4 1 finished third and fifth, respectively, with Travis Odenbach’s HoneyBadger in fourth. Thirty-nine teams completed eight races on Friday and Saturday, however light winds did not allow the final scheduled contest on Sunday. With nearly 40 boats on the line, this attendance matched the highest for a J/22 Midwinter Championship since 2008. Foster, with crew Brian Babbitt and Matt Romberg, enjoyed battling it out with friend Flynn, who he has known more than 30 years. “We have sailed together in many Championships,” said Foster. “Terry was sailing the boat I won the Worlds in (hull 707), and I was sailing the boat Terry won the Worlds in (hull 1501)!”
The top five:
- Mark Foster/Brian Babbitt/Matt Romberg, CCYC, [16]-5-6-1-1-3-4-3- ; 23T
- Terry Flynn/Brett Allred/Bryan Calk, GBCA/FWBC, 3-5/RDG-5-4-2-[10]-2-2- ; 23T
- Michael Marshall, NYYC, 5-1-3-8-5-7-[11]-4- ; 33
- Travis Odenbach/Justin Damore/Kris Werner, RYC, 2-4-2-7-[40/OCS]-13-1-7- ; 36
- Chris Doyle/Will Harris/Adam Burns, YYC, 9-3-1-3-12-[19]-10-1- ; 39
Photos are available on the J/22 Class Facebook page, and complete results may be found at www.j22mw.com.