J/24 World Championship 2024 at the Corinthian Yacht Club of Seattle – Day 2
by Jay Leon 3 Oct 00:21 PDT
October 1-5, 2024
‘Tremendous Slouch’ claims victory in race 3 – J/24 World Championship in Seattle © Dennis Pearce
In Caddyshack, Judge Smails asks Ty Webb, the laid-back golf pro characterized by Chevy Chase, “What was your score today?”, to which Ty responds, “Oh Judge, I don’t keep track of scores,” prompting the Judge to ask, “Then how do you measure yourself against other golfers?” and Ty replies, “By height.”
After the first race today turned the fleet upside down, some J/24 sailors wished they had a different way to measure their performance. Yesterday, the rankings were clear-cut, aligning with expectations as the highly polished and skilled teams dominated the top spots.
The first race today featured a slowly building northerly breeze of 3 to 7 knots, providing a considerable challenge. The initial rounding at the weather mark turned into a chaotic scene, leading to some dramatic wins and significant losses.
Once the scores were finalized, several of the leading teams might have welcomed a new assessment method, favoring height over finishing positions. The champions of race 1 ended up in 11th place, the runners-up took 28th, and the fifth-place team scored a 27th. Mike Ingham emerged with the best result, now leading the regatta with finishes of third, ninth, and second. Nobuyuki Imai follows closely in second with a first, eleventh, and seventh place.
Sailboat racing demands mental acuity, and falling short of personal performance expectations can be mentally taxing. Everyone has experienced a poor race, and such circumstances can prompt ill-fated decisions. Who doesn’t have that one boat they dread losing to? When that boat crosses ahead, maintaining focus can be a challenge.
The Milne siblings—Scott, Shelby, and Ryan—experience these emotions frequently as they’re each competing in this event on separate boats! Scott is racing on Tremendous Slouch (71), Shelby on Hair of the Dog (54), and Ryan on Jester (70). According to Milne family lore, there’s a humorous reverse contest known as the “Last Place Milne.” Just imagine the household duties assigned to that titleholder!
After day two of the regatta, Shelby Milne holds the title of First Place Milne. She sails with Jakob Lichtenberg’s Hair of the Dog crew and currently stands in sixth place. When asked about the team dynamics, Shelby, who was awarded the Seattle Yacht Club Sailor of the Year in 2020, replied, “This competition on different boats has sparked lively banter at home!”
Scott Milne’s Tremendous Slouch team, after winning the second race today, trails by just 11 points, sitting in ninth. Upon winning, Scott enthusiastically shared, “We finally beat Ryan!”
Ryan Milne and his Under 25 team had a decent showing, finishing seventh in the challenging first race today. However, a 49th place in the second race adds a significant burden to his overall score.
When asked how they thought their son Ryan was performing, parents Shelby and Scott expressed, “Working with Ryan to establish his J/24 Worlds program has been one of our most enjoyable sailing experiences ever.” After such a glowing remark, it becomes difficult to choose which Milne to cheer for!
Fortunately, competitors in this regatta can discard their worst finish after five races. This creates an interesting scoring scenario as those with poorer scores benefit. In familial rivalry, Shelby’s worst score is a 19th, Scott’s is a 33rd, and Ryan’s is a 49th. When these are set aside, Scott tallies 15 points, Shelby 18 points, and Ryan 29 points.
These scores remain tight given that the regatta is still unfolding, with seven additional races scheduled before Saturday’s finale. We’ll monitor the Milne family rivalry closely as the remaining races are recorded.
Racing resumes tomorrow at 11 AM PDT, with winds expected to blow throughout the day.
