Bayfield, WI – Halfway through Bayfield Race Week, Thunder Bay sailors are turning heads with strong early performances and tight competition on Lake Superior.
The four Thunder Bay boats at the regatta are dominating, taking the top spots for their boat types and sizes in fleets C and D.
PennyCress, a C&C boat captained by David Clarke, is currently dominating the leaderboard in Fleet D with two back-to-back 1st place finishes.
Fleet C is also stacked with Thunder Bay talent. Bobsled, captained by Bob Vander Ploeg and crewed by nine, including his son Caleb, opened the week on a high note, taking 1st place in Race 1 and finishing 3rd in Race 2. This strong start has put them in 1st place overall in the cumulative standings so far.
Northern Harrier, a J/Boat captained by Chris Wells, has also proven to be a formidable contender, placing 2nd in both of the opening races, and currently holds 2nd place overall in the fleet standings.
Meanwhile, Gong Show, a Soverell 33 skippered by Casey Sellers, started strong with a 3rd place finish in Race 1. Despite slipping to 8th in Race 2, the team sits in 5th place overall and remains a wild card with two more days left to climb the leaderboard.
With races continuing through July 4th and a new course each day keeping crews on their toes, the second half of Bayfield Race Week offers more opportunities for Thunder Bay sailors to move up the standings and make their mark.
Race results are posted online after the race each day.