Reigning J/24 North American champion John Mollicone made strong headway toward a repeat title on day 2 of the J/24 Sea Bags North American Championship. The Newport, RI-local utilized his hometown advantage to leap into first place with just 12 net points after five races, including one throw-out (a seventh in race 5 for him). Team Helly Hansen leads Chile’s Matias Seguel on Semi Pro by 6 points. Day 1 leader Peter Bream on Team Tarheel dropped to third with 21 points. Mollicone helmed to a victory in the day’s opening bout, trailed by Will Welles on Cougar and Steven Kirkpatrick on Buckshot. Argentina’s Sergio Pendola triumphed in the next contest on Cacique, with Michael Marshall’s Pipe Dream in second and Seguel in third. The racing closed out with another Argentinian in front as Nicolas Cubria’s Elvis took the bullet. Chile’s Robert Vernon racing Gringa followed in second, and Pendola in third. Hosted by Sail Newport and J/24 Fleet 50, the championship dawned with another beautiful day. Winds ranged from 6-8 knots early on, increasing to 12 by the last race. Racing continues through Sunday for the competitors from Japan, Chile, Argentina, Peru, Canada and the USA in the 46-boat fleet. Complete results and live updates may be found at www.2013j24northamericans.com and on Facebook.
International Class Association
