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Final of the Little America’s Cup in Newport
Photo ICCT/Billy Black

INTERNATIONAL CATAMARAN CHALLENGE TROPHY

John Lovell and Charlie Ogletree win Little America’s Cup

samedi 4 octobre 2003 – Redaction SSS [Source RP]

The sight of five 12-Metres sailing up
Narragansett Bay would be impressive any day of the week. Today, however,
the 12s seemingly ushered in the breeze that had kept competitors waiting
under a postponement flag for the concluding matches of the International
Catamaran Challenge Trophy (ICCT). For the first time since 1976, it would
come down to the final match in this best four-out-of-seven finals before
the champagne was uncorked to spray the winners and award "The Little
America’s Cup" for the 23rd time since the event was created in 1961.


Today’s action was again set off Goat Island providing a perfect view of the
competition. In the first race, the Challengers (the Italian team of
Daniele Saragoni and crew Teo Di Battista, representing Club Nautico Rimini)
appeared to have control of the start as they took a slight lead off the
line on the windward-leeward course. The Defender (John Lovell of New
Orleans, La., and crew Charlie Ogletree of Houston, Texas, representing
Southern Yacht Club) caught up by the first mark just as a 140’ motor yacht
cruised onto the course requiring both cats to maneuver around the
slow-moving vessel. By the end of two very tight laps around the course,
the Italians were first to the finish line by 15 seconds over Lovell and
Ogletree to tie the score at 3-3.

In race two, which would be sailed three times around the course, Lovell and
Ogletree crossed the start line first and never looked back as they opened
up a sizable lead on the Italians. Undaunted, Saragoni and Di Battista
whittled down the distance and by the last leg had closed the minute and
twenty gap to five seconds for a nail-biting finish close behind Lovell and
Ogletree.

"I’m very excited by this win," said Lovell after he had warmed up.
"Saragoni definitely had an edge with the boat, as this is only my third
time in an F-18HT, which is much narrower than a Tornado, making it harder
to gybe downwind and less stable in general." Comparing the differences
between the F-18HTs used for the Little America‚s Cup, and the Tornado that
the two-time Olympians spend most of their time racing, Lovell also noted
the difference in their teamwork required by match racing in catamarans.
"The crew does most of the work, I mostly steer while Charlie drags me
around the course. I learned a lot from this event".

Information International Catamaran Challenge.

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