Two course races were completed on Day 1, held in shifty NW winds gusting over 20 knots. Micah Buzianis (US -34) is leading the pack in the Mens Open Fleet after winning both races comfortably. Seth Besse (also from the US) is 2nd, local sailor Gareth Wood is 3rd, Johnathon Squires , Dave Holt (another local) and Luke Watson in a 3 way tie for 4th and Clayton Dougan (current NZ champ) 7th.
Micah was in a class of his own, reading the shifts well. Others battled to the end of each race as the wind shifts often made competitors lose or gain 5 places, even up the last upwind beat to the finish. Both races consisted of 3 laps around a course of a top and bottom mark. Often challenging conditions going downwind in the random chop and gusty winds made each race go to the wire for a lot of the competitors.
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