James Rathbun Leads Tight Pack at J/105 North American Championship

The standings couldn’t be much closer after day one of the J/105 North American Championship, hosted by Annapolis Yacht Club in Maryland. Just four points separate the top five after three races were completed on Thursday. James Rathbun’s Hey Jude holds the top position with scores of 6,3,1 for 11 points. Bruce Stone’s LouLou trails by one point in second place after tallying a 4,4,3. Stephen Phillips’s Le Renard is in third with 12 points, earned from an 8,2,2 performance. Ken Colburn’s Ghost netted 13 points for fourth place, and Cedric Lewis’s Mirage has 14 points for fifth. Colburn, of Massachusetts, won the opening race of the championship, as Lewis and Damian Emery’s Eclipse completed the top three. Emery, of New York, topped the fleet in race two, with Phillips and Rathbun behind him. Rathbun, of Toronto, won the day’s final bout, with Phillips again in second and Stone in third. Winds on the Chesapeake Bay were between 12-14 knots, with some gusts and a 2-foot chop. Racing continues through Sunday for the 27 teams from Bermuda, Canada and the USA. Photos are available on the J/105 Facebook page, and complete results may be found at the