Bill Zartler’s Solaris Commands Day 2 of J/105 Midwinter Championship

Reigning Midwinter Champion Bill Zartler snagged three bullets on day 2 of the J/105 Midwinter Championship to take a six-point lead into the final day of the competition on Sunday. Racing Solaris with Chris Lewis, Karen Lewis, Gustavo Eacobar, Michael Byrne and Cynthia Powell, Zartler has recorded 21 points in the eight races. Host Lakewood Yacht Club in Seabrook, Texas boasts the top two racers thus far, as Bill Lakenmacher’s Radiance stands in second place with 27 points. Paul Beaudin and Damian Emery on Avici hold the third place position with 38 points. It was another beautifully breezy day on Galveston Bay with winds starting at 10-12 knots and building to 16-20, with temperatures around 70 degrees. Uzi Ozeri helmed Infinity to another regatta victory in the day’s first contest, followed by Mark Masur’s Two Feathers. Zartler lodged a third in that race, before winning the next three contests. Familiar faces rounded out the top three in races 6-8, with Lakenmacher claiming three second-place tallies, Beaudin finishing in third on two occasions and Ozeri taking the other third. Racing concludes Sunday. Photos are available on the J/105 Facebook page, and complete results may be found at the