Eclipse and Stratos frostbite to the top at Manhasset Fall Series

Frigid temperatures and a solid breeze greeted six hearty boats braving the weather for the season finale at Manhasset Bay Yacht Club’s Fall Series. Damian Emery’s Eclipse has the lead, but the big story is Marcus Wunderlich’s Stratos sitting in second, winning two of the six races. This is a big jump up the ranks for Marcus and team. Only next Sunday’s distance race remains which will ensure a no worse than silver for the long-time Fleet 6 treasurer sitting only three out of first. Following respectively is Conundrum in third and Revelation in fourth. This is the course for next year’s North Americans which will be held the following weekend with this being the Pre-NAC. The report off Stratos: The Manhasset Bay YC hosted some great racing for the J/105 fleet this past weekend. For those who braved the cool fall temperatures, the fresh NW breeze offered the opportunity to complete six races over Saturday and Sunday. The Manhasset Bay crew did a great job keeping the races rolling (and the sailors moving and warm) with winds in the mid- to high-teens for most of the weekend. Sailing into the New York shore, conditions were shifty with stronger winds at the bottom of the course and flatter water near the weather mark. Damian Emery and his team on Eclipse mastered the shifts on the first day, pulling out a 1,1,2 combination. Racing was tight, however, with Marcus Wunderlich’s Stratos keeping it close and winning the third race on Saturday. Stratos carried the momentum into Sunday, winning the first race, before Eclipse gathered itself to win the last two races. Conundrum and Revelation were also in the mix of top three finishers all weekend, so final standings after two days of racing will make for an exciting final day on October 24.