Glenn Darden Wins 2022 North Americans

Brad Read (far right), Director of Sail Newport welcomes the 2022 J/80 North American champs to the podium.

Glenn Darden of Newport, RI and Fort Worth Texas charterered his old boat, Le Tigre 1152, and loaded it with world champion rock stars to overwhelm a 33 boat fleet and win his second North American Title (2011).

Darden, also the 2006 World champ is in Newport gunning for another Worlds title next week. He tuned up at the NAs by winning 4 of 7 races. His crew above of Rod FaVela, Willem Van Waay, Darden, Victor Diaz deLeon, and Becky Anderson (not shown), have won multiple titles in other classes and are the odds on favorites in the upcoming J/80 2022 Worlds, also at Sail Newport.

Le Tigre beat Per Roman's, GP Bullhound (2nd overall) to the finish in race one.

The racing was held up Narragasnsett Bay near halfway rock. Friday racing was cancelled due to 25 knot breeze and 40 mph gusts. The second day had 3 races with strong NW breezes in the 16-22 mph range. Sunday culminated in the race committee getting off another 4 races in breeze ranging from 12-20 knots out of the SW.  Darden dominated upwind and down, showing a deep downwind mode wing and wing and on plane that none of the other competitors could match.  Expect to see teams out practicing this manuever this week leading into the worlds when another 20 boats will join the fleet in the much anticipated climax to the season.

Thirteen charter boats with international teams from France, Holland, Belgium(2), Sweden, Spain(4), Ireland, and India, are registered in the 53 boat fleet for the 2022 Worlds.

Sail Newport and PRO Tom Duggan employed Uniform and Black flag starts trying to control the 33 boat fleet. Note the light colored jib at the pin, GP Bullhound (2nd overall) nailed the pin in almost every race. Darden often started in the middle.

Three of the Top five boats, Le Tigre - hull 1152, Next Adventure hull 406 aka bullhound, and Pearly Baker, hull 146 are charter boats prepared by World's charter coordinator and current owner of Le Tigre, Peter d'Anjou out of the Marion, MA fleet 12 Massachusetts fleet. They won 6 of the 7 races with only Dan Wittig's Turbo Sloth, which placed 3rd overall from Annapolis breaking the streak.  Scores on yachscoring.com

Congratulations on another NA title for Le Tigre and Good luck to Darden and team in the upcoming Worlds!