Heavy breeze shakes up day three at the 2025 Star North American Championship
Day Three of the 2025 Star North American Championship tested every ounce of skill, patience, and endurance from both the competitors and the Race Committee, as the fleet battled through wildly oscillating winds and punchy gusts out on the Gulf.
With a forecast promising breeze from the northwest around 320°, the Race Committee ventured 2.5 miles offshore only to find an unpredictable and unstable wind pattern. Directional shifts spanned as much as 60 degrees and velocity swung from a mere 5 knots up to gusts of 25 knots.
Race 5 with a 1.5nm beat heading 315°, though the wind was already proving troublesome, oscillating between 305° and 345° - before swinging even further to 000°. After two general recalls, safety concerns took priority, and the Race Committee adjusted the course axis to 330° to reflect the prevailing conditions. On the third attempt, the fleet got away cleanly, though most boats were quick to tack onto port. Mid-race, the top mark was shifted once again, this time to 320°, as the breeze continued its erratic dance. Through the chaos, Paul Cayard and Luke Lawrence delivered a commanding performance to take the win, followed by Jack Jennings and Pedro Trouche, with John Kostecki and Austin Sperry rounding out the top three.
Race 6 brought no relief, with even more dramatic shifts and pressure changes. A five-leg Course 3 was set with an axis of 330° and a 1.2nm beat. Just one minute before the start, a 22-knot puff rolled through, but the fleet launched cleanly. The breeze ranged from 7 to 26 knots, while directionally swinging between 285° and 005°- a full 80-degree range. Despite the chaos, Jennings and Trouche proved their consistency with a race win, followed closely by Kostecki and Sperry, and Szabo with Avellon in third.
With six races now completed and the discard coming into effect, the overall leaderboard remains tight heading into the final day of racing.
Provisional Overall Standings – After Six Races (One Discard):
George Szabo / Guy Avellon
Jack Jennings / Pedro Trouche
Paul Cayard / Luke Lawrence
With the title still very much up for grabs and one final day to go, anticipation is building for a dramatic conclusion to the 2025 Star North American Championship in Pass Christian.
