Top third finish for Boyce at J-24 Worlds

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Veteran sailor Trevor Boyce did the Island proud as he finished in the top third of the fleet at the J-24 World Championships that ended on Lake Ontario yesterday.

The Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club (RHADC) skipper placed 36th in yesterday’s final race of the ten-race series contested in light and shifty breezes to finish 28th in an overall fleet of 96 boats.

Boyce managed two top-ten placings (sixth and tenth) during the five-day regatta which was hosted by New York-based Rochester Yacht Club.

He had a worst score of 72nd in the penultimate race of the series that he discarded to finish with 274 points.

Praising Boyce’s impressive showing at the regatta was RHADC commodore Allan Williams.

“Trevor has represented Bermuda and the club very well,” he declared. “He was in the top third and I think that’s very commendable and he should be very happy with that.

“It’s too bad he had a couple of bad races. But other than those bad races he was doing consistently well which is pretty good.”

Boyce thrived in a class that has become nearly non-existent domestically in recent years.

“It’s too bad the J-24 class has sort of folded because so many expats have left the Island,” Williams said. “It wasn’t long ago the J-24 class was the strongest in Bermuda and that’s probably why we only had one guy up there (World Championships) racing.”

For the first time in decades there were no J-24s competing in this year’s Bacardi Bermuda International Invitational Race Week.

“They are trying to revitalise the class but without much success as it is almost non existent,” Williams said.

Competing with Boyce at this year’s World Championships was crew Jorge Chiapparro (trimmer), Dr Robert Yearwood (tactician), Gary Taylor (mast), and Nicho (bow).

The RHADC skipper sailed in his US-based J-24, No Skirt Required.

Brazil’s Mauricio Santa Cruz, who did not compete in yesterday’s final race, won the regatta by a comfortable margin. Americans John Mollicone and Tony Parker finished second and third respectively.

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