2000 International Race Week

By Patrick Bean
© Copyright by The Royal Gazette Ltd

Bermuda, May 3, 2000

Spanish Point Boat Club was left California Dreamin' yesterday as George Szabo became the first skipper to be crowned champion at International Race Week, winning the Snipes Class.

The San Diego resident left all challengers in his wake in notching a perfect score of three and three quarter points following five straight wins.

He and crew Carol Newman Cronin proved best at adapting to shifty wind conditions off Spanish Point and will enter the six race North American Championships, which commence tomorrow, as favourites.

"It feels great. I think there are a lot of people here that are going to be tougher at the end of the week than they were at the beginning of the week," said Cronin, recently nominated for the Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Award.

"I think we got a little bit of a jump that will not be there for the NA's. We regarded this more as a tune-up for the NA's than anything, but winning always feels good."

Szabo and Cronin, polar opposites in tactical approach - Cronin preferring to test the edges and push the envelope, while Szabo heeds more to the middle-of-the-road - found the ideal compromise.

Such was the duo's domination that second place finisher Henry Filter ended a full nine points in arrears.

"I didn't expect to do that, no," said Szabo, his `surfer dude' ambiance evident in his near apologetic response. "I hoped to come out and win, but I didn't expect it to be like that. We worked pretty hard and sometimes you get out on the water and everything makes sense, you know where all the shifts are. Other times you don't know what's going on...this was the week that it all clicked for us."

Sponsored by BACARDI Rum
Class: Snipe
Series: 350th Anniversary Trophy
	Date	30-Apr-00		30-Apr-00		1-May-00		1-May-00		2-May-00		2-May-00
Sail #	Skipper	Race 1		Race 2		Race 3		Race 4		Race 5		Race 6		Total	Drop	Final
		Pos.	Score	Pos.	Score	Pos.	Score	Pos.	Score	Pos.	Score	Pos.	Score
29672	George Szabo	1	0.75	1	0.75	1	0.75	1	0.75	1	0.75	2	2	5.75	2	3.75	1
28702	Henry Filter	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	3	6	6	1	0.75	18.75	6	12.75	2
29699	Andrew Pimental	5	5	5	5	11	11	8	8	2	2	4	4	35	11	24	3
29112	David Tillson	10	10	12	12	5	5	2	2	5	5	3	3	37	12	25	4
29864	John Manderson	8	8	4	4	2	2	5	5	19	19	6	6	44	19	25	5
29204	Lee Griffith	6	6	2	2	7	7	13	13	3	3	11	11	42	13	29	6
29324	Hal Gilreath	2	2	6	6	8	8	15	15	9	9	5	5	45	15	30	7
29592	Paul Cronin	4	4	10	10	6	6	9	9	7	7	14	14	50	14	36	8
25077	Malcolm Smith	11	11	15	15	4	4	4	4	13	13	7	7	54	15	39	9
29147	Lisa Pline	9	9	8	8	10	10	6	6	12	12	16	16	61	16	45	10
27569	Rick Arneson	7	7	9	9	13	13	12	12	11	11	13	13	65	13	52	11
24702	Jerry Thompson	16	16	7	7	18	18	21	21	4	4	12	12	78	21	57	12
29317	Ian Brown	13	13	13	13	9	9	7	7	20	20	17	17	79	20	59	13
25864	Stephen Dickinson	12	12	14	14	12	12	20	20	15	15	9	9	82	20	62	14
29682	Alex Stout	14	14	16	16	14	14	10	10	18	18	15	15	87	18	69	15
29019	Claus Carpelan	17	17	OCS	32	17	17	11	11	10	10	19	19	106	32	74	16
28812	Gonzalo Diaz	15	15	20	20	15	15	14	14	27	27	10	10	101	27	74	17
29534	John Johns	DNC	32	18	18	19	19	23	23	8	8	8	8	108	32	76	18
29696	John Popadopoulos	20	20	17	17	16	16	24	24	17	17	18	18	112	24	88	19
29315	Ken Redler	18	18	11	11	DNF	32	16	16	14	14	DNF	32	123	32	91	20
29200	Woody Norwood	21	21	22	22	21	21	18	18	22	22	21	21	125	22	103	21
14888	Kiki Bosch	22	22	21	21	22	22	19	19	24	24	20	20	128	24	104	22
27055	Christopher Hains	19	19	23	23	23	23	17	17	26	26	23	23	131	26	105	23
28542	Robert Coyle	24	24	19	19	20	20	22	22	21	21	25	25	131	25	106	24
25707	Bill Buckles	DNF	32	25	25	24	24	26	26	16	16	26	26	149	32	117	25
25843	Gweneth Crook	DNC	32	DNC	32	25	25	25	25	23	23	24	24	161	32	129	26
19111	J.P. Snelling	23	23	24	24	26	26	29	29	29	29	27	27	158	29	129	27
27275	Guy DeSilva	25	25	27	27	28	28	28	28	31	31	29	29	168	31	137	28
28282	Leo Murphy	DNC	32	26	26	27	27	27	27	28	28	30	30	170	32	138	29
19708	Ray Pitman	DNC	32	DNC	32	DNC	32	DNC	32	30	30	22	22	180	32	148	30
28680	Brad Dunn	DNS	32	DNF	32	DNC	32	DNC	32	25	25	28	28	181	32	149	31