by Rich Roberts
Taylor Canfield and Scott Dickson already had their
Congressional Cup berths locked up when they raced into the championship match
of Long Beach Yacht Club's Ficker Cup Sunday but, win or lose, that was important.
Dickson said, "I just enjoy going head to head
with the best guys in the world."
They'll certainly be in that company in next week's
49th Congressional, Tuesday through Saturday, when they step up from Grade 2 to
Grade 1 level on the global match racing circuit. That will be on the same
outer harbor waters where Canfield, ranked No. 8 in the world, won his last 12
races to claim the prize named for Bill Ficker, who was skipper of the 12-Meter
Intrepid that successfully defended the America's Cup against Australia's
Gretel II in 1970. The noted Newport Beach architect also won the Congressional
Cup in 1974.
Ficker Cup - close racing. Image copyright Rich Roberts/Ficker Cup.
Canfield, of the U.S. Virgin Islands, already had an
invitation to the Congressional, as did Australia's Jordan Reece, who placed
fifth overall in the eight-boat international fleet. But Dickson, representing
the host club with a local crew, had to win his way in.
They started out Friday by winning their first race
against the heavy favorite, Canfield, which turned out to be his only loss in a
12-1 charge, including a 2-0 sweep of Dickson in the title match Sunday.
Along the way, before the final showdown with
Canfield, Dickson duked it out with an LBYC pal, Dustin Durant, the defending
Ficker champion. In light southwesterly breeze atypical for Long Beach, he
outscrapped Durant in the semifinals, 2-1, before losing two straight to
Canfield for a final overall mark of 10-4.
Japan's Waturu Sakamoto had the only other overall
winning record at 10-5, losing to Canfield in the semifinals, 2-0, before
dropping Durant (7-8) in the petite finals, 2-1.
"Not bad for a bunch of old guys," said
Dickson's mainsail trimmer, Chad Hough---a reference to their average age of
41, balanced around Dickson's 42 years.
Canfield, 24, was in the general age group of the
other competitors, who were toddlers when Dickson and tactician Steve Flam, 53,
were sailing in their early Ficker and Congressional Cups when sailboats were
made of wood … well, OK not that long ago.
But this will be Dickson's 12th Congressional and
Canfield's third.
When they returned to the dock Canfield bounced over
to Dickson's boat to offer boisterous and extended congratulations on his
elder's performance.
"We were using this again as a tuneup
event," Canfield said later, "and we were learning every race, trying
different setups to see how they worked out, but always trying our best to win.
It was a strong field."
Ficker Cup 2013. Image copyright Rich Roberts/Ficker Cup.
Dickson said, "We are all friends. Taylor and his
team sailed really well and didn't leave any time on the track … and I'm really
pleased with how we sailed and were very consistent for the weekend.
"It's nice to have the Ficker Cup as a buildup to
the Congressional. Our goal was to sail consistently and we put in a lot of
practice. You have to hit the ground running at this level."
The Congressional racing Tuesday through Saturday also
will be at Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier, starting at noon each day,
conditions permitting. Admission is free. Bleachers, comfort stations and a
snack bar are available. Parking is at the base of the pier, and golf carts
will be offered for transport from the beach to the end of the pier.
Sunday's Results
5th-8th sailoffs: Jordan Reece, Australia, d. Peter Holz, Chicago, 2-0; Chris Poole, Portland, Maine, d. Colin Rathbun, British Virgin Islands, 2-0.
Semifinals: Scott Dickson, Long Beach, d. Dustin Durant, Long Beach, 2-1; Taylor Canfield, U.S. Virgin Islands, d. Waturu Sakamoto, Japan, 2-0.
Petite
finals:
Sakamoto d. Durant, 2-1.
Championship finals: Canfield d. Dickson, 2-0.
