By Sarah Davidson
The 2024 Atlantic Nationals, hosted by Madison Beach Club in Madison, Connecticut, was held August 14-16. Twenty-four boats competed from Niantic Bay Yacht Club, Cedar Point Yacht Club, Kollegewidgwok Yacht Club, and Madison Beach Club. Congratulations to Scott Reichhelm (CPYC) for winning the regatta. Scott has been racing Atlantics since 1970, and is a 10-time national champ as crew for his parents George and Bobby Lou Reichhelm. This was his first time as skipper.
This year’s event was particularly poignant as the Atlantic Class took time to honor and remember the cherished contributions and camaraderie of those we’ve lost: Ken Legler, Mark Foster, and Ginny Perry Worcester.
PRO Amanda Clark did a great job, managing an energetic fleet and helping to guide the teams to a successful series. The practice day set the tone with 12 knots and choppy waves, making for a spectacular tuning race. Day 1 presented more challenges with a stubborn northerly breeze that eventually gave way to a SW breeze. Despite the tricky conditions, two excellent races were completed in 5-10 knots. The competition was fierce, with Chris Wittstock (CPYC) and Dave Peck (NBYC) each securing a win.
Day 2 started with a postponed onshore to allow the SW breeze to build. This resulted in two thrilling and closely contested races, with Ron Marsilio (CPYC) taking the win in race three and Dave Peck (NBYC) clinching race four.
Day 3 brought a steady SSE wind, leading to a promising and exciting conclusion to the regatta. Reichhelm and his team Shucks (CPYC) with 2 bullets for the day clinched the overall event and earned the title of 2024 Atlantic Class National Champion. Rory Coster and team Waypoint (MBC) finished second overall, winning the tie breaker over Tim Britton and team Transit ( KYC).
Looking forward to Cedar Point Yacht Club 2025!
