2002 Nokia Sugar Bowl Regatta
Southern Yacht Club
New Orleans, LA
December 7-8, 2002

What an incredible finish to the 2002 Gulf Coast Sunfish Circuit!  

Bishop was leading the circuit going in, but by so little, that if Hank Saurage won the regatta, he would win the circuit.  Tom Whitehurst, on the other hand, could  win the circuit by winning the regatta, but he could also win if he placed second, as long as Hank or Bish didn't win.  If Tom finished third and beat Bishop and Hank, Bishop would win by tie-breaker.  If neither of the three finished in the top three  in the regatta, Bishop would win the circuit straight up.   Now, any of these scenarios were easily possible with the likes of Marcus, Clinton, Zak, Ryan Hamilton, Kippy and Ash Beatty sailing, any of whom could have won the regatta.

Early in the regatta, Hank Saurage fell out of contention and Bishop opened up a good lead on Tom.  Clinton sailed almost the entire series inside the top five, slipping late in one race to sixth, while Bishop got off the line clean only once out of the six races, but somehow kept scrapping his way back up to the leaders.   Tom got back in the regatta Sunday morning in a big way, winning the first two races, sailing like he had a hand-grenade tied to the back of his boat or something.   He was even called over early in race five with the I-flag in effect!  The Race Committee informed the fleet that the sixth race would be the last and the fleet knew that if six races were completed, they would be able to drop one.   Everyone started trying to do the math. 

With a drop, Bishop had ten points, Tom had eleven and Clinton had twelve.  The circuit, consisting of the best four of seven regattas, had not only come down to the last regatta, but now it was down to the last race and would eventually come down to the last leeward mark rounding!  If Bishop could drag Tom way back in the fleet, he would give the regatta to Clinton, but win the circuit.  Now, we all know Bishop's not that nice a guy.

Race six started with Tom leading the pack at the pin end and Bishop off of Clinton's hip near mid-line.  Bishop bailed out right with Hank and Marcus and sailed a long port tack with not so much as a half degree shift.  The left fleet was beginning to come back and sailing a good five degrees higher.  When a slight increase in pressure came to the right side, Bishop dug back left, knowing he wouldn't cross Tom and Clinton, but it was his best chance to stay within reach.   Crossing ten or so boat-lengths behind Clinton, Tom and Ash Beatty, Bishop managed a couple of quick shifts and rounded the weather mark fourth, only three boat-lengths behind Ash and Tom, who rounded overlapped two boat-lengths behind Clinton.  Marcus and Hank held right too long and rounded deep.  Covering Tom everywhere he went downwind, Bishop closed to within a half length of Tom.  Ash had already jibed over in an attempt to gain the inside advantage with Clinton, but Clinton had fallen back to fourth when he jibed earlier, sailing out of a breeze line.  Bishop slipped by Ash, who got the inside on Tom, who, rounding next to Ash, allowed Clinton to get inside also (whew!).

For three quarters of the last windward, Bishop pounded Tom while Ash and Clinton tried to take advantage and the lead.  Working the left side of the leg where the pressure was coming from, Bishop managed to maintain a very slight lead over Clinton, while pushing Tom all the way back to sixth or seventh.  Realizing then that the circuit was all but in hand, Bishop turned his attention back to the regatta and Clinton who now was only a length or two back.  Several hard covers in the last two minutes of the last leg, gave Bishop an eight or so length cushion to go and win the last race, the regatta and the 2002 Circuit!