Sailing’s Superbowl

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Sailing Sonars, 23-foot one-design keelboats, Paul Wilson of Vineyard Haven, representing the Vineyard Haven Yacht Club (VHYC), won the U.S. Men’s Sailing Championship and the Mallory Cup on Lake Michigan at Sheboygan, Wisconsin last Sunday.

Paul and his crew, Will Stevens of the VHYC along with Drew Plominski of the Narragansett Bay YC, are the first Islanders to win U.S. Sailing’s most prestigious men’s fleet racing event.

Wilson had an eight-point advantage going into the final day of racing. He sealed the win with a third place finish giving him 21 points in nine races, 10 ahead of Ken Kleinschrodt of the Buccaneer YC, of Mobile, Alabama.

The event has been held yearly since 1952. Only once before was it won by a team from Southern Massachusetts and never before by a team from Martha’s Vineyard.