Peterson, California Yacht Club Take Lead in U.S. Challenge Cup

Bill Peterson of California Yacht Club took an early lead in the Schock-35 class in Newport Harbor Yacht Club’s U.S. Yacht Club Challenge Cup Thursday after the first three rounds of the eight-race regatta.

He logged finishes of 4-2-1 for a low score of 6.75 points.

Twelve yacht clubs are competing in the event, the winner of which will be declared the best yacht club in the United States.

The Newport Harbor Yacht Club, with Harry Pattison at the helm, started strong with a win in the first race and a third in the second, but dropped out the money in the third race when he was over the starting line early and failed to return and restart, giving him a disqualification for the race and dropping him to fifth.

“We weren’t aware that we were early, but when we failed to get a gun at the finish we knew something was wrong,” a crew member said.

Skippers are allowed to throw out their worst two races in the eight-race series.

In the junior races inside the harbor, St. Petersburg Yacht Club dominated both the dinghy fleets with runaway scores in the Flying Junior and Laser classes.