U.S. YACHT RACING JUNIOR SAILING CHAMPIONSHIP : Twist Wins One Race to Keep Lead

Jory Twist of the host Newport Harbor Yacht Club held on to first place in the four-person Etchells 22 class Wednesday despite a seventh-place finish in the first of two races at the U.S. Yacht Racing Union/Rolex Junior Sailing Championships off Newport Beach.

Brisk afternoon winds enabled Twist, Orange County’s only entry, to win the second race, giving him three first-place finishes in the first six races of the Sears Trophy competition. He holds a 2 1/4-point lead over second-place Scott Elting of Houston Yacht Club and a 3 1/2-point lead over Meg Gaillard of American Yacht Club in Rye, N.Y.

Gaillard, whose consistent sailing in the past five races has advanced her from last to third place, is one of two female skippers in the competition.

In the Flying Junior class, Bill Hardesty of Mission Bay Yacht Club in San Diego retained the lead by finishing 5 1/2 points ahead of Jesse Andrews of American Yacht Club.

In the Laser class, David Houser of Mission Bay Yacht Club regained first place overall from Mike Hare of Houston Yacht Club by 1 1/2 points. But the top sailor of the day was Brett Davis of St. Petersburg Yacht Club in Florida, who finished first in both of Wednesday’s races.

Houser said he regained the lead because “I was finally consistent.”

A protest is pending in the Laser class, but it will not affect Wednesday’s leaders. William Warren of Toms River Yacht Club in New Jersey and Jonathan Tueting of Winnetka (Ill.) Yacht Club, who were at the back of the fleet after five races, are the skippers involved.

The start of Wednesday’s competition was delayed when a last-minute wind shift forced officials to reset the course. Winds varied from 8 to 10 knots in the morning and 10 to 15 knots in the afternoon. The sea was flat until an afternoon breeze produced a one- to two-foot chop. A two-knot current favored boats on windward tacks.

Races continue through Friday, when the winners will be determined based upon a round-robin, low-point scoring system. Winners will become part of the 1990 U.S. Junior sailing team.