Baker Wins Ensign Nationals

With a full set of UK-Halsey sails, Jonathan Baker of Austin, Texas won the 44-boat Ensign National Championship. The regatta was the 50th annual event and was held on Lake Canandaigua, in upstate New York on August 12-16, 2011.

It was a true family affair for Baker with his younger sister Sarah Faust on bow, brother-in-law Eric Faust as tactician and longtime family friend Tom Groll as trimmer. “Our boat was built in 1964 and it’s the same boat my sister and I learned to sail on,” said Baker. “When our father passed away and left us the Ensign, we knew we had to keep racing it in his honor. That makes this win even more special for us.”

Conditions for the event ranged from 5 to 15 knots with plenty of shifts. “This was my first time to sail the Nationals,” noted Baker. “We knew that our boat speed was competitive in local events, but we really had no idea how we would stack up on the national level. Our UK sails were great. We had speed with the top of the fleet in all conditions. Accelerating out of the lulls was key, and our genoa really had the power to get us up to speed quickly. I’m very happy with the sails.”

The racing was very competitive with five boats in position to win the regatta going into the last race. In the final race, Baker’s team managed a perfect start and showed great boat speed throughout to take the victory with a comfortable 8 point margin.