A Yingling fights the chop on Thunder Bay during the Rolex Alpena Invitational.

ALPENA, MI — Hanna Swett and her crew of Melissa Purdy and Joan Tuchette managed to eke out a win over Jody Swanson and take top honors in the Rolex Alpena Invitational Women's Match Racing Regatta by just half a point. A Grade-Four event by ISAF standards, this regatta was contested in Yinglings on Thunder Bay last weekend.
The event began on Saturday in the aftermath of a low-pressure system that had moved across the Great Lakes. Winds of 15 to 20 knots out of the south stacked up the waves and the competitors had to deal with left-over slop as a high-pressure area moved over the region and moderated the winds throughout the day. The conditions and the format emphasized boat-handling, and both Swanson and Swett finished the first day undefeated, with Liz Baylis scoring just one loss.
Racing resumed Sunday morning with southerly winds in the six to eight-knot range and building. Swett and her crew finished well enough to hold off a determined Swanson, with Bayliss's team cementing its hold on third. For her victory, Swett will receive an invitation to the Thompson Cup, to be held August 24-27 at Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club in Oyster Bay, NY. For full scores and additional information, log on to http://www.aycalpena.com/