PHOTO GALLERY: Bahamian repeats RC Laser victory, but by just 2 points

In the closest finish in the eight-year history of the Mid-Winter RC Laser Regatta, Jim Jim Kaighin of Marsh Harbour, in the Bahamas, defended his title.

Atfer two days of racing, Kaighin barely sailed by Ron Seidelmann of Collingswood, N.J. on Sunday at the Mackle Park lake. Kaighin won over 33 RC Laser sailors, but only by two points over Seidelmann.

Marco Commodore George Domenech and Regatta chairman, ironically, had a hand in the win.

Kaighin needed to borrow a RC laser radio transmitter from Domenech on the last day to win in the finals.

At the awards ceremony Domenech held the traveling trophy high for all to see, humorously wondering if it should be his.

Kaighin admitted from the beginning that he thought the competition would make it tough to repeat.

“I knew it would be a close race,” he said. “It is always a great race. It sets the standards for the North American championship.”

Kaighin will also defend his title in the National RC Laser Sailboat Championship in Cooper River, N.J. in October.

It was Seidelmann’s first Marco race. “I’ll definitely be back,” he said. “Marco Island is just a beautiful place, outstanding beach and well-run race.”

Third place went to Marco’s Jim Danbom, former winner.

“I had to fight Jim off several times,” Kaighin said.

Kiaghin’s brother Mike of Sarasota, sailed to fourth.

Rocky Cale of Marco raced to fifth.

“Jim (Kaighin) is a true winner. He comes up against the best competition and still wins,” Cale said.

Dennis Lang of Treasure Island was sixth, Hank Buchanan of New York, seventh, Miles Loesel of Pompano Beach, eighth, Steve Moyer of West Lafayette, Ind., ninth and Nic Nicholson of Marco Island tenth.

“This year’s race was a very challenging event,” Nicholson said.

Marco’s Don Harthorn was 11th, Domenech, 12th and Bill Cook 13th. Victor Oberg of Westmont N.J., was 14th, Harry Henkel, Easton, Md., 15th, Rick Hellyar, Marco, 16th, Dan Curran, Moorestown, N.J., 17th, Bob MacNeill, St. Petersburg, 18th, Bill Blevins, Fairport, N.Y., 19th and Dan Walsh of Cinnaminson, N.J., 20th.

John Whipple of Pocono Pines, Pa., was 21st, Chappy Thiel, Livingston, Montana, 22nd, Scott Rice, Boca Raton, 23rd, Gary Sharp, Cedar Rapids, Ia., 24th, Carl Hansen, Marco Island, 25th, Mick Armstrong, Newport News, Va., 26th, Dave Branning, Tilghmann Island, Md., 27th, Roger Baldwin, Easton, Md., 28th, Sandy MacNeill, St. Petersburg, 29th, T.G. Wald, Oakdale, Minn., 30th, Tom Volpe, Winfield, Ill., 31st, Jack Bennett, Canandaigua, N.Y., 32nd and Steve Hopkins, Miami, 33rd.

Domenech and Rocky Cale led the host regatta management team, while Dave Brawner, AMYA president, was the race director who made it all go so smoothey. He was helped by Dave Dumas and Harvey Spriggs, with Mary Lee Cale handling the scoring. The social events included a cocktail party on Friday evening and a Saturday night Marco Island Yacht Club cocktail party and dinner that included a slide show of previous championships.