Spectators and press intently watched the final two races of the White Sail Regatta from the shore and the water. The picturesque view, which overlooks the North Channel, was perfectly clear. A beautiful August day made the venue a pleasure to watch, and the wide variety of wind speed made it exciting. Al Schonborn of Oakville and Mark Bennett of Toronto proved they could maintain their dominant reign of the competition. It seemed that the experienced team of Schonborn and Bennett were unbeatable until the fifth and final race. The wind disappeared just as the racers were vying for position at the start line. The pair of Colin Junkin and Heather Wood of Belleville were the only ones to catch an outside breeze and left all others stuck at the start. The race was anyone's for the taking. Local favorites Jim and Alice Hill of Sault Ste. Marie appeared to be winning on the home stretch, when Jim suddenly lost his footing and fell in his boat. Although he was physically unharmed by the slip, his lead was not unscathed. Seasoned partners, Schonborn and Bennett sprinted past the pair in the last five seconds to win their fifth consecutive race. The pair has competed together for over fifteen years and their experience on the water showed, as they took advantage of the mistake. SooNews was on the media boat for the fifth and final race. Click on the video to watch the sites and sounds of the Regatta.
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