from Scuttlebutt:
Scuttlebutt: Star Bacardi Cup 2006

What will it take for Americans John Dane/Austin Sperry to win?

With one race to go on Friday, March 10, only the top four competitors have a mathematical chance to win the event. Americans John Dane and Austin Sperry are looking good, but there are no guarantees when you are racing in a 92-boat fleet.

Here are the scores going into the final race:

1. USA, DANE John/Sperry Austin, Gulfport, MS. 3.0 1.0 17.0 1.0 6.0 = 11
2. GER, Pickel Marc/BorkowskiIngo, Kiel, GER. 8.0 2.0 93.0 [BFD] 7.0 2.0 = 19
3. BRA, SCHEIDT ROBERT/PRADA BRUNO, San Paulo, BRA. 34.0 4.0 4.0 2.0 13.0 = 23
4. BER, Bromby Peter/McNiven Bill, Sandys, BER. 4.0 7.0 93.0 [BFD] 12.0 1.0 = 24

Below is a grid that Dane/Sperry would be looking at going into the last race, as it represents the scores that have to fall in place for them to win.

With their two prior first place finishes, they can't lose on a tie*. If Dane/Sperry attain the score listed on their row, the scores below in that column are the best their competitors can attain without them losing first place.

For Dane/Sperry, this is what it takes to win:

Dane 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10
Pickel 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
Sheidt 5 4 3 2 / / / /
Bromby 4 3 2 / / / / /

* The first tiebreaker is each boat's race scores listed in order of best to worst. Since no other team has two firsts, Dane/Sperry can't lose on a tie. However, amongst the others, Bromby is next (one first) and then Pickel (two seconds).