Forty-one J/24 teams are vying for the 2021 J/24 US National Championship hosted by Malletts Bay Boat Club in Colchester, VT. Under patchwork clouds with shifty conditions and winds at 12-16 knots, four races were completed on the opening day. Mike Marshall with team of Jeffrey Hayden, Will Welles, David Hughes and Matthew Coughlin prevailed in the first three races of the day, and added an eighth, for 11 points and the early advantage. Aidan Glackin kept consistent scores in the top six of each contest to secure second place with 19 points. Tony Parker holds the third spot with 23 points. There was no stopping Marshall in the first three races. Trailing him in the opening battle were Mike Ingham and Carter White. Then it was Parker and Ingham rounding out the top three in race two. And Nobuyuki Imai and Glackin followed Marshall to the finish line in the next. Parker earned the top position in Friday’s closer, ahead of Mike Stasko and Erica Beck Spencer. Racing continues through Sunday. Complete results may be found at https://www.j24usnationals.com/, and photos are available on the USA J/24 Class Facebook page.