Last year Samuel Kahn, then age 14, stunned the sport when he sailed a Melges 24 to the class world championship on his first try. Tuesday, four inches taller at 6ft 2ins but still too young to own a driver’s license, he finished third and first before stumbling to 17th in the third race on the first day of the Bell Mumm 30 World Championship at the Royal Canadian Yacht Club.

The overall leader however, is Samuel’s father Philippe Kahn, the California and Hawaii-based software developer whose steady 5-3-5 string of results earned him a one-point lead over one of the local hopes, Fred Sherratt, sailing Steadfast for the host Royal Canadian Yacht Club, and two points over Tom Ritter’s Tramp, which won the opening race.

Commenting after yesterday’s race Samuel Kahn said: “I’m kind of surprised, I didn’t think we’d be doing so well. And it’s really cool that my dad’s leading.”  

Eight more races are scheduled over the next three days at the western end of Lake Ontario.    

Results (after 3 of 11 races)

1. Pegasus 591, Philippe Kahn, Honolulu, 5-3-5, 13 points

2.  Steadfast, Fred Sheratt, Toronto, 8-2-4, 14

3.  Tramp, Tom Ritter, Bloomfield Hills, Mich., 1-7-7, 15

4.  Pegasus 20, Samuel Kahn, Honolulu, 3-1-17, 21

5.  Cygnet, Richard Swann, Fairfield, Conn., 13-8-1, 22

6.   Groovederci, Deneen Demourkas, Santa Barbara, Calif., 4-18-2, 24

7.   Team Intermac, Dan Cheresh, Holland, Mich., 6-10-9, 25

8.  Foreign Affair, Richard Perini, Sydney, Australia, 2-12-13, 27

9.  Champosa, Jonathan McDonagh, Minneapolis, Minn., 20-6-3, 29

10.   USA 65, David Pyles, Easton, Md., 7-16-6, 29

11.  Notorious, Kevin Brown, Toronto, 9-912, 30

12.  it, Jim Sminchak, Euclid, Ohio,11-4-16, 31

13.  Calvi, Carlo Alberini, Pesaro, Italy, 16-5-11, 32

14.  Three Niner, David Gonzalez, Lambertville, Mich., 12-15-10, 37

15.  TeamBOLD, Nelson Stephenson, Southport, Conn., 15-11-14, 40

16.  Dark’n Stormy, Kevin Young, Novelty, Ohio, 10-14-19, 43

17.  War Pony, Art Guerrera, Atlantic Highlands, N.J., 19-10-8, 47

18. Team Traffic, Philip Werheim, USA, 14-13-21, 48

19. Surprise, David Irish, Harbour Springs, Mich., 18-17-15, 50

20. Hammer, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, New London, Conn., 17-19-18, 54

21. Wildthing, Jeff Fogarty, Fonthill, Ontario, 21-21-20, 62