2007 SS CW: WP3R Contest Log "Destroyed"; N2IC Stays in First

By Jamie Dupree NS3T, radio-sport.net 

Already in first place in submitted scores for the 2007 ARRL November Sweepstakes CW contest, Steve London N2IC has some extra breathing room now as there will be no official score submitted by defending champ Rich Boyd WP3R/KE3Q.

After winning eight consecutive SS CW contests, Boyd this year trailed London by 1,200 points in post-contest claimed scores, but did not submit his log to the ARRL, telling colleagues it had been "destroyed" after the contest.

"Right, no log from WP3R for SS CW this year," said Boyd KE3Q.

"The real story is that there were problems and the log got destroyed," Boyd said in comments on the the Potomac Valley Radio Club reflector.

Boyd offered no details on what exactly happened to his log, but it means that second place for now is in the hands of Kevin Stockton N5DX, who operated his father's K5GO station to 238,720 points, 1,920 behind London N2IC.

"Hopefully they will be kind to my log," said Stockton. "I feel like I have improved in this area over the last couple of years."

Even before the WP3R log issues, Boyd KE3Q had said he wouldn't be surprised if log checks dropped him below second place this year.

"Frankly, I am not unhappy with third if that's what it is, and for all I know it could be lower," Boyd told radio-sport.net in November.

As the log checkers do their work without the WP3R log, a review of Sweepstakes data from recent years shows that N2IC is definitely in the best spot of the top three claimed scores in terms of contacts lost to the log check process.

From 2004-2006, London lost an average of 29 contacts after log checks, while two years ago, Stockton N5DX lost a multiplier in the final checks. As for third place N5RZ, he averaged a loss of 37 QSO's.

"Seems my error rate is pretty consistently in the 2% range," said Ralph Bowen N5RZ, who operated K5TR to 237,440 points. "Hopefully it won't be any worse."

If the numbers hold up overall, it will end a four year streak where London N2IC finished second to WP3R and more importantly, officially ending WP3R's eight consecutive wins in SS CW.

Log checks may not only decide the high power battle, but also the Multi, Unlimited and Low Power races. A list of the top five in each category can be seen on the right hand side of the page.

Only Tor Clay N4OGW has what would be considered a "comfortable" lead in the QRP category, where he topped Kirk Pickering K4RO by nearly 18,000 points.

The Multi race has K9NS ahead of Team N6VR by 2,720 points; In Unlimited, David Hachadorian K6LL leads Dennis Mowers K5YA by 3,520 points.

In low power, Randy Martin K0EU is looking for a repeat victory, ahead of Michael Hance K5NZ by 5,438 points.