JibeTalk

US Sailing Youth Champs Wrap Up In Newport

Sailors capped off a busy summer season with the U.S. Youth Sailing Championship, held this past week in Newport, R.I. New York Yacht Club, Sail Newport, and Ida Lewis teamed up to host the event, which included Laser, Radial, C420, and 29er fleets. 

Quite a few Long Island Sound area sailors were in the top ten at the event. In the Club 420 fleet, American YC sailor Fiona Walsh crewed for Lily Katz from Bellport Bay YC (both pictured below), to finish first in the 36 boat fleet. Reinier Eenkema van Dijk and Spencer McDonough, of Larchmont YC and Indian Harbor YC finished ninth in C420s. Daniel DelBello, also from American YC, finsished eighth in the Laser fleet. Andrew and Matthew Mollerus from Larchmont YC took sixth in the 29er fleet. In the Radial fleet Nick Valente from Wet Pants SA as seventh, and OJ O'Connell from Mystic River Mudhead SA was eighth.

In overall standings, Erika Reineke, from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., finished first in the Laser Radial fleet. Olin Paine, from San Diego, won the Laser fleet. Paris Henken (Coronado, Calif.)  and Conner Kelter (Newport Beach, Calif.) took first place in the 29er fleet. 

For full results, pictures, and press releases, see event website. 

Photo credits Matthew Cohen and Michael Rudnick

 

Stepping Up The Competition at the Beach Point Overnight

The Beach Point Overnight took place this past Tuesday and into the wee hours of Wednesday morning. Fifteen teams, representing eleven clubs, competed in this year's race, which was sailed out of Mamaroneck Harbor towards the lighthouse at Stratford Shoals.  

Beach Point Yacht Club has played host to this classic end-of-season offshore race since 1957. In its 55 years of running, sailors have seen it all: squalls, lightning storms, light air, heavy air, and more. After heading out onto Long Island Sound on Tuesday afternoon, sailors were greeted with a strong 10-15 knot northeasterly that died down to very light wind over the course of the evening. 

"With a dying breeze, the fleet was forced to decide between going to Connecticut, Long Island, or playing the shifts in the middle," said Dave Grosso, who coached the Centerport YC team on board the Tartan 4100 Kyrie. 

Once breeze lightened up, playing the shifts was critical to keep boats moving. 

Marek Zaleski, who skippered the Tripp 41 High Noon for the Noroton YC team, said, "Even when the wind died to 1.5 knots and we were barely moving, I, along with the crew was trying hard to keep the boat moving forward and to connect the dots to the next puff."

Grosso added that the key was to execute "simple but effective tactics, staying on the lifted tack in the center of the sound."

 Staying in phase paid off for both teams: High Noon and Kyrie were the first to cross the finish line in their respective divisions. In PHRF division A, two Pequot J109s, Strategery and Loki placed second and third. In Division B, the two J105 teams from Larchmont placed second and third, sailing Conundrum and Morning Glory.

For the Noroton team, who had recently come off of a first place finish at the Dorade Trophy the day before, practice made perfect. Prior to the race, all teams went through on-water practice certification, reviewing boathandling, reefing, man-overboard drills, and safety procedures. 

 "Many intensive practices spent working on boat handling as well as distance technique (peels, sail changes, etc.) left us well prepared for the regatta," said Dylan Kavookijan, who was a trimmer on High Noon. 

"We spent two nights a week practicing in the Tuesday night breakwater series [at Noroton] or just going out five miles and then coming back. We knew the boat and its sails inside and out," added navigator Nick Connery. 

Kavookijan and Connery both agreed that the level of competition at this year's event made for better racing. 

"This was my second Beach Point Overnight and in my mind the skill level aboard other boats was much higher than in years past. It was a lot harder racing this year than last because we knew the competition and we knew we couldn't slack off one bit," said Connery. 

For many teams, the skills developed while training for and competing at the Beach Point Overnight allow sailors to continue develop strong foundations in big boat safety, maintenance, and sailing. To their many practice sails, they added participation at the Storm Trysail Foundation Safety at Sea seminar and study for the Navigation and Seamanship tests that proved their ability to pilot along the coast without aid of GPS systems.

"In the end, the CYC team learned a lot about strapping in and sleeping on the rail, big boat provision management, and how to please an owner by performing well. That is witholding how much they learned about cleaning the boat and scrubbing down a filthy head after a long time offshore!" said Grosso. 

"After having sailed in the JSA Big Boat program for the past five years, what comes to mind is how far the program as a whole has come. What may have started out oas a lighthearted, fun, supplementary sailing program has turned into a gateway to the lifetime world of sailing," added Kavookijan. 

For full results, see JSA Regattas page. For photos, see Picasa gallery.

Photos courtesy of Davis Gaynes, Beach Point YC

 

44th Annual Dorade Trophy Held at Stamford YC

 
The 44th Dorade Trophy took place this past Monday off the waters of Stamford Yacht Club. This annual PHRF regatta presented the chance for junior sailors to put their big boat skills and practice to the test. The event also kicked of a week of big boat sailing for the JSA, as many sailors went straight from the Dorade to the Beach Point Overnight race the next day.

Sailors competed in challenging conditions, fighting strong current, very shifty breezes, and choppy water. Regatta Chairperson and PRO Ray Redniss was impressed with what he saw on the water, noting, "I thought the boat handling was quite good, and everyone seemed to conduct themselves in a sportsmanlike manner."

The top finishers are as follows:

PHRF Division 1:

1. Noroton YC - High Noon (Tripp 41)

2. Pequot YC - Loki (J109)

3. Pequot YC - Strategery (J109)

PHRF Division 2:

1. Larchmont YC - Conundrum (J105)

2. Indian Harbor YC - Adrenaline (Soverel 33)

3. American YC - Warhorse (J105)

 

Full results can be found at the JSA Regattas page. More photos are in the Picasa gallery.

Pictures courtesy of Scott Connery.

JSA of LIS Sailors Top the Competition at the Midget Challenge

The last time the JSA of LIS won the Midget Challenge in 1994, the sailors competing at this year's regatta weren't born yet. 

The JSA sent twelve sailors and six boats to compete at the annual fleet race, which was held last Friday, August 12 at the US Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn. Three additional area junior sailing associations participated in the regatta: the Eastern Connecticut Sailing Association, the Peconic Gardiners Junior Sailing Association, and the Great South Bay YRA.  The regatta was sailed in the USCGA's fleet of FJs on the Thames River. All competitors were under 15 years old, which is the "midget" age group. 

Together, Katie DeVore/Ryan Mattimore (Larchmont YC), Chris Pace/Tucker Leicht (Larchmont YC), Edward Lebens/Jake Scheblein (Seawanhaka YC, pictured below), Chris Brown/Ben Kasper (Black Rock YC), Corey Sabia/Lindsay Walsh (Norwalk YC), and Taylor Hart/Julia Dunne (Noroton YC) accumulated the best low-point team score of 283 points to finish first overall. Eastern CT took second in the team standings and Peconic Gardners was third.

Additionally, the team of DeVore/Mattimore took home the prize for finishing as second boat at the regatta. Hunter Hulse/Nick Garone from Great South Bay were the first boat, while Patrick Rose/Harrison Hall from Eastern CT were third boat.

Sam Davidson from Larchmont YC coached the JSA team. Davidson, who hails from Madison, Conn., lent his local familiarity with the venue to coach the team as they faced the tricky conditions and strong current on the Thames.  

"It can be a rough change from the current in the Sound to the current in Thames River," said Seawanhaka sailor Edward Lebbens. 

Sailors took the conditions in stride; Katie DeVore said, "The combination of a shifty breeze and strong current made it really fun and interesting." 

Davidson was also pleased to see that the sailors adjusted well to the FJs, a new boat for many, noting, "I was very happy to see the comfort level with and understanding of the FJ grow as the day progressed."

"It was a lot of fun sailing FJs. They were a great boat, they flew through the water plowing through waves. Although they didn't plane the way Pixels can, they were a great boat!" said Norwalk sailor Corey Sabia.  Tucker Leicht, from Larchmont YC, agreed, adding, "FJs are really fun and fast." 

Taylor Hart and Julia Dunne, from Noroton, enjoyed the opportunity to sail in a different boat. "It gave us a taste of what it would be like to sail in college," they said. 

From boathandling to watching the current, the JSA team worked to put together the little details to post a string of consistent scores. 

 "In the final race it was clear that our JSA team was in it, they got their whole race dialed in with very few lapses of attention. Our combined score reflected this attention to detail," said Davidson. 

The team's win this year stands on the foundation set by a handful of JSA sailors who helped rebuild area interest and participation in the event six years ago. Matt Wefer, Alex Hering, Jordan Factor, and Andrew Baransky represented the JSA at the Midget Challenge for the first time in eleven years in 2005, and JSA has been competing in the event annually ever since. 

"I'm glad we got the JSA of LIS back on the trophy," said Jake Scheblein.

For full results, see the JSA Regattas page.  

And more photos in the Picasa gallery.

NY, CT Area Sailors Compete for Sears, Bemis, and Smythe Trophies

Sailors from New York and Connecticut cleaned up the competition at the Chubb U.S. Junior Championships for the Sears, Bemis and Smythe Trophies last week in Toms River, New Jersey. The regatta, hosted by Toms River Yacht Club, welcomed 93 of the nation's top sailors for three days of racing over August 9-12.  

Nick Valente (Oakdale, NY), of Wet Pants Sailing Association based out of Sayville, NY, won the singlehanded championship (Smythe Trophy). Gary Prieto (Southhold, NY), of Old Cove YC, placed third. 

In the C420 class, Pearson Potts (Newport, RI) and Tristian Sess (Center Moriches, NY), representing Sail Newport, finished first out of 20 boats to win the Bemis Trophy. Potts has been a frequent competitor at Larchmont Junior Race Week in the past few years, winning the 420 class in 2009 and 2010. Additionally, two teams from Pequot Yacht Club (Southport, CT) - Jack Cusick/Henry Dumke and Bryce Kopp/Charlotte Saxe - finished sixth and eighth in the C420 fleet.  

Our neighbors from the ECSA's Mystic River Mudhead Sailing Association (pictured above) won the triplehanded Sears Cup. Competing in Flying Scots, O.J. O'Connell (Niantic, Conn.), Ben Wilkinson (Noank, Conn.) and Kyle Seniff (Glastonbury, Conn.) showed remarkable consistency with eight finishes in the top three.  

For more details, including full results, photos, and press releases, see the US Sailing website.

Photo credit Justin Chando

 

Port Washington YC Hosts Twilight Regatta

Port Washington Yacht Club held its annual Twilight Keelboat Regatta last Friday, August 12. The 7.7 mile race commenced in the early evening with 4 boats and 34 junior sailors between the ages of 14 to 17 competing in the sixth annual version of the event. The Twilight Regatta serves as a tune-up race for Beach Point Yacht Club's overnight race, which kicks off tomorrow. 

Conditions were a 3 to 6 knot dying northwesterly breeze, calm seas and visibility approximately 25 miles. As the red amber hues appeared for the sun set, the almost full moon rose in the southern sky and lit up western Long Island Sound.  The night was magic - some of the participants saw a pod of bottle nose dolphins just before the start.  The first windward leg was to the red flashing buoy just south of Hens and Chickens, the second leg was a tight reach to the green gong off of the east side of Hart Island. The downwind leg was from Hart Is. to the green gong off of Prospect Point. During the final upwind leg, the wind became very light and the racers crawled across the finish line at Can 1, Execution Rocks.

The first place boat Zuma, a J109 (scratch boat), got the gun with an elapsed time of 1 hour 51 minutes and 52 seconds.  Zuma was skipped by Lizzy Michler from Riverside YC.  The second place finish was another J109, Three Cheers skippered by Dylan Kavookjian from Noroton YC, with an elapsed time of 1 hour 54 minutes and 47 seconds.  Adrenaline, a Soverel 33 skippered by Ethan Stark of Indian Harbor YC, was third, with a corrected time of 1 hour, 58 minutes and 4 seconds .

The Twilight Regatta allows junior crews to get a taste of nighttime conditions before the Beach Point Overnight.  Twilight trophies are awarded at the Beach Point luncheon before the Overnight Race.  

For full results, see the JSA Regattas page. Special thanks go to Catherine and Mark Einhaus who helped with the race committee

-Report written by Chuck McCarthy, PWYC

Optis Finish Summer Season at Larchmont YC

Larchmont Harbor was teeming with Optis last week when over 150 young sailors gathered to compete in the JSA Optimist Championship regatta on Wednesday and Thursday.

Initial light air made for trying conditions and long races on Wednesday morning, but the wind picked up in the afternoon and sailors were able to close out the day's three races with some good breeze. On Thursday, conditions were pretty ideal, with a 10-14 knot NW that oscillated towards the left and lightened up just a little bit as the day went on. 

KB Knapp, from Cold Spring Harbor Beach Club, won four out of six races to place first overall and in the Red Division.  With her win, Cold Spring Harbor receives the honor of organizing next year's event. 

"My main strategy for Opti Champs was getting off the starting line with lots of speed and a clear lane. I tried to start in a position where I could tack and be the first one to the puffs and shifts. Once I was in the shift, I tried to be between the mark and the fleet for the rest of the race," said Knapp.

Jack Parkin, from Riverside YC, placed second overall and won the Blue Division, which was the largest at the regatta with 68 sailors. L.C. Cooper, from Pequot YC, finished third in the overall standings. Thomas Rice of Seawanhaka YC, placed first in the White fleet. 

For full results, see the JSA Regattas page. For pictures, see the Picasa page.

 

C420 and Laser Sailors Compete For JSA Championship At Stamford YC

Summer is flying (or sailing?) by, and the end-of-season championship regattas are upon us. The C420, Laser, and Radial classes met for the JSA Championships on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week at Stamford Yacht Club. 

Nearly 150 sailors qualified for this year's championship, which was held in Stamford Harbor off of Shippan Point. Tuesday brought pretty breezy conditions, and two races were completed in a 15 knot easterly before the torrential downpour and thunderstorm warnings began. Conditions were lighter on Wednesday morning, with the wind hovering around a 5-6 knot southwesterly before building back up to 10-15 in the afternoon. 

In the 420 fleet, Centerport YC sailors Sean Cornell and Peter Sterflinger, showing that consistency was the key to success, stayed in the top ten for the entire regatta to finish first.

"It was important to focus on current, especially on laylines and on the line.  Another thing that helped us was that my crew Peter is also a skipper and we both can discuss tactics and put together our inputs," said Cornell. 

Clara and Mary Robertson, from American Yacht Club (pictured left), finished close behind in second, and Emma Lukens and Brendan O'Leary, from Riverside Yacht Club, grabbed third. 

55 boats competed in Laser Radials. Robert Simkins, of Centerport YC, William Baxter, of Riverside YC, and Gillian Boehringer, of Stamford YC, finished in the top three, separated by a slim margin of 6 points.

Marek Zaleski, of host club Stamford, topped the Laser full rig fleet, finishing first out of a dozen boats. 

"Getting into pressure and hitting shifts was the right key. Usually there was one big (25º plus) shift per race, and everyone who got to that shift first was launched ahead of the other boats," he said."

John LaBossiere, from American YC, and Andrew Schlegel, from Larchmont YC, finished neck-and-neck in second and third with 29 points apiece. This trio has been dominating the Laser class all summer, trading places in the top three at the Law Trophy and Larchmont Race Week. 

Voicing the sentiment of many sailors at the regatta, Zaleski was happy to compete in a challenging fleet. "I found that the level of competition was much higher than at previous JSA events," he said.

For full results, see JSA Regattas page.

For pictures, see Picasa gallery. 

Pixels and Blue Jays Wrap Up Season At Roton Point

 

(James Haranzo and Brooks Daley of Noroton YC cross to flatten the boat during Pixel Champs)

The JSA of LIS Pixel Championship and Blue Jay National Championship were sailed earlier this week, on August 8 and 9 off the shores of Rowayton and Norwarlk, Connecticut. Roton Point Association, collaborating with Noroton and Norwalk yacht clubs, played host to the event, which welcomed 71 sailors and 44 boats over the two classes.

The first day of the regatta brought a light, shifting northerly, and each class was able to complete four races.

"The wind was a bit unsettled as all northerlies are along that coast, and in both fleets the lead boats handled the situation very well, tacking on the knocks and taking advantage of lifts," said Bruce Kirby, Principal Race Officer and Pixel designer. 

On Day 2, breeze built to a steady 13-knot easterly, for what Kirby deemed "perfect sailing weather." Both classes completed two races before heading back to shore before afternoon thunderstorms set in.

"In the Pixel class, skippers and crews were able to enjoy some planing and wave riding," he said.

Kirby was impressed by the boathandling he saw on the water, saying, "I was surprised at the speed of some of the spinnaker sets and douses. The top boats looked like Olympic hopefuls, even though some of the crews were just out of Optis."

He also noted that the importance of finding the right settings on the boats came into play, particularly when stronger winds set in on the second day of the regatta. 

"The crews with the right setttings had nice even mast bends, which helped flatten the main, and they were able to point higher and keep the boat flatter, which made a big difference," he said.

Katie DeVore and Callin Campbell, of Larchmont Yacht Club, topped the competition in the Pixel fleet, winnning five out of six total races. Taylor Hart and Julia Dunne, from Noroton Yacht Club, and Andrew Roth, and Richard O'Leary, from American Yacht Club, rounded out the top three. 

"In the end, it was all about consistency," said Dunne, who crewed to a second place finish with skipper Taylor Hart. "Everyone had a bad race or two, but the boats with the fewest errors came out on top." 

Coming off fresh from a victory at Larchmont Junior Race Week, Ella Simkins, Lena Scarpulla, and Kayla McKenna of Centerport Yacht Club (pictured above, with perpetual trophy) finished first in the Blue Jay class and captured the national title. Alex Haughton and Alex D'Agostino, and Noah Christiano and Ryland Parker, all from Pettipaug Yacht Club, notched second and third place finishes. 

Full results can be found at the JSA Regattas page

Photos courtesy of Clemmie Everett and Julie Dunbar

 

Long Island Sound Area Sailors Fare Well at Buzzards Bay

The one and only Buzzards Bay Regatta was held this past weekend from August 5-7 in South Dartmouth, Mass. at New Bedford Yacht Club.  

Many JSA of LIS area sailors and instructors made the trek up north to compete in the C420, Laser, Radial, and Vanguard 15 classes of the event. Though winds started out light and shifty on the first day, breeze built over the next two days for classic Buzzards Bay sailing conditions. Sunday racing was cancelled because of high winds upwards to 20-25 knots.

Daniel Debello of American YC had a standout perfornace, placing first in the 32-boat Laser fleet. Ryan Schmitz (Port Washington YC), James Barry (Stamford YC), Reid Secondo (Indian Harbor YC), and Marek Zaleski (Noroton YC) also finished in the top ten of the fleet. For the Radials, Colin Kennedy of PWYC placed fifth, and Catherine Shanahan of Stamford tenth. 

In the C420 class, Reiner Eenkema van Dijk (Larchmont YC) and Spencer McDonough (IHYC) placed second out of 153 boats.  Adele and Declan Whitmyer, from Noroton YC, finished close behind in sixth, and Pearson Potts, from Southern YC and a 2-time winner at Larchmont Junior Race Week, finished in eighth. Harry Koeppel (LYC), Fiona Walsh (AYC), Tracy Doherty (Sea Cliff YC), and Brendan O'Leary/Jack Schneider (Riverside YC/IHYC) also counted amongst the top twenty finishers in the fleet. 

Additionally, Brendan Kopp, who is an instructor at Pequot this summer, sailed to a fourth place finish in the Vanguard 15 fleet.

Full results can be found here.