Twilight Keel Boat Regatta at Port Washington

With thanks to Bill Gordon and Bob Hodson:

On Friday evening, August 10th, Port Washington Yacht Club's Junior Yacht Club held its second annual Twilight Keel Boat Regatta. This regatta is part of the Junior Sailing Association of Long Island Sound's growing "Big Boat" series of races designed to broaden the racing experience and appeal for our older junior sailors. Through the generosity of the participating yacht clubs and the boat owners who lend their boats to the program, junior sailors have an opportunity to experience a whole new and exciting dimension of our sport.

With a stalled low pressure system generating easterly winds of 18 to 20 knots and seas to 6 feet on western Long Island Sound, the race committee carefully watched the weather picture prior to the 6 PM start.

Six boats hailing from Port Washington, Seawanhaka, Indian Harbor,Riverside, and Noroton Yacht Clubs braved the challenging conditions and showed up at the starting line with number 3 storm jibs and full crews on the rail. The colorful array of foul weather gear made for quite a sight, but did offer protection from the intermittent rain showers.

When the prep gun sounded, the Race Committee, on a very bouncy committee boat, posted a windward - leeward course of 10 nm's using government buoys as marks of the course. After a clean start at "Can 1" north of Execution Rocks lighthouse, the fleet split, with some boats electing to head inshore and several heading out into mid-Sound. By the time they converged at the second mark, "Bell 42" at Scotch Caps off American Yacht Club, it appeared the inshore boats had a slight advantage. Rounding the mark and setting their spinnakers, the boats took off on a "rock & roll" ride to the leeward mark off Hart Island. From there it was an upwind beat through the waves and schools of blitzing bluefish to a finish in the stormy darkness back at "Can 1".

Trophy Results:
1 Christine Jakob SEAW in a J120 corrected time 1hr 43 m 9sec
2 Peter Sullivan NORO in a J105 corrected 1h 44m 22 sec
3 Justin Marks NORO in a J109 corrected 1h 50m 22 sec

The complete results are posted on the respective JSA and PWYC web-sites. The Port Washington Junior Yacht Club wants to thank to all the participants who braved the weather to make it a very successful regatta. We’re hoping for an even bigger event next year!

Sportsmanship

The St. Francis Y.C. hosted the 2007 V15 Nationals this past weekend, where four races were sailed daily in the twelve-race, one throwout series. Flood tides and winds of 8-24 knots kept the 29 teams busy, and by the close of the event, only one point separated the top three teams. While it was Nick Adamson and Jago MacLeod that came away with the well earned title, the runner-up team may have come away with an equally stunning award. respect.
Comments event PRO John Siegel, "The eventual second place winner - Steve Hunt and Nick Kaschak - had been disqualified in race three for a rule 10 violation on a very close crossing. This clearly cost him the regatta. At the awards presentation, this sailor took the microphone and thanked the StFYC for a great regatta and added: '. although we were on the losing end of a protest in race three, we have to commend the protest committee for their professionalism. They made the right decision.' How often have you heard comments like this? Steve Hunt, a high school coach from San Diego, made these remarks on accepting the trophy with crew Nick Kaschak. When you hear comments like these, you remember why you happily spend so many hours volunteering for the sport."
>From Chuck Sinks: Steve Hunt is a phenomenal sailor, coach and role model.
What PRO John Siegel didn't mention is that Nick Kaschak, Steve's crew at the V-15 Nationals, is a member of the Point Loma High School Sailing Team (Class of '08) - the same team Steve coaches. I think the "setting a good example, and earn the respect of your competitors" piece of the coaching manual is in good hands. Kudos Steve and congratulations to Nick. Well done.

Beach Point Overnight Race

Beach Point Yacht Club held the 50th annual race for the Junior Distance Sailing Championship, otherwise known as the Beach Point Overnight Regatta.

The winds were not spectacualr, but present enough for all 17 boats that competed in the overnight event that takes place up and down Long Island Sound.

Black Rock Yacht Club's boat Partnership took first place with a time of 9:17:07. Second place went to Pequot's Goombay Smash, who were just five minutes behind. Hurricane from Riverside came in third place.

Full results are posted on the JSA Website.

Kopp has Dramatic Comeback to Win Bemis

Brendan Kopp came back from fourth place down on the final day of racing to capture the 2007 Bemis Trophy and Double-handed Championship. Kopp and his crew Michael Costello, from Pequot Yacht Club, had two first place finishes in the final two races to get back to the top spot they owned after the first day of racing.

In the Single-handed class and the race for the Smythe Trophy, Stamford's Ben Leibowitz and American's Cam Cullman finished side by side in fourth and fifth places respectively. Cullman, like Kopp, took first in both races on the final day of races to move up in the standings and finish just two points behind Leibowitz.

Pequot's Triple-handed team of Andrew Foster, Tim Clark and Charlie Proctor also sailed to the top of the standings, finishing in second place in a battle for the Sears Cup. Foster and crew finished in second and fifth in the final two races.

Full results are at:
http://www.ussailing.org/championships/youth/usjr/single/
http://www.ussailing.org/championships/youth/usjr/double/
http://www.ussailing.org/championships/youth/usjr/triple/

U.S. Sailors Dominate the 29er European Worlds

Emily Dellenbaugh, 17, (Easton, CT and Pequot YC) and Briana Provancha, 18, (San Diego, CA) have been enjoying a very successful summer on board their 29er. After an impressive win at the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship last month, the two young women dominated the 29er European Championship in Gottskar, Sweden, winning the 91-boat fleet. The two were joined on the awards podium by fellow Americans Austen Anderson and Christopher Price (of Centerport YC) who finished second.
More>>

U.S. Junior Championships

With two days of racing complete at the U.S. Junior Championships, JSA sailors are near the top of the standings. After finishing the first day of racing in first place, Pequot Yacht Club's Brendan Kopp (pictured right) is still sailing strong and is in fourth place heading into today's final races for the Bemis Trophy.



In the Laser class, Stamford's Ben Leibowitz is staying close to the top and is in fourth place. American Yacht Club's Cam Cullman, a former Smythe Trophy winner, is in seventh place.



In the race for the Sears Cup, the Pequot team of Andrew Foster, Tim Clark and Charlie Proctor are in second place, just one point ahead of the third place team. While first place may be out of reach, the race for second should be exciting.



-Here's a link to pictures from last weekend's Opti Champs.



-Results from the Beach Point Overnight Regatta should be posted on the JSA website this afternoon.



-Cam Cullman was also busy at the U.S. Laser Championships, which took place in Vermont last weekend. Cullman came in 17th in the full rig class. Larchmont's Trey Brazil and Stamford's Matt Jaykus also participated in the Laser Class.



In the Radial class, Sea Cliff's Paul Wefer came in 18th and American's Emily Stubbs was right behind in 19th. Larchmont's Matt Zupon, Stamford's Matt Gurney, Renee Gagne, Andrew Gagne and Connor Vos, Seawanhaka's Christopher Wands and Catherine Townes, Indian Harbor's Reid Secondo, Stephanie Hart and American's Connor O'Sullivan also participated in the Championship event.

See full results at http://www.mbbc-vt.org/Events/LaserNationals07/summary.htm

2007 JSA Optimist Championship Regatta

Over the weekend of August 11 & 12 the Junior Sailing Association of Long Island Sound (JSA of LIS) Optimist Championship was hosted by the Sea Cliff Yacht Club, Sea Cliff, NY. 151 sailors entered the Optimist season championship of Western Long Island Sound clubs but the wind gods did not cooperate. The sailors and the Race Committee exhibited tremendous patience hoping for better conditions but in the end could only squeeze in two (2) races over the two (2) days in light and variable conditions.

Evan Read from Northport Bay SA was the winner of the Leo Cardillo Trophy and first in Red Fleet with a score of 1-2 followed by recent Optimist New England's champion Declan Whitmyer from Noroton YC who had a 4-1. Laura Wefer from host Sea Cliff YC was third and top girl with a 4-4. Top Blue fleeter was Megan Grapengeter-Rudnick from Noroton YC in 6th and first in White Fleet was Sophia Gould from Stamford YC. Complete results may be found at www.seacliffyc.org/Optichamps2007.htm Photos are at this link.

Laser-Radial-C420 Alternate Regatta at Riverside YC

The morning of the Laser-Radial-C420 Alternate Regatta did not start exactly as any of us hoped. At 6:45am, the teams from Douglaston and Port Washington began their trek through closed highways, monsoon rains, and tornado warnings in order to get to Riverside Yacht Club in time for the skipper's meeting. Despite the horrific weather, almost all of the competitiors showed up and then enjoyed a spectacular day of 12-15 knots of breeze out of the west!

The Race Committee held 5 races for the C420 and Laser Radial classes in which leads switched often and the competition was fierce. The same was true for the Laser Standard class which careened through 6 races. The sailing was terrific and the competitors very much on their game. Chris Oliver and Patrick Alyward from Norwalk took honors (1-1-3-2-1) in the C420 class. John Howland of Riverside had 4 bullets, a third and second to win the Laser class. Brooks Walker, also of Riverside, won the Radial class with a very solid & consistent performance - (3-1-3-1-2)

An important event occured which impressed everyone on the water. In the 4th C420 race, the Port Washington team of Molly Hodson and Caroline Doyle were flying down wind towards the leeward mark. Much to their dismay, their boat capsized into a full turtle and their mast stuck solidly in the mud. Olivia Kamisher and Keara Mageras from Norwalk saw their predicament and instead of sailing on by, stopped their boat and jumped into the water to help out Molly and Caroline. Between the 4 sailors, they were able to get the boat righted - and then sailed back to the sailing area to start the next race. The instructors, other competitors and race committee were properly inspired by Olivia and Keara's actions. As Chad Graves, RYC's PRO mentioned in the award ceremony, Molly and Caroline exemplified the true spirit of sportsmanship.

Riverside Yacht Club thoroughly enjoyed hosting the event -- and we're sure that many of these sailors will excel at champs next year!

14-year-old Crews in Aussie Big Boat Race

When looking at the names of sailors who recently took the JSA big boat navigation and seamanship tests we noticed quite a few who are listed on the Optimist Red Fleet results.

The same appears to be happening in Australia where a hot young sailor who is the Queensland Sabot champion has taken approved leave from her warm and dry classroom to accept a crew role on the spray drenched deck of the Sydney to Mackay race winner. Click on the title above for the full story.

JSA Champs at AYC

The goal of any champs race is to get in enough races to make sure everyone gets a fair chance. Usually this can be done over two days, however the dog days of August are here, meaning that sometimes one day will have to do.

That was the case at American Yacht Club, where the Race Committee was able to get in six races yesterday as the winds picked up after a raucous thunderstorm pounded the area.

Stamford Yacht Club's Ben Leibowitz won yet another race this summer, earning the Commodore Edgar L. Raymond Jr. Trophy with a first place finish in the Laser Class. He won three out of the four races, with a third place finish in the other en route to the comfortable victory. Riverside's Will Wolfe came in second and Centerport's Philip Forgione came in third.

Fresh off of her appearance at the Leiter Cup, Emily Stubbs had another great regatta as she took home the Joseph Cosulich Trophy and first place in the Radial Class. Stubbs also won three out of the four races, with a third place in the other. Stamford's Matt Gurney came in second place, while Black Rock's Charlie McHugh came in third.

In the C420 class, Matt Wefer capped of a successful summer with another victory. He and his crew of Christopher Schade from Sea Cliff Yact Club scored three first place finishes. A sixth place finish in the second race made it close, but they were still able to edge out second place finshers Amanda Taselaar and Becca Liggins of Larchmont. Connor and Schuyler Needham of Shelter Island came in third.

-New pictures from the Awards ceremony at AYC are on the JSA Webshots page.

-The Opti New England Champs are underway at Newport, R.I., and JSA Sailors are at the top of the results. Preliminary standings have Noroton Yacht Club's Declan Whitmyer leading the field. Larchmont's Andrew Mollerus is in seventh (both he and Whitmyer are in the Red Fleet). Adele Whitmyer, also of Noroton leads the White Fleet, while Beach Point's Harry Koeppel is in ninth on the Blue Fleet.

Leiter Cup Recap with Renee Gagne

We mentioned in this space that Stamford Yacht Club's Renee Gagne was one of three JSA sailors that competed in the Leiter Cup last week. Gagne sailed very well and had a blast going to this National Event.

"It's a lot of fun (going to an event such as the Leiter Cup)," Gagne said. "You get to go out and meet lots of new people."

Gagne finished in sixth place, a phenomenal finish in a race with sailors of that caliber. "It was really good competition," she said. "There were a lot of girls there that sail year round."

She also stressed, however, that her finish was the result of hard work both before an during the tournament. Not only did she participate in the clinic at the Leiter Cup, but she also attended the clinic at Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club.

"Both clinics were good," Gagne said. "The one at the at the cup had more coaches, and the skills taught were more advanced."

"The event itself was also very well run," she added. "They provided us with US Sailing coaches, which was a big help, and they also made sure there was activities in the evening."

As for the sailing itself, taking to the winds in Marblehead, Mass. was not all that different from the winds here on the Sound." The wind was a lot like here," she said. "It was a little more consistent than it is here though."

Her climb to the top was remarkable as well, pushing her self to her sixth place finish with a third and second place finish to close out the series. She credits a hometown alibi to her strong sailing the final day.

"I warmed up a little bit with a local sailor before the race the last day," Gagne said. "We figured out that the right side of the course would be the strongest, and I was able to do well."

The best part of her whole experience, however, was the fact that she got to sail at a new and different regatta. "I really like going to regattas off the Sound," she added. "I'm going to Vermont for the Laser US National Champs, I've gone to Cork in the past and hopefully I'll get the chance to do this again next year."

Seaw Opti Regatta

Thanks to Gene at Seawanhaka for sending this in...

After a long week of hot days and no wind it was nice to see good conditions for the optimist event at Seawanhaka Yacht Club. On Friday August 3rd the club hosted 80 sailors for their annual optimist invitational regatta.
The day started out with a promising breeze of 5 to 8 knots out of the south with forecasters predicting 8 to 12 knots in the afternoon. The day was set for great racing out on the water.
After the current pushed the red fleet over early twice the race committee put up the I flag and was able to get off the first race. As the race committee got off more races the breeze increased as promised creating more challenging conditions for the competitors. The increased wind and long courses made it challenging for some sailors but the older and more experienced sailors were loving it. Before the end of the day each fleet was able to complete four races before heading in for ice cream and awards.
Special recognition for sportsmanship went to Elizabeth Einhaus for helping out her fellow competitors on the race course. First place in each division were Evan Read in the red fleet, Colin Kennedy in the blue fleet and John Sommi in the white fleet. Special thanks goes to Ann Mooney PRO for the event and Nina DeNigris event coordinator for running a fun and successful event for all.

-The New England Opti Championships begin today. Anyone in Rhode Island for the events, let us know or write up something for the blog.

-Final Leiter Cup results are as follows: Rene Gagne (Stamford) 6th place, Emily Stubbs (American) 18th and Emma Kofhmel in 23rd. Congratulations to all three girls!

-New editions of the Ditty Bag are in the mail, and should be online soon.

-A new poll is up to the left of this post, vote and let us know what you think!

Navigating with Radar on the Beach Point Overnight

If you are the navigator on the Beach Point Overnight, this is a must read for you.

Captain Bernie Weiss is a delivery skipper based in Stamford, CT at Atlantic Yacht Delivery. His article on radar navigation was recently published in the August WindCheck magazine and may also be found by clicking on the title above.

Navigation Test, Leiter Cup

Over 130 junior sailors representing 16 clubs took the basic and advanced navigation tests on July 30. The tests had been totally revised based on input received after last year’s tests. Feedback generally indicated the simplified formats were well received.

For the advanced navigation test there is a 5-way tie for top honors among juniors and a 3-way tie among instructors.

Junior Advanced High Score = 83:
AUSTIN SCHAEFER (CPYC)
JASON RAYMOND (CPYC)
CHRIS OLIVER (NORW)
TOMMY CHRONERT (RYC)
COLIN LEON (SEAW).

Instructor Advanced High Score = 89:
HAIK KAVOOKJIAN (AYC)
JONATHAN FERENCE (BRYC)
NICHOLS SILBERSACK (CSH).

For the basic navigation test there is a 4-way tie:
Junior Basic High Score = 84:
SAMMY PACI (BPYC)
ALEX BROWN (BRYC)
DYLAN ABEL (CPYC)
MATTHEW HABIG (LYC)
EDDIE EINHAUS (PWYC)

Seamanship test:
BRYC team was tops with a score of 96
COLIN NEVINS, BRYC
CHARLIE MCHUGH, BRYC
RYAN MORRISON, BRYC

-JSA sailors made themsevles proud at one of the premier girls events in the country at the 2007 Leiter Cup. Preliminary results have Stamford's Rene Gagne in 11th, American's Emily Stubbs in 18th and Shelter Island's Emma Kofmehl in 21st. Congratulations to three girls for their performances!

-Hot weather and no wind canceled the first day of racing at the Blue Jay and Pixel Championships.

Pequot Blue Jay/Pixel Regatta

Thanks to Tim Clark of Pequot Yacht Club for sending in the information:

Sixty–four boats crewed by 136 sailors from nineteen different clubs gathered at Pequot Yacht Club for their annual Pixel & Blue Jay Invitational from Sunday, July 29th through Tuesday, July 31st. Young sailors between the ages of 11 through 15 competed in three divisions of Pixels and Blue Jays.

In the Pixel Open Division Petey Ducan and Charles Bocket from American Yacht Club dominated with six bullets and one second place finish. I.G. Shottlaender and Nathan Gleason from Noroton finished second, followed by Alison Manning and Keara Mageras from Norwalk in third.

For the first time Pequot ran a Pixel Novice Division with ten boats competing, to showcase the up and coming sailors making the transition to a double-handed boat. The top boat in this division proved that there was safety in numbers as Christopher Hedly, Ian Ronda and Peter Berzins from The Belle Have Club took top honors with five firsts and one second. Black Rock Yacht Club’s Caitlin Nevins and Andrea Castillo took second place honors, while the Maguire brothers: Peter and John, teamed up to produce a third place standing.

For Blue Jays, in the seventeen boat division the top two positions were the domain of the Coneys family of Centerport Yacht Club. Austin Coneys and Mat Gardiner finished first (all bullets!) while Cameron Coneys and Alex Kazerouni finshed second. Peter Knudson and Jared Cassel from Huntington finished third.

The Invitational is an important event for Pequot and its members work hard to ensure its success. We would welcome any comments or suggestions on the regatta and you are encouraged to direct them to tclark1001@optonline.net.