Sail1Design would like to welcome our newest writer, and addition to our High School Reporting Staff, Camille White. Camille White grew up in Annapolis, Maryland where her sailing career started at age 7 in the Opti program at Annapolis Yacht Club. Camille moved up from Optis and into the Club 420, which she sailed for three years. After Camille won C420 Nationals in 2015, she transitioned into a new boat she is currently sailing, a high performance skiff— the 29er. Camille will be a junior during the 2016-2017 school year. She is a crew on Severn School’s varsity sailing team, where she will continue to sail CFJ’s and C420’s during the rest of her high school career. You can reach Camille at camille@sail1design.com 
Anyone who has sailed out of Sail Newport is familiar with its general and specific conditions. The sea breeze fills in just after noon with a nice southerly. The tide plays a significant role throughout the day, presenting both challenges and opportunities on the race course as it goes out and comes in. (photo from http://www.tsgphoto.com/ )
The 2016 29er National Championship was one of the largest 29er events on the East Coast: 35 boats competed in the three day event at Sail Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The competition drew a diverse group of sailors, from the Virgin Islands, Antigua, Bermuda, New Zealand, the United States, and Canada.
There was very little wind on the first day, and it became apparent after the first two races that the boats that were doing well those races kept to the far left of the course during the windward legs. All of the pressure was coming from the very left; boats sailed as close to the wall as possible. Cloud cover prevailed for the second day, precluding the land from heating up, the cause the sea breeze could not fill in. The race committee therefore postponed on shore, but eventually sent the sailors out in the light and variable conditions. The left payed off just as it did the day before. The target number of races was 10 for the whole event, and because only three races were scored the day before, the race committee aimed for 5 the second day. Strong current pushed boats over the line in the late afternoon, and the committee flew the black flag for the fifth race. However, during the first leg of that race, thick fog rolled in, and the race was abandoned and only 4 races were scored. There was a stiff breeze the morning of the last day, but it was not coming from a sea breeze direction: another postponement. Once the race committee saw sea breeze clouds moving in and the breeze coming from the odd direction dying, they proactively sent the sailors out. Just as predicted a very nice breeze filled in; the most breeze the sailors had seen during the whole event. The race committee ran 4 races that day, achieving the 10 race goal for the regatta.
Until the last day, Christopher Williford and Cate Mollerus led the event by 5 points with only 16 total points, but Ryan Ratcliffe and Sam Merson had a successful last day scoring a 2nd, two 1sts, and a 3rd, winning the 2016 29er National Championship overall by three points.
For Results of the 2016 29er National Championship, click here, and for pictures from the event, click here.
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