By Airwaves writer Heather Kerns
The Indian River Yacht Club in Greenwich, Connecticut hosted the I420 Atlantic Coast Championships over the weekend of October 25–26. Twenty boats competed in the event, and five races were completed.
The fleet hit the water Saturday morning in a westerly breeze of about 12 knots. Conditions were shifty and puffy, making for dynamic racing as the average wind speed gradually dropped throughout the day. The race committee ran 5 races.
On Sunday, sailors were met with lighter, very shifty winds that made quality racing difficult. After several delays, the race committee finally set a course and prepared to start, but a major wind shift at a minute to go in the sequence forced another postponement. Sailors were sent ashore to wait for better breeze, but with conditions not improving, racing was ultimately called off around 2 p.m.
With a strong performance, Amelia Woodworth and Grace Kinney (Pequot YC/LISOT) won the event with 19 points total. Arturo Zizold and Alessandro Baldassari (Maximus Sailing) claimed second with 25.3 points after being granted redress, and Kai McCulloch and Sophia Panusheva (American YC/LISOT) rounded out the top three. Across all score-lines, steady top-10 finishes proved to be the key to success. No team dominated the event—each of the five races was won by a different pair—showcasing the depth and competitiveness of this small but mighty I420 fleet.
Special thanks to Portland Yacht Club c420 Race Team Martin Cloos for providing additional context and insight about the weekend. Reflecting on the event, Cloos shared:
“The [Portland YC] kids had a great first experience racing an I420. The fleet was small but super competitive, and the team learned a lot from the event. Although it’s hard to see in the results, the team made huge improvements throughout the day, finishing the later races much more in the battle.”
The regatta offered valuable learning experiences and tight competition for all participants. As the fall sailing season continues, it will be exciting to see all of these teams build on their progress and carry their momentum into upcoming events.
Full results HERE.
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