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A Test for Sailors Headed to the Olympic and Paralympic Rolex Miami OCR

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Miami, FL, USA

When US Sailing’s Rolex Miami OCR returns to Coconut
Grove, Fla., next week for its 23rd annual edition, top athletes from around
the world will be using it as an opportunity to jump-start ambitious sailing
goals for 2012, not the least of which, for some, is participation in this
summer’s London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.  With racing scheduled
from Monday, January 23 through Saturday, January 28, the six-day Rolex Miami
OCR is the second of seven 2011-2012 ISAF Sailing World Cup regattas and
features elite-level competition in the classes selected for the Olympic and
Paralympic Games.  At the close of registration on Sunday, 532 sailors
representing 44 countries had registered.

Among the many international competitors–some with
Olympic berths secured and others still vying for spots on their national
teams–will be Marit Bouwmeester (The Netherlands), who finished 2011 on a high
note by winning both the Laser Radial class at the Perth 2011 ISAF Sailing
World Championships and the honor of representing her country in that class at
the Olympics.

“Everybody has been training really hard the past year,
so I think Rolex Miami OCR will be a tough battle again and it will probably
stay that way until the Games,” said Bouwmeester whose company out on the water
will include fellow podium finishers at the Worlds and Olympic representatives
Paige Railey (Clearwater, Fla., USA) and Evi Van Acker (Belgium). (Railey also
is the defending Rolex Miami OCR champion and has won the event four times.)

“It is definitely fun racing against all the good girls,”
said Bouwmeester, adding that 2012 will be her first-ever Olympic experience.
“I always spend two months in Miami and Fort Lauderdale to get my light-wind
training in. Miami is the complete opposite of what I’m used to, so it’s a nice
challenge and a good opportunity to learn.”

With 82 boats registered, the Laser class promises not to
disappoint as the typically largest fleet at the Rolex Miami OCR.  With
multiple potential winners embedded in the entry roster, Chris Dold and David
Wright stand out from among 13 Canadian entries that are here to participate in
their Olympic Trials, which started in Perth and will end with the next ISAF
Sailing World Cup regatta (the Trofeo S.A.R. Princesa Sofia MAPFRE) in March.

“It’s going to be fun to watch these guys fight it out
for their Olympic Trials,” said Rob Crane (Darien, Conn., USA) who is coming
off a jam-packed 2011 schedule that culminated with him winning an Olympic
berth for the U.S. team after pulling off amazing 1-2 finishes on the last
competition day in Perth to beat out his teammates for the spot.

“After my own experience in Perth, it will be fun to
watch other people handle that situation,” said Crane.  “I train with the
Canadian team a lot, and I’m good friends with all those guys. It’s great to
race against them, but for this regatta their concern is beating out each other
for the Olympic spot.”

The fleet also is densely packed with well-known names
from around the globe such as Alsogaray (ARG) and Bruno Fontes (BRA), as well
as up-and-comers such as Charlie Buckingham (Newport Beach, Calif., USA).

Traveling more than halfway around the globe are 2011
World Champions and Australia’s representatives for the Olympic Games in the
470 Men’s class  Mathew Belcher and Malcom Page. “After spending the
better part of the decade trying to gain Olympic selection, London will be my
first (Games),” said Belcher, adding that his teammate Malcolm Page crewed (for
skipper Nathan Wilmot) to win an Olympic Gold medal in Beijing (2008).

“We have and will be working hard to prepare ourselves to
defend Australia’s Gold from Beijing, and the Rolex Miami OCR 2012 will provide
us with the opportunity to gain high level racing before heading over to
Europe,” said Belcher, who will be going up against some power houses who are
constantly battling each other in the top-ten at international events,
including Olympic-bound Stu McNay (Boston, Mass., USA) with crew Graham Biehl
(San Diego, Calif., USA); Lucas Calabrese with Juan Maria de la Fuente (ARG);
and Matthias Schmid with Florian Reichstaedter (AUT).  “We are a little
isolated in Australia and don’t get the level of competition that our
competitors can get access to. For us, it’s important to fly almost 30 hours
and transport our equipment to Miami to compete for only a five-day regatta.
That’s how much we like coming to Miami and how important we think doing this
event is.”

Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark (GBR), in the 470 Women’s
class, are always a good run for the money, and after a podium finish in Perth
they will no doubt share in some epic battles against World Champions Lisa
Westerhof and Lobke Berkhout (NED). The USA’s team of Amanda Clark(Shelter
Island Heights, N.Y., USA)  and Sarah Lihan Fort Lauderdale, Fla., USA)
edged out USA’s Erin Maxwell and Isabelle Kinsolving Farrar during a
tie-breaker in Perth, which earned them their berth at the Olympic Games.

As always, the Star class is shining with world-renowned
champions, and perhaps the best-known names attending are two-time Olympic gold
medalists Robert Scheidt and Bruno Prada (BRA), who just wrapped up 2011 with
their second straight title at the Star World Championships (as part of the
ISAF Sailing World Championships in Perth).  Though Scheidt and Prada are
used to fleet-topping performances, they also know not to discount the tough
competition that consistently rotates into the top ten at this event, including
Xavier Rohart with crew Pierre Alexis Ponsot (FRA) and Hamish Pepper with Maz
Salminen (SWE). The USA’s Olympic-bound Star sailors Mark Mendelblatt and Brian
Fatih (both Miami, Fla.) also will be in attendance and using their local
knowledge to try to dominate on Biscayne Bay.

Nico Luca Marc Delle Karth and Nikolaus Resch (AUT) are
top players in the 49er fleet, and in Perth, Denmark had a handful of teams in
the medal race, so it doesn’t go unnoticed that Allan Norregaard and crew Peter
Land have thrown their hat into the Rolex Miami OCR ring along with Jonas
Warrer (Denmark’s gold medalist in Beijing) and Seren Hansen.  Erik Storck
(Huntington, N.Y., USA) and Trevor Moore (Pomfret, Vt./Naples, Fla., USA) who
were inches away from bronze in Perth, are on an upward spiral and expecting to
accomplish big things at the Rolex Miami OCR.  But all is not for the
veterans at this event.  U.S. up-and-comers Ryan Pesch (Chicago, Ill.,USA)
and Trevor Burd (Vineyard Haven, Mass. USA), are looking to retain their status
on the US Sailing Development Team, along with Frederick Strammer (Nokomis,
Fla.) and Zachary Brown (Nokomis, Fla., USA), who have been training and living
in Miami for several months and are making a push for the 2016 Olympic Games.

In Finn class, the USA’s 2012 Olympic team member Zach
Railey (Clearwater, Fla.) is the front runner and expected to bring back the
gold, but he will have some tough competition from Brendan Casey (AUS) and
fellow US Sailing AlphaGraphics teammate Caleb Paine (San Diego, Calif., USA),
who has been posting consistent top-20 finishes as of late.

In the Men’s and Women’s RS:X classes, the fleets arerelatively small compared to past years, since many of the world’s top
windsurfers chose to bypass the long trip to Miami from the ISAF Worlds in
Perth and go straight to the 2012 RS:X European Windsurfing Championships,
scheduled for February in Portugal, and on to the RS:X World Windsurfing
Championships, scheduled for March in Spain.  Last year’s World Cup series
winner Nick Dempsey (GBR) could be all but guaranteed the gold in Men’s, as his
nemesis, Dorian van Rijsselberge (NED), who edged him out for the gold here at
the Rolex Miami OCR in 2011, is missing from the roster.   Still,
Dempsey will have to contest the likes of Ahmed Habash (EGY), who is a
four-time National Mistral Champion, and others such as Robert Willis (Chicago,
Ill., USA) whose time has come for shining on the international circuit. 
In the Women’s RS:X, Poland and Israel have traditionally been strong, which means
Malgorzata Bialecka (POL) and Maayan Davidovich (ISR) might have the nod, but
the strengths of USA’s Farrah Hall, who won her country’s Trials, cannot go
unpondered.  She is working her hardest to polish up for the Worlds, since
it is there that she must qualify her country in order to make her earned spot
on the USA’s Olympic team matter.

The newest Olympic class in the Games is Women’s Match
Racing, and at the Rolex Miami OCR it will be a fight between Olivia Price/Nina
Curtis/Lucinda Whitty and Nicky Souter/Jessica Eastwell/Katie Spithill for a
position on Australia’s Olympic team.  The country to beat, however, is
most definitely the USA.  In fact, during this quadrennium, there has not
been a single World Cup event where the U.S. has not been on the podium.
Anna Tunnicliffe (Plantation, Fla., USA) /Molly Vandemoer (Stanford,
Calif.) /Debbie Capozzi (Bayport, N.Y.) set the bar high in Perth by taking the
gold, but Sally Barkow (Nashotah, Wis.) / Elizabeth Kratzig-Burnham (Miami,
Fla.) / Alana O’Reilly (Charleston, S.C., USA) are proven stars as well. 
(Tunnicliffe is the current ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year and Rolex
Yachtswoman of the Year.)  France’s Claire Leroy/Elodie Bertrand/Marie
Riou and Great Britain’s Lucy Macgregor/Annie Lush/Kate Macgregor are other
safe bets for finishing in the top five. Talent-wise, match racing is one of
the strongest disciplines, and with 25 teams entered thus far, there are
several more who could go all the way, including Spain’s Tamara Echegoyen/Sofia
Toro/Angela Pumariega and Finland’s Silja Lehtinen/Silja Kanerva/Mikaela Wulff.

Fresh off of some fierce Paralympic competition at the
IFDS Worlds, which wrapped up this past weekend in Charlotte Harbor, Fla.,
sailors in the 2.4mR, SKUD-18 and Sonar classes are counting on top Rolex Miami
OCR performances to propel them to the next level.

The 2.4mR class is 29-boats deep, with already six more
boats attending than were seen at the Worlds, and it will be most interesting
to watch Mark LeBlanc (New Orleans, La., USA), John Ruf (Pewaukee, Wis., USA)
and Charles Rosenfeld (Woodstock, Conn., USA) battle for a berth on the U.S.
team for the 2012 Paralympic Games, which will be determined after the final
race here. Some international names to watch include the top three IFDS podium
finishers: gold medalist and defending Rolex Miami OCR champion Damien Seguin
(FRA), silver medalist Thierry Schmitter (NED) and bronze medalist Paul Tingley
(CAN).

As is the case for the U.S. in 2.4mRs, so too is it that
the Rolex Miami OCR serves as the second part of the SKUD and Sonar Paralympic
Team Trials, where sailors keep their overall finish from the IFDS Worlds and
combine it with their overall finish here to determine who gets the Paralympic
berth.  Duking it out in SKUD class will be Jennifer French (St.
Petersburg, Fla., USA) and Jean-Paul Creignou (St. Petersburg, Fla., USA), who
took the silver medal at the Worlds, and three-time Rolex Miami OCR defending
champions Scott Whitman (Brick, N.J.) and Julia Dorsett (Boca Raton, Fla.).
With only seven boats in the fleet (there were eight at the
Worlds), including the World Champions Alexandra Rickham and Niki Birrell
(GBR), there will be pressure-cooker emphasis on putting boats between
themselves and the competition.

Having just won bronze at the Worlds, Rolex Miami OCR
defending champions John Robertson, Hannah Stodel and Steve Thomas (GBR) are
favored in the Sonar class.  John Twomey (IRE) also has made a name for
himself in this class as has Udo Hessels, Marcel van de Veen and Mischa Rossen
(all FRA), and all four American teams competing will have to step up their
game to successfully juggle toppling these hard-hitters as they go at it hard
to secure an Olympic berth.

US Sailing’s Rolex Miami OCR, established in 1990, is
open to boats competing in events chosen for the Olympic and Paralympic Sailing
Competitions. The 10 Olympic classes for 2012 are: Laser Radial (women), Laser
(men), Finn (men), Men’s RS:X, Women’s RS:X, 49er (men), Men’s 470, Women’s
470, Star (men) and Elliot 6m (women). The three Paralympic classes are: 2.4mR
(open), SKUD (mixed) and Sonar (mixed).

For fleet racing in the Olympic classes, the Rolex Miami
OCR will consist of a five-day opening series (Monday – Friday) and a
double-point medal race (Saturday). The top 10 finishers in the opening series
of each class will advance to the medal race. For match racing (Elliott 6m),
which makes its debut in the 2012 Olympic Games, the regatta will consist of an
opening series, a knockout series, and a sail-off for boats not advancing to
the knockout series.  Competitors in the Paralympic classes will have five
days of fleet racing (Monday-Friday) and no medal race.

Medals will be awarded to the top three boats in each
Olympic and Paralympic class on Saturday, January 28.

Regatta Headquarters will be located at the US Sailing
Center Miami, an official Olympic training center, in the Coconut Grove section
of Miami, Fla. Event organizers have partnered with the city of Miami to
provide world-class venues for competition. Additional hosts for the event
include Coral Reef Yacht Club, Key Biscayne Yacht Club, Coconut Grove Sailing
Club, Miami Rowing Club and Shake-a-Leg Miami. These sailing organizations host
classes onshore, as well as help run the on-the-water racing. The Coral Reef
Yacht Club also hosts the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

The event’s website http://rmocr.ussailing.org is where

In addition to title sponsor Rolex Watch U.S.A., the 2012
Rolex Miami OCR is also sponsored by AlphaGraphics, Sperry Top-Sider, Harken
McLube, Kattack, Gowrie-Chubb, and the University of Miami Hospital.

About the ISAF Sailing World Cup

Sailors accrue points at each of the seven ISAF Sailing
World Cup events to earn an overall Series Score. First place translates into
20 points, second place earns 19 points and so on. (Twentieth place earns one
point.) The skipper/crew with the highest Series Score at the end of the season
wins the ISAF Sailing World Cup Trophy. Find out more about the ISAF Sailing
World Cup, overall standings, the scoring system and the Notice of Series at
www.sailing.org/isafsailingworldcup.

About Rolex Watch U.S.A., Inc.

Since Rolex Watch U.S.A. first presented timepieces to
America’s Cup defenders in 1958, the company has
consistently recognized and
encouraged excellence in every important arena of competitive sailing,
including supporting the US Sailing Team, US Sailing championships, disabled
sailing, and offshore, one-design and women’s events. In 2012, Rolex will
sponsor over 20 prestigious yachting events globally, including the Maxi Yacht
Rolex Cup, Rolex Big Boat Series, Rolex Capri Sailing Week, Rolex Farr 40 World
Championship, Rolex Fastnet Race, and Rolex Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race.

About US Sailing

Sail1Designer of the Month- January: Henry Marshall

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By Elizabeth Dudley, Airwaves writer
 

A 7th grader at Buckingham Brown  and Nichols school in Cambridge, Massachusetts, blue fleeter Henry Marshall is the overall Opti winner for the 2011 Orange Bowl hosted by Coral Reef Yacht Club in South Florida.  Beating out second place by only two points, and third place by only three, Marshall was excited but knows he has to keep a level head and look forward to his future events. Marshall was introduced to sailing at a very young age by his family.  He, his parents, and his brothers Jack and William took off around the time Marshal was in kindergarten and lived and sailed on a boat for two years. They visited places like the Caribbean and even sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean.  Since then, and understandably so, Marshall has always loved being near the water.

 

A member of Team FAST based out of Newport, Rhode Island since 2008, Marshall says he became addicted to the sport after sailing his first Green Fleet regatta.  He says “I loved the aspect of racing and I have always been very competitive by nature so [sailing] was a good fit”.  His brothers have also found and enjoyment in competitive sailing.  As with many sailing families, it is a family affair.

With Team FAST, practice days consist of a morning workout, six to eight hours on the water, and then a long debrief at the end of the day.  Marshall says he loves being a part of the team; that joining Team FAST was how he made his first transition from simple summer sailing to a more serious racing focus on the sport.  Although while school is in session he says does not get to sail nearly as much as he would like to.

For Marshall, FAST has changed the way he sails and clearly in a very positive way.  He says, “The coaches at FAST take personal interest in you and your style and really help you break it down to a simple problem or aspect”.  At only twelve years old, with a few good years left in an Opti, he has placed 21st at Opti Midwinters hosted by Southern Yacht Club in New Orleans, 18th at the IODA Asians in Singapore, 1st at CORK in Kingston, Ontario, and 4th at the Southeast Championships in Marco Island.  Focusing on being consistent and taking one race at a time he says is the key to his success: worrying about his performance minute by minute and not necessarily the regatta as a whole.

Two weeks ago in Miami, Marshall did just that: finishing top five in seven of the nine races.  When asked about his mindset after the two races where he finished out of the top five he said, “You just have to take your races one at a time and stay focused”. Going in to the final race of Orange Bowl, Marshall, who does not typically keep an eye on scores, was fully aware that he was in a position to win the regatta.  After calculating Will Logue’s scores, who was then in first, Marshall knew he had to place himself in the top five the final race and so said he “played a covering game around the gate”, keeping things conservative.  Earning himself a third place finish in the final race of the event, Marshall was successful.

But even with such an exciting win under his belt, Marshall is already looking ahead to his next event: the USODA Team Trials which will be hosted by Brant Beach Yacht Club in New Jersey in late April.  Doing well at this event is Marshall’s current short term goal.  He says, “I hope to do well there but there are some really great sailors in the Opti class who will be big names in sailing soon enough”. 
It seems to me though that Henry Marshal is one of those threats. Long term, Marshall hopes to continue competitive dinghy sailing in the United States as well as abroad with the hopes of reaching the top of the Opti circuit.  When asked what advice he might give young sailors looking to achieve success in their sailing he simply says, “Train hard. Never give up.”

Watch out for Henry Marshall, and Congratulations!!

2 Americans in the top 20 of 2011 Optimist World Championship

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From: 
 
Singapore’s Kimberly Lim 2011 OptiWorlds Champion

Monday, 09 January 2012 02:33

The Delta Flag was raised at 10.41, meaning that racing would start at 11.41.
It didn’t take the 210 sailors long at all to get out onto the water. The wind was very mild, around 10 knots, but the sun came back out again.
Protests from yesterday’s racing had been processed and when the updated provisional results were published, there was a change on the leadership board. Ryan Lo had to give up his third position to Javier Arribas who was previously fourth.
The first fleet started the race at 1208, but all reaces were abandoned at 1308. The wind was too light for the strong current and sailors were not able to make progress around the course. At 1350 the Race Committee decided to start race 12 again, but at 1427 the very hard call was made to abandon all races for the day which means that the World Championships are over.
The 2011 World Champion Optimist Dinghy Sailing is Kimberly Lim from Singapore.

 
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FULL RESULTS:  
 
Opti Worlds Vital Stats:
30 December 2011 – 10 January 2012
The boat: a safe and simple dinghy that is one of the world’s most popular designs
The racing: 9 days of Championship racing
The competitors: 210 sailors aged between 11 and 15 years
The countries: teams from 48 nations including reigning Champs Thailand
The host club: Napier Sailing Club, Napier, New Zealand
Famous sailors that have started out in Optis include: Ben Ainslie
The big sponsors: Vodafone, New Zealand Major Events, Hawke’s Bay Tourism, SPARC, City of Napier, Air New Zealand, the Radio Network, EuroCity Napier, Victoria Cruising Club, Lion Foundation
The technology: GPS tracking and live video coverage online – real time

Orange Bowl Youth Regatta c420, Laser, Radial, 4.7 & Opti Green Results

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ORANGE BOWL REGATTA ENDS WITH A BLIZZARD

South Florida may not have snowstorms but the white sails on Biscayne Bay looked like a blizzard of boats on the bay.   Today was the final day of racing for Miami’s 2011 Orange Bowl International Youth Regatta. There were 559 sailors completing four days of sunshine, sailing, swimming in the pool and social activities. In addition to sailing, there were card games going on in the Club house, kids playing catch with their Orange Bowl rubber balls on the lawn and coaches talking to their teams surrounded by parents and siblings.
The Optimist Red/Blue/White class was the largest class with over 200 sailors. They all had a great time. For London, England’s Robbie King, it was his third Orange Bowl Regatta. A top ranked Blue Fleeter, Robbie said: “it is a fun event and makes for great practice.” Robbie finished 8th in the Blue Fleet. J.J. Johnson is a very lucky Opti White Fleet sailor because last year a British gal won an Opti sailboat in the regatta raffle and could not ship it back to England. J.J.’s grandparents bought it and hid it in their garage. After J.J. successfully finished his FCAT school testing, his grandparents sent him to the garage where he found his great surprise. He named his boat Sea Dog. Simon Gomez came all the way from Columbia to sail in his first Orange Bowl. He is in the White Fleet. “I made some new friends”, Gomez said. “And I really liked Obie, the Orange Bowl mascot.”
The results are as follows:
The Laser Full-Rig class had some very competitive “Olympic type” racing going on. For the leader, Greg Martinez from Texas Corinthian Yacht Club outside of Houston, it was his 4th and last Orange Bowl. He won it by 18 points. “It is a good way to end it,” he said. “My favorite thing about the OB is all the new sailors…the new faces.” Eighteen year-old Greg plans to sail varsity next year in college. Eric Lawrence, Dodge Rees and Luke Muller followed him in the results.
In the 99 boat Laser Radial Class, Michigan’s Mitchell Kiss held onto first place with a 15 point lead. Avery Fanning from South Carolina was second with Puerto Rico’s Juan Perdomo in third place. Erika Reineke from Lauderdale Yacht Club was the top girl.
Florida’s St. Petersburg Yacht Club dominated the Laser 4.7 class with Patrick Shanahan, Liam McCarthy and Nic Baird in the top three.
The beginner (and younger) Optimist Green Fleet was “ladies first” with Miami’s Julia Johannson  (age 10) winning it all. Despite her challenging last two races, she managed to hold on to her lead over Santiago Pacheco from Santo Domingo and Alex Gonzalez from Florida’s Upper Keys and still won by 19 points.
The Optimist Red/Blue/White class lived up to its spirited image with the top three sailors finishing 3 points apart. Will Logue started out the day in 1st place but his 20th place in the last race pushed him down to 3rd. Blue Fleeter Henry Marshall and Blue Fleeter Wiley Rogers passed him with finishes in the last two races totaling 6 points and 8 points.
The 420s had a tight regatta with only 11 points between the top three teams. Chicago Yacht Club’s Alex Curtiss and Daniel Ron won it all followed by Charlie Lalumiere and Elizabeth Pemberton from Portland, Maine in 2nd and Jack Jorgensen and Savanna Brown from Santa Barbara, California were 3rd. The top 420 All-Girl Team was Allyson Donahue and Maddie Widmeier from Brigantine Yacht Club in New Jersey.
The trophies included the Magnus Liljedahl Sportsmanship Award. Magnus is CRYC’s Olympic Gold Medalist sailor. His award is for courteous actions and fairness with other competitors and the Race Committee. There were 41 nominations. This year it was presented to a team from California who were helpful to their fellow sailors by coaching them prior to the start. They also stood out when they were disqualified by a Black Flag (over the line early) and came back by the Race Committee Signal Boat to apologize for possibly leading others over the line early. They were Chris Villicich and Nikki Obel from Marina del Rey.
Optimist Green (56 boats) – 13 races
1.       Julia Johansson (Miami’s CRYC) 4-3-2-1-1-8-4-8-1-1-15-[39]-[40] (48);
2.       Santiago Pacheco (Santo Domingo, DOM) 1-1-5-6-9-6-1-13-14-[15]-2-9-[36] (67);
3.       Alex Gonzalez (Florida’s Upper Keys Sailing Club) 12-2-8-7-8-[19]-7-1-13-4-11-1-[34] (74)
Optimist Red/Blue/White (206 boats) – 9 races
1.       Henry Marshall (Boston, MA) 2-1-11-1-5-1-[19]-3-3 (27)
2.       Wiley Rogers…(Houston, TX) 1-7-[27]-4-1-5-3-7-1 (29)
3.       Will Logue (CT) 6-2-1-2-4-1-10-4-[20] (30)
Optimist Red      Top sailor – Will Logue from Connecticut
Optimist Blue     Top sailor – Henry Marshall from Boston, Massachusetts
Optimist White Top sailor – Dylan Ascencio from Galveston, Texas
Top Optimist Girl was Audrey Giblin from Oceanpoint, New Jersey.
Magnus Liljedahl Sportsmanship Award – Chris Villicich and Nikki Obel from Marina del Rey.
420s (76 boats) – 10 races
1.       Alex Curtiss and Daniel Ron (Illinois) 1-11-6-4-6-8-2-3-[34]-5 (46);
2.    Charlie Lalumiere and Elizabeth Pemberton (Maine) 2-[23]-4-9-1-4-7-4-10-10 (51);
3.    Jack Jorgensen and Savanna Brown (California) 3-3-2-8-10-13-13-2-3-[32] (57)
Top 420 All Girl Team – Allyson Donahue and Maddie Widmeier from Brigantine Yacht Club in New Jersey
Laser Full Rig (28 boats) – 10 races
1.       Greg Martinez (Houston, Texas) 1-1-1-1-1-1-3-[7]-2-1 (12);
2.       Eric Lawrence (Ft. Lauderdale, Florida) 2-2-2-2-2-[OCS]-2-9-5-4 (30);
3.       Dodge Rees (Pensacola, Florida) 4-5-3-4-[16]-6-6-5-3-9 (44)
Laser Radial(99 boats) – 11 races
1.       Mitchell Kiss (Michigan) 1-4-[11]-2-3-7-5-7-4-1-3 (37);
2.       Avery Fanning (South Carolina) 11-8-7-4-4-8-[OCS]-2-1-3-4 (52);
3.       Juan Perdomo (Puerto Rico) [OCS]-1-1-3-2-2-8-1-23-5-22 (68)
Top Laser Radial Girl  (27 boats) is Erika Reineke from Lauderdale Yacht Club
Laser 4.7 (18 boats) – 10 races
1.       Patrick Shanahan (SPYC) 3-4-7-5-2-1-2-1-[15]-4 (29);
2.    Liam McCarthy (SPYC) 1-1-4-3-[13]-2-3-7-9-3 (33);
3.    Nic Baird (SPYC) 7-6-6-4-[12]-6-1-3-1-5 (39)
The regatta, an Orange Bowl Festival event, is hosted by Coral Reef Yacht Club (CRYC) in cooperation with Lauderdale Yacht Club (LYC), Biscayne Bay Yacht Club, Shake-A-Leg Miami and the US Sailing Center Miami. It is a huge undertaking with over 150 volunteers from the support clubs plus landside volunteers from the Orange Bowl Committee. The Regatta Chair Henry Chau says he could not have done it all without Assistant Chair Pat Ficaro,
Wendy Kamilar and PC Carol Ewing. The Principle Race Officers were CRYC’s Bill Scheuermann – Optimist Green Fleet, CRYC’s Jaime Ramon – Optimist Red/Blue/White and LYC’s Tom Lihan. Chief Judge was CRYC’s Sharon Bourke.
sponsors were McLaughlin, KO Sailing, Dinghy Locker @ Landfall, Laser Performance and the Orange Bowl Committee. The other sponsors are listed on the regatta website.
FULL RESULTS
club 420
Laser Full
Opti Green

2011 Orange Bowl Laser, I-420 & 29er Results!

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Laser (27 boats) (top)
 Series Standing – 10 races scored

Information is provisional and subject to modification
Regatta results last updated: Friday, December 30, 2011 2:57:42 PM CDT
Click on race number to view detailed race information.

Pos,Sail,             Skipper, Yacht Club, Results, Total Points
1. 166839,                     Kyle Rogachenko,                            CGSC/Toms River Yacht Club,       1-1-1-2-1-2-1-1-1-[28/OCS]-       ; 11        
2. 199551,                     Peter Shope,                            Sail Newport,       2-4-[14]-8-6-6-4-5-6-1-       ; 42        
3. 197052,                     Peter Vessella,                            saint francis,       4-3-7-[28/OCS]-4-4-10-3-4-6-       ; 45        
4. 187117,                     erick rodriguez,                            none,       [14]-7-6-12-5-9-3-11-3-4-       ; 60        
5. 196157,                     Roman Plutenko,                            Chicago,       3-5-9-10-10-10-6-4-5-[13]-       ; 62        
6. 195425,                     Christine Neville,                            ilca,       7-12-3-[28/OCS]-3-3-9-10-9-9-       ; 65        
7. 199516,                     Dave Magno,                            Lavallette,       5-9-[16]-5-13-7-15-15-2-15-       ; 86        
8. 187277,                     Matthew Sullivan,                            Kingston YC,       [28/DNC]-28/DNC-8-3-7-5-8-2-7-28/OCS-       ; 96        
9. 187663,                     Erik Bowers,                            Minnetonka Yacht Club,       [28/OCS]-2-2-1-2-1-5-28/DNS-28/DNS-28/DNS-       ; 97        
10. 191467,                     Jeff Duval,                            Parque La Alameda,       11-14-18-[28/OCS]-15-8-2-14-10-7-       ; 99        
11. 199145,                     Konrad Davy,                            RCYC/EYC,       19-[28/DNF]-11-6-9-12-21-6-11-10-       ; 105        
12. 199205,                     R J Graef,                            Eagle Creek Sailing Club,       15-17-13-7-14-[20]-14-9-15-2-       ; 106        
13. 194253,                     David Hartman,                            na,       10-15-12-[28/OCS]-28/RAF-11-7-7-16-3-       ; 109        
14. 193322,                     Harumitsu Yamamoto,                            CLSA,       8-8-10-16-16-15-[18]-16-12-11-       ; 112        
15. 187975,                     Tyler Andrews,                            Eagle Creek Sailing Club,       [28/OCS]-6-5-9-8-17-16-18-8-28/OCS-       ; 115        
16. 176078,                     Rick Strilky,           &nbs
p;                CCYC,       9-13-15-18-[22]-22-12-8-13-12-       ; 122        
17. 175529,                     Paul Wurtzebach,                            chicago corinthian,       12-16-19-14-18-[25]-17-12-18-5-       ; 131        
18. 182870,                     Drake Jensen,                            Richmond Yacht Club,       6-10-4-13-11-13-22-[28/DNS]-28/DNS-28/DNS-       ; 135        
19. 177637,                     John Staff,                            California Yacht Club,       16-[18]-17-15-17-14-13-13-17-16-       ; 138        
20. 200184,                     Kenneth Davy,                            Etobicoke Yacht Club,       18-[28/DNF]-24-4-12-21-20-20-19-8-       ; 146        
21. 173187,                     Evan Olson,                            sailfit,       21-[28/DNF]-21-28/OCS-21-16-11-17-14-28/OCS-       ; 177        
22. 199728,                     John Brown,                            seaside park yacht club,       [28/DNS]-19-20-17-20-19-19-19-21-28/DNF-       ; 182        
23. 185425,                     Bob Lippincott,                            Tred Avon Yacht Club,       17-20-23-11-[28/OCS]-24-23-28/DNF-28/DNF-14-       ; 188        
24. 181839,                     Michelle Davis,                            Coconut Grove Sailing Club,       13-11-22-[28/OCS]-28/OCS-18-24-28/DNS-28/DNS-28/DNS-       ; 200        
25. 182029,                     Duncan Lamphere,                            Lake Geneva Yacht Club,       [28/DNC]-28/DNC-25-19-19-23-25-28/DNF-20-17-       ; 204        
26. 181800,                     Jacy Haff,                            OSSC,       20-[28/DNF]-28/DNS-28/DNS-28/DNS-28/DNS-28/DNS-28/DNS-28/DNS-28/DNS-       ; 244        
27. 172975,                     Augie Diaz,                            CGSC,       [28/DNC]-28/DNC-28/DNC-28/DNC-28/DNC-28/DNC-28/DNC-28/DNC-28/DNC-28/DNC-       ; 252

 

 

 

 

 

29ER (25 boats) (top)
 Series Standing – 11 races scored

Information is provisional and subject to modification
Regatta results last updated: Friday, December 30, 2011 2:57:42 PM CDT
Click on race number to view detailed race information.

Pos,Sail,             Skipper, Yacht Club, Results, Total Points
1. 23,                     Carlos Robles/Florian Trittel,                            c.n. el Balis,       2-[4]-2-3-1-[26/RAF]-2-1-1-2-1-       ; 15        
2. SWE 1733,                     Johanna Sommarlund/Marcus Anjemark,                            Royal Swedish Yacht Club,       8-3-3-5-4-2-[9]-2-3-[12]-3-       ; 33        
3. USA20,                     Judge Ryan/Hans Henken,                            SDYC,       1-1-1-1-7-5-14-[18]-5-1-[15]-       ; 36        
4. 111,                     Duncan Williford/Matthew Mollerus,            &nb
sp;               Lauderdale Yacht Club,       4-2-4-2-8-[26/OCS]-10-8-[14]-6-12-       ; 56        
5. USA 1995,                     Zack Downing/Andrew Cates,                            San Diego Yacht Club,       [18]-10-9-4-5-13-1-3-9-3-[21]-       ; 57        
6. USA 22,                     Tyler Macdonald/Mike Deady,                            Newport Harbor Yacht Club,       7-[26/DNF]-8-9-3-7-7-[26/DSQ]-4-4-9-       ; 58        
7. USA 510,                     Paris Henken/Connor Kelter,                            San Diego Yacht Club,       5-5-7-12-2-4-4-[26/OCS]-15-11-[20]-       ; 65        
8. USA 1268,                     Patrick Snow/Storm Brown,                            San Diego Yacht Club,       10-6-10-[16]-9-3-[17]-13-7-9-8-       ; 75        
9. USA 227,                     Scott Buckstaff/James Moody,                            San Francisco Yacht Club,       3-[26/OCS]-6-15-[26/OCS]-9-11-4-2-10-17-       ; 77        
10. 001,                     Campbell D’Eliscu/William McBride,                            NHYC,       11-9-14-6-14-6-3-10-6-[20]-[18]-       ; 79        
11. USA 490,                     Sterling Henken/JP Barnes,                            San Diego Yacht Club,       13-8-13-7-[19]-1-[18]-5-17-8-14-       ; 86        
12. USA 927,                     Annie Schmidt/Helena Scutt,                            SFYC,       12-12-16-[17]-13-[26/DSQ]-6-7-12-5-6-       ; 89        
13. 259,                     Christopher Williford/Kai Friesecke,                            Lauderdale Yacht Club,       6-11-12-11-12-[26/OCS]-[15]-15-11-7-5-       ; 90        
14. USA 200,                     Daniel Goldman/Chris Price,                            RWU,       14-14-[24]-[19]-10-10-12-9-10-15-2-       ; 96        
15. 1472,                     Rob Rice/Matt McDermaid,                            ABYC,       16-13-[23]-8-11-15-20-11-13-[21]-4-       ; 111        
16. USA 1446,                     A. Tucker Atterbury/Newt Cutcliffe,                            Santa Barbara yacht Club,       19-[26/OCS]-5-13-6-[26/DSQ]-8-26/OCS-8-18-10-       ; 113        
17. 418,                     Cody Stansky/Scott Ewing,                            CRYC,       9-7-11-14-17-14-19-14-[20]-14-[22]-       ; 119        
18. USA 841,                     Adele Whitmyer/Katie Kelley,                            Noroton YC,       21-18-17-10-[26/OCS]-[26/DSQ]-5-6-22-13-24-       ; 136        
19. CAN1047,                     Lauren Laventure/Danielle Boyd,                            PCYC,       20-[26/OCS]-18-18-15-11-[21]-19-18-17-11-       ; 147        
20. GER955,                     Laura Block/Moritz Block,                       &nbs
p;    KYC,       [26/DNF]-[26/OCS]-22-22-20-16-16-12-21-22-7-       ; 158T        
21. USA 267,                     Jack Toland/Nate Clemett,                            Seattle Yacht Club,       15-15-19-[26/DNS]-[26/DNS]-26/DNS-13-16-19-19-16-       ; 158T        
22. CAN 241,                     Jean Matthieu Bolland/Ben Strickland,                            Barrie YC,       [23]-17-20-23-18-8-[24]-20-16-16-23-       ; 161        
23. USA 1445,                     Kyle Cobbs/Brendon Bottom,                            CCYC,       22-16-21-21-16-12-22-21-[23]-[23]-13-       ; 164        
24. 888,                     Jackson Fadely/Pere Puig,                            CRYC,       17-19-15-20-21/TLE-17-23-17-[24]-[24]-19-       ; 168        
25. USA270,                     Devon Feusahrens/Lauren Feusahrens,                            SMSA,       [26/DNS]-[26/DNS]-26/DNS-26/DNC-26/DNC-26/DNC-25-22-26/DNF-25-25-       ; 227

I420 (20 boats) (top)
 Series Standing – 10 races scored

Information is provisional and subject to modification
Regatta results last updated: Friday, December 30, 2011 2:57:42 PM CDT
Click on race number to view detailed race information.

Pos,Sail,             Skipper, Yacht Club, Results, Total Points
1. 3,                     Raul Rios/Fernando Monllor,                            FVPR,       6-5-3-[9]-3-1-3-3-6-2-       ; 32        
2. 72,                     Nikole Barnes/Agustina Barbuto,                            St. Thomas Yacht Club,       4-6-2-1-1-[21/OCS]-1-1-7-12-       ; 35        
3. 54067,                     Reinier Eenkema van Dijk/Matt Wefer,                            Larchmont Yacht Club / LISOT,       1-1-1-3-6-[21/DNS]-21/DNS-5-1-1-       ; 40        
4. 53718,                     Sarah Williams/Haley Fox,                            Bay Head Yacht Club,       5-[9]-7-2-4-2-6-2-8-7-       ; 43        
5. 53896,                     Harry Koeppel/Charles Bocklet,                            Larchmont YC/LISOT,       3-3-6-5-[13]-3-9-6-2-13-       ; 50        
6. 54065,                     Lily Katz/Fiona Walsh,                            Bellport Bay YC,       7-4-13-7-5-4-7-[15]-5-3-       ; 55        
7. 53818,                     Ian Robinson/Alex Hume,                            Bayview Yacht Club/LISOT,       2-2-5-4-9-7-11-8-15-[21/OCS]-       ; 63T        
8. 53782,                     Megan Grapengeter-Rudnick/Abby Rohman,                            Noroton Yacht Club/LISOT,       8-8-8-8-7-[21/OCS]-2-13-4-5-       ; 63T        
9. 53629,                     Casey Klingler/julia rew,                            Larchmont YC,       10-11-4-[21/OCS]-8-6-10-4-11-8-       ; 72        
10. 54066,                     Ty Ingram/Henry Fernberger,                        &n
bsp;   Larchmont YC/LISOT,       [21/DNS]-13-14-6-11-5-16-7-12-4-       ; 88        
11. 53963,                     Drew Gallagher/Finn Mundinger,                            LarchmontYC,       14-7-15-10-14-[21/OCS]-14-11-3-6-       ; 94        
12. 53177,                     Thomas Gallagher/john gallagher,                            Larchmont YC,       13-10-9-16-10-9-4-[19]-14-10-       ; 95        
13. 53337,                     Claudia Taselaar/Amanda Taselaar,                            Larchmont Yacht Club,       12-12-11-12-2-[21/OCS]-17-12-9-16-       ; 103        
14. 54243,                     Max Flinn/Andrew Burns,                            RNSYS,       9-16-12-[17]-12-10-15-9-16-9-       ; 108        
15. 53656,                     Georgie Ryan/Greer Wattson,                            San Diego Yacht Club,       [21/RAF]-14-17-11-21/OCS-12-5-10-10-14-       ; 114        
16. 53655,                     Jack Ryan/Charlie Miller,                            San Diego Yacht Club,       [18]-18-10-13-17-11-13-14-17-17-       ; 130        
17. 53791,                     Hailey Ullmann/Samantha Robinson,                            IHYC,       15-19-20-15-[21/OCS]-8-8-17-19-11-       ; 132        
18. 53899,                     Liam Harr/Gabriel Smith,                            Severn Sailing Association,       16-17-[18]-14-15-13-12-18-18-15-       ; 138        
19. 53961,                     Jared Gaynes/John Sipp,                            Beach Point Yacht Club,       17-15-19-19-16-14-19-20-13-[21/OCS]-       ; 152        
20. 54069,                     Chuck Eaton/Kyle Sutter,                            Coronado Yacht Club,       11-20-16-18-[21/OCS]-15-18-16-20-21/OCS-       ; 155

Sail1Design Announces All-New Professional Marketplace & Brokerage!

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Sail1Design Announces All-New
Professional Marketplace & Brokerage!

Owners & Buyers

Our listing service offers the best of all performance sailboat listing worlds:

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national brokerage listing service for all performance & one-design sailing
yachts.

S1D now offers professional brokerage services both locally and nation-wide. Our
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good article, brings up a lot of questions

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Elizabeth, I just finished reading your piece on How Much is too Much. I could not agree more with you. We have been very successful allowing our son, Chance, to drive the bus. To follow up on your piece would be a discussion of the private clubs that separated from yacht clubs for various reasons, ie, why they came to be. We live in California, and to my knowledge there has only been one such private club, and I hesitate to call it a club. It is West Side Opti. A very small group put together by a couple of parents for the purpose of allowing their kids to access high level coaching and travel without the problems of difficult kids/parents/program directors etc . They had very specific goals, driven by the kids, and the parents were not afraid to spend the necessary money to make it happen. The West coast now has enough kids and interest in this level of sailing, but it is very interesting the push back that comes from yacht clubs and their directors, with respect to private groups. One thing that creating small private clubs can do, is to exclude problem kids/parents, who are quite often a reason that another child may not want to go to practice. When kids begin playing at a high level and parents begin paying real money for high end sailing, I believe there needs to be a way to avoid the problem people, private clubs allow for such. It seems harsh, but our son has participated in both, and it makes a HUGE difference. Regards, Will Weston

Sail1Designer of the Month – Toms River High School South Sailing Team

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Sail1Designer
of the Month – Toms River High School South Sailing Team, Toms River NJ;
winners of the 2011 National Great Oaks Championship

BY Sail1Design's   MARTHA PITT

 
The Toms River team is a small but dedicated group of sailors, with just ten on the roster for this past fall season.  Led by senior captains Charlie Nunn and Taylor Genander, the team sails out of the Toms River Yacht Club, located only a few miles from the high school. They use Ocean County College’s fleet of 420s and occasionally nearby Kean College’s FJs.  Toms River is connected to the Barnegat Bay, which has a reputation for great sailing conditions of which the team can consistently take advantage. Matt Goetting, head coach of the Princeton University sailing team as well, splits his time between the two groups to coach the Toms River team along with Coach Randy Nunn. The team is also able to rely on some dedicated alumni to help them out whenever possible, including Olympic hopeful Clay Johnson, who helped to establish the team with his brother Reed back when they were in high school.

 
 

R. Whitlaw photo

 
 
Being in such a closely concentrated sailing area, the Toms River team shares water with a few other teams, and while they practice independently, they are often able to join up to do some team racing or larger fleet racing during practice.  In addition to practicing, the team competes weekly in Wednesday afternoon regattas held by the New Jersey League, alternating between fleet and team racing, and in both varsity and JV events on
the weekends.

 
Though excelling at the Great Oaks Championship, according to the sailors, the whole season was successful from start to finish. Toms River is part of the MidAtlantic Scholastic Sailing Association, or MASSA.  A-Division skipper Charlie Nunn was impressed with their success this season; “we had an excellent season; far better than I thought.  I was really nervous going in because we graduated two seniors who were really important to the team”.  But the remaining team seemed to have no problem filling picking up the slack, finishing 3rd at the Larry White Regatta, another high school intersectional regatta hosted by the Coast Guard Academy in New London, CT, 4th at the MASSA Fall District Championship, and 3rd at the ISSA ACC Championship in Maryland.

 
And of course, at the Great Oaks Championship this fall, the Toms River High School South from Toms River, NJ came out on top, winning the event by just two points over Minnesota’s White Bear High School. The regatta’s format has varied as the event had grown, and this year was host to forty-two teams. On day one, the teams were split randomly into two fleets to race, and those scores determined the seeding for the second day of racing in either gold or silver fleet. Staying true to high school sailing as a team sport, all four sailors on the Toms River team were able to contribute to the victory! Nunn sailed with junior crews Shelby Jacobs and Jimmy Kennedy depending on the breeze, and Shelby’s sister Kiaya jumped in with her to skipper on the first day, winning the last two races to qualify them for the gold fleet.  The team found their groove, relied on boat speed, and minimized mistakes to aim for the top five in each race on the final day. As a whole, they were happy with their performance, and thrilled to take home the victory.  “We have had several regattas over the years where we just couldn’t break past a third or second place finish,” said Nunn, “so one of the best parts of Great Oaks was finally coming out on top.  It was pretty cool knowing there were forty-two schools there from all over the country.”  

 
When asked about what made the difference this season in leading the team to victory, the answer was unanimous: hard work, practice, and determination.  Every member of the team helped push each other all season to prepare them for the national event, and they are excited to carry that momentum into the spring season. But as so many athletes know, being on a team is so much more than just winning regattas. Being on a team is about the camaraderie that comes with spending so much time with a group of people, and working together for a common goal. Says Genander when asked what she likes most about the team, “our team has always been a close group of kids. The parents and my teammates are a like a second family and we connect really well with our coach too… Sailing with them is pretty rad.  Our team is serious, but we know how to kick it back and relax too.  It’s the perfect balance for the perfect team.”

Congratulations
to the 2011 Fall Toms River High School South Team:

Charlie
Nunn 2012, captain

Taylor Genander
2012, captain

Shelby
Jacobs 2013

Jimmy
Kennedy 2013

Kiaya
Jacobs 2013

Bernie O’
Brien 2014

Aurora
Fotussky 2014

Mitchell
Nunn 2014

Joe
Gonzalez 2014

Matt
Roleke 2015

The unofficial fall championship, the Great Oaks Regatta hosted annually by the Southern Yacht Club in New Orleans, LA has become a coveted championship for high school teams to qualify for and win in the fall season.  Open only to teams who have not competed in either spring high school championship in the past five years, the event is designed to give smaller though equally competitive teams a chance to compete at the national level. This year, the Toms River High School South team from Toms River, New Jersey came out as the victors of the event.  Though a small team, these young sailors have figured out how to get the most from their time on the water and coaching, have excelled both locally and nationally, and have learned how to be a successful team both on and off the water.

INTERFERENCE: The Press, Spectators on Sailing Courses

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By Sail1Design’s Margaret Boehm
This weekend, top ranked Finn sailor from Great Britain Ben Ainslie was top news,
but not for his sailing. The sailor who is a triple gold Olympic medalist,
found himself among the gossip columns of Great Britain and Australia due to
his conduct with the media after a race during the ISAF World Championships in
Perth, Australia.

 
 
 
 

After finishing a race on Saturday, Ainslie jumped out of his Finn and swam to a nearby press
boat, an inflatable dinghy motorboat. Ainslie boarded the vessel and
communicated to those on board that they were too close to him during the race
and had hampered his race. Photos posted online sparked inquiries as to whether
or not Ainslie had accosted one of the newsmen onboard the press boat. These
claims were later debunked.

After this incident Ainslie was disqualified from both races of the day, making him
ineligible for the medal race on Sunday. 
Had Ainslie been found guilty for gross misconduct by the ISAF, Ainslie
could have faced a two-year ban from the sport.

Ainslie apologized for the row, but said
that he thought the disqualification was a “massive over-reaction.” The
incident this weekend is another example of the media interfering with sporting
events, most notably the media has been chastised for causing accidents during
Tour de France coverage.  

“At the moment the sport seems to be fumbling
its way into trying to make the sport more appealing for television,” said
Stephen Park, British team manager to the Sydney Morning Herald. The behavior
by Ainslie this weekend has been heralded by some and criticized by many online
and through various news outlets. For the believers that all press is good
press, the sport of sailing has gained more followers. “It’s on my
doorstep and I haven’t been following the sailing at all, but everyone’s heard
about (the Ainslie incident),” John Rawlins, an Australian to the SMH.

Sail1Design wants to hear from you. What do you think of Ainslie’s behavior? His
disqualification? Was the press boat at fault?

12 Days of Sailing Christmas

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By Margaret Boehm
With Christmas and Hanukah quickly approaching, Sail1Design is here
to help you find the most useful and creative gift for your special sailing
enthusiast. In honor of the twelve days of Christmas—Here are 12 gifts ideas
that are sure to send any gift receivers hearts sailing!

 

1.     
Wind on DVD-The 1992 movie staring Matthew Modine and Jennifer Grey about a down on his
luck sailor hoping to redeem himself and win back the Americas Cup from the
Australians. Available on at Amazon.com—in a last minute bind? The movie is
also available on Amazon instant video for rent and purchase.

2.     
Unsinkable: A Young Woman’s Courageous Battle on the High Seas-The memoir of Abby
Sunderland, a teenage sailor who attempted twice in 2010 to circumnavigate the
globe solo on her yacht Wild Eyes. Sunderland was infamously rescued in
the Indian Ocean after her yacht’s dismasting. 

3.     
US SAILING VINEYARD VINES TIE: US Sailing Members receive a special $40 off
discount from the famously preppy Vineyard Vines brand when purchased from the
US Sailing online store. The tie, which comes in raspberry and blue, features
the US Sailing logo.

4.     
Pottery Barn Nautical Door Knocker-For the sailing mom or dad looking to redecorate and
add some nautical flare to any front door. The iron door knocker is shaped like
a ship’s porthole and comes with a satin nickel or antique bronze finish. The
item is currently on sale for $60.

5.     
Charlie St. Cloud on DVD-For the Zac Efron fan in your family.
Buy the DVD of the 2010 film. Or for the family bookworm, the novel of the same
name by Ben Sherwood.

6.     
Ebb Tide Bags-Buy one of the Ebb Tide Bags for the fashionista of your sailing family.
Made in the USA from 100% sailcloth and line, the bags come in white and
metallic and are sure to be noticed by sailors and style mavens alike!
Available on etsy.com.

7.     
Reiter8 items on Esty-Another great Etsy find! The Etsy shop has throw pillows, bags,
wallets and luggage tags made out of recycled sails.

8.     
Gill Pro Race Buoyancy Aid-Finally a one-design life vest in PINK. For the ultimate
girly girl you know. Available in adult and youth sizes on the Gill United
Kingdom online store.

9.     
Henri Lloyd Menswear and Women swear-The beloved brand of sailors in no longer just
for gear. Check out the online shop for stylish and impeccably crafted
knitwear, jackets, polos and pants. Take advantage of the free shipping and 15%
OFF sale.
 

10. Master and Commander: Far Side of the Word
soundtrack: The soundtrack, which features the three Australian musicians who
also collaboratively compose the score is sure to please the classical music
fan in your family.
 

11. USODA gear-Surprise your favorite Optimist
Dinghy sailor with gear and accessories from the United States Optimist Dinghy
Association.
 
 

12. London: 2012 Sports Collection Sailing Coin:
Specially made by the Royal Mint, this 50 pence coin is sure to excite anyone
who is anxiously awaiting the 2012 games. Available online at the London 2012
shop.

Dispatches from an Opti Travel Team Coach: “How much is too much?”

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By Sail1Design’s Elizabeth Dudley

I spent my past two weekends helping to coach one of the Optimist Travel Teams that have sprouted up around the country in recent years.  A good number of Opti teams these days are club specific.  This one in particular however draws kids from the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States.  Families from New Jersey, Long Island, and Maryland take turns hosting practices to prepare their kids for the major Opti events of each year.

Prior to these weekends, my most recent coaching had been over a year ago in a summer program atmosphere.  As in most summer programs, not all the kids want to be there which then requires a certain
coaching style.  These past two weekends, it was refreshing to have the opportunity to work with kids who truly wanted to be out in their boats sailing and improving.  I could actually talk to them about sailing and racing and feel as if they were ready to absorb at least half of what I had to say.  But on the last day of practice, as we were loading the boats on the trailer so that they could all go down to Florida for the winter, I found myself asking, “How much is too much?”

This question of course is not specific to the sport of sailing.  Be it travel teams like this one, clinics, “fall ball”, or indoor leagues, there are opportunities almost year round for young athletes to be involved in their sport.  But as kids, does a life filled with something you love to do turn in to a chore? Or worse, something you hate?

Obviously the answer to this question varies on a case by case basis.  Speaking with a parent of two children on a travel team, the move to the team was made because of the reliable and consistent coaching that came along with it.  Both kids enjoy sailing and enjoy being successful at their sailing.  As this one parent said, “They are learning that if they put in the work and get time on the water, that their performance and ability improves – and for me, that is more of a life skill than a sailing specific one.”  A travel team allows for the development of this skill.

Travel teams can certainly be an extremely rewarding and positive experience.  With the year round participation and concentration on a sport, a child will learn more than they would by just partaking in the activity one season a year.  The friendships and memories that can be made on a sports team are priceless and will last forever.  Being a part of a group with that level of commitment to one thing is very special and the kids that are truly interested in their sport will thrive in that environment.

But how does a parent handle the day that their kid does not want to participate in a planned practice or regatta?  One that a lot of planning had gone into and had already been paid for?  Speaking with parents and having been in the position of the kids, it sounds as if support is the best thing a parent can give their child.  As one parent said, “Parents really have to listen to their kids and decide what their kids are actually interested in”.

Some kids are genuinely interested in whatever their sport may be, but get nervous or have confidence issues before a practice or competition.  As a parent, this is the kind of kid who just needs a little nudge in the right direction.  The push will help them get over their fears and go out and enjoy the day like they want to.

On the other hand though, there will be kids who genuinely do not have the interest in a sport to want to commit to a travel team, no matter how talented they may be.  In this situation, it is the parent’s job to listen to their child and not push them into anything they really do not want to do.  A kid pushed into a sport will be a very unhappy one.

Before saying yes to joining a travel team, parents and children both have to agree that this is a commitment they are willing to make as it will mean making sacrifices in other areas of life.  But just because you are on a travel team does not mean you have to forfeit every other aspect of a childhood.  Especially on a sailing team, while it may hinder your growth as a sailor to miss a practice or a regatta, taking time off is possible.  Perhaps more so than in a more team oriented sport.  Time off will give you the opportunity to hang out with friends, participate in other activities and just take a step back from it all.  The last thing anyone wants is for a kid to get burned out.  Burning out is one of the fastest ways to get turned off from a sport that one could have enjoyed for the rest of their life.

As the parent of two Opti sailors said, “Overall, the biggest thing I can do for them is to let them “drive the bus” so to speak – this is a very labor intensive, time intensive, commitment intensive sport – as long as they are the ones wanting to do it, it is a good thing.  If it switches to the parent wanting them to do it, or making them do it, then it becomes work, and not sport, and not fun.”

Layover Chatter with Bill Hardesty

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By New Airwaves member Morgan Kinney
Congratulations to ISAF Match Racing Champions Ian Williams, Malcolm Parker, Gerard Mitchell, Matt Cassidy and Bill Hardesty. After defeating Johnie Berntsson 3-1 at the Monsoon Cup in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia, Williams was awarded his third championship crown.  
While reigning as one of the US’s top match racers, Hardesty has had a successful 2011 winning the Etchells Worlds as well as the Chicago Grade 2 Invitational this summer. I had the privilege of speaking with Hardesty for a quick moment while he continues to catch up with his life in San Diego, CA.

MK: Obviously you’re an accomplished racer. Does this championship
rank as your favorite title, though? 

BH: We did the same accomplishment in 2007 winning both the WMRT and
Monsoon Cup so we knew what it was like.  I think the biggest
accomplishment to date was either winning the Etchells Worlds earlier this year
with one race to spare.  Or winning Key West Race Week in the Melges 24 as
helmsman when it came down to the last race to beat Spithill. 

MK: Do you have a higher goal in mind or do you plan to keep winning
the WMRT? 

BH: I would really like to start sailing on the bigger catamarans.
It’s a tight market and that sort of commitment needs to be carefully
considered.  It needs to be with the right team and in the right position. 

MK: How do US match racing events compare to those held in Malaysia? 

BH: Match Racing in the US is strong with events now taking a more
commercial outlook.  Its about a lot about having a great venue with
public exposure.  The US is close to the level now that Chicago Match Race
Center is running their big events off Navy Pier. 

The biggest difference is where the money comes
from.  In Malaysia it appears the money comes from the government in an
effort to raise tourism.  The business models in the US have little to no
government backing and rely on either private money or money from commercial
sponsors. 

MK: What’s your fav US event?  

BH: In the US my favorite event has historically been Key West Race
Week.  It has a good destination feeling and the competition is fierce.
Lately, that has changed drastically reduced participation. 

Now the Chicago Match Race Center events off
Navy Pier are leading the list of favorites.  CMRC is bringing sailing to
the public without sacrificing the quality of the sport.  There is great
energy surrounding the CMRC regattas and I see a bright future ahead for the
organization. 

MK: What’s your next event?  

BH: From Malaysia, I flew straight to Fort Lauderdale where we are
starting our 2012 Melges 32 Worlds campaign.  Its tough to say how we will
do but it will be a good journey. 

MK: What is your boat of choice in fleet racing events?  

BH: In fleet racing its more than just the boat but also your position
on the boat and the strength of the fleet.  The Etchells is one of the
best fleets in the world with great tactical sailing and is a relatively
comfortable boat to be crew.  The Melges boats are great to drive but the
hiking we developed over the years has made crewing a real chore. 

The best boats have strong fleets with good
racing.  Second factor is a toss up between speed/excitement and comfort
while sailing.  The Melges 20 has found a nice Niche with legs-in sailing,
good excitement, and a strong and now growing fleet. 

MK: Who is your largest personal supporter? 

BH: It’s a close one between my girlfriend Mandi and my Father. 

MK: Do you get to settle down and spend some time on Firefly now?
what’s your plan for the down-time? 

BH: In the winter I spend my downtime I living aboard my cruising
sailboat Firefly.  She is a 1980 Wauquiez Hood 38.  I left Boston in
September of 2009 and we are now through the Panama Canal and headed to Costa Rica.
As a professional sailor it is common to have weeks of downtime so I like
spend them exploring remote tropical islands. 

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