North Kingston, R.I. For Immediate Release August 19, 2016
The Club 420 Class Association is pleased to announce a new boom built by Selden Mast Inc. has been approved by the Board of Directors for use in Class sailing. This new boom is available through all Class Builders and is an option for all sailors.
It is known as the “Olympus” section and has been used with great success from youth programs at the High School and Collegiate levels. It provides similar properties in strength and behavior to the current Club 420 boom. It is compatible with all existing Club 420 mast and gooseneck arrangements without modification. Once installed for the first time, the boom can be rigged and removed without use of tools, or removal of pins and rings. This will make it quicker than ever to rig and de-rig the boat for travel. The outhaul arrangement is external and rigged in the same way that Club 420 sailors are used to.
Due to construction methods, the boom eliminates salt water corrosion and electrolysis where dissimilar metals meet. Parts are insulated from one another and designed for longevity in the harshest environments. The boom uses a track system for mainsheet and boom vang positions which eliminates external protrusions. The sail can be fed in the track from both the front and the rear of the boom. Additionally it features a rubber material and super strength adhesive to prevent damage to the boom from interaction with the side stays.
For more information contact a Class Approved Builder:
Laser Performance Sturgis Boat Works Zim Sailing
About The Club 420 Class Association
The Club 420 Association was established in 1980 to promote, foster, encourage and sponsor one-design sailing. The Association sponsors a class North American Championship, US and Canadian National Championships as well as regional championships for the class across North America while promoting the class to all ability and experience levels of youth sailing. Since 2006, the class membership has more than doubled from 300 to its current 715 members. The class offers many regional, national and North American championships in both fleet and team racing formats as well as clinics across North America. Our Nationals / North Americans have had 175 boats attend, with all levels of sailors competing in some of the finest and socially fun regattas you will attend. About The Club 420 The Club 420 is a two person dingy which forms the base of many local, high school and collegiate programs in North America. Simple for beginning sailors and yet challenging enough for collegiate champions. The Club 420 offers more learning opportunities than any other double-handed boat you can find. Over 5,000 Club 420s are sailed in youth, high school and collegiate programs all over the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.
For more information please visit our website at www.club420.org or visit us on Facebook
Contact: John Vandemoer Executive Director, Club 420 Class Email – ED@club420.org
About Selden Mast Inc. Seldén was founded in 1960 when Per Seldén first built an aluminum dinghy mast to replace his wooden one. Today Seldén now leads the way in producing top quality aluminum and carbon fiber rigs around the world for boats ranging in size and performance from the Optimist to large luxury yachts. Seldén also has a complete range of deck hardware which makes them the only single company able to outfit an entire boat from the deck-up. Selden Mast Inc. is headquartered in Charleston, SC. Contact: Tim Fitzgerald Dinghy & Aftermarket Sales Email — TF@SeldenUS.com Selden Mast Inc.
Blog
College of Charleston Advanced Racing Clinic a Success
By Airwaves Writer Paige Hoffman
With the fall sailing season already beginning for high school and college sailing, athletes have been preparing all summer with preseason activities to give them an edge on the course this year. Recently, I had the experience of travelling down to the College of Charleston to participate in their Advanced Racing Clinic for high school sailors. The clinic is geared towards providing sailors with coaching necessary to bring their sailing to the next level in high school or collegiate fleet and team racing. I’m very pleased to say I had an extremely beneficial experience in South Carolina, and that I would highly recommend the clinic to other sailors looking to enhance their performance on the course.
College of Charleston head coach Ward Cromwell, who has led the team to countless national championships, coached the clinic, which took place at the college’s own sailing center, the J. Stewart Walker Sailing Complex. Sailors from all over the country attended, coming from states including Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Texas and California. Day one of the clinic began with introductions between the sailors and coaches and a detailed review on z420 and FJ tuning.
The early stages of the clinic focused extensively on specific rig tuning techniques and adjustments. That evening, after a productive day on the water, clinic attendees were invited to participate in a weekly informal fleet race hosted at the sailing complex With twenty one of the college’s FJs and 420s participating, it was very well attended, and the racing was quite exciting. Nights were spent aboard the USS Yorktown, an aircraft carrier from the Second World War. That in itself made the experience unlike any other I have ever had sailing, working with some of college sailing’s best coaches while also exploring the historical side of the city I was sailing in.
Days two and three went by far too fast. Focusing mainly on team racing, sailors started off doing mostly combo drills, followed by starting drills and racing. Time on the water was followed by a lunch on land and video debriefs. These on-land sessions helped the sailors unwind while focusing on key areas of improvement before heading back out to sail. No time was wasted, with almost the entire day being spent exclusively at the sailing center. Extra curricular activities, like visiting College of Charleston’s campus, were arranged by sailors from the college who had volunteered to help. Before I knew it, it was time to say goodbye to my newfound love of Charleston and head back to Massachusetts.
The experience I had sailing in South Carolina was very different from any I have had back home. The current in the channel of Charleston harbor was stronger than any I’d felt in New England, and the warm, southerly breeze was quite a contrast from the cooler wind up north. Everything about the venue made it different from my home base in Duxbury, and even factors not directly correlated to sailing itself, like the frequent dolphin sightings and container ship traffic, were outside factors that I had to learn to adjust to and normalize. As a sailor, the best things you can do for yourself are sail in new places and learn how to win in those places. 
Sailors don’t have the benefit of playing a game on a field that never moves or changes. By participating in this clinic, I took myself out of my comfort zone of sailing with familiar people in familiar places completely. As athletes, thinking of ways to challenge ourselves on and off the water is part of what we do, and I am so glad to say that this summer, I was able to do just that and gain a tremendous understanding of how diverse sailing can be in the process.
For information on next Summer’s C of C advanced high school racing clinics, check out sailing.cofc.edu or contact Greg Fisher directly at fishergv@cofc.edu or 410 212 4916.
Club 420 Association Announces a New Spinnaker
PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION
North Kingston, RI (September 1, 2016) The Club 420 Association announced today that the Board of Directors has approved a new class legal spinnaker which will be legal for use in regattas after December 25, 2016. This spinnaker developed in conjunction with North Sails will be available from all 3 manufacturers of the Club 420 after October 1, 2016.
“We are excited to provide this new spinnaker to our sailors”, John Vandemoer, class Executive Director. “This spinnaker has been two years in development with design by North’s advanced design team. However, it has been a very collaborative effort with North, the class and our three builders to build a new spinnaker that suits the needs of sailors and the normal courses they sail. This new spinnaker design should make the c420 easier to sail on the reach legs of our trapezoid courses, while still being competitive on a run. Class approved spinnakers of the past design will still be legal.”
The upgrade to the Club 420 sail plan was made carefully as not to render the old spinnaker obsolete. The new spinnaker will be available for order immediately from our three builders Zim Sailing, Laser Performance and Sturgis Boat Works but will only become class legal for any regatta on December 26, the first day of the 2016 Orange Bowl Regatta .
About the Club 420 Association – The Club 420 Association was established in 1980 to promote, foster, encourage and sponsor one-design sailing for youth sailors. The Association annually sponsors a North American Championship, US and Canadian National Championships as well as regional and team racing championships across North America while promoting the class to all ability and experience levels of youth sailing.
About North Sails – North Sails, the largest division of North Technology Group, is the world leader in sailmaking technology. Founded in 1957 by Lowell North, the Group comprises three market leading marine brands, all focused on providing innovative and high performance products and solutions to the worlds sailors & yachtsmen.
For additional information please contact the C420 class at www.C420.org or John Vandemoer, Class Executive Director, ed@club420.org.
Club Profile: Annapolis Yacht Club
News Flash: AYC is hiring a full-time 420 coach!!
AYC beginnings were in 1886 as an informal canoe club. A building was constructed two years later on a pile of
oyster shells at the foot of Duke of Gloucester Street, which, in 1888, became the Clubhouse for the formally organized Severn Boat Club. This oyster pile was rented from St. Mary’s Church and was next to a rickety wooden bridge across Spa Creek. In 1897 a new clubhouse was built and was enlarged in 1912.
Humble Beginnings
In 1904, the first records of meetings indicate a membership of 30. In 1910, the first wharfs were built, and the first club manager was hired in 1911 at a salary of $15 a month. Members began to acquire small sail boats and organize club regattas. These were uncomplicated affairs held on Memorial Day and Labor Day. Shell and canoe races started up Spa Creek at Old Woman Cove and ended at the Eastport Bridge. There were also swimming races and diving competitions. The club owned several single and double shells, two four-oared shells, and was given an eight-oared shell in 1911 by the US Naval Academy.
A Post-War Renewal
World War I and the depression slowed boating activities until the mid-30s. A hurricane damaged the clubhouse and the wharf was reduced to pilings in 1933 and it was difficult to keep the club’s quota of 100 resident members. By 1936, there seemed to be little interest by members in the club and changes were needed. With renewal in mind, in 1937 the Annapolis Yacht Club was incorporated and the first formal regatta (Annual) was held that year. The Fall Series first year was in 1940 with five boats competing. World War II interrupted organized racing, but in 1946 the Spring Series was started with three classes – 30 Square Meters, Stars and Chesapeake 20s. By 1948, Moths, Comets and Hamptons were also taking part. The Annapolis to Newport Race (Newport to Annapolis back then) started in 1947 and has been run every two years since. A dining room was added to the club in the late 1940s and in 1948, the first Smoking Lamp newsletter appeared as a single page mimeographed sheet.
The Junior Fleet
The junior fleet started in 1948, and the first junior trophy was presented in 1953. The first junior boat, Dolphins, were replaced by Penguins, which were next followed by 420s which the junior fleet still races.
Wednesday Night Races: An Annapolis Tradition
Wednesday Night Races were the brainchild of P/C Gaither Scott. After seeing the Wednesday Night Races at East Greenwich YC in Rhode Island in 1958, Scott inaugurated midweek racing at AYC in 1959. No race committee, no prizes, no scoring but there was a picnic supper after sailing. “S” boats, H-23s, 5.5 meters, Bermuda One Design and Rainbows raced, but interest waned in the mid-60s. To correct this, smaller classes of boats were invited and in 1965 35 boats entered the series. By 1967 112 boats were taking part.
Frostbite Racing
Frostbite racing began in the winter of 1962-1963. Seven Rainbows were the inaugural class with five short races a day, starting and finishing at the club. Gladiators joined Frostbite racing in the fall of 1963 and MORC made the third class in 1964. The first Hangover Bowl (New Year’s Day) was on Jan. 1, 1966.
A Need for Growth
By 1959, membership had risen to 1000 and a new club building was badly needed. This was opened in 1963, with the first deck left unfinished due to lack of funds. Frostbite and Wednesday Night Racing soon demanded more club social space, and the Skipjack Lounge was finished in 1969.
The land across the Eastport Bridge where the junior fleet building is now (Holden Property) was purchased in 1969. The junior fleet was established there and a new building for them was completed in 1995. In 1989, women were welcomed as members, and the White Rocks Marina property (now the Harborside Sailing Center) was added in 1990. The club’s first official one-design fleet, the J/22, was started in 1991 with a crane added to Harborside for launching of the boats. The clubhouse again underwent a major renovation in 1995.
More than a Club…
Today, AYC is at full membership (1600 regular members) with very active social, racing, and cruising programs. Large international events such as the Star Class World Championship, Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship, and many North American championships are hosted every year at AYC. Harborside is filled with one design boats (J/22s, J/24s, Etchells, Stars, Melges 24) while the in-the-water boat slips are in high demand. AYC is known worldwide thanks to the members who are prominent in participating in, promoting, and organizing the sport of sailboat racing, as well as those who opt to leisurely cruise the waters of the Chesapeake and beyond.
The Annapolis Yacht Club is a year-round private yacht club providing programs for its members, their families and their guests. The Club supports and endorses boating, boating education, dining and provides social and recreational amenities that satisfy its membership. The Club is family oriented and maintains an inviting atmosphere that encourages members to make it their first choice for entertaining their family, friends and associates. The Club strives to be the “preferred community” for its members.
News Flash: AYC is hiring a full-time 420 coach!!
Today’s Junior Fleet
The AYC Junior Fleet’s mission is to provide a fun and educational program for youth interested in sailing and racing. We seek to impart a love of sailing as a life sport while providing the fundamental skills necessary for participants to advance in the sport of sailing as far as their desire, skill, and hard work may take them.
AYC’s Junior Sailing Programs are recognized for their commitment to providing young sailors the skills and behaviors that will serve them to be successful on and off the water. The AYC Junior Program hosts year-round sailing both at home and abroad. The main focus of our instruction takes place during the summer program, but racing practice and competition keeps us busy all year. We have programs available for all levels of sailor and all different types of watercraft. Whether you are looking for an introduction to sailing and the water for a 6 year old, want to cruise or race a J/22, or want to take your racing to the next level in National and International competition – we have a coach and program that will help you reach your goals.
Sailing Industry Profile: Gill Sailing Gear
Nick Gill founded our brand over 40 years ago in 1975. A lot has changed in the production of technical sailing clothing since that time, so we thought we’d revisit the past in a series of posts looking at the innovations decade by decade. First up, Nick talks about what sailing clothing was like back in the 1970s.I started dinghy sailing way back in the 1960s, crewing for anyone who would have me. It was usually only in light winds, but it was a start. Back then I was issued with a pair of canvas shoes and the most uncomfortable life jacket you can imagine. Stuffed with kapok, covered with PVC and a lace-up front. If it was ever used in anger it would have surely have gone over my head!
The waterproofs that were available were thick PVC garments, badly fitting and referred to as Oilskins or Oilies. As a result sailing tended to be restricted to summer and more often than not you got cold and wet – at least in the UK.
THE BEGINNINGS OF THE MODERN INDUSTRY
Roll forward to the 1970s, a time of change in boat design and construction, and the beginnings of a sailing clothing industry. By this time I had my own dinghy and was sailing every weekend. Clothing had improved but still pretty basic. By the middle of the decade I had started to develop my own clothing in a very small way. The market seemed to be dominated by three of the large brands still around today and quite a number of smaller ones who are long gone, such as Javlin and Splashdown.
There were three main elements to sailing clothing. Keep in mind in those days it was very functional. These elements were the fabric, which then determined the construction method and the sealing of the seams. The predominant fabric had been PVC. It was durable and inexpensive. If the garment was made using high frequency welding machines, which melted the fabric panels together, it would make a fully waterproof garment. Design and styling was very limited. Whilst the garment was fully waterproof it was virtually impossible to make the closures seal very well. Press studs were used in place of a front zip, wrist closures were simple, and the hood design… Well lets say it did not fit the head very snugly as it was all limited by the construction method.
Today you’ll mostly see PVC technical clothing in the commercial fishing market, where its durability and smooth shiny outer surface suits it well. Proofed nylons were starting to become available, either coated with a polyurethane or neoprene. The main difference was that the waterproof element was on the inside of the garment, protected from abrasion by the nylon layer. This fabric could be sewn in a conventional way giving better fitting and styled garments.Making those seams waterproof was not easy. Polyurethanes had to be covered with an adhesive, it was time consuming and only partially effective. Neoprene fabrics, which were much heavier and used only for offshore sailing could be taped. But it was hand process and very time consuming and again did not last for the life of the garment.
OUR BRAND WAS BORN
In the early days of Gill I looked for a way to differentiate us from the bigger brands. For dinghy clothing I looked at innovation. The garment most people used in those days was a one-piece suit, we incorporated internal braces which lifted the garment off your shoulders and reduced strain when bending and tacking. We also chose a twill weave fabric that gave more of a stretchy and softer feel.
For cruising garments we used a transfer coated polyurethane on knitted nylon. It was a brand new fabric made locally to us in Long Eaton. The Gilltex style jacket and trouser was lighter, softer, and more comfortable with incredible tear resistance. This was because it used a knitted fabric rather than woven. The garment could be made with a combination of sewing and welding, so you had waterproof seams, a styled garment that was incredibly comfortable. The transfer coating was like a lamination process so you got an even layer of coating all over reducing the overall weight. In many ways this was the precursor to our bestselling garment ever, the OS2 offshore jacket.
This was the beginning of some real changes, due in part to the hot air taping machine being invented, early breathable fabrics and round-the-world races requiring some serious oceangoing clothing.
News Flash: Gill NA is HIRING!
2016 Club 420 North American Championship Results & Report
SAN PEDRO, CALIF. (August 21, 2016) – The 2016 Club 420 Association North Americans finished today hosted by Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club with the Club 420 Class Association.
Thirty-five boats competed in the regatta held on the open waters of the Pacific Ocean near the yacht club. This was also the culmination of the Triple Crown series and determined the winners.
The Triple Crown included five regattas that the competitors earned points for based on their placement in each qualifying regatta. Only the top three regatta scores for each boat count toward the Triple Crown standings. Twenty-nine boats participated in this series.
Today, racing got started around 12 p.m. in beautiful conditions with sunny skies and warm temperatures in the mid to high 70s. Winds were from the West at around 15 knots. The competitors sailed on trapezoid courses and completed two races today for a regatta total of 12 races.
The racing remained close again today and with only two races to work with. One big move came from Cole Harris and Tanner Chapko, who took the regatta win today. They sat in third place yesterday, seventeen points out of first, and today scored a first and a second sending them to the top of the leader board. Although their score of 47 points is the same as second place, they had more first place finishes overall. Eduardo Mintzias and Declan McGranahan, who had been leading the regatta all weekend finished in second place. In third place, just four points behind second, are Jack Johansson and Claudia Loaicono.
In the Women’s fleet, there were three boats competing with an all-women crew and their standings stayed the same throughout the regatta. The winners are Payton Thompson and Laurel Foster.
In the Junior fleet, both crewmembers needed to be under the age of 17 for the entirety of 2016. The winners are Luke Arnone and Mariner Fagan.
Top 10 Overall, Final Results (12 races):
1. Cole Harris / Tanner Chapko, 47
2. Eduardo Mintzias / Declan McGranahan, 47
3. Jack Johansson / Claudia Loaicono, 51
4. Joseph Hermus / Reese Guerriero, 60
5. Timothy Greenhouse / Jack Denatale, 61
6. Luke Arnone / Mariner Fagan, 79
7. Nicholas Marwell / Aidan Morgan, 85
8. Jack Reiter / Dot Obel, 113
9. Michael Wollmann / Camile Chin-Gurret, 116
10. Seth Rizika / Josh Zeelander, 116
Top 3 Women, Final Results (12 races):
1. Payton Thompson / Laurel Foster, 156
2. Helen Horangic / Teddy Horangic, 259
3. Gloria Kevliciute / Becca Rose, 298
Top 3 Juniors, Final Results (12 races):
1. Luke Arnone / Mariner Fagan, 79
2. Michael Wollmann / Camile Chin-Gurret, 116
3. Seth Rizika / Josh Zeelander, 116
For the Triple Crown series the top finalists were all close, but the winners are Timothy Greenhouse and Jack DeNatale. Greenhouse and DeNatale had an impressive record finishing third at both the U.S. Nationals and Buzzards Bay Regatta and fifth at the North Americans. One point behind them in the standings is Jack Johansson and Claudia Loaicono and in third place are Luke Arnone and Mariner Fagan.
2016 Triple Crown, Top 5 (Best 3/5 regattas):
1. Timothy Greenhouse / Jack DeNatale, 18.5
2. Jack Johansson / Claudia Loaicono, 19.5
3. Luke Arnone / Mariner Fagan, 20.5
4. Jack Brown / Kelsey Slack, 21.0
5. Eduardo Mintzias / Declan McGranahan, 27.5
To see more results and to learn about the regatta visit the event website: http://www.yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=2883
To learn more about the Triple Crown visit the site: http://www.club420.org/TripleCrown/standings.php
Contact: Jennifer Mitchell | Toile à Voile for Club 420 Association, Inc. | 763-234-8286 m.
Photo Credit: Volker Corell
Organized by the Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club in conjunction with the Club 420 Class Association for the 2016 Club 420 Association North Americans. The Club 420 Association is the association for competitive and recreational youth sailing in the Club 420.
