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2023 J/70 North American Championship Final Results

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From the CYC website, article by Amy Baxter Felder

for full results click here

CHICAGO, IL. September 24, 2023 – Brian Keane and Team Savasana are the 2023 J/70 North American Champions after nine races over four days of sailing in Chicago.

The team catapulted to an early lead during the week, securing three bullets out of four races on day three, that provided a healthy cushion heading into the last day. Bruce Golison, who was in the running for the champion title after the first two days, pulled out of the event with his team Midlife Crisis on day three. Keane, who hails from Beverly Yacht Club, has dominated the J/70 fleet this season and credited strong teamwork with Thomas Barrows, Conner Harding and Ronald Weed.

Results Top 5 Overall (9 races minus worst score):

  1. Savasana: 3-2-1-1-1-6-3-[46BFD]-29; 46
  2. 3 Ball JT: 19-11-2-3-2-2-2-6-[40]; 47
  3. Rowdy: [22]-8-9-15-13-4-1-11-6; 67
  4. Casting Couch: [24]-1-3-2-12-21-5-14-15; 73
  5. Level 5: 7-10-7-8-7-16-[35]-16-5; 76

Savasana sailed a near perfect regatta for much of the week, marred by one Black flag start on the penultimate race. Despite the second place team, 3 Ball JT–– helmed by Jack Franco, with a team of two-time J/70 NA Champions Jud Smith, Patrick Wilson and Bill Hardesty––closing in on Savasana in the final few races, Keane and co. pulled off the win.

Brendan Feeney Named Head Coach at Kings Point

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Brendan Feeney will be taking over the head coaching duties at the United States Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, as announced by director of operations Richard Cain.

“Kings Point Waterfront has been waiting 25 years for an individual like Brendan. Since joining Kings Point in the fall of 2020, Brendan has been a driving force of all waterfront athletics here at the academy. His passion and commitment to excellence on and off the water, has earned him and tremendous amount of respect from his colleagues, athletes, and college sailing community,” said Richard Cain.

Brendan joined Kings Point in 2020 as assistant coach. During his first year Brendan, alongside Head Coach Michael McBrien, led the program to both an ICSA Open National Championship Final, and Team Race National Championship appearances, first time Kings Point has qualified for both events in 25 years. Since then, Brendan has help Kings Point secure two ICSA Open National Championship Semi-Final Appearances. This is highlighted making Kings Point history with a 2022 ICSA Match Race National Championship appearance (first in program history).

In 2021 Brendan was elevated to Assistant Director of External Relations, while still assuming coaching responsibilities. Brendan has revolutionized the communication efficiency of waterfront athletics. From recruiting, event hosting, and multimedia work has made a positive impact for all waterfront athletics at Kings Point. His work to pull off the 2023 College Sailing National Championship was unprecedented.

During his college sailing career at University of South Florida, Brendan led the Bulls to three ICSA Co-Ed National Championship Final appearances, including a top-10 finish in 2016. This was paired with two ICSA Match Race National Championship appearances, finishing on the podium in 2017, and a ICSA Team Race National Championship appearance in 2018. Outside of dinghies, Brendan and USF secured back-to-back ICSA Keelboat National Championship titles in 2016 and 2017. Brendan was an Academic All-American Nominee in 2017 and 2018

Outside of college sailing Brendan continued his sailing at a national and international level, excelling in the Snipe Class. In 2016, Brendan represented the United States at the Western Hemisphere and Orient Championships, placing 14th. As well as a 4th Place finish at the North Americans.

Hunter Skinner, 1998-2023

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From Simmons Boatworks: As many in the youth sailing community know, Simmons Boatworks unexpectedly lost our friend and coworker, Hunter Skinner. The outpouring of support for Hunter’s family and friends has been both uplifting and heartbreaking as we see the impact of this loss of life on our tight knit sailing community.   We now know that Hunter passed away on September 10th 2023 from diabetic ketoacidosis in his apartment in Florida.  His infectious smile and unwavering positivity will be missed by everyone who had the honor of meeting him. Our thoughts and prayers are with Hunter’s family. Hunter’s Celebration of Life Service will be held Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. at Clear Lake Presbyterian Church, 1511 El Dorado Blvd., Clear Lake, Texas. For those who can not attend in person the service will be live streamed at the following link: http://www.youtube.com/CLPCtube

We encourage those who would like to do something in Hunter’s honor to donate to the JDRF Diabetes Foundation (JDRF.org), an organization that Hunter supported and raised money for during his lifetime. Flowers can be sent to the church for the service. Hunter Skinner brought joy, friendship, and a true sense of community to all of us in the sailing world. He will be deeply missed.

HUNTER MICHAEL SKINNER

It is with heavy hearts we announce the sudden and unexpected passing of Hunter Michael Skinner, at the age of 25. Hunter passed in his apartment in Coral Gables, Florida, on September 10, 2023, from diabetic ketoacidosis.

Hunter was born on June 7, 1998, in Atlanta, Georgia to Troy Barnett Skinner, Jr. and Marjorie deCou Hunter.  Most of Hunter’s early years were spent in Rochester, New York where he was a proud alumnus of the Harley School and McQuaid Jesuit High School. He first discovered his love for sailing while at summer camp right before entering McQuaid. By age 12 Hunter had started to pursue every opportunity to learn everything he could about sailing, and soon found himself sailing for the Mercy McQuaid team through the Rochester Yacht Club.

In 2014, Hunter and his family moved to El Lago, Texas, in part to support Hunter’s sailing passion. Hunter, then a junior in high school, enthusiastically began sailing for Lakewood Yacht Club and the very young Clear Falls High School Sailing Team. In Texas, Hunter was able to sail year-round with a group of like-minded passionate sailors that together worked hard to make the Clear Falls Sailing Team a force to contend with nationally. The team’s hard work began to show when in 2015 the Clear Falls Sailing Team won the Mendelblatt Trophy for

the ISSA High School Keelboat Invitational. Finishing strong in the spring of Hunter’s Senior year – 2016, the Clear Falls Sailing Team continued to excel and won the prestigious ISSA High School Doublehanded National Championship (the Mallory Trophy), officially putting Texas on the high school sailing map. In addition to high school sailing Hunter embraced every opportunity to sail at the highest levels of the youth sailing circuits which took him far and wide all over the United States, Canada, Greece, Italy, and Germany.

After high school Hunter continued his education, first at Jacksonville University in Florida and then at The College of Charleston in South Carolina where he earned a B.A. in physics. He sailed for both universities and was a proud member of both sailing teams. Not one to take his foot off the pedal, or miss a single sailing practice, Hunter was overjoyed when his College of Charleston Sailing Team came from behind to win the Co-ed Collegiate National Championship in 2019.

Following graduation Hunter began his career at Simmons Boatworks out of Sandwich, Massachusetts, and later Miami, Florida. Hunter was one of those lucky individuals able to connect his passion with both his purpose and his profession. On any given day, and no matter the task at hand, or the long list of “To-Dos,” Hunter’s famous reply when friends and family checked in on him was “Living the Dream,” and he said it with complete sincerity and a huge grin.

Hunter’s path in life was strongly influenced by his faith in God. He carried forward and practiced the credo he learned at McQuaid Jesuit – “Men for Others.” He was loved far and wide within a world filled with family, friends from church and school, teammates, sailing coaches, mentors, mentees, up and coming sailors, and families across the broader sailing community. Hunter’s deep passion for sailing is reflected in the many successes he achieved personally as well as the lives he touched while helping others embrace the sport that he loved so much. For that, Hunter will be sorely missed by many.

Hunter is survived by his parents Troy and Marjorie, his sister Jessica Skinner, his grandmother Shirley Trotti Skinner, and grandparents Paul and Sally Jones Hunter, uncles and aunts Gary and Kalynne Skinner Hudson, Rich and Carol Hunter Bonham, Doug Hunter and David Hunter as well as many cousins. He is also survived by his sailing brother/partner Dylan Ascencios and sailing parents Alex and Lisa Ascencios.

Hunter’s Celebration of Life Service will be held Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. at Clear Lake Presbyterian Church, 1511 El Dorado Blvd., Clear Lake, Texas. Attendees are encouraged to wear blue, Hunter’s favorite color.  A reception will follow at the church. The service will be live streamed at the following link:  http://www.youtube.com/CLPCtube

Donations in Hunter’s honor can be sent to the JDRF Diabetes Foundation (JDRF.org), an organization that he supported and raised money for during his lifetime. Flowers can be sent to the church for the service.

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