Optimist Team Race Nationals Report & Results
326 Races at Optimist Team Racing Nationals
Twenty-eight teams from across the U.S., made up of 4-5 sailors each, competed in three days of racing at the Larchmont Yacht Club –two days of perfect “chamber of commerce conditions” and a bit of rain on the third day. Sailors competed across two courses supported by more than 25 volunteer umpires and 30 volunteer race committee members. Led by Chief PRO and Opti-support coach legend Jay Kehoe, with race circle PROs members Doug Millar and Ted Ferrarone and Race Course Manager Senet Bischoff, the team was ably supported by a multi-generational umpire squad led by CHUMP Rob Overton. The real win was the number of races for the sailors! LYC set a new marker for races in one event: 326 over three days. Each team had over 20 races for the regatta!
Co-PRO Ted Ferrarone noted, “Jay is great to work with. This is the fourth major team race regatta (2024 USODA Team Race ACC, 2025 USODA Team Race Nationals, and the 2025 US Sailing Team Race Championship Hinman) where LYC has collaborated with Jay as PRO. We’ve learned valuable lessons from each event and have been able to enhance the experience for competitors at every regatta.” Finish Boat Chief Dorsey Roseberry appreciated how Jay set the tone, keeping things light-hearted and joking with finishers: “K2 — how hard is that climb?’ and “R2, where did you leave D2?”
A wonderful sense of camaraderie and enjoyment permeated the weekend as sailors posed for team photos, exchanged burgees at the Friday night competitor dinner, and danced in the morning launch line. American Yacht Club’s Lindsay Furnary expressed appreciation, “I’m so proud of our JSA Kids for getting into the arena! My daughter said it’s the most fun she’s ever had at a sailing event, both from a sailing and a vibe standpoint! LYC did an incredible job hosting such a complex and high-level event, and so much thought went into everything!”
LYC recognized sailors across the fleet at awards. LISOT Black emerged victorious! LISOT Black is made up of sailors across Long Island Sound: CC Alamgir, Thomas Alexopoulos, Ryan Breck, Charlie Long, and Brooks Pardi. Finishing Gold fleet second overall was Team Happy with Aislyn Flynn, Caitlyn Flynn, Kellan Martin, Jaiden Strickton and Thomas Weidner. Third place went to Coral Reef Yacht Club Spectra with Alexander Freyre, Christian Freyre, Briggs Kossman, and Ivan Riano Jr. Annapolis YC Red claimed victory in the Silver Fleet with a team comprised of Brooks Crawford, Liam Donaldson, Aubrey Marino, and Finn Powers. LISOT White took the Bronze Fleet title with a team comprised of Annabelle Buchner, Piper Horgan, Charlotte Kehoe, Hani Lyu and Ilse Ratzan. KBYC finished as the event’s 1st place All-Female Team, with team members Neve Irion, Regan Irion, Sailor Irion, and Grace Sereny.
Co-Chairs Senet Bischoff and Kate & Doug Millar coordinated over seventy volunteers, supporting the action on the water including scorekeeping, registration, hospitality, parking lot/boat drop-off, fleet launch and return, dolly duties, volunteer lunches, photography, and medical. Race Course Manager Senet orchestrated operations, including two Signal Boats, two Finish Boats, and two Mark Boats; five umpire boats in each race circle; totaling LYC on-water assets of 15 boats and 12 marks/pins plus photography boat; and medical boats. LYC welcomed visiting families with member-offered spectator boat viewing, dining for visiting parents, a sailors’ dinner, and awards with celebratory hot dogs and ice cream. LYC’s waterfront team, led by Waterfront Director Joel Labuzetta and Sailing Director Jenn Lancaster, and LYC House Staff ensured the successful outcome of the regatta.
This marked the second consecutive year that LYC hosted the USODA Team Race Nationals, having also been the host of the 2025 Hinman Trophy for the US Sailing Team Race Nationals. The younger local teams from American YC, Indian Harbor YC, Riverside YC, and LYC (Emma Anderson, Anna Beardsley, Claire Davis, William Lelek, and Loic Lorans), along with the three all-female teams participating, signify a promising future for team racing.
Larchmont is eager to continue nurturing talent in all aspects of team racing –from young Opti sailors to teenage sailors shadowing umpires to learn the ropes; to recent college sailors and experienced adult team race sailors serving in umpire and race committee roles. Senior Umpire Britt Hall lauded the effort, “I would like to thank Larchmont YC for hosting this important regatta for our young sailors. The race committee on both circles was superb. It was heartening to see the large number of your members willing to contribute their time to run a regatta of this size successfully.”
As noted by Larchmont Fleet Captain Ned Roseberry, “It takes a great team to run a team racing event.” LYC leaned on a deep bench of volunteers. Notably, LYC member Graham Landy was away winning the Hinman the very same weekend with Team Bonesaw, and Emma and Carmen Cowles were away sailing on the winning IC37 Team Vigilant for the 2026 NYYC Women’s International Championship!
