Remembering CJ Buckley
East Greewich, RI (July 30, 2014) — The 12th annual CJ Buckley Team Race for the c420 class Team Racing Nationals was sailed out of Goddard park this past week with 33 teams competing, more than 250 sailors from 26 states, the virgin Islands and Bermuda. The regatta was massive with 2 racecourses averaging over 150 races a day for 3 days.
The regatta was much more then races though it was a chance to remember a junior sailor who was a great competitor, teammate and friend. CJ Buckley wrote in his application for Tabor Academy “ Sailing is life. The rest is just details.” Most if not all of the competitors never met CJ himself but all of the competitors knows a kid like CJ and sees those same passionate qualities around them. The “CJ” is all about that passionate spirit with hard core racing mixed with “that was a great race” or “ congrats”. The “CJ” is also about volunteerism and giving back to the sport everyone loves with the regatta solely run by volunteers in a public park. College coaches, junior coaches, parents, local families, East Greenwich Yacht Club and Greenwich bay sailing association all donate their time and resources to provide a regatta with the spirit and passion of CJ.
At the end of day 3 the championship was down to just two teams and the racing did not disappoint. The Finals came down to the regatta leaders, “Timone and the Pumbas” against the “Milton Academy Mustangs”. The finals were a best of 3 series and the champions were crowned in race 3. Racing was tight from the start of race 1. Timone balanced into an early lead at mark 1 with a 1,2,5 combination, but the mustangs would have none of that and battled on the downwind legs to convert their team into a 1,2,6 by the last leg. The Mustangs held on for the win in race 1. Race 2 Timnoe lead off the line and never looked back and evened the score. So it was now down to the final race winner takes all. The race all the way around was even with combinations changing and a heated last reach. In the end the Mustangs were able to hold on for a win in the race and a win for the regatta. The racing was heated and tough but both teams looked over at each other across the line and congratulated each others team on a great race and a great series. That’s the way CJ would have it end.
The “CJ” could not happen without the dedication of two brothers Kyle and Justin Assad who have dedicated so much time and effort to make sure CJ lives on. The brothers, their friends and of course the Buckley family work tirelessly to make a special event for so many Junior sailors.
The top three teams were:
- Milton Academy Mustangs: Nick DiGiovanni, Eli Burnes, Henry Burnes, James Maguire, Scott Paderaen, and Davis Tantillo.
- Timone and the Pumbas: Martina Sly, Ian Morgan, Carter Pemberton, William Cannistraro, Andrew Sheerin and Taylor Kirkpatrick.
- Team AYC: Nick Floyd, Trevor Long, Kyle Comerford, Amelia Hardy, Harrison Hawk and Tessa Fullmer.
Complete results and teams can be found at : http://cjbuckleyregatta.net/index.html
Press Coverage: Warwick Beacon Article Providence Journal Article
About CJ Buckley
CJ Buckley was a junior sailor who grew up sailing on Greenwich bay out of the Greenwich Bay Sailing Foundation. CJ Loved the sport and would do anything to be on the water with his friends. CJ was diagnosed with a brain tumor and underwent chemo therapy. In December of 2002, after a year and a half battle with cancer, he passed away. CJ’s father said about CJ “He loved the excitement and challenge of being on the water”. “ He was a talented Sailor and Firece Competitor”. Even when CJ was undergoing intense Chemotherapy he got in his boat and went 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
Email – jnvandemoer@gmail.com
