Houston Yacht Club - Southwest Circuit Heritage Cup

This weekend Houston Yacht Club hosted the J 22 Heritage Cup. This is the seventh and last stop in our J 22 Southwest Circuit and had 29 boats. Other stops include regattas in Dallas, Oklahoma City, Austin, San Antonio and Houston. The individual regattas are scored but the overall winner is the best point total of your top four regattas. This year the district set a new high with twenty one boats sailing in at least four regattas. Last year only twelve sailed in four or more regattas. We also had two boats that made every stop.

This years Heritage Cup was one of the biggest regattas this year in part due to the fact that the R.I W.K.C starts next weekend also at H.Y.C so some of the teams were hoping to get an extra weekend of practice in. Sarah Bury and her team from RCYC in Toronto was the top women’s team and sailed very well. I expect to see her at the top next week also.

Matt Romberg sailed a great regatta in the light and shifty Easterlies to win. Rounding out the rest of the top five were Kelson Elam, Terry Flynn, Eric Faust and Brant Koepke.

I also want to invite anyone who is thinking of making the trip down to Dallas for the Midwinter’s to leave your boat and attend one of two of our early regattas while it is still cold up north. Please feel free to contact me or go to the Southwest Website at http://www.j22southwest.org . We are putting the finishing touches on next years schedule but should have it posted by the end of the year.

Quantum Sails finished 1^st, 3^rd, 6^th, 8^th, 9^th, 10^th for the Heritage Cup an 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, 6^th, 7^th, 10^th , 11^th Overall for the Southwest Circuit. This caps off another great year for Quantum Customers. We look forward to an even stronger next season.


Images courtesy of Marie Wise.

Article courtesy of Terry Flynn, Quantum Gulf Coast

Richmond Yacht Club's Great Pumpkin Regatta 2010

The annual Richmond Yacht Club barn burner got off to a wet, gray start, as the weather god tussled between giving the fleet a trick or a treat. Saturdays buoy races set out on 3 courses, Southampton The Circle and Deep Water for divided the 152 strong fleet into 21 classes, 7 on each.

With light breezes in the 5-6 knot range and courses of just 1.5 miles, once around, (except the Deep water course) the committee kept things moving, although slowly. A few bands of showers dampened the participants but not the spirits during the midst of race 2. In race 3 a huge shift swung through with a tad more breeze in the 8-9 knot range, and changed the course from a Windward leeward to and into a reach/ reach.

By days end, the clouds began to part and the party on boats rolled into gear…until darkness fell and the RYC’s upstairs became a 2010 edition of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, complete with Frank-N Furters, Riff Raffs, Eddies, Magentas and more.

Sunday’s hangovers were quickly quenched with dockside Gin Fizzes and large contingent of the 193 registered Pursuit Race participants sailed gallantly out to South Hampton to the 12:00 first start.

This time the Weather Gods shone brightly upon the fleet, basking them with brilliant sunshine and a gentle if not fickle breeze. The fleet initially broke into two factions, the Clockwise round Alcatraz then Angel Island takers and the Counter Clockwise, Raccoon Straits to Knox to Alcatraz gang.

It became apparent to many of the CCW gang that the wind was severely lacking in the lee of Angle Island, and many shifted back to a CW course and got an un-expected wind shift and breeze enhancement all the way to Point Blunt.

Rounding Alcatraz, the CW’s had enough breeze to carry white sails to the slot and with a little assist from the ebb and a gently building south westerly, were able to set chutes and carry them into Raccoon Straits. Attempt to buck the still flowing ebb, the edges were favored and for moments, it appeared enough breeze to punch though the swirling currents. Wind lessened for a while and the whole straights looked like a water skiers paradise for a while as the water glassed over, extending then race into late innings…

Meanwhile the CCW boats which were able to sneak through Raccoon Straights earlier were enjoying a bit of westerly in the slot from Treasure Island and across the circle.

In the end, Scott Easom, sailing his newly acquired Mumm 30, 8 Ball was able to eecked past Richard Coucirers Farr 36 Wicked and Sylvain Barrielle’s Archambault 40, Ciao!

85 Boats were able to complete the course out of 176 starters, but keep in mind there was Trick or Treating to do and a World Series Game to watch!

Courtesy of Eric Simonson and Sail-World

USA Junior Olympic Sailing Festival Presented by Subway*

Pensacola's Harrison Prochaska and his Flying Scot crew took the SUBWAY Celebration Trophy as the top boat in the 2010 U.S. Sailing Junior Olympic Sailing Festival held on Saturday and Sunday in Pensacola Bay.

Prochaska's crew — which included Eric Amos and Seth Dobson, also from the Pensacola Bay area — dominated 1-1-1-1-1-2.

In the first annual U.S. Optimist Dinghy Association Gulf Coast Championship, Greiner Hobbs from Davis Island snatched the win from Jonathan Pottharst of New Orleans, who led going into Sunday's two races.

Hobbs came through the last day with a 1-2 while Pottharst suffered with a 5-4. Hobbs ended the regatta with eight points (6-2-2-1-1-2) while Pottharst had 10 points (2-1-1-2-5-4). A total of 50 Optimists Dinghys entered the regatta.

In Junior Olympic Opti, William Diaz from Bay Waveland, Miss., won the Opti 'beginners' Green fleet on a 10-point tiebreaker over Dominic Leccese of Pensacola. Caroline Johnson of Pensacola won the White Fleet, Phillip Dobbins of Fairhope, Ala., used six bullets to win the Blue Fleet and John Pereia won the Opti Red fleet.

Brandon Addison (4-1-[5]-4-3-1-2) of Pensacola took first in the seven-boat Laser radial fleet with 15 points.

Dodge Rees, Pensacola's nationally ranked Laser sailor, led after racing Saturday but had to leave Sunday for the Laser World Championship and Youth Worlds. At 16 years old, he is eligible for both.

He finished in second place, winning a tiebreaker over Adrian Pereira of Fairhope, Ala.

Four 420 class boats sailed the regatta. Joseph Bello of Ft. Walton Beach Yacht Club led 6 to 13 over clubmate David Beaudry.

Placing second to Prochaska in the Flying Scot Class was Seth Cooke of Fort Walton Beach.

The Opti USODA Gulf Coast Championship is the second USODA team qualifier event. The top 13 sailors from the Pensacola championship are eligible to compete in the team qualifier event for a chance to be on the U.S. International Team for the USODA.

Pensacola Yacht Club Commodore Sam Foreman said of the event: "We did not let the Gulf (oil spill) make us cancel this regatta and the decision was a good one. We had some of the best junior sailing ever. Pensacola Yacht Club was at its best and the SUBWAY SailFest was a spectacular event."

Mark your Calendar *July 24, 2010*

The Edgartown Yacht Club's

'Round the Island Race
Sponsored by Mount Gay Rum

Coveted Red Hats to all participants

Open to PHRF, IRC, Cruising, and One-Design Classes

Friday evening cocktail party and buffet dinner

Trophies Galore - 1st, 2nd, and 3rd

For information, Notice of Race, and registration:
www.rtirac.org or call 508-627-4364

2010 Laser North American Championship

The 2010 Laser North American Championship, for Standard, Radial and 4.7 rigs, was hosted by the Texas Corinthian Yacht Club in Kemah, Texas, on June 24-27, featuring sailing on Galveston Bay. The final summary is:

It’s all over now with racing in the sweltering Texas summer heat for the 182 contestants at the 2010 Laser North American Championships on Galveston Bay.

The RC did a fine job in squeezing in as many races as possible after the first day was lost to calm. Three more races were added sunday in all classes with the following final standings: Laser Standard (67 boats), the top three were cast in stone on Friday with Juan Ignacio Maegli GUA (11 pts.) crushed the fleet with only top three finishes to count. In second followed College Sailor of the Year (Yale) Thomas Barrows USVI (19) who was only slightly less impressive, a whopping 29 points ahead of third place finisher Raul Aguayo DOM (48). No changes also in the podium spots of the Laser Radial where Alec Anderson USVI (21 pts.) calmly closed it out with a big cushion on Mateo Vargas USA (37) and Cameron Pimentel BER (40). In the Laser 4.7 it was a seesaw battle between winner Brendan Shanahan USA (29) and third place finisher Juanky Perdomo PUR (40 pts.) who was called for a BFD in the seventh race, which allowed Madison Gates USA (31) to slip into second.

Written by Tracy Usher

2010 McNulty Cup held in Milwaukee

2010 McNulty Cup

The Milwaukee Yacht Club hosted the 2010 McNulty Cup on June 19. The event is held concurrently with the Summer Sailstice 2010 and the Milwaukee Bay Challenge Regatta.
The collaboration is also a food drive and benefit for Feeding American Eastern Wisconsin.

Feeding America is a national hunger relief organization that is made up of more than 200 member food banks and food rescue organizations across the United States including Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin. Feeding America is the largest domestic hunger relief organization.
The McNulty Cup is a five race series on the waters of Lake Michigan, approximately two miles off the Milwaukee Shoreline.

Celebrity Sailor on the Waters of San Diego Bay

West Marine/Challenged America Regatta

Competitive sailor, radio talk show host, and author, Dr. Laura Schlessinger spoke at the second annual West Marine/Challenged America Regatta held June 11-12. The regatta is a fundraising event launched by Cortez Racing Association and supported by West Marine to help support the Challenged America adaptive sailing program for disabled veterans, children and adults with disabilities.

With the help and support of skilled sailing enthusiasts and passionate volunteers such as Dr. Laura, Challenged America helps people with disabilities of all kind learn to sail in specially modified boats.

Three-time America's Cup Champion Dennis Conner, a personal supporter of the organization, introduced the keynote speaker, Dr. Laura on Friday, June 11, at a reception after the local Commordore's Challenge race.

Dr. Laura charmed the audience of the more than 150 with a recollection of how she fell in love with sailing. She also encouraged support for Challenged America so that all people can enjoy sailing.

“I was very proud to be apart of all those events to benefits such a worthy operation,” said Dr. Laura.

Saturday, June 12, the regatta officially began with the noon start of the first race.

More than 50 boats raced on the San Diego Bay course. Two exciting races were sailed with many sailors with disabilities competing.

2010 Laser Pacific Coast Championship

Racing for the 2010 Laser Pacific Coast Championship began Friday, June 4 on the waters of beautiful Monterey Bay.

On day one 19 Standard and 21 Radial rigs saw a classic Santa Cruz day with big wind, big waves and lots of sun and three races were sailed with the breeze starting in the mid-teens and reach to the mid-twenties by the second race.
Day two saw four races in very interesting conditions - the first race the breeze built from 8-10 into the upper teens, the second race was solid upper teens, the third race was puffs to twenty with giant holes and saw a drifter on the short beat to the finish, the last race saw upper teens the first beat which was then replaced by a light easterly!

Santa Cruz has hosted this event several times over the past 10 years or so and its always a big draw from all over the West Coast with lots of good sailing.
by Tracy Usher and the International Laser Class Association

2010 Flying Dutchman Nationals pictures

The 2010 Flying Dutchman Nationals were held at the Santa Cruz Yacht Club May 28-30. The SCYC celebrated two great days of sailing. Take a look at some of the pictures.

Photos provided by: SmugMug

Lakewood Yacht Club 2010 Shoe Regatta

LYC’s McMahan takes Shoe Regatta trophy

Lakewood Yacht Club racer Robert McMahan, left, was the overall winner of the Sea Lake Yacht Sales Shoe Regatta held May 15-16. LYC Commodore Don Rauscher presents the Shoe Trophy.
Lakewood Yacht Club racer Robert McMahan captured the top award on his J/80 “Kaos” at this year’s Sea Lake Yacht Sales Shoe Regatta held over May 15-16 on Galveston Bay.

This is given annually to the best racing boat in the most competitive class which was the J/80 fleet of seven boats.
Over 65 boats from all over the Gulf Coast, including the Viper Class for the first time, raced three races on Sunday, May 16. Races on Saturday, May 15, were called due to inclement weather.

McMahan reported that winds on Sunday were light and spotty.

“I think we did well in the race because we were so consistent, had a lot of patience, and worked well together as a crew,” McMahan said. “I must say that Forbes Durdin, another club member, on ‘Mojito’ sailed a really good regatta and kept us on our toes as did Bill Rose and his crew on ‘KICKS’ from the Galveston Bay Cruising Association.”

Crewing for McMahan were his sister Carter Wimberly and her husband Layne, Terry Flynn, and McMahan’s fiance’ Laura Broeker.

McMahan’s name will go on the perpetual Shoe Race ships wheel which is on display in the club’s main lobby.

The awards ceremony was held in the ballroom of Lakewood Yacht Club late Sunday afternoon with an attendance of over 100 racers. Past Commodore and sponsor coordinator Tony Wessendorff passed out complimentary Mount Gay Rum shirts and hats as they were the Silver Sponsor of the race. Additional sponsors included Banks Sails and Bay Access, a local not-for-profit organization that fosters amateur sailing on Galveston Bay.

Article and photo from The Bay Area Citizen

2010 Melges 24 Texas Gulf Coast Championship

Corpus Christi Yacht Club hosted the ultimate warm-up for the premiere 2011 Melges 24 World Championship May 12-15.

The Texas Gulf Coast Championship (TGCC) provided the perfect opportunity to check out the facility that will host the world championship. The venue boasts fabulous sunshine, gulf coast winds, and perfect sailing weather.

The TGCC held this summer is the 4^th North American ranking event of the 2010 International schedule.

The ten boats competed under challenging conditions on the coast and enjoyed true Texan hospitality from the Corpus Christi Yacht Club. With 8 races scored over the weekend Alan Field and his crew secured the top spot on-board WTF.

The Corpus Christi Yacht Club, the Internation Melges 24 class association, and the U.S. Melges 24 class association will host the 2011 Melges 24 World Championship Regatta May 11-12, 2011 in Corpus Christi, Texas. Great competitors from around the world will be ready to race in the sea breezes of the Gulf of Mexico.

Contact us for registration information.

2010 Elvstrom Zellerbach Regatta

Spectacular Racing For St. Francis Yacht Club 2010 Elvstrom Zellerbach Regatta



Day one of the St. Francis Yacht Club's Elvstrom Zellerbach Regatta was sailed in spectacular conditions. Somehow day two was even better.

With most fleets sailing four races on the first day the Formula Windsurfing fleet was one race behind having only 3 races under their belts from Saturday's racing.

The Elvstrom Zellerbach Regatta includes Finn, 29er, Laser, and Laser Radial classes in conjunction with the Formula Windsurfers. Conditions for Saturday were a bit late in arriving so the fleet had been held on shore while the Olympic class dinghies' went at it.

The St. FYC is famous for mixing up traditional racing with newer 'boats' in their course racing regattas and has been including the Formula Windsurfing classes alongside the standard Olympic class dinghies' for years.

Sunday's conditions were right on time and just as St. FYC race committee head, John Craig, had promised the fleet the day before, a 12:30pm start, he boldly called the Formula Fleet out first. Usually needing a bit more breeze than the dinghies it was a display of skill by the race committee in instantly recognizing sailable conditions for the boards that only comes with years of experience. Most sailors grabbed their 11.0 sails, the ‘big' sail for the local fleet, and headed out.

With 12-16mph winds blowing the first race was to be the lightest of the day with each race picking up 4-5 mph of wind until the final race of the day with was sailed in 25-30mph of breeze.

The competitors were profuse with thanks for the professional race committee and incredible hospitality of the St. FYC staff. One the most incredible efforts put forward was that of the 20 strong volunteers who helped make the regatta possible. The applause put forward for the volunteers at the award ceremony was the day's loudest. One note regarding the nature of the competitors and the management of the event was that across some 65 boats, sailing 7 races each, across two days of competition, in 25mph+ winds, not a single protest was lodged.

Written by: David Wells, www.waterbound.com

Laser Northern California Championship

The Laser Northern California Championship at The Santa Cruz Yacht Club produced exciting conditions for its competitors on May 8. The one-day event served as the Area G qualifier for the 2010 US Sailing Single-Handed Championships.

The low-key event held favorable winds for the sailboats as they fought for the number one spot.

10 boats competed in the men's standard laser class. The battle for the win from the Elvstrom Zellerback Regatta held the previous week continued between Stephen Bourdon, Tracy Usher, and Peter Vesella.

After five races the results turned out the exact same as the previous week. First place went to Bourdon, Sequoia Yacht Club, second place went to Usher, St. Francis Yacht Club, and third went to Vesella, St Francis Yacht Club.

The radial class had three boats compete first place went to Roger Herbst, Sunnyvale, Calif., second went to Christy Usher, St. Francis Yacht Club, and Jacques Kerrest, Palo Alto, Calif., in third.

The top male competitor in the laser standard fleet from this event qualifies for the men's U.S Single-Handed Sailing Championship and the top female competitor in the radial fleet qualifies for the female US Single-Handed Sailing Championship.

2010 US SAILING Youth World Qualifier

Eleven youth sailors have qualified for US SAILING's 2010 Youth World Team, and will receive invitations to represent the United States at the 40th Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship in Istanbul, Turkey, from 8-17 July 2010.

Nine of these athletes were selected based on first-place finishes in their respective classes at the 2010 US SAILING Youth World Qualifier in Clearwater, Florida, which concluded Monday after three days of racing. The multihull team was chosen by resume and did not compete at the Youth World Qualifier.

Ian Liberty, pictured left competing at the 2009 Youth Worlds, is
one of 11 US team members heading to Istanbul in 2010

©Dave Kneale/Volvo Ocean Race

The members of US SAILING’s 2010 Youth World Team are:

Event	Equipment	Team Member
Boy’s One Person Dinghy	Laser Radial	Mateo Vargas
Girl’s One Person Dinghy	Laser Radial	Erika Reineke
Boy’s Windsurfer	RS:X with 8.5m2 sail & 60cm fin	Cullen Ahearn
Girl’s Windsurfer	RS:X with 8.5m2 sail & 60cm fin	-
Boy’s Two Person Dinghy	420	Ian Liberty and Colin Murphy
Girl’s Two Person Dinghy	420	Marlena Fauer and Christina Lewis
Open High Performance Dinghy	29er	Antoine Screve and James Moody
Open Multihull	Sirena SL16	Taylor Palmer and Mac Agnese

No RS:X girls registered to compete in the qualifier, so the U.S. will not send an athlete in that class to Turkey.

“We have a very strong team,” said High Performance Director Kenneth Andreasen. “This event was a true test of skill in heavy and medium air, and these sailors demonstrated they were the strongest in their fleets. We’re excited about the prospect of them winning the Volvo Trophy this summer.”

These young sailors are no strangers to trophies and top finishes: Last month at the Orange Bowl Regatta in Miami, Vargas won the Laser Radial class and Reineke was the top female, finishing fourth overall in a huge fleet of 135 boats. Last summer, Reineke also demonstrated she can compete against very tough international fleets: She finished an impressive second out of 75 boats at the European Laser Radial Youth Championship in Charlottenlund, Denmark, and 15th out of 75 boats at Kieler Woche, an ISAF Sailing World Cup event held in Kiel, Germany. This is the second year in a row Liberty has been named to the Youth World Team.

Vargas, Reineke, Liberty, Fauer, Lewis, Screve, Moody and Agnese are also members of the newly-launched 2010 US Sailing Development Team (USSDT), which includes young sailors identified as Olympic hopefuls in the Laser, Laser Radial, Finn, I420, 470, 29er and 49er classes.

Hosted by the Clearwater Yacht Club, the US SAILING ISAF Youth World Qualifier was a competitive regatta for 75 athletes in four events. Open to athletes born in 1992 or after, the event consisted of ten races over three days.

“Clearwater Yacht Club did a phenomenal job hosting the event,” said Andreasen. “They were so hospitable, and they organized a premiere and fair regatta on the water.”

For complete results from the Youth World Qualifier, please visit Clearwater Yacht Club’s website:

2010 Seiko 29er & 49er World Championship

Photos by Fried Elliott, www.friedbits.com

Iker Martinez and Xabier Fernandez of Spain have won their third 49er World Championship (’02, ’04, ’10) adding to their Olympic Gold medal from Athens in 2004 and Silver medal from Beijing in 2008. In true championship fashion, Martinez/Fernandez also won today’s medal race, held in 8-10 knots. Two-time defending champions Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen from Australia made a strong push by winning both the morning races moving them into 2nd which they held through the final results. Pietro and Gianfranco Sibello of Italy won the bronze.

The 25 boat gold fleet sailed two races in 16-23 knots which increased to 20-25 for the silver fleet’s two races amidst tropical showers. The medal race sailors anticipated the heavy breeze, but unexpectedly the wind dropped to a manageable 10 knots.

On the 29er course, French sailors Kevin Fisher and Glenn Gouron consolidated and won the Worlds by 28 points. Pepe Bettini and Fernando Gwozdz, the perpetual bridesmaid, sailed to 2nd overall with a 10-3-2 final day. Danish sailors Oscar Haumann and Taus Holtug who lead the majority of the event, tied for 3rd with Lorezo Franceschini and Riccardo Camin of Italy, losing and having to settle for 4th overall. However, Haumann and Holtug won the Highest Placing Youth Team award. Top placing women’s team was Ida Marie Baad Nielsen and Marie Thusgaard Olsen of Denmark who also won this trophy in 2009.

Young Bahamian sailors from the Grand Bahama Sailing Club Optimist and Laser program were able to view world class sailing up close and experience the camaraderie that international sailing affords.

For full results, go to www.29erworlds.org and www.49erworlds.org as well as the Facebook: 49er World Championship page and Twitter. Int49er. Channel 49er, the latest video link for the 49er Class has video and interviews.

Seiko is the official sponsor of the 49er Class and title sponsor of the 2010 World Championships.