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."
