Trailering your boat through LA traffic, staying awake on the dusty hot I-99 through Bakersfield and Fresno. But you get to turn to starboard and elevate to a slice of heaven at Huntington Lake (elevation 6k’) in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. 7 Finns, 3 from SDYC, competed in 7 races over the last weekend in July. Gary Mitchell, John Reiter, Lee Hope and families shared a cabin in the woods near the lake. It was party time for the fleet as most gathered at our pad for food and grog.
Typical lake sailing conditions, as the wind fluctuated from 7-15 knots both days. Many theories about which way to go, but the leaders typically won the drag race to the left side of the lake and never looked back. Beautiful low 80 degree weather, but cold water. Henry Sprague, 74 years old, dominated the fleet with all bullets except for the last race. Henry is coming off the Finn World Masters in Europe, with 250 competitors. Henry finished 12th overall and dominated the Grand Masters Fleet. He is the current World Grand Masters Champion.
The 29er U.S. Nationals were held on the Columbia River Gorge, a sailing venue notorious for high winds and flat water. This was the first time my brother, Ian, and I would be sailing there. When we arrived at our campsite where we would be staying for the regatta, we were dumb struck by the shear awe of the venue.
The biggest challenge that lay before us was the fact that the Gorge is a river, which meant that water was always going to be pushing you somewhere and that it can completely change the way that you have to think about racing. Luckily for us, we had two days of training beforehand to get used to the current and when the first day of racing came we were feeling confident in the skills and knowledge that we had.
Nearly 200 sailors, both junior and senior, competed in the annual Dutch Shoe Marathon (DSM) today. This iconic regatta begins at the San Diego Yacht Club and finishes at the Coronado Yacht Club, a trek that for most junior sailors is their longest distance race yet. This year marks the 47th annual running of this Southern California right-of-passage.
Mission Bay Yacht Club’s Paige Tillson, 11, (C Fleet) came in first with a solid lead throughout the entirety of the race. Behind Tillson in second place was Siena Nichols (C Fleet) of Balboa Yacht Club, who pulled into the position in the second half of the race. Battling hand in hand with Nichols was Caleb Everett (C Fleet) of Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club. The three were able to hold their position in the front of the fleet right from the start.
When asked how it felt to win the Dutch Shoe Marathon, Tillson answered, “It’s exciting, but I’m also really tired.”
Across the pond and to the lake we go! I just completed the 18 Foot Skiff European Championships in Lake Garda, Italy. We had an outstanding, twenty-one boat, 18 Foot Skiff fleet competing on the legendary Lake Garda.
The “ora” did not provide its typically conditions, but the racing was fun and tough nonetheless. For those that have raced on Lake Garda, they know that the wind comes from the South at 20+ knots in the morning, then dies from about 10:00-13:00, and then switches 180 degrees and comes from the North at 20+ knots. Unfortunately, we did not have those glamour conditions. However, the conditions provided tricky winds, various rigs, and crucial tactical decisions.
After an exciting win at the NYYC One-Design Regatta, Team SDYC stayed in Newport, RI for a full week of training with coach Vince Brun and wrapped up their 10 day trip by competing, and winning, the 35th Anniversary Newport Regatta hosted by Sail Newport! The event was challenging with a wide range of breeze conditions, providing, at times, the strongest heavy-breeze practice they saw all week. Playing conservatively and being one of eight boats to avoid a black flag penalty enabled the team to not only solidify 1st place finish but also secure the honor of being awarded the Dr. Robin Wallace Trophy awarded to the "Boat of the Week" by Sail Newport. The team is ready for some serious rest but eager to train again in San Diego later this summer before returning to Newport for the NYYC Invitational Cup in September! Tyler Sinks, Nick Martin, Carissa Crawford, Jake La Dow, Nick Kaschak, Max Hutcheson, Tori Porter, and Rick Merriman.
The weekend of June 15th-16th found the SoCal Finn Fleet at Coronado Yacht Club for their annual small boat regatta. South San Diego Bay is a great dinghy boat sailing venue and twelve Finns registered to compete in this event.
Team SDYC, skippered by Rick Merriman won the New York Yacht Club One-Design regatta for the IC37 class, June 29-30, 2019 in Newport, Rhode Island. Crewing for Rick Merriman were Drew Freides, Carissa Crawford, Max Hutcheson, Jake La Dow, Nick Martin, Tori Porter, Tyler Sinks, Nick Kaschak and Erik Shampain.
Team SDYC is gearing up to challenge for the Rolex Invitational Cup later this year.
The Dutch Shoe Marathon, summer’s iconic San Diego Yacht Club and Coronado Yacht Club tradition, calls locals and tourists to watch or partake in a day of Sabot sailing on July 19, 2019. Over 150 of both junior and senior sailors from Southern California yacht clubs race from SDYC to Coronado Yacht Club, a distance longer than many juniors will sail throughout the summer.
Junior Sailing Head Coach Molly Pleskus comments on the regatta. “The Dutch Shoe Marathon is a race for everyone. The high level, young and old racers looking to cross the line first, adults wanting to get back in a sabot for a bay cruise, and kids stocked up on candy for fun Friday sail. The Dutch shoe brings out new sailors and old for a fun and rewarding sailing tradition!”
A talented and accomplished collection of the best youth match racers in the country have touched down in sunny Southern California this week for the 2019 U.S. Youth Match Racing Championship for the Rose Cup, hosted by the San Diego Yacht Club. Racing begins Friday, June 28 and concludes Sunday, June 30.
Celebrating its 10th annual running, this invitational event for 16 to 20 year olds has served as an outstanding training ground for U.S. youth sailors who are passionate about match racing and focused on competing at the next level.
2019 marks the fifth consecutive year for San Diego Yacht Club, alongside the entire San Diego sailing community, to host Warrior Sailing Basic for one of our Nationwide Training camps. Our host hotel Humphrey’s, and its close proximity to the San Diego Yacht Club, made for a perfect location for the 21 new warrior sailors. Our Basic Training hosts new sailors with the support of some amazing coaches (one coach per boat onboard with three warriors). Some of the participants had some sailing experience, but the majority had never experienced the power of sailing. The camaraderie amongst the group in 2019 began at the welcome dinner on Monday night and extended through the three days of on-water training. San Diego never fails, with sunshine and breeze each day to test the sailors. The club facilities are amazing and our continued outreach into the San Diego community shows how much sailing can give back.