Heavy winds, plenty of thrills at weekend regatta
ST. CROIX - The 2011 Cruzan Open One Design Regatta, hosted by the St. Croix Yacht Club, took place last weekend on the waters of Teague Bay. The regatta, now in its ninth year, saw more than 40 young sailors take to the water in Optimist Prams, Lasers, Sunfish and 420s.
The racing got off to a whirlwind start Saturday as winds blew a steady 18 to 20 knots and gusted higher at times. After a few delays and an early lunch, the racers headed out again. This time the weather cooperated and provided puffy, shifty winds to challenge the sailors. Four or five races were completed in each class before another heavy squall provided more excitement and ended the day's racing.
On Sunday, Optimist pro Jim Kloss had no sooner anchored on station when a squall line threatened and forced the racers back to shore. Having gone through this drill multiple times throughout the weekend, sailors quickly returned to the start line to complete an afternoon of races.
In the Optimist Championship Fleet, Ryan Hunter, who represented the St. Croix Yacht Club, fought hard to keep his Optimist upright. He finished the weekend in first place.
The British Virgin Islands' Mollee Donovan was close behind in second place. She was followed by Rayne Duff, also of the BVI, in a solid third.
Recognizing that she belonged in a different experience bracket and exemplifying the true definition of sportsmanship, Mollee Donovan forfeited her second place medal to Rayne Duff, who in turn, paid it forward to David Conhoff.
In the Optimist Green Fleet, Israel Duffy of Frederiksted Community Boating took home the gold, followed closely by Natalie McConnell, out of the St. Thomas Yacht Club. St. Croix Yacht Club's Lake Sanford, who put everything he learned this summer into practice, took home third place.
"The wind was blowing really hard and our boats kept swamping with water from the waves," Lake said. "So we bailed our boats and had fun."
The windy weather conditions provided challenging sailing to all competitors. The goal for the Sunfish fleet was to sail around the course without a breakdown. Some of the up-and-coming Crucian women sailors lacked the weight advantage of the others but remained competitive and placed in the fleet.
"I enjoyed sailing with my little brother and would do it again in a heartbeat," said Annie Hardee of the St. Croix Yacht Club.
The father and son team of Morgan and Mathieu Dale dominated the sunfish fleet with seven first-place finishes. The 420 and Laser Class consisted of more experienced sailors. In both fleets, sailors bantered back and forth for position and provided close competition.
Opti Pram Races - News
The regatta, now in its ninth year, saw more than 40 young sailors take to the water in Optimist Prams, Lasers, Sunfish and 420s. The racing got off to a whirlwind start Saturday as winds blew a steady 18 to 20 knots and gusted higher at times.
From the small, boxy and slower Optimist pram, to the bigger, heavier and faster Sunfish, there were lots of colorful sails and racing going on. Campers range in age from 9 to 15 and came to learn the finer points of sailing. “Some of my friends did it
Developed in the war years right on Naples Island in Long Beach, the Naples Sabot is an 8-foot “pram,” a boat with no bow but a flat transom on the front and no centerboard but a leeboard on the side. Nowadays made mostly of fiberglass,
Classes use nine program-owned 420s (a 14' sloop-rigged sailboat for 2-3 young sailors), or in Vanguard and Optimist prams, designed to be captained by a single sailor. All the young sailors are required to wear Personal Floatation Devices and water
WDYC Sailing: Beginner Opti- Week 4
Mission Statement: The West Dennis Yacht Club Junior Sailing Program seeks to instill the joys and skills of sailing by providing quality instruction, information, safety and encouragement at all levels. Students who complete the program will understand the fundamentals of sailing theory, demonstrate proficiency in boat handling,learn the fun of racing and recognize safety issues surrounding boating. On Monday/Thursday the Beginner Opti sailors were bound to land to due heavy winds. Thankfully, our creative instructors kept them busy with nautical flags, sailing songs and sailing gear/wear relay races. The relay races were hysterical as they dressed in lifejackets, sunglasses, hats and crocs. In the boys vs. girls races, they ran/huled to a Hawaiian girl and ran back.
Opti Pram Races - Bookshelf
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