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US Junior Sailing Championships - Area B Qualifier

Cam Cullman’s quest to win the 2005 US Junior Singlehanded Championship, began with the Law Trophy regatta at Indian Harbor YC, continued at the Area B qualifier at Orient YC, and ended as he won at Newport Harbor YC in California.

This was the first time a JSA of LIS sailor won the Smythe Trophy since its inception in 1974.

Cameron Cullman won the Smythe Trophy at the 2005 U.S. Junior Singlehanded Championship in the Laser class

If YOU want to compete at the U.S. Junior Sailing Championship in Massachusetts this August, the Area B Qualifier will be held in Bay Shore, NY, on Great South Bay, July 17.

At the Area B event, the singlehanded Laser Radial and doublehanded Club 420 boats will be open to junior US Sailing Association members. JSA recommends single- and doublehanded sailors register by July 10 at the event website. 

The triplehanded Flying Scot boat will be event host supplied and assigned to one team from each regional sailing association. Team selection for the YRALIS region will be at the JSA Sears Cup event in Oyster Bay, NY at the WaterFront Center on July 10.

 

12 Metre Yachts Grace Southport Harbor for Pequot Junior Big Boat Teams

Story and photo by Tim Clark, Pequot Yacht Club Junior Sailing Committee

A week ago, Pequot Yacht Club added an unusual and historical twist to its inaugural junior big boat sailing practice.  Rather than taking out their normal practice boat, the junior teams were sent out match racing in stunning 12 Metre yachts, built in the 1980s and wonderfully preserved.  In collaboration with the 12 metre Yacht Development Foundation, a Greenwich, CT based organization that donated the boats for the day, Pequot’s juniors were afforded the opportunity to race on these 67-foot stripped-out racing machines.

Supported by three adult advisors provided by the 12mYDF and a Pequot instructor on each of the boats, Pequot's junior big boat sailors, aged 14-17, took control of the boats, steering, calling tactics, and handling the sails.  Pequot's race committee, organized by member Dan Nash, ran a series of short windward-leeward races for the two boats, America II and Lionhearted, off Southport Harbor.  While, in the end, America II prevailed over Lionhearted in light and variable winds that never exceeded 8 knots, it was an eye opening experience for all of the sailors in handling these powerful boats.

“The helms were much heavier and tacking was slower,” explained Morgan Simmonds, one of the junior big boat sailors at the event.  “But once the boats got going, they were fast.”

When the racing was done in the early afternoon, the boats returned to Southport Harbor and were at the Pequot docks with full colors on display when the other junior sailors arrived for the Pequot Junior Yacht Club commissioning and the kickoff of the 2013 Junior Sailing Program.  The sight of sailors and parents alike crawling all over the boats was pretty special.

“It was a once in a lifetime opportunity that I will never forget,” Simmonds added.

The timing for this experience was also special for Pequot.  It was 55 years ago this summer that the America's Cup was first sailed in 12 Metres. Columbia, skippered by Pequot's own Briggs Cunningham, beat Great Britain’s Sceptre in a successful Cup defense.

Pequot is not the first to have their junior sailors on 12 Metre yachts.  The 12 metre Yacht Development Foundation offers opportunities to other interested clubs.  For more information, visit the 12mYDF website.

 

2013 Dennis Conner - Ed du Moulin Junior Match Race

Ed du Moulin, the founder of the Knickerbocker Cup, and Dennis Conner, America’s Cup skipper of Stars and Stripes, thought it would be a good idea in 1992 to set up a match race for the junior sailors on Manhasset Bay and offer the winner a trophy to be presented as part of the Knickerbocker Cup.

Called the Dennis Conner - Ed du Moulin Cow Bay Match Racing Trophy, the purpose is to promote match racing to young sailors, and to identify skilled young people who may continue match racing as an adult. Jack Parkin, with crew James Westerberg & Cooper Yeager, won this event in 2012.

This year, the Knickerbocker Cup Foundation and Manhasset Bay Yacht Club are pleased to extend an invitation to all junior sailors on Long Island Sound to apply for acceptance in the regatta, which will be held Saturday, June 1, 2013 (rescheduled from May 11).  Awards will be given during the 2013 Knickerbocker Cup Awards Ceremony on Sunday, September 1, and the winning team will get a chance to meet match racers from around the world that competed in this year’s Knickerbocker Cup.

Six teams will be accepted and will sail Ideal 18s provided by the organizer. The NOR and Application are available on the JSA website www.JsaLis.org.

 

16-24 year old Match Racers

Activity in match racing and team racing in the U.S. has never been stronger.

Dave Perry, who is an active match racer, as both participant and coach, provides his perspective on this shift in this article from Scuttlebutt. 

Also check out the list of all the youth match racing opportunities in the USA during 2013 that Dave has prepared and posted on the US Sailing website.

We lose a lot of kids in the sport from 16-24 years old. I see those years as a "bridge" from junior sailing to adult sailing. College sailing is one of the "bridges" for sure, but many don't have the college sailing experience for whatever good reason (often their size is an issue, and of course where they go to school and what they choose to do with their time there, etc., etc.). So they need other "bridges" they can do and afford.

Most young adults don't have a dime to their name. If they are active, it's often with crewing on boats at their club or in their area. I doubt many are buying boats. So when clubs and other associations have programs where people can have access to their boats, that really helps.

We have seen a resurgence of 20-something sailors at my club (the Pequot Yacht Club in Southport, CT) since we began owning Ideal 18's back in the 90's. A dozen or so other clubs around Long Island Sound and elsewhere have similar programs. It is not uncommon for these sailors, as they get older, to want their own boats. We have a bunch of J Boats in our harbor now that race regularly. And in turn they take the younger kids as their crew.

Match racing and team racing are not usually ends unto themselves, but are other disciplines in the sport that excite sailors, accelerate their learning, and provide a "bridge" for that 16-24 year old group so they remain active in the sport.

At a recent North U match racing clinic in San Diego, the participants were sailors of all sorts of boats from Etchells to Snipes to Lidos to Lasers, etc. They won't stop sailing those boats if they enjoy match or team racing. The two are not mutually exclusive. In fact, these kinds of clinics are invigorating in my experience, helping what can become stale become interesting again...everyone benefits.

I encourage anything that raises the excitement level and expertise of 16-24 year old sailors, as I think those are the two ingredients to having a great experience in anything we do....and will provide the best "bridges" into adult sailing.

Check out the list of all the youth match racing opportunities in the USA during 2013 that Dave has prepared and posted on the US Sailing website. 

Parkin wins Junior Match Race Again

Jack Parkin (Riverside YC) triumphed for the second year in a row in the Junior Match Race series held at Manhasset Bay YC in late May of this year.

The Dennis Connor/Ed du Moulin Junior Match Race Trophy will be presented at the Knickerbocker Cup Awards Ceremony held today, September 2.

The winning team

Back in the 1980s, when the Knickerbocker Yacht Club was the organizing authority for the Knickerbocker Cup, Ed du Moulin, a past commodore of the Knickerbocker YC, and Dennis Conner got together and thought it would be a grand idea to have juniors match race for a special trophy. Please see www.knickerbockercup.org for more information, pictures and video.

Parkin bested Colin Kennedy (Port Washington YC) in the two match final. In the Petit Finals Tyler Justus Paige (Cedar Point YC jr. program) took three matches to beat Gregory Stebbins (Manhasset Bay YC) to claim third place. 

The junior match racers sailed a double round robin, with Kennedy and Parkin each scoring five victories in a puffy northeasterly breeze and cloudless skies. Parkin's crew were James Westerberg & Cooper Yeager. Kennedy’s crew were Howie Card & Jack Egan. Paige sailed with crew Zach Landeau and Stebbins raced with Madeline Simms. The match race series was sailed in MBYC’s Ideal 18 fleet. 

2012 Dennis Connor/Ed du Moulin Junior Match Race Trophy 
1.   Jack Parkin (Riverside YC), crew James Westerberg & Cooper Yeager
2.   Colin Kennedy (Port Washington YC, crew Howie Card & Jack Egan
3.   Tyler Justus Paige (Cedar Point Jr. Program), crew Zach Landeau
4.   Gregory Stebbins (Manhasset Bay YC), crew Madeline Simms

Special thanks to the Manhasset Bay Sailing Foundation and the Knickerbocker Cup Foundation for their sponsorship of this event. 

Photo credit: Ben Braden

Getting Involved in Match Racing

Interested in match racing during the off-season? Here are two opportunities to get into it this week and extending into November.

This week, Manhasset Bay YC will play host to the Knickerbocker Cup. Twelve international match racing teams will compete at this event, which serves for a qualifier for the World Match Racing Tour. The public will have the opportunity to watch the action on spectator boats Saturday and Sunday, August 27-28, on a first come, first served basis: email [email protected] And for detailed information, see the MBYC web site.

Rueben Corbett, champion match racer from NZL, coached the teams at the junior match race in May

During the Knickerbocker awards ceremony on August 28, the Dennis Conner/Ed du Moulin Junior Match Race Trophy will be presented. This clinic and regatta was held in May to promote match racing to young sailors on Long Island Sound. Reuben Corbett (NZL) who won the 2009 Knickerbocker Cup and is back this year to try to win it again, stopped by the clinic and shared his match racing experiences with the group. At the end of the day, Jack Parkin and his team prevailed in the finals. Jack commented, "I wanted to see if the skills I had learned for team racing would work for match racing. The good news was that they did! I teamed up with my two friends Will Logue and Alex DelBello, who have done a lot of Optimist team racing with me, and we immediately got the hang of the pre-starts and the one-on-one concept. We had a great time and hope to do more and more match racing as we get older."

Oakcliff Sailing Center also provides a number of match racing opportunities in their Swedish Match 40s.  Older youth who meet JSA big boat requirements may be interested in the Oakcliff programming. The first thing to do is get on Oakcliff's e-mail newsletter mailing list to receive weekly updates. Then get a team of 5-6 sailors (including an adult) out to the Tuesday Night Match Race Drills during September and October and practice boathandling, starts, mark roundings, and tactics. That will prepare you for the Open Match Races held on various Saturdays in October and November. For more information, see the Oakcliff website and select Calendar at bottom of the page.

For our earlier article on some of happenings at Oakcliff, including the Youth Match Racing Clinic/Regatta in July, see here. 

Photo:  Reuben Corbett, Aon Racing, NZL, guest clinic teacher. Left to right:  Gregory Stebbins, JP Ohanessian, Meredith Krim, Coleen Stack, Anne Wachowitz, Diana Weston, Krissy Weston, Jack Parkin, Will Logue, and Alex DelBello.
Photo credit: Andrea Watson

 

Oyster Bay Youth Match Racing Clinegatta

With the ICSA now hosting a national match racing championship, and hopeful plans underway to have a national youth championship in 2012, match racing is here to stay for a new generation of sailors.  

The Oyster Bay Youth Match Racing Clinegatta was held several weeks ago from July 14-17. Oakcliff Sailing Center and Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club played host to this six team-event sailed in Sonars. 

Sailors attended a clinic led by Dave Perry, coach for the US Sailing women's match race team, where they combined on-the-water practice with video and debrief sessions. At the same time, umpires at the clinic received training from Bruce Cook, chairman of the US Sailing Umpires Committee. 

The racing portion of the event saw close competition between the teams. In the final race of the event, the team led by skipper Clinton Hayes, a recent UVM graduate, pulled away from the British team skippered by James French to win the regatta.

JibeTalk was able to sit down for a few minutes with Tim Clark, Head Instructor at Noroton YC, and ask him a couple questions about his experience at the event. Tim, an active big boat racer, is a member of the Connecticut College sailing team. He competed at the regatta with several other Conn College teammates, including skipper Peter Miller. Their team finished third at the regatta. 

JibeTalk: How did you, and your team, get interested in match racing and this event in particular? 

Tim: Earlier this spring, Peter Miller (skipper), approached myself and some other members of the Conn Coll sailing team about doing some match racing regattas this summer. The original intent of our regatta schedule this summer was to practice with the hopes of ultimately being able to qualify for the college match racing nationals. We found out about the event through some adverts that Oakcliff had put out through JSA and some other publications. After participating in the Youth Clinegatta, we all became hooked on this part of the sport, and since then we've been doing as much match racing as possible. 

JibeTalk: How did the event go? What were some of the high and low points?

Tim: The event was amazing to say the least. All of us on the boat came out learning more about sailing from in the span of four days than we have in a few years. To be honest, I'm not sure we had any low points. The only time we were bummed out during the regatta was when we went to the wrong windward mark during a race, because nobody on the boat managed to remember which mark we were going to. The high point was on Day 2, at the end of the first day when our boathandling became smooth. There were three people on the boat, none of us had sailed together before, and after Day 1 we were all pretty nervous about how bad our boathandling was compared to other boats. 

JibeTalk: What has your team been focusing on as you head into the next event?

Tim: We just competed at our second match racing Clinegatta aboard Swedish Match 40's. We have a strong team, but with bigger boats we're trying to improve our communication within the boat, as well as what's going on around us. After the first regatta, we agreed that communication was our weak point. It definitely makes a difference, and that's our main focus as of now. With more efficient communication will come better information regarding tactics and course strategy. 

JibeTalk: How was the practice and competition at the regatta different from what you might normally encounter in college sailing?

Tim: The main difference between the Youth Clinegatta and college sailing is that everyone was there to get better, and we had a fantastic coach helping us accomplish our goals. College sailing can be cutthroat, it was nice to see all the teams working together to make the entire 6 boat group better as a whole. The days were long, some days we would spend 12 hours at the club doing debriefs with Dave over pizza, and at no point were any of us bored. 

JibeTalk: As a coach, how do you think can junior sailors get into match racing? What are tangible elements kids can take away (or that coaches can incorporate into lessons) from match racing to help them with the day-to-day dinghy racing that they focus on in their programs?

Tim: First off, if any junior sailor wants to get into match racing, they should do the Youth Clinegatta. They will be astounded at how much they learn over the course of four days. Second, I believe that JSA and US Sailing should shift Sears Cup away from a triplehanded fleet race event towards a match racing event. I'm looking forward to doing some fleet racing after this because some of the tactics I learned from match racing directly translate to fleet racing, and how to catch boats if you're behind, or defend your lead if you're ahead. 

Photo credit Oakcliff Sailing Center

Spring Laser Regatta and Youth Match Racing

Here are two events that have registrations due this week.

The first is for the Spring Laser Regatta at American YC, Rye NY, on this Saturday, June 18. This is an open event for any Laser Standard or Radial sailor, regardless of age. The NOR and entry form are available on the AYC website.

The second is the Oyster Bay Youth Match Racing Clinegatta (clinic and regatta) at Oakcliff Sailing Center on July 14-17. Entries are due this week (one month in advance) from sailors 16 – 22 years old. For details see the Oakcliff website.

 

Dennis Conner - Ed du Moulin Junior Match Racing Trophy

Attention junior match racers.

We just got word that the Manhasset Bay YC & the Knickerbocker Cup Foundation are going to run a match race clinic and regatta on May 21-22 for under-19-year-old sailors on Long Island Sound. 

In 1992, as part of the Knickerbocker Cup, Ed du Moulin, a founder of the Knickerbocker Cup, and Dennis Conner, the America’s Cup skipper of Stars and Stripes, thought it would be a good idea to set up a match race for the junior sailors on Manhasset Bay and offer a trophy to the winner. 

The purpose of the regatta for the Dennis Conner - Ed du Moulin Junior Match Racing Trophy is to promote match racing to young sailors and to identify skilled young people who may continue match racing as adults. The most recent year of this competition was 2007, when the trophy was won by Colin Kennedy and Ryan Schmitz from Port Washington YC. 

Historically, competition for the trophy has been limited to junior sailors from clubs on Manhasset Bay. Now, the Knickerbocker Cup Foundation is pleased to extend an invitation to all junior sailors on Long Island Sound to apply for acceptance in the regatta. 

Six teams will sail Ideal 18 keelboats that will be provided by the organizers. 

Awards will be presented during the 2011 Knickerbocker Cup Awards Ceremony on Sunday, August 28, so the winning juniors will get a chance to meet the world renowned match racers who compete for this year’s Knickerbocker Cup. 

To receive an invitation to this unique event, see the NOR.

Photo credit:
Fred Delmhorst from Ideal 18 North American champs

Can the iPhone make you the Ultimate Sailor?

 

With the accessibility and convenience of the Internet on phones, virtually any and all information is at one's fingertips. 

The revolution of the iPhone and its applications, or apps, has taken the technology world by storm and leaves no field of interest unexplored, including all elements of sailing. Apple & iTunes supplies an app for every need, concern, want, and interest for sailors. 

Whether you're learning the ropes or have had a lifetime of experience, 'there's an app for that' on the iPhone.  Listed below are a few of the top sailing applications for iPhones, check them out and see which ones best fit you!

For the Skipper-in-Training:
- SailX     
Simulating a full-featured sailing environment, learn the ins and outs of sailing and racing through this communally interactive app.  Through the SailX tactical trainer, get access to real-time regattas and communicate with other online sailors in addition to simulated sailing environments.  The app features three racing formats (fleet, team, match-race), five boat types (laser, catamaran, skiff, team, keelboat), and tons of simulations ranging from wind effects to sheet control.  SailX allows you to get access to live regattas while simulating real life scenarios, so you can be knowledgeably ready for anything.
- You-Tack Pro  
 For those who still need to brush up on their racing rules, You-Tack Pro is any captain's dream.  The app is a comprehensive way of learning and reviewing all the ISAF Racing Rules of Sailing through illustrations, explanations, 3D animated quizzes, definitions, and description.  This easy to use app tests your sailing knowledge through simulations of real life scenarios; some of the quizzes include 'Sailing Upwind', 'Windward Mark', and 'Learning Signals'.  An added bonus: the quizzes are taken from the International Sailing Association Federation Case Book for 2009-2012.  Save your quiz results and specific rules in the favorites folder for a quick brush-up before any race.

For the savvy navigator & tactician:
- iNavX 
Looking for an easier way to keep your charts handy?  The iNavX app keeps all the official NOAA RNC US water marine charts in the palm of your hand.  iNavX covers all West Coast, Gulf Coast, East Coast, Great Lakes, Alaska, Hawaii, and US Virgin Islands charts in detail.  In addition, the app's built in GPS helps you plot your current position, map waypoints & routes, and track your progress.  Plot, zoom, scroll, and navigate with this 5 star rated app!

For the sailing history buff:
- History of Sailing  
Expand your horizon of sailing knowledge with this friendly, illustrative app.  The History of Sailing app covers the history of sailing through facts, illustrations, and engaging stories.  Browse through chapters of sailing physics, history, and points of sail to become a full-fledged sailing history expert.  One reviewer testified, "I had my friend who knew nothing about sailing give this a read for 30 minutes, he was able to carry on a conversation with me about sailing physics.  It’s a great guide to what sailing is all about."

For the 'can't-get-enough-sailing' enthusiast:
- Live Skipper 
One of the first multiplayer sailing games for the iPhone, Live Skipper is a virtual regatta simulator.  Create a boat, choose sails, watch the weather, and start competing in races around the world with real virtual opponents.  This app brags a 50,000+ player community, with the favorite feature being the real weather conditions simulated.  With a new race beginning every Friday, only one of the competing boats can come in first place.  Now you can get your sailing fix on or off the water.

- American Sailing Association 
Designed for new and experienced sailors, the ASA app is designed to fit and enhance the sailing lifestyle.  This app has everything for everyone: learn the art of typing knots, brush up on the identification of nautical flags and vessel lighting, find sailing schools in your area, and tons more.  Need to look up a quick term?  The app comes with a full sailing glossary for reference.  Want to check the forecast?  The app has direct access to the ASA Social Media Gateway, featuring national and satellite radars, tropical conditions for US cities, 5-day forecasts, wind data, and tide predictions.  Interested in to-the-minute sailing updates?  Use the app for direct connection to ASA's Facebook updates and Twitter feed.  ASA has always maintained a mission to "promote education and safety throughout the sailing community", and they continue to do so through their extensive app.

Download these apps and become the handiest sailor on or off the water.  Turns out, the ultimate sailor can fit right in your pocket.

And here are some other apps mentioned by our Facebook fans:
 - Ayetides
AyeTides displays tides and currents for nearly 10,000 location around the world. It is a stand-alone application and does not require internet access to function. 
 - MotionX GPS 
Designed and used by Philippe Kahn during his record setting Transpacific Run. The app has a virtual compass for navigation and a stopwatch to record time, distance, speed and average pace. MotionX-GPS is a great way to compare results from one race to the next and at the end of the day.
 - Animated Knots by Grog:
Are you all tied up in knots? Well, this app has been created by re-engineering the content of the very popular website, including all the knot tying animations and descriptions.
 - WindAlert
WindAlert is an app that draws from a database that includes over 40,000 weather stations across the globe. Features include favorite lists of weather stations separated into unique user-generated profiles and customizable wind alerts delivered through the iPhone when conditions reach thresholds set by the user.

Did we miss any iPhone apps that you find useful? Or do you prefer Android apps? Let us know by leaving a comment here.

This article was contributed by our guest author, Ali Tortorello, from Boston University, whose family sails out of Cedar Point YC in Westport CT.   

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