The United States Yngling Association is excited to announce it is partnering with Sail Sheboygan and the Sheboygan Yacht Club to host a three-regatta series including the 2019 International Yngling Class World Championship and the 2018 and 2019 North American Championships as feeder events.
Designed in Norway in 1967 by Jan Linge, the Yngling is a 20-foot open cockpit keelboat that is commonly thought of as a smaller version of his Soling design. The Yngling is sailed with a crew of three with a sail plan that includes a main, jib and spinnaker. In the US, here are currently only four active Yngling fleets and 50 registered boats, but it is a popular race boat in Northern Europe and Australia where the class attracts 40-60 boats annually at the Open World Championship Regatta. The class saw a resurgence in number of boats built and improved sail design when the Yngling appeared at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics as the Women’s Keelboat.
Sheboygan native, Christine Kronich, joined the Minnetonka Yacht Club Yngling fleet eighteen years ago when she was offered a boat by a co-worker who was being transferred out of state. After sailing three World Championships herself, in Denmark 2008, Norway 2015 and Austria 2016, she thought her home town would serve as a perfect venue for the class as the Europeans were encouraging the US to take another turn at hosting the Worlds, the last of which was held in Newport, RI in 2000.
Sheboygan sits about equidistant between three of the four active clubs, those being, Alpena, MI, Minnetonka, MN, Okoboji, IA and Sakonnet, RI, providing a central location for the North American regattas that will serve as tune ups for the 2019 Open World Championship. Lake Michigan provides more appropriate sailing conditions for the Yngling than the inland lakes and Sheboygan’s proximity to Chicago will provide easy travel for Worlds competitors. When the bid was presented to the International Yngling Association, Sail Sheboygan was a familiar name associated with excellent race management and an easy sell.
The 2018 Yngling North American Championship will take place August 1-5 at Sail Sheboygan. You can find the NOR and link to online registration at usa.yngling.org. Charter boats are available for the event and questions about these events can be directed to Sail Sheboygan or Christine Kronich at ckronich@hotmail.com.
