Youth Match Racing Camp and Regatta

Youth Match Racing Camp & Regatta

June 22-26, 2011

This ‘clinegatta’ features 2.5 days of coaching with Dave Perry, the USSTAG Women’s Match Race coach followed by a regatta with continued, advanced coaching. Sail Sheboygan’s Sonars will be used so young sailors will learn about match racing, while improving their keelboat sailing and racing skills. Skippers may register with teams of 3 or 4.

The winning skipper/team of Sheboygan’s Youth Match Race regatta will receive an invite to the 2011 Governor’s Cup, an international youth match race regatta hosted by Balboa Yacht Club.

Daily Recap

Friday:
One complete round robin and one flight of the second round robin were completed in a shifty northerly breeze. Judge Ryan and his team representing San Diego Yacht Club went undefeated despite having several close matches. Ryan’s crew includes Kevin Laube, Georgie Ryan and Erica Parker. The 2010 winner of this regatta, Will Haeger representing Lake Beulah Yacht Club and Ryan Davidson from Balboa Yacht Club entered the last match of the round robin tied 3-1. Davidson and crew, Gregg Kent, Megan Kenney and Jeff Tolan defeated the Lake Beulah team of Peter Holz, Sean Hudson and Wheeler Morris to claim the second spot. Completing the top four was another team representing Balboa Yacht Club of Brandon Wood, Cristophe Killion, Colin Averill, and Robert Bachman.

Saturday:
It was a great day of sailing in Sheboygan for the 6 youth teams. The second round robin and first 2 flights of the semi-finals were sailed in a steady 10 to 12 knot southeast breeze.

Judge Ryan from San Diego Yacht Club kept his perfect streak alive to finish the first two days of racing with 12 wins. Even when picking up a pre-start penalty in his match against Will Haeger, Ryan’s team displayed great boat handling and speed to be able to shed the penalty at the top of the first weather leg. The teams started on split takes and sailed to opposite sides of the course. Although Haeger appeared to be sailing in more breeze on the left side of the course, Ryan had gained enough boat lengths sailing on the lifted tack to clear his penalty and still force Haeger to tack away when they met again at the top mark.

Another exciting finish occurred when Lucas Adams, who was 4-5 boats lengths behind Ryan Davidson at the last windward mark, was able to sail faster and deeper on the run to the finish line. Adams closed the gap and crossed the line just inches behind Davidson.

After two complete round robins, the standings are:
1st – Judge Ryan – San Diego Yacht Club
2nd – Will Haeger – Lake Beulah Yacht Club
3rd – Ryan Davidson – Balboa Yacht Club
4th – Brandon Wood – Balboa Yacht Club

Ryan choose the 4th place team of Brandon Wood from Balboa Yacht Club to sail against in the Semi- Finals, leaving the teams of Haeger and Davidson, who were tied in points racing against each for the opportunity to proceed to the finals.

At the end of two flights of Semi-Finals, Ryan was up 2-0 and Haeger and Davidson were split 1-1. Semi- Final racing will continue Sunday.

Sunday:
Racing was delayed waiting for the wind to fill in until nearly 11:00. Racing began in what appeared to a light, but steady 5 knot southeast breeze, but became very light and variable during the course of the race. Ryan experienced his first loss of the regatta as Wood was able to follow the breeze around the course and stay ahead of Ryan. Haeger passed Davidson on the first downwind leg to capture the lead and go on to win. Winds were still light and the Organizing Authority made the decision to terminate the Semi-Finals and move on to a reduced Petit-Finals and Finals once the breeze built to provide good racing conditions.

Finally, the breeze became steady at 5 to 7 knots just before 1:00 pm and PRO, John Strassman, started the final stages of the regatta. It was the battle of the Balboa Yacht Club teams in the Petit-Finals and Ryan Davidson led the race from beginning to finish to claim 3rd place in the regatta. Judge Ryan beat Will Haeger in both of their Finals matches to claim 1st place. Ryan also will receive, as a result of his first place finish, an invitation to the 2011 Governor’s Cup Regatta, an international youth match race hosted by Balboa Yacht Club.

Winning Team: Erica Parker,
Georgie Ryan, Judge Ryan, Kevin Laube
Final standings:
1st – Judge Ryan – San Diego Yacht Club
2nd – Will Haeger – Lake Beulah Yacht Club
3rd – Ryan Davidso -, Balboa Yacht Club
4th – Brandon Wood – Balboa Yacht Club
5th – Lucas Adams – Sail Newport
6th – Ben Brotz – Sheboygan Youth Sailing Club

Thanks to sailing rules author and advisor; 2-time national match racing champion; and sailing coach to the US Sailing AlphaGraphics Women’s match racing team, Dave Perry, this event became much more than just a regatta where wins and losses were counted. Every competitor received 5 days of personalized coaching on how to race keelboats, how to trim spinnakers, how to go fast and how to go slow and why, and oh yeah, how to match race! Dave held daily debriefs with the competitors showing video footage of the teams and drawing scenarios on the whiteboard. The local team representing the Sheboygan Youth Sailing Club received an exceptional surprise Sunday morning when Dave Perry joined Cole Meller, Dallas Wright and Joe Schmitt to spar with the Sail Newport team! “I learned way more than I thought I would”, exclaimed Cole when asked of his experience. Everyone finished this event a winner knowing much, much more about sailing and match racing than they did before.

Sail Sheboygan would like to thank John Strassman and Shannon Bush for their race management contributions to this event, and to Balboa Yacht Club for extending a Governor’s Cup invitation to the winning team. Thanks also to the area families who hosted teams: Chris and Lana Werner, Mary Snyder and Tom Wright, Karla Zahn, Jon and Carmen Dolson, and Karin Jacobson.

Special thanks also to Sail Sheboygan sponsors:

GrandStay Residential Suite Hotel, lodging sponsor providing spacious suite accommodations minutes from the lakefront.

Blue Harbor Resort, entertainment and activities sponsor providing a night of fun for the competitors at the Breakers Bay 43,000 square-foot waterpark featuring water slides and a lazy river.

Harken, sailing hardware and canvas sponsor providing great trophy backpacks.