Kathryn Hall represented Team USA at the Optimist European Championship this past week in Hungary. She had a great regatta with several Top 10 finishes in her first IODA Championship. Kathryn ended up 35th in the 102 boat Girls Fleet, which at Europeans is sailed separately from the boys. Congrats Kathryn on all your hard work and a well sailed regatta.
The team as a whole had great results at the 2013 USODA Team Trials at Pewaukee Yacht Club. 195 Optis showed up for a primarily light air event. Being on a lake lead to some interesting shifts and puffs. Consistency and not taking too many risks were the keys to putting together a good score line. Pewaukee YC was a wonderful host and the Race Committee, led by Anderson Reggio, did a great job getting 11 races in.
Team highlights were
– JC Hermus 4th overall
– 3 sailors in Top 15
– 1st and 2nd Blue Fleet
– 5 Sailors in Top 50
– 4 of Top 10 White Fleet
– 12 Sailors in Top 100
SailStrong Team Members will represent the USA at numerous international regattas this summer.
–World Championship Team – JC Hermus
–European Championship Team – Kathryn Hall
–North American Championship Team – Clayton Johnson, Thomas Rice, Michelle Lahrkamp
British National Championship – Madeleine Rice, Boyd Bragg, Jagan Subbiah, Daven Subbiah, Brendan Lord
SailStrong sailors traveled to Lake Garda Italy, Lake Braassermeer Holland, and Porto Alegre Brazil over Easter week. Great experiences and racing were had by all.
Thomas Rice and JC Hermus were part of the US Team attending the IODA South American Championship in Brazil. Thomas ended up 12th and JC 17th of the 145 boats. JC was part of USA 2, which won the Nations Cup Team Race. Thomas was on USA 3, which narrowly lost to USA 1 in a race for the finals and ended up 3rd.
Four sailors travelled to Lake Garda, Italy for the Lake Garda Meeting, which for the second year in a row set a Guinness Book Record for the largest one-design regatta ever with over 1,400 Optis taking part. The event was split into the Cadetti Division (11 and under) and the Juniores Division (12 and up). In the 300 boat Cadetti Division Maddie Hawkins ended up 13th and second girl, and Madeleine Rice 31st. The much larger Juniores Division was split into 5 groups 250+ boats and after three days of qualifying Jake Vickers and Stephanie Houck ended up 11th and 77th in Bronze Fleet.
Four more SailStrong team members headed to Holland for the 200+ boat Magic Marine Easter Regatta . Jordan and Sam Bruce qualified for the Gold Fleet with Jordan ending up 26th and Sam 57th. Thomas Hall finished 37th in Silver Fleet and Brendan Little 20th in Bronze Fleet.
We want to wish good luck to all our sailors heading to international optimist regattas with Team USA this week and next.
IODA South American Championship – JC Hermus and Thomas Rice
Lake Garda Meeting – Jake Vickers, Stephanie Houck, Madeleine Rice, and Maddie Hawkins
Magic Marine Easter Regatta, Holland – Sam and Jordan Bruce, Thomas Hall, and Brendan Little
Sail fast and enjoy the experience!
Madeleine Rice, Maddie Hawkins, Stephanie Houck, and Jake Vickers have qualified for the US team heading to the Lake Garda next spring for one of the largest (800+ optis) regattas in the world.
That brings to a total of 12 the number of SailStrong members heading to international regattas for Team USA next spring. Keep up the hard work so you are ready when you get there.
Congrats to Jordan and Sam Bruce, Thomas Hall, and Brendan Little for qualifying for the US Team going to the Magic Marine Easter Regatta next Spring!
Congrats to Gray Benson and Kathryn Hall for qualifying for the US team heading to Spain in February for the Palamos Optimist Trophy Regatta.
http://www.palamosoptimisttrophy.org/en/default/races/race
Congrats to JC Hermus and Thomas Rice for qualifying to represent the US Opti Class at the IODA South American Championships next Spring in Brazil. The whole team is proud of both of you, keep up the good work.
JC Hermus finishes 17th of 150 boats at Opti North American’s at Valle de Bravo, Mexico. He also was part of the USA 1 team that won the North American Team Racing Championship. Way to go JC!
All of SailStrong is wishing JC Hermus a good regatta at the IODA North American Championships in Valle de Bravo, Mexico next week. Sail fast, have fun.
Here is a link to the event website.
SailStrong Youth Racing 