Thursday, August 23, 2012

LI Sound Jrs Sailing Offshore Crush Fleet

J/105 Long Island Sound junior sailors- sailing fast downwind (Long Island Sound, New York)- During the summer months, the Junior Sailing Association of Long Island Sound has seen increasing interest and attendance in offshore sailing amongst the junior sailors.  The two most prominent regattas of the year include the Dorade Trophy for around-the-buoys big boat racing as well as the Beach Point Junior Overnight Race.  How cool is that!?  Junior sailors going offshore on big boats with coaches learning what it takes to navigate, make safe offshore tactics and strategies, select the right sails for the conditions and learn how to steer and trim fast offshore?  Sign me up!

J/105 junior sailors- sailing fast reachingThis past week, one of the ring-leaders of this fantastic offshore program for kids, Jordan Mindich from Lloyd Harbor YC, provided a quick update on the action going on in Long Island Sound.  In the Dorade Trophy event, seven great kids from the Centerport Yacht Club together with their instructor and owner's representative Mike Sterflinger took 1st overall on the J/105 SHAKEDOWN with a 5-1-1- record for 7 pts! With PHRF 2 being a nearly all J/105 division, it was going to be a battle amongst the kids to see who was king-of-the-hill, with J/105 teams taking 7 of the top 10!!  Second was Collamore Crocker's team on PEREGRINA with a 1-3-5 record for 9 pts.  Third was Lincoln White's team on MORNING GLORY, fifth was Scott Florio sailing Barry Gold's WARHORSE to a 3-4-9 record for 16 pts.  Seventh was John Horan's group on CUSH with a 9-2-11 score for 22 pts.  Eighth was David Greenhouse's team on SKIPPERDEE with a 6-10-7 for 23 pts and tenth was Connor Kasper's team on PLAYSTATION with a 8-9-10 tally for 27 pts.

Next up was the Beach Point Junior Overnight Race.  This time, the junior sailors on Long Island Sound J/Teams won ALL the divisions!  That's totally awesome.   In the J/105s, it was Com Crocker's MORNING GLORY first, followed by SHAKEDOWN in second and PEREGRINA in third.  In Division A-1 Racing, the J/122 PATRIOT won and in Division A-2 Racing the J's swept class with the J/105 CUSH (John Horan's boat) winning followed by the J/109 STRIDER (Adam Loory's boat) and the J/109 STRATEGERY (Jack Forehand's boat).  Congratulations to all kids, the next generation of J/Sailors starting to rule the roost!  Sailing photo credits- Rick Bannerot