U.S. Youth Championship – Day 2

Corpus Christi, TX (August 13, 2013) – Sailors were challenged Wednesday morning to make the transition to light and shifty breeze on Corpus Christi Bay at the U.S. Youth Sailing Championships.

The strong summer sea breeze created inconsistent wind shifts in the morning for Race 1. Heavier sailors flourished on Tuesday, while lighter sailors prospered this morning. However, the wind picked up considerably in the afternoon and most of Tuesday’s leaders held their ground.

This four-day US Sailing National Championship, hosted by Corpus Christi Yacht Club, features sailors competing in seven classes: 29er, Club 420, Formula 16, International 420, Laser, Laser Radial and RS:X. The championship will serve as a mandatory qualification event for the 2014 U.S. Youth Worlds Team.

This morning, many sailors reflected on Tuesday’s Olympic Sailing Night. Speakers included U.S. Olympic Sailing Managing Director Josh Adams, 2008 Olympian and Youth Development Advisor Andrew Campbell, a past winner of this event (2000, ’01, ’02), and Olympic Coach and Youth Development Director Leandro Spina.

F16 multihull skipper Ravi Parent (Bradenton, Fla.) discussed his takeaways from the presentation. “I learned that there are many pathways and opportunities for me to take my sailing to the Olympic level. It’s really exciting to know that US Sailing is doing so much to put this in place for us.”

“They are trying to grow Olympic sailing by starting with the US Sailing Development Team program,” mentioned Club 420 skipper Elena VandenBerg (Annapolis, Md.).

Club 420 skipper Nicholas Sertl (Rochester, N.Y.) said, “It’s good to know all the different options I have, because I’m not really sure what direction I want to go in. I just want to experiment to see what I like the best.” Sertl is the son of Corey Sertl, who was an alternate member of the 1988 U.S. Olympic Sailing Team.

Today’s Racing Notes:
So far this week, Sertl and crew Elizabeth Pemberton (Osterville, Mass.) have made their mark in the C420. The duo had another strong day on the water despite the lighter wind. They will take a 14 point lead into Thursday over Scott Sinks (San Diego, Calif.) and Storm Brown (San Diego, Calif.

“I like having a crew on board, and I’m too big to be a skipper in most classes. The Club 420 allows me to do that,” explained Sertl.

The top five sailors are within 10 points in the Laser fleet. Stephen Long (Santa Barbara, Calif.) has a four point lead after three more races in the closely contested Laser fleet. Mitchell Kiss (Holland, Mich.) and Richard Didham (San Diego, Calif.) are in a tie for second. Didham catapulted into a tie for second after winning the last two races of the day.

Kiss compared the conditions over the past two days. “Yesterday there was a lot of breeze and it was a struggle upwind, but I found my groove downwind and passed some boats. In the next few days I’m going to work on my upwind speed, so I can capitalize on the downwinds,” he said.

Kiss elaborated on why he likes the physicality of the Laser. “I like to feel tired after sailing and to work as hard as you possibly can, knowing that every inch matters. It’s all up to you and that’s what I like about the Laser.”

Ravi Parent (Bradenton, Fla.) and Nico Schultz (Sarasota, Fla.) are in complete control through nine races in the F16 multihull races. Parent and Schultz won all five races this afternoon and lead by 16 over Sophia Schultz (Sarasota, Fla.), Nico’s sister, and Joseph Bello (Navarre, Fla.).

“Yesterday wasn’t what we expected,” explained Parent. “We thought it would be a lighter start to the day, but it built up quickly. We need to push it in spots this week and make gains when we can.”

Parent has become a big fan of multihull sailing. “I like going fast and I like the sensation of flying a hull. It’s something that you don’t really experience in other boats,” he said.

Wade Waddell (Palm Beach, Fla.) and Henry Fernberger (New York, N.Y.) broke their tie with Jack Parkin (Riverside, Conn.) and crew Florian Eenkema van Dijk (Darien, Conn.) and lead by four in the I420 fleet.

After winning all four races Tuesday, Luke Muller finished second, third, and second today to keep a five point lead through seven races in the Radial fleet over Malcolm Lamphere (Lake Forest, Ill.). Lamphere won two races today.

The 29ers were busy today, completing five more races. Duncan Williford (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) and Matthew Mollerus (Larchmont, N.Y.) have an 11 point lead after another stellar day. They won three of five races today. Quinn Wilson (Ojai, Calif.) and Riley Gibbs (Long Beach, Calif.) won a pair of races today to pull into second place.

Pedro Tomás Pascual has maintained a three point lead over Raul Lopez (Miami, Fla.) after three more races today in the RS:X windsurfing event.

Visit the U.S. Youth Championship event website throughout the event for daily recaps, video highlights, real-time Twitter updates from Corpus Christi, full rosters and standings, photos, and more. Parents and spectators will be able to watch a live feed of the racing and race replays all week, courtesy of live tracking by Kattack. Check the event website during racing days for more details.

The U.S. Youth Championships is a US Sailing National Championship regatta and sponsored by Sperry Top-Sider, Gill North America, Hobie Polarized and Zim Sailing. The championship is a Sailors for the Sea – Clean Regattas certification event.

Jake Fish
Communication Manager
US Sailing
JakeFish@ussailing.org