Giving Back to the US Military

The U.S. Marine Corps team won the fifth annual Patriot Regatta on September 10, winning for the first time against the Air Force, Army, Navy and the Coast Guard. The regatta was hosted by Long Beach Yacht Club in Long Beach, CA.

More than 70 service members participated under the supervision of sailing coaches on LBYC’s fleet of Catalina 37 race boats, managed by the Long Beach Sailing Foundation. Racing under sunny skies, the teams had good breezes of 10-15 knots for their day away from their regular duties.

The Marine Corps team included Kathrine Scoffield, Kayla Blue, Jonathan Harris and Michael Conden. “This was an awesome first time,” Scoffield said. “I loved it and I want to do it again. It’s a great way to spend a Saturday.” It was also Harris’s first time at the event. “The coaches were great and I had fun. I learned how to grind, hike and duck… just like in the Marine Corps.”

The Patriot Regatta was first held in 2012. “I have the highest level of respect for the men and women of our military who put their lives on the line, so I may feel safe and secure in my own life,” shared event director Judy Meyer. “Our military and their families are such a worthwhile group of people, I wanted to do something nice for them. This regatta is my way of giving back and saying thank you.”

Final Results
1. U.S. Marine Corps, 2-1-4-1, 8 points
2. U.S. Navy, 4-5-1-3, 13
3. U.S. Air Force Team 2, 3-7-3-2, 15 (on tiebreaker)
4. U.S. Air Force Team 1, 5-4-2-4, 15
5. U.S. Air Force Team 4, 1-2-7-7, 17
6. U.S. Army Team 3, 7-3-8-6, 24
7. U.S. Coast Guard Team 1, 9-8-5-8, 30
8. U.S. Army Team 1, 6-6-10-9, 31
9. U.S. Army Team 2, 11—9-9-5, 34
10. U.S. Coast Guard Team 2, 8-11-6-10, 35
11. U.S. Air Force Team 3, 10-10-11-11, 42

Event details: http://www.lbyc.org/events/publicEventDetails.aspx?id=325&tab=0

Source: Rick Roberts, LBYC