19th Annual CJ Buckley Regatta

The 2022 CJ Buckley Regatta for the Club 420 Association National Junior Team Racing Championship on August 1-2 concluded with the team West Coast Best Coast rising to the top of the 24 teams that in East Greenwich, RI.

The 19th edition attracted 155 sailors from 16 states and 3 countries and were welcomed to Goddard Park by Rear Commodore Vincent McAteer from the East Greenwich Yacht Club and Greenwich Bay Sailing Association President Lauren Ridgely Swanson, also one of CJ’s sailing instructors, who spoke of the importance of this event.

The event provides a chance to remember CJ Buckley who passed away in 2002 from brain cancer. Carter Buckley, CJ’s father, spoke to the competitors about his son and his passion for the sport of sailing and team racing.

A fresh 6-10 out of the SSW allowed Justin Assad, PRO, and his team of volunteers to get racing started on time at 10:30am. Clinton Hayes, Chief Umpire, assembled a group of 10 umpires from around the country and facilitated the fully umpired Swiss League rotation.

Racing was tight and justice was dispensed as 120 races were completed over 5.5 hours of racing. NB4T A Team ended the day having gone 10-0.

The second day started with a redress hearing born out of a black flag protest. The results led to two re-sails happening during the first two flights of sailing for the day. Seventy-two Club 420s, 20 coach boats, eight umpire boats, two media boats, and the start and finish boats arrived at the spot between Sally’s Rock and Sandy Point to commence battle yet again. Another 48 round robin races were completed along with the two re-sailed races before entering the knockout stages.

The Gold Fleet consisted of the top four teams: West Coast Best Coast, NB4T A Team, Five Guys, and Red Hot Chili Peppers. NB4T matched up against RHCP and WCBC raced Five Guys in a best of three series.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers were able to take a race off NB4T but eventually fell 2-1 in the series with NB4T advancing to the Finals. WCBC vanquished Five Guys in two races, making the best of five race finals a West Coast affair.

After breaking a few ties, the Silver Fleet saw Severn, Mainiacs, The Bucket Hats, and Clarkfeet emerge. Severn beat Clarkfeet in both races, advancing them to the silver fleet finals. The Bucket Hats took a race off the Mainiacs but couldn’t hold on, and the Mainiacs advanced to the Silver Fleet Finals.

The Silver Finals needed all three races, with multiple lead changes happening around the course in each race. After faltering in the first race, the Mainiacs roared back in the final two races to win the silver fleet and finish 5th in the event.

WCBC carried their momentum into the finals, completing the gentleman’s sweep of their fellow Californians. West Coast Best Coast won the first two races of the series with 1-2s. NB4T A Team ground back on Race 3, winning with a 1,3,5. WCBC would not be deterred, and in Race 4 came storming back with a 1,2,5 – a narrow cross in the last third of the last beat sealing their victory.

• West Coast Best Coast: Chase Decker, Sophia Mulvania, Cam Spriggs, Reade Decker, Ashtyn Tierney, and Peter Busch.
• NB4T A Team: Ashley Highland, Blake Behrens, Vera Allen, Ethan Simpson, Ryan Satterberg, and Hope Campbell.
• Maniacs: Thomas Whidden, Ellie Harned, Kit Harned, Maddie Hughes, Vanessa Lahrkamp, and Christian Yanoti.

Event details – Results – Photos