Naples Sabot: Not just for kids

The Naples Sabot Senior National Championship will be held June 6-7 on Alamitos Bay in Long Beach, CA. These are the home waters for the acclaimed Naples Sabot which was designed in the 1940’s by local sailors looking for a singlehanded 8’ sailing pram suited for the local habitat. The class has since grown to over 10,000 boats and is widely recognized as the sailing pram of choice in Southern California ranging from Junior sailors to sailors in their 70’s.

The Naples Sabot Senior National Championship is held for sailors 18 years of age and older. Separate divisions include Seniors, Masters (age 40 and greater), Grand Masters (age 65 and greater), and Clydesdale (sailing weight 220 lbs. and greater).

Over 40 boats are currently registered including several noteworthy sailors including Mark Gaudio (Junior Sabot and multi Senior Sabot champion), George Szabo (Star World Champion), Mark Ryan (two time Lido 14 National Champion), Jeff McDermaid (collegiate All-American and multi-time Clydesdale Division Champion), and multiple other acclaimed Southern California sailors.

The Sabot is a family boat with many sailors racing their boat for decades and boats traditionally passed down to other family members. Several father and son teams will be sailing at this year’s Nationals.

The event is hosted by Alamitos Bay Yacht Club.

Additional information: Regatta chairman Todd Smith, trsmith@raytheon.com
Event webiste: http://www.abyc.org/event.cfm?id=2557