Hot kick off for Marblehead Junior Race Week

Marblehead, MA (July 20, 2015) – Pleon Yacht Club, the oldest junior yacht club in the U.S., welcomed more than 300 sailors ages 8-18 for the annual Marblehead Junior Race Week regatta on July 20-22.

The event kicked off on the hottest day of the year so far in the Boston area and everyone couldn’t wait to get off the brutally steamy land. As forecasted, a light westerly gradient built to approximately 15 knots by the end of the day for the Optimist courses near land. The outside courses for 420s and Lasers saw more fluky conditions, but were still able to get in good racing.

On the Opti Championship line, 70 boats competed in three divisions. Leading the 44-boat Opti Champ Blue Division is Kate Rogers from Hingham YC, MA with 40 points, just ahead on the tie-breaker from fellow Hingham teammate Eliza Dunn, also with 40. Ben Trotsky from Sandy Bay YC in Rockport, MA has 48 points, just ahead of Luke Monnich from Hingham, who also has 48, but with a 9, 9, 9, 21 the throw out could end up being meaningful.

Hayden Van Alstine from Portland YC, ME lead the day in the 19-boat Opti Champ Red Division with 6, 5, 5, 2 for 18 points, significantly ahead of the next competitor, Grace Gear from Agamenticus YC from York, ME with 31 points. Magdelaina Putnam from Pleon YC, Marblehead, MA is nipping at her heels with 38, but that includes a 27th in race 1. Her other finishes were 3, 2, 6. The throw out could be significant in this division as well.

Leopold Seuss of Pleon YC seems to be on fire in Opti Champ White. He is dominating the nine-boat division with 48 points, a 95-point lead over William Decker from Hingham.

In Opti Green Even Division, Charlie Pingree from Pleon YC leads Theo Burtis from Annisquam YC by three points with Ashley Hoguet of Pleon just one point behind Burtis. In the Odd Division, Jamie Gabbay from Annisquam and Jack Wieman from Manchester Sailing Association are tied with just 5 points after three races.

Forty boats are competing in the 420 Championship fleet. Joseph Chomyn and Parker Swanson from Harraseeket YC, Freeport, ME posted two bullets and a 12th to lead fellow Harraseeket sailors Griffin Primeau and Carly Siemen by 5 points.

Hingham YC teams are duking it out in the top five on the 40-boat 420 Green line. Francis Cundari and Tyler Buckeridge are out in front with 10 points, but the next four teams only have a few points between them, so it should be interesting.

In the Laser Radial class, Caleb Robinson from Sail Maine is in first with 8 points, just ahead of William Bedfort from Pleon YC with 11 points and Cooper Siepert with 15 points.

Mason Cheney of Pleon YC is dominating the Laser 4.7 fleet with three bullets and a 5th on day 1. He leads fellow Pleon sailor Nils Skaane by 7 points in the five-boat fleet. Mason’s sister, Morgan Cheney is in third just one point behind Skaane.

Day two is a longer day for the competitors with a 9:30 a.m. start out of Marblehead Harbor. The forecast shows light southerly wind with a chance of a seabreeze. Marblehead Junior Race Week concludes on Wednesday, July 22.

Event details – Results