2019 Butterfly Class US Nationals

The Butterfly Class held its 2019 US Youth Championship and Open Championship on July 17-18 on Crystal Lake in Michigan. The two fleets combined for 77 boats with both children and parents sailing at different times but all sailing at the same event, a true family scow sailing experience unlike any others. It was very multi-generational with even lifelong Butterfly families coming to just spectate. There were seven different clubs actively involved in the event as well.

A 12-foot scow-type hull sailed with either one or two, this year’s Butterfly Youth National Champion Conor McMahon and crew Boden Kwasnick came from the host Crystal Lake Yacht Club. This was Conor’s first regatta win and what a place to do it at, that being at your home club against 48 other boats. The last Butterfly Youth National Champion hailing from CLYC was in 1989 so this was long overdue.

The Open Championship was won by Rick Morris, a lifelong Butterfly sailor from a longtime Butterfly family, he too is a CLYC member and he bested 29 other Butterflys to claim his title. The trifecta for the event was the Women’s Champion title who went to Kaitlyn Rowland, again a local sailor and the team captain of the Hillsdale College sailing team. It was perhaps the biggest day ever for the Crystal Lake Yacht Club in its sailing history as claimed a clean sweep of three champions.

Event details – Results – Facebook

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