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Junior Sailing – Sail Mail – Issue 3

A word from the office:

          Now that the heat is out, it seems summer is in full swing.  Our Opti beginners are mastering the basics of sailing and can now say that sailing around the lighthouse is easy.  Our Opti 2s are learning the basics of racing and are working towards competing in their first regatta, which will hopefully be by the end of the season.  Our Opti Race team just completed their first regatta of the season and it was a very windy one to say the least.  Our Pixels that competed in Eastern Districts placed 3rd and 5th place!  Our 420 placed in the top half of their fleet, which is extremely well for their first regatta in the boat!  We hope those who attended the sailing BBQ enjoyed good food along with a nice sail on that beautiful day.  Stay tuned for mid-season evaluations to be given out so you know how your sailor is doing in class.

  • On Friday, July 15, we will have crazy rig day!  The sailors can decorate their boats with streamers, flags, and other things to make their boat look as crazy as possible.  In the past, I have even seen a sailor that created a second sail for the Opti!

 

  • On days when it is raining, please remember to send your child with a rain jacket or spray top so they stay warm and dry.

 

  • Don’t forget that the sailing instructors offer private lessons during weekdays after 5:00 PM and during the weekend.

 

  • Please send your child with a bottle of water so they can stay hydrated on the water.

 

— Jesse Buccolo

     Head Sailing Instructor

 

Opti Beginner Class:

The first year sailors had another fantastic week.  There wasn’t much wind, but the sailors made the most of it!  On Wednesday, the sailors were towed toSheffieldIslandwhere they had the chance to explore and go swimming.  On Friday, the wind finally arrived and the sailors practiced going around a triangle course in preparation for the upcoming green fleet regatta.  The sailors were all enthusiastic despite the hot weather and calm seas!  Next week the sailors will continue to practice their upwind sailing and begin racing.

During the triangle course, Sean Bradley, Chris Calderwood, Robert McMullan and Win Laneall excelled at upwind sailing. William McMullan and Charlotte Gehring were awesome on the downwind leg, trimming their sails perfectly. Ryan Gifford, Jackson Hart and Luke Hammer were all VERY helpful when it came to rigging and de-rigging, the instructors were beyond impressed. Emma Mansourian did an amazing job getting her boat up when she capsized! She stayed calm and collected, which was impressive in the wind conditions. Sander Schuddeboom, Willem Schuddeboom, Owen Sharp and Tommy Chidley rocked the low-wind sailing days.

-Tally, Michelle, Sarah, and Jesse

 

Opti 2:

The Opti 2’s did very well this week. Tuesday brought a great breeze and the sailors worked on their upwind sailing by going around the lighthouse. On Wednesday there wasn’t much breeze so we joined classes with the Opti 1’s and brought them toSheffieldIsland. Thursday was another day without wind so we had the sailors paddle out and tie on to the instructors’ motor boats. Friday’s wind was generous and the sailors worked on their upwind by following a motor boat and tacking to keep up with it. Aidan Bowman, Tyler Stimpson, Luke Burwick and Emma Tarleton worked on positioning in their boat, improving their boat speed greatly. Forrest Close, Harrison Hinkley, Alison Cross and Charlie Coale lead the class upwind to the lighthouse on Tuesday. Jamie Hogan, Luke Sini and Connor Sovak improved their reaching skills, staying at the front of the pack on the way back from the lighthouse.

 

- Dylan & Sean

Opti Race Team:

The Opti Race Team spent the week preparing for Pequot.  We reviewed the racing rules and tactics for starting.  We went over the course for Pequot and what the sailors needed to do on each leg.  On the water, the sailors tuned their boat handling and did several practice starts.  By the end of the week their starts had greatly improved!  On Saturday was the Pequot Opti Rumble and it was a very windy day.  It even gusted up to 17 knots at one point! Charlottebecame our capsize master and she rolled her boat back to the right position countless times.  George sailed his best race ever during the last race.  Max had a rough start with a capsize, but ended up sailing very well after that.  Natalie and Brinley both placed well.  At one point, Natalie capsized, but Brinley stopped racing to help bail the boat. Megan’s sail sank! On the other hand, George was kind enough to help Megan by lending his sail to her for one race.  While the day started out rough, I am very pleased how it ended with smiles and teamwork. 

 

-Jesse & Sarah

 

Pixel Class:

We had a stellar week in the Pixel Class! On Monday, we went over  race strategy and reviewed the spinnaker.  On Tuesday, we had a practice race against Norwalk Yacht Club in which our Pixel’s showed off their skills and had a dominating win over the Norwalkboats.  Wednesday’s weather was less cooperative and we had no wind so we reviewed racing tactics and discussed the course for the Districts Regatta which was held the next day.  Districts hosted by Norwalk Yacht Club was a great success for the RPSA Pixels.  Emma Janson and Emma Byrne got 3rd place and Scott Jonker and Jonathan Stimpson got 5th place overall.  We are very proud of our team!

On Friday, we had a great time playing “capture-the-lifejacket” against Norwalk Yacht Club in which sailors practiced their close-boat handling and sailing rules. Overall it was and incredible week, we are highly impressed with the progress the sailors have made.

 

-Tally, Sean, and Michelle

 

420 Class:

After a day off for the fourth of July holiday the 420s continued their preparations for districts. On Tuesday we meet up withNorwalk junior sailors off Sheffield to get some more fleet racing practice in. The weather was less cooperative on Wednesday so we spent the afternoon cleaning and tuning boats. On Thursday Jack and James raced in the first regatta of the year, eastern districts. Despite some very light wind the boys maintained a positive attitude and finished mid fleet.

 

-         Dylan

Revised on May 12, 2012