Message from Katie DeGrella, Junior Chair:
The Juniors want to give a shout out to Kenny Chapman for saving the day at sailing camp last week by helping bring in an FJ that had taken on too much water. Thank you, Kenny!
Olivia DeGrella and Matt Johnson raced at the North Cape Yacht Club Regatta in Michigan on June 18th. Olivia finished 11th overall and Matt finished strong in his first open water competition. Good Job to both of our Junior Sailors!
Sailing Camp Week 1 was a success and a lot of fun for all! Week 2 of sailing camp is just finishing up and Week 3 is June 27- July 1.
– Katie
Message from Wayne Myers, Assistant Junior Chair:
Hi Guys and Girls,
The team just got back into town Sunday, after doing battle on the big water of Lake Erie (We can’t teach racing on waves and chop on Eagle Ocean).
Saturday racing was in NNW-N winds 13-16 at the North Cape Yacht Club. Our team has been welcomed to train at NCYC for a week or more for many years now. It’s only 252 miles North from our club.
NCYC is in the top 5 yacht clubs in the US. Next month, over 50 Flying Scotts will do battle there.
On to racing.
Olivia Degrella has learned the art of dancing in the Laser with radial rig. There are 9 Saturdays in the I-LYA Travelers Series this year. This past Saturday in race #3, Olivia finished 11th out of 31 boats…with a 5th and 6th place overall. This is a major step in her rise as the Top Girl for 2022 Junior Bay Week. She is in her 4.5 years with the ECSC Junior Team and is head instructor for our summer sailing camp this year (as well as last year).
Matt Johnson, a rookie this year (they are a rookie until they finished their first race at Junior Bay Week). Qualification for Junior Bay Week is racing in two flat waters and two open waters. Matt has his two flat waters in, and NCYC was his first open-water event. His next is at Port Clinton (also on Lake Erie).
After Port Clinton, the team makes the ferry ride to Put-In-Bay for a week of racing…Junior Bay Week. This is my 17th or 20th year going to Junior Bay. I go back to 2003 when Tyler Andrews won and again 2005…both on a Laser.
The plan of the Junior Sailing Program has always been to teach kids how to complete in life…only doing it on the race course!
– Wayne… I’m just the truck driver
