Well, what do I write about this month?
To start off with, your Junior Sailing Team and I would like to say THANK YOU to Katie and Evan Williams for the donation of a new projector for the sailing school. We will be able to video and use the DVR of the junior camp sailors on the water and show it on big screen. Also, we will have movie nights for the members. More on this next month.
Last week was our “Go For The Gold” regatta. In that, 11 sailors on Lasers did battle on Eagle Ocean. The water was quite cold! At the skippers meeting, they were told that after a capsize and 2 minutes in the water, they were being pulled out. Only three turned over, but only in the water 45 seconds.
“Safety is number one duty with junior’s on the water!”
The teams came from Carlyle Sailing Club (Illinois), North Cape YC (Michigan), Leatherlips YC (Ohio), Indianapolis Sailing Club, and ECSC. Saturday’s wind was from the east at 5-7 and we got in 4 races before our phones and VFH radio gave us the high pitch tone that thunderstorms were coming. So, we picked up our marks and made for the barn. Sunday’s wind was from the northwest and 16-18 mph and very cold. 4 more races in the bag. Ohio won the Gold…Illinois Silver…ECSC Bronze. I wish to say thanks to: Ralph Merriman, Dennis Robertson, Jr., Bob McCoun, Tony Hubbard, Ray DeGrella, and Deanna Nicholas for a Job Well Done on safety and RC duties. Also, thanks to Kenny Chapman for moving members’ boats off of the beach for more room for the teams.
The Junior Sailing Camp is just about full. This is the largest camp in history of the club! Our Junior Team is looking forward to June. Olivia DeGrella is team leader. Sam Riley, Deanna Nichols, and Dennis Robertson Jr. are instructors. I’m driving Sam & Olivia to Mentor Harbor YC, Ohio so they can finish their US Sailing certified Level 1’s and 2’s. They started them last year, but was slowed by CV19.
So, May and June will be a very busy month for your Junior Sailing Team. Along with our Junior Sailing Camp, they start racing the weekly I-LYA Traveler Series each Saturday. Our first race is at Hoover Sailing Club, Columbus, Ohio. After that, we move on to North Cape YC in Michigan. There are 11 Saturdays and 3 major championships on the schedule for your team this year.
So let the games begin!
One last note, Our US Sailing Coach, Reagan Lessick was missing last week. Where in the world was she? Actually, she was in sunny Florida working at an Indy Car Race in St. Petersburg…as a hostess for the Indy teams. What a way to make money! Fun in The Sun!
Wayne Myers
ECSC Junior Program
