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John Wallace (St. Petersburg Yacht Club), another USSDT<br />

member, led from start to finish. He won seven of the 10<br />

races, including the first six of the regatta. Wallace won the<br />

Laser fleet by 18 points. “I was able to take advantage of the<br />

wind,” he said. “We had to tack right at this venue, and I was<br />

usually able to get good enough starts.” He has been extremely<br />

busy as of late. The previous weekend he finished third at<br />

the U.S. Singlehanded Championships (Lasers) in Pensacola,<br />

FL. He also competed at the Laser Radial World<br />

Championships in Scotland in June.<br />

Go to the event Web site, http://championships.ussailing.org/Youth/US_Youth_Champs.htm,<br />

for more details,<br />

including daily recaps, final standings, photos, Sailgroove<br />

videos, and more. The U.S. Youth Sailing Championships is<br />

sponsored by LaserPerformance, Gill North America, and<br />

Sperry Top-Sider.<br />

Florida and Virginia Windsurfers,<br />

Coach, Going to Youth Olympic<br />

Games<br />

From US SAILING<br />

Two youth windsurfers, Margot Samson (Belleair, FL) and<br />

Ian Stokes (Norfolk, VA) have qualified to represent the<br />

United States at the inaugural 2010 Youth Olympic Games<br />

in Singapore, US SAILING’s Olympic Sailing Committee<br />

announced in August. They join the U.S. Youth Olympic<br />

Team of 82 athletes competing in 18 sports, the maximum<br />

number of qualified U.S. athletes. The 12-day event kicked<br />

off on Aug. 14.<br />

The Youth Olympic Games is an international, multisport<br />

event held in conjunction with the International<br />

Olympic Committee that will take place every four years,<br />

consistent with the current format of the Olympic Games.<br />

Eligible athletes must have been born between January 1,<br />

1994 and December 31, 1995.<br />

Samson and Stokes qualified for the team at the 2010<br />

Calema Midwinter Windsurfing Festival in March at Merritt<br />

Island, FL, where they were the highest finishing American<br />

male and female. The two athletes have been training and<br />

competing under the watchful eye of Britt Viehman (St.<br />

Petersburg, FL) who will also serve as team leader and<br />

coach in Singapore. Viehman has been coaching Samson for<br />

the past two years and Stokes for the last year. He owns the<br />

North Beach Windsurfing School in Florida and has more<br />

than 12 years of windsurfing and teaching experience.<br />

Samson, 16, first started windsurfing two years ago<br />

when her father introduced her to the sport, and she has<br />

been on a fast track ever since. She trains on the water three<br />

times a week with her team, practicing necessary skills such<br />

as transitioning, tacking and gybing and boat speed.<br />

For Stokes, 15, sailing is in his blood. He grew up on the<br />

water in a family of avid competitive sailors. He quickly<br />

rose in the ranks of youth sailing, and by the age of 12, he<br />

dominated the Optimist class, a popular boat for junior<br />

sailors. He held the national champion title in 2007, in addition<br />

to winning several regional championships across the<br />

United States. When he grew out of the Opti, he set his<br />

sights on a new challenge—windsurfing.<br />

Stokes windsurfs every day for at least three hours,<br />

practicing drills and boat speed. He also travels to<br />

Clearwater, FL, to train with a youth windsurfing team<br />

coached by Viehman.<br />

Racing was scheduled Aug. 17-25. For results, photos,<br />

interviews and news on the Youth Olympic Games, go to<br />

www.singapore2010.sg/public/sg2010/en.html.<br />

REGIONAL RACING CALENDARS<br />

Regattas and Club Racing—<br />

Open to Everyone Wanting to Race<br />

For the races listed here, no individual club membership is<br />

required, although a regional PHRF rating, or membership<br />

in US SAILING or other sailing association is often required.<br />

To list an event, contact editor@southwindsmagazine.<br />

com. Send in the name of the event, date, location, contact<br />

info, possibly a short description. Do not just send a link to<br />

this information.<br />

Since race schedules and venues change, contact the<br />

sponsoring organization to confirm.<br />

Contact information for the sailing organizations listed<br />

here can be found at the southern yacht club directory under<br />

Sailor’s Resources at www.southwindsmagazine.com. The<br />

Web site also has articles on getting into racing and racing.<br />

Club Racing. Many clubs have regular club races year<br />

around open to everyone and new crew is generally invited<br />

and sought. Contact the club for dates and information.<br />

Individual club races are not listed here. We will list your<br />

club races if they happen on a regular schedule (eg, every<br />

Sunday; every other Sunday, etc.). Contact editor to list your<br />

club racing.<br />

There is both coastal and inland racing in North Carolina,<br />

South Carolina and Georgia. Many inland lakes have racing,<br />

and the most famous and largest is Lake Lanier, GA, near<br />

Atlanta. Many clubs are based at the lake and race individually<br />

and together. There are also several small lakes in the<br />

Pensacola Loft • 850-438-9354<br />

490 South “L” Street • Pensacola FL 32501<br />

Visit us on-line at www.schurrsails.com<br />

News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS September 2010 55

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