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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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