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RACING
Olympic games, singlehanded racing was not widespread.
In 1960, George D. O’Day brought home the gold medal in
Naples, Italy, sailing a 5.5 Metre. Two years later, friends of
O’Day dedicated a trophy in his name for a national single
championship.
Although the USSC has been an open competition since
it began, a woman has never won it.
“The US Singlehanded Committee decided to introduce
a Women’s Championship to be raced in Laser Radial,”
began Martine Rawlings Zurinskas, US Singlehanded
Championship chair. “This is in keeping with the increasing
trend of female singlehanded sailors and the Olympic
efforts by the U.S. in the Laser Radial division.
“Additionally, the committee changed the previous
Open Championship to a Men’s Championship to be raced
in Lasers, giving the event two distinct classes.”
The selection process was also revamped and expanded.
“Previously, about 20 sailors were selected from 11 area
eliminations, college and high school championships, military
representatives and resumes,” Zurinskas continued.
“Now competitors are also selected from the top singlehanded
championships—Laser, Sunfish, Finn, etc. The field
truly represents the nation’s elite sailors.”
National sponsors for the 2010 championship, held July
30-Aug. 1, included Rolex Watch U.S.A., Hobie Polarized,
and LaserPerformance, which supplied 20 Laser hulls and
spars for the regatta. “They have allocated 10 for each division,
offering them to those who have to travel the farthest,”
said Regatta Chairman John Matthews of PYC.
Other sponsors included PYC, the PYC chapter of
Florida Commodores Association, Hunter Riddle of Schurr
Sails, and Commodore John Matthews.
Twelve men and 12 women competed, sailing eight and
seven races respectively during the three-day event.
Competition was fierce. After four races on day one, Fred
Strammer and Sean Kelly were tied for first in the Men’s
Division. Leonie Schuurmans had three bullets and a 12thplace
finish to end up six points behind leader Sarah Stubbs
in the Women’s Division.
On day two, Strammer and Kelly were still tied after
two more races. Schuurmans had another bullet and was
just three points behind women’s leader Stubbs after a thunderstorm
required abandonment of their second race.
Fred Strammer, 21, of Nokomis, FL, Inter-Collegiate
Sailing Association, finished 4-4 in the final two races for 23
points overall and the championship title. Sean Kelly, St.
Francis YC, CA, placed 7-7 for 31 points, breaking a tie for
second place with John Wallace, St. Petersburg YC.
Leonie Schuurmans, 16, Houston YC, finished 2-3 on
the last day to claim the championship title by one point
over Sarah Stubbs, American YC, NY. Annie Rossi, San
Francisco YC, took third place.
For PYC, management, staff, and member volunteers
numbering 70, hosting this prestigious, historic event was
an opportunity to welcome many first-time visitors to “the
South’s finest yacht club.”
For complete results, visit www.USSAILING.org.
Upcoming Regattas
Many races have been canceled because of the Gulf oil spill.
Check with the organizers.
90th Annual Lipton Cup,
Bay St. Louis, MS, Sept. 3-6
The Bay Waveland Yacht Club in Bay St. Louis, MS, will
host the 90th Annual Sir Thomas Lipton Cup Sept. 3-6. The
regatta is an inter-club competition between the 33 member
clubs of the Gulf Yachting Association. Competitors sail the
19-foot one-design, the Flying Scot, in five races held over
three days. The winning club hosts the 91st Lipton Cup in
2011. www.bwyc.org.
20th Annual Juana Good Time
Regatta, Navarre Beach, Florida
Panhandle, Sept. 10-12
Always held on the first weekend after Labor Day, this
regatta is held at, and sponsored by, Juana’s Pagodas—a
thatch-roofed volleyball beach bar just south of the Navarre
Beach Bridge on the Florida Panhandle. Racing on Santa
Rosa Sound, the regatta usually has about 50 boats participating
including cruising catamarans, beach cats and windsurfers.
They are looking for trimarans to enter to make
their own class this year. Many boaters travel from as far as
Louisiana and Mississippi to attend.
For more information, go to www.juanaspagodas.com,
and click on Regatta—or any of the regatta links.
Northern Gulf Coast Race Calendar
See local club Web sites for club races.
LEGEND
BSC Birmingham SC, Birmingham, AL
BucYC Buccaneer Yacht Club, Mobile, AL
BWYC Bay Waveland YC, Bay St. Louis, MS
CSA Corinthian SA, New Orleans, LA
FWYC Fort Walton YC, Fort Walton Beach, FL
FYC Fairhope Yacht Club, Fairhope, AL
GYA Gulf Yachting Association
GYC Gulfport YC, Gulfport, MS
JYC Jackson Yacht Club, Jackson, MS
LBYC Long Beach YC, Long Beach, MS
LFYC Lake Forest Yacht Club, Daphne, AL
LPWSA Lake Pontchartrain Women’s SA, New Orleans, LA
MYC Mobile YC, Mobile, AL
NOYC New Orleans YC, New Orleans, LA
NYCP Navy YC of Pensacola, Pensacola, FL
OSYC Ocean Springs YC, Ocean Springs, MS
PYC Pensacola YC, Pensacola, FL
PBYC Pensacola Beach YC, Pensacola Beach, FL
PCYC Pass Christian YC, Pass Christian, MS
PontYC Pontchartrain YC, New Orleans, LA
PtYC Point YC. Josephine, AL
SRYC Singing River YC, Pascagoula, MS
SYC Southern Yacht Club, New Orleans, LA
StABYC St. Andrew’s Bay Yacht Club, Panama City, FL
TYC Lake Tammany Yacht Club, Slidell, LA
SEPTEMBER
4-6 Lipton Regatta. BWYC
11-12 Back to School Regatta. PontYC
64 September 2010 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com