Hosted by the Junior Board, the Junior Invitational Regatta is one of SDYC’s strongest and longest-running traditions. While the 2015 edition may not go on the books as the most exciting ever, Junior Commodore Jesse McKnight and his team did an excellent job working with some patently atypical conditions, getting just enough racing achieved to comprise a regatta, and making sure plenty of good food and fun was on hand to complete the experience.
This year’s Junior Invite saw 89 competitors, sailing in seven different divisions. While keeping the tradition of a singlehanded competition, over the past few years Senior Sabots have been added to the mix for La Playa, and more recently, Lasers and Radials on a Bay course. This year’s Senior turnout was moderate, but it’s a testament to both the Naples Sabot, and our sport in general, that sailors of all ages can enjoy racing together. In fact, this year Seniors and Jr. B Fleeters shared a start!
Saturday’s conditions were tough, but also the best we’d see. With breeze below 5kts virtually all day, and from a tricky SSW direction, few would say the racing was pretty. Luckily, the regatta’s split schedule put only half the racers on the water at a time, keeping some lanes open in the light stuff. Only one race was abandoned, and all fleets sailed at least two races to secure the event.
Despite the arrival of a front overnight, and a forecast of some useful southerly breeze, conditions on Sunday could only be described as “still.” Not just calm; still. And then it started to rain. But remained, still. Through the scheduled morning racing, through lunch, and right on through until 2:30pm. Still.
Oh well, this happens even more often in most other parts of the world, and at least we were boating in January! Congrats to top Team SDYC performers Paul Didham (Radial, 2nd), Cole Harris (Sabot A, 2nd), John Majernik (Sabot B, 1st), Peter Busch (Sabot C1, 1st), Mackenzie Harris (Sabot C2, 1st), Marcus Hall (Sabot C3, 1st), and Julie McPherson (Sr. Sabot, 2nd). Team SDYC fielded nine out of twenty C3s!
Big thanks go out to all of our guests for keeping a great attitude, all of the many parents who make Junior Sailing work so well at the Club, and to SDYC’s catering staff who handled the weekend’s timing and weather curveballs without missing a step!
We’ll look forward to better conditions as 2015 progresses, and you can count on an amazing Summer Sailing program with registration opening mid-February! See you on the water!