In March, I spent the week in Long Beach, California at Alamitos Bay Yacht Club to take part in the CISA clinic and 2024 Youth World Qualifiers.
We started the week with the CISA clinic that lasted for three days. Our coaches for the 29ers, Willie Bride, Briana Searle, and Evan Heffernan were very knowledgeable. They all provided many resources and information to us with the goal to best prepare us for the regatta the following week, Youth World Qualifiers. I learned so much from this clinic that I can carry on with me for the rest of my sailing in the future. The wind ranged from light to medium during this clinic which was perfect because those were the conditions that my crew, Zach Peterson and I needed to improve in the most.
San Diego, CA – March 18, 2024 – The San Diego Yacht Club proudly announces the conclusion of the Bill Bennett Cup, setting an exhilarating pace for the 2024 Etchells West Coast Spring Series. This prestigious event, a focal point of the series, celebrates the legacy of the esteemed sailor Bill Bennett and exemplifies the pinnacle of competitive sailing.
This year's cup witnessed the outstanding victory of Rhino, led by Bruce Nelson with crew members Carter Cameron, Paula Schmid, and Parker Mitchell, demonstrating exceptional skill and teamwork. The competition was fierce, underscoring the high-caliber talent within the Etchells community.
I agreed to sail to support my friend Carly Keiding who was looking for a crew at C420 Mid Winters East in Jensen Beach, FL. MWE is one of the largest regattas in the C420 with 148 boats competing.
I arrived a few days early where, along with a number of west and east coast teams, we trained in various conditions with the wind being light and shifty. With the number of boats in the fleet we knew they would break up the sailors into flights and eventually into gold, silver, and bronze for the final days.
A lot of sailors would suggest that it’s ‘when’ you start that matters, the earlier the better. Others would insist that it’s the weather on your start day that matters most, the windier the better. Both are logical and have been true separately and combined. But what if NEITHER mattered?
Not many (any?) spectators on Shelter Island watching the Saturday starters for the the 2024 San Diego to Puerto Vallarta International Yacht Race would have speculated that seven of the boats floating in the windless bay that afternoon would fill the top seven overall finishing positions! They were already 48 hours behind the two Thursday starters blasting down the course in a fresh westerly wind. But after a week of many sail changes, cursing grib files, running weather models, and pressing the boat when the ‘park up’ (sitting ‘parked’ in becalmed windless conditions) was over, that is exactly what the results reflect.
One answer is that larger boats with larger sail areas have more access to the wind when it is light, thus have a better chance of sailing faster relative to the smaller boats. To frame it another way - you don’t really have to sail 20+ knots to win. You just have to sail 1-3 kts faster than your competitors as often as possible. Sailing at 5-7 kts when your competitor is sailing 0-2 kts will get it done!
The Women’s Winter Invitational Regatta has grown to be a convivial and competitive event for all involved. This year over 40 invitations were requested, with 24 teams from all over America, Canada, and Mexico competing. To earn the coveted SDYC spot, our team won the qualifier in January against 9 teams in tricky light conditions with very strong current. Our team consisted of Rebecca McElvain as skipper, with Julie Mitchell on main and tactics, and Erika Barth on jib and bow.
When we arrived in Florida, I unloaded my 29er off the trailer and rigged it completely to ensure everything was rigged correctly. After that, I went to eat sushi with the team.
On the second day, we sailed about 30 minutes out to Biscayne Bay to practice. I was struck by how clear and shallow the water was in the bay. When we got out there, I could see hundreds of other boats sailing. We did a lot of up-downs and lineups, then a practice race with the other teams. It was hot and sunny. This was the last of the warm weather for the remainder of the trip.