I, along with 10 of my HPYS 29er teammates, had the opportunity to sail for 5 straight days up at Alamitos Bay. While it was not the windy Long Beach area conditions we were hoping for, the team still  had a great time learning and competing together.

We first competed in the 2 day Turkey Day Regatta, which was the second event of the Hamlin series.  Conditions were very light, b/t 1-7kts. We were happy to have three coaches there to support our team, JJ Fetter and the Nyenhuis brothers. They did a great job of helping us make the most of the light conditions. Team SDYC did great, taking the top five finishes and with Braden Ozarski and Wyatt Kelly winning first place AND a Thanksgiving turkey! Another highlight of the regatta was the Saturday Thanksgiving Dinner, supported by tons of volunteers from ABYC. They really gave us sailors a warm welcome and festive start to the holiday week.

We then rolled right into the ODP (Olympic Development Clinic) organized by US sailing. It was a really great experience for everyone involved. The clinic included 29ers, as well as ILCAs, 420s, and Kite foiling, and all the classes were supported by incredible coaches. I personally really connected with a 29er coach, Tomas, who was originally from South America and taught us tips on sailing “the
Argentinian way”, which included a technique to move through waves which was new to me. Beyond lots of time sailing and learning on the water, the clinic also included an educational night where information was shared about the selection process for a new US Sailing Youth Nationals team. They also communicated that they are looking to support the foiling classes. Another highlight for me was the Fitness Challenge Day, where we not only learned about setting up a good cardiovascular training routine, we also got to see how we measured up against our peers in a fitness challenge that consisted of a 1.5mile run, pushups, sit-ups, and burpees. The 29er group was proud to come up on top! And congrats to Olympia Barelli and Julia Stewart who came in 1 st and 2 nd places respectively in the girls’ division and to Sean Kaseburg who came in 3 rd place in the boys.

I was proud to attend these events alongside my 29er partner, my younger brother Will, and all my teammates. We are grateful for all the Coaches, Parent volunteers, Us Sailing staff, and ABYC members who made it all happen.