Vicki Palmer, Windward Leg Editor

windwardlegeditor@gmail.com

(An insightful accounting from the #1 winner of the Women’s Division.)

Preparation

I couldn't dedicate a lot of time to Sunfish sailing until after the college sailing season ended in late May.

I was expecting it to be breezy in Sayville (high teens, low 20’s) like it was when they hosted the North Americans in 2017. So I spent the last month trying to improve my fitness which was pretty terrible at the beginning of June.

I only got 5 days of sailing in and only 2 of those days did I get to sail against another boat. 

So overall, I would describe my preparation as too little, too late. But I have 3+ months to get ready for the Pan Am games, and I'm taking it seriously! 

Conditions

The forecast called for much lighter conditions - mostly 5-10 each day. But the Sayville chop turned up as expected. 

Day 1

Dr. Sydney Karnovsky was clearly the fastest boat in the first 2 races. (I think I was too depowered for the chop in those races.) The breeze ticked up as the day went on and suddenly my rigging set-up fit the wind range (10-12 knots), and I was able to get to the front of the pack. As the breeze picked up, Caroline Young (from Tampa and recently hired as the MIT Sailing Coach) was also moving and sailing about 15 degrees higher than everyone else even in the chop.

 At the end of the day, it was interesting to hear from Sydney how her rigging was set up (gooseneck at 14" with a full rig) and how kinetically she was sailing the boat. It gave me some food for thought ... I never sail with a full rig and never move my gooseneck forward of 16". 

Day 2 

Conditions were similar on day 2, but it remained light throughout the whole day. The race committee also lengthened the course, so boat speed continued to be the most important factor. I went against my better judgement and tried to adapt to Sydney's setup. I added a second halyard and moved my gooseneck forward to 14". (A coach would likely tell you not to change anything drastic at a championship/qualifying event, especially a setup you haven't used or practiced with in several years. But alas...) 

Before the first race, I did some speed work with Caroline Young, Eugene Schmitt, Mike Ingham and Conner Blouin. And I felt SLOW. In the first race, I rounded the windward mark in 6th or 7th due to some average boat speed and poor decision-making. I passed a couple of boats on the first run and another couple on the beat and was sitting in 3rd by the 2nd windward mark behind Susan Tillman-Berg and Caroline. Susan was well ahead, but I was able to chase down Caroline just near the leeward gate before the dog leg to the finish. 

I decided at that point to forget about the full rig and resorted to my jens rig (happy place), but I did keep my gooseneck forward at 14". Suddenly, the boat felt alive and I was suddenly floating on top of the chop rather than plowing into the chop. I also sheeted out more than usual. I focused on keeping my butt in and shoulders out. I've never felt better in the boat as I did in the last 3 races on Saturday. I didn't notice until the end of the second race that my jens had slipped up to the top of the boom (almost 5 inches when I measured it on land on Sunday morning).

Day 3

Was the windiest of the 3 days, with the breeze settling in at 13-15 knots for the final races. To start the day, I kept my settings the same as the day before, but I didn't have the same elusive lightness and floatiness as Saturday, the waves/chop were definitely head on and could be pretty deadly! I ripped the halyard fairlead out of the deck on my new boat around the first leeward mark, so I was without a vang for the rest of the day. The downwinds were ...interesting. Sydney was, again, ahead of me on the final run of the first race, but I was within striking distance and got her into the bottom left corner of the run before I made a move high, only to soak low just in time to get mark room for the last rounding before the reach to the finish. The next 5 boats  that finished shortly after us virtually tied. 

For the rest of the day, I was waiting for Sydney to let up on the hiking, but she never did and we had some good battles and bounce-offs on the beats. 

Moving forward, I'll continue to work on my fitness and boat speed in windier conditions and try to get some more experience in bigger ocean waves which might be prevalent in Chile.  Amanda

(Another perspective from the #2 winner in the Women’s Division who challenged Amanda every leg in every race.)

First of all, I want to thank Ted Cremer and the entire team at Sayville who put on the regatta. It was so well run, and everything went so smoothly. The club did such a great job of making all the competitors feel welcome, taken care of and at home. I thought that the sailing itself was some of the most fun sailing I've done since college sailing. The small but super-talented fleet kept the racing interesting, challenging, and constantly changing. We had a wide variety of conditions, from light and choppy to windy and wavy and, despite the range, everyone out there was constantly fast which kept things fun at all times. In a fleet that's so fast, every mistake counts and, although this was incredibly frustrating when I made mistakes, it was also extremely motivating to know that even a small lapse of focus could cost a few boats. I think the pressure of how strong the fleet was helped me sail much faster than I sometimes do as I felt more tuned in and focused throughout each day. 

Off the water, I loved that at dinner each night, despite this being a qualifier with a bunch of super competitive folks battling it out on the water, everyone shared strategies, rigging tips and thoughts from the day with each other – a true testament to the Sunfish fleet. I learned so much by hearing what other people thought about the conditions and also had a great time getting to know some of the other sailors better. I've only sailed in an all-female Sunfish fleet once before, and I loved doing it a second time. Everyone was so kind and courteous on the course which allowed us all to focus on sailing and not get bogged down by the silly things. 

Lastly, I want to give a huge shout out to Amanda who sailed so consistently fast, all while giving many of us tips even during the races and smiling the whole time. It was fun to try to catch her and, occasionally, try to stay ahead of her. I know we all aspire to sail more like her. Additionally, she brought my boat and Caroline's boat to the regatta making it possible for us to compete, and I am very grateful for this. I know she'll be a fantastic representative of the US in Chile!

 Can't wait to get back out on the water again!   Sydney

(Conner shares some excellent sailing/rigging tips we could all benefit from.)

Coming into the event, my focus was on setting up to sail consistently, putting the boat in play early in each race.  I never went in trying to win starts but aimed more to come off the middle near the largest part of the fleet and get to open water quickly where I felt I could use my speed and positioning to churn out consistent finishes.  With such a deep fleet of talent, where anyone can win races, and there are no weak boats, I felt this was the key to success.  The base setup I use, which I barely changed during the event, was a 15.5-16" gooseneck setting and the traditional big rig as opposed to the jens.  I felt this gave me the best power window in my sail setup to get through the nasty chop.  

Once those two things were in place, a lot of my focus was on how the bow was making contact with waves upwind and how far forward or aft I should sit to ensure the bow wasn't slapping the water as much.  Sometimes contact was unavoidable, so just reminding yourself everyone is having the same issues is important for your sanity and calmness.  I also pay a lot of attention to how far apart my rear boom block is from the traveler.  When I feel that I'm in a good groove, I make a mental note of the ballpark that distance is on port and starboard, so I can get a quick reference point in case I need to replicate that groove.  I trim a bit tighter than most people, maybe 12"-6" apart on starboard in those conditions, and 8"-2" on port.  It's important to remember that the harder you trim, the narrower the groove gets, particularly on port.

This is the third Pan American trials and, while all major events are stressful when you're there to compete, there is nothing quite like the stress and focus of an event like this.  I'm guessing that's because getting to go is a surreal experience. The process of getting there comes in stages, and you don't get an opportunity to do this quite as many times as other events like the North American Championship.  I can't quite describe it, but the experience of qualifying is so different than other major events.

Amanda and I are talking with David Loring and possibly Eduardo Cordero, about doing some sailing together and possibly getting some coaching from them in preparation for the games!  It is such a humbling experience, having two of the best Sunfish sailors ever willing to give you their time and share their experience to try to help you be successful.  It was also amazing that everyone at the event seemed so excited for me and willing to help in any way that they could.  The support from other people in the class is truly unparalleled in my experience, and I am very honored to represent team USA, not just for myself, but all US Sunfish sailors!    Conner

(Another of our top champions with an adventure worth sharing.)

What a regatta!! The Pan American Games trials in Sayville was a great event. The best U.S. men and women Sunfish sailors met in one of the best sailing venues on the east coast. After 9 months of qualifying regattas, this crowd was ready and eager to battle with the best. I trained with Conner in Charleston leading up to the event and that proved to work out well for both of us on the men’s side. Amanda said she came in rusty. Well, that sure didn’t show. Guess for Amanda, rust is a good thing. Maybe a fresh perspective and low expectations - whatever she had was some crazy Mojo.

The Site and Regatta Management

The Sayville Yacht Cub is an amazing facility built for small boat racing with a beach to launch,  a short sail to wide open water and friendly members with a love of sailing! They cooked amazing dinners, served up breakfast and made one of my favorites, PB&J, for us to take on the boat. Ted Cremer was an amazing PRO and the Sayville regatta crew ran an amazing, professional regatta.

The Sailing (my perspective) 

Day 1 (light to medium conditions)

Everyone was eager to figure out who was going to be in the hunt. All day racing was anywhere from 5-8 knots, just enough for most of us to sit on the rail. Conner set the stage right out of the gate and took off from the rest of us. His speed in those light conditions is by far faster than anyone I have ever seen. Andy Beeckman showed he was also going to be a top player. I did what I call “lurking” and turned what could have been a disaster in several races that, actually, turned into decent finishes.

Setup for Conner, Andy, and myself in the races on Friday (full rig, bagged outhaul and cunningham, light vang, gooseneck 15”-ish).

Evening was fun with everyone catching up from the day. The funniest group was what they called the “DFL Group” which, that day, consisted of Dan Norton, Eugene Schmitt and Josh Kerst. That is one heckuva group of accomplished sailors finding themselves with a last place finish. To give the reader an idea of how close some of these races were -- all 15 of us were on the final small reach leg together at once (just 100 yards separating Conner from one of our DFL members). Despite that, they were in high spirits and talking about who was next and buying the round after Day 2.

Day 2 (3-5 knots – very light conditions) 

The lighter winds equalized the fleet a bit. This added a lot of variety in who you saw up top. Andy won the first, then Rich Chapman and finally Doug Kaukeinen ended the day with a bullet. I was just behind Doug; it was fun to see him give a fist pump! Top dog for the day was Dan Hesse who hit every shift, going fast. Finally, we saw Conner challenged a little, at least, but again a solid day with a huge lead.

I had a great day trying to stick with the pack more and was happy to have a 2,2 in the last two races.

Again, a wonderful evening with an amazing, fun, and professional group of the best Sunfish sailors in the U.S. Beers, great fun and a beautiful place. We owned a little corner at the bar for hours telling old stories, new ones and flashing back to the day of sailing. That really is what Sunfish sailing is all about -- friends, good competition and fun on the water.

Day 3 (10-15 knots - nice breeze) 

Started the day with an amazing breakfast with friends. This breakfast was delicious and was a great way to start the morning. You could already see, in Connor’s eyes, he was anxious and ready to put this thing in the bag.

Nice breeze with a little more from the west. We finally got to start hiking a bit. Conner and I both had been focused on big breeze in Charleston, so we were both glad to see the breeze pick up. The breeze picked up throughout the day and the waves started to build. Connor was steady and fast both upwind and downwind. Between his practice and time spent in the gym, he was hard to beat. However, in the final race, the breeze jumped a little more and Dan Hesse had the upper hand upwind - that boy can hike. I had the edge downwind in the waves and that proved to win over upwind by being able to pass Dan down the last leg to the finish. A bullet was a nice way to end the event, even if it was a beat down by Connor over the three-day regatta.

Both Amanda and Conner are going to be amazing representatives for the US! We are planning on doing a training session here in Charleston out in the ocean in early August. Can’t wait to see them bring home the gold!!  David

So many stories. So many experiences. This event in Sayville is an event worth celebrating. 

Amanda Callahan will be the first woman Sunfish competitor to ever sail at a PanAm Games in the newly formed Women’s Division of the Sunfish Class. A major milestone in the history of competitive Sunfish sailing at the PanAm Games level. 

Conner Blouin is always making Sunfish sailing history with his front-of-the-fleet experiences and will this time too. This will be his second PanAm Games experience. 

Amanda, Conner … There’s no one better to represent the USA Sunfish divisions! Cheers to your success!

by Rich Chapman, Past ISCA President
 

Over the past several months many of you have commented on the class’s status as a World Sailing (WS) class.  This seems to be primarily due to the issues with Laser Performance (LP) either counterfeiting WS plaques or eliminating them altogether, thus forcing many of you to purchase a plaque for your boat.  Some of you have questioned the necessity of the Sunfish Class being a member of WS and what benefits we get from that membership.  Here are some of those benefits.

It gives us the right to hold World Championships. For our events to be recognized as official championships, we must be WS members.  These regattas attract sailors from all over the world, many of whom are sponsored by their MNAs. This helps us maintain a larger, international membership and keeps us visible on a global scale.  

It allows us to be a Pan Am class. Like the World Championships, our Pan Am status attracts many very talented sailors from many different countries.  The quality and national diversity of sailors competing in our regattas has increased significantly in the past 20+ years, primarily due to our Pan Am status. If the class is not a WS class, our Panam class status will be removed.

It ensures that our class rules and race management policies are held to the highest standards. WS oversees our class rules and assures us that they are fair to all sailors.  They also help provide us with International Race Officials and Judges for our major events.  

It allows us to collect a plaque fee from the builder for each boat built. For every plaque that goes onto a new Sunfish, the class gets a small fee.  This helps to support our budget so we can continue to support our members.  

It assures that our builder builds the boat to the required specifications. Any changes that the builder wants to make must be approved not only by the class but also by WS.  This ensures that the builder conforms to the standards we set.

As you can see, being a WS class makes us a better class.  It gives us international credibility and assurances that our rules and regattas will be the way we want them to be.  

Greater Detroit Sunfish Club, Lake Muskegon, North Muskegon, Michigan

June 24-25, 2023

Sailors gathered at Muskegon State Park-Channel Loop Friday afternoon to set up camp and scout the beach launch area. Saturday morning dawned sunny, cool, and with a light West wind. While setting up boats the day warmed and breeze built. Long time Sunfish Class competitor and friend John Collier volunteered to run races from his runabout; Suzie Pruyne joined in to help. John and Kirk Beadle set the race course while the rest of the racers were rigging boats. 

As the fleet was heading out to the race course, two cruising sailboats that were rafted together and quietly drifting on Lake Muskegon drifted into the windward mark and the mark’s ground tackle got hooked on the rudder of one of the boats. They didn’t realize this until Sunfish started sailing towards them to surround them and let them know. It took about an hour for the cruising boats to separate, utilize an inflatable dinghy they were towing, one of their crew to get in the water and clear the buoy anchor line, and to get the course reset. By then temperatures had warmed to 81 degrees and the breeze was about 8-10 mph. Two triangle-windward-leeward races were sailed before lunch.  After the lunch break a Junior race was sailed. Guest Colin Pruyne from Gull Lake Sailing Club outsailed the other youth who were doublehanded with ride-along adults. Next were two more triangle-windward-leeward races for the “Senior” fleet. The third race started in 8-10 mph that faded to 6-8 by the finish. The fourth race started in about 5 mph, and on the upwind of the fourth leg dropped to about .5 mph for most of the leg. Stu Pettitt, Kirk Beadle and Dan Norton took turns catching a zephyr into the lead. It built again to about 2 mph to enable everyone to finish, with Dan Norton eking it out at the finish, but that was it for the day. At the first weather mark of that race an approximate 38 foot offshore boat being singlehanded rounded the weather mark right in front of the first racer—very odd occurrence. 

Most of Michigan has been in drought with little rain for over two months; the weather forecast for Sunday was dire-thunderstorms, severe weather and high winds were predicted.  The club’s rescue/Race Committee boat was in for repairs (and John Collier couldn’t return) and in the interest of safety the regatta was called complete Saturday evening. Dan Norton claimed the win. Everyone still enjoyed the traditional potluck dinner complete with main dishes, salads and dessert. The CieChanski youth made s’mores for everyone, perfectly browning the marshmallows! A few hands of Euchre were enjoyed before the evening concluded. Greater Detroit Sailing Club looks forward to its Labor Day Regatta on Higgins Lake and welcomes more sailors.—Gail Turluck

Jolly Roger Sailing Club, Toledo, Ohio

June 3, 2023

Boats were unloaded at set up at Jolly Roger Sailing Club then dollied across the road to the launch area Saturday morning.  It was hoped to sail on Maumee Bay of Lake Erie, but high onshore winds would have made launching extremely difficult so racing was moved into the Ottawa River.   The wind direction was just right that long windward-leeward courses were set for the multi-class fleet (Sunfish, ILCA Dinghy, Catalina 22, Interlake). The North-Northeast wind was 7-14, it was sunny and comfortable in the upper 70s.  Three races were run, was really fun.  It was closer than it appears, Turluck challenged Norton in two races; Katterheinrich caught Turluck in the third. The club held a great cook your own steak dinner after racing and before prize giving.—Gail Turluck 

This event was held in El Salvador at the end of June. This served as the final country qualifier for the 2023 Pan American Games. Congratulations to these sailors that qualified their country - Men's Division Dominican Republic and Women's Columbia.

Feb 11-12: FL Regional #1 RESULTS

May 6-7 : Midwest Regional #1 OH RESULTS

May 20-21: Southeast Regional Champs NC RESULTS

May 20-21: Mid-Atlantic Regional #1, NJ RESULTS

May 27-28: Upstate New York Regionals #1 NY RESULTS

June 3-4: New England Regional #1 RI RESULTS

June 17-18: Southwest Regional #1 TX RESULTS

July 22-23: New England Regional #2, Wequaquet Lake YC, MA

July 29-30: Down State NY Regional #2, Wet Pants Sailing Assoc. NY

Sept 16-17: Midwest Regional #2, Bruce Goldsmith Regatta, Devils Lake YC, MI

Sept. 23-24: Gulf Coast Regional Championship Grand Lagoon YC, Pensacola, FL

Sept 30-Oct 1: Southwest Regional #2, Dinghy Fest, Rush Creek YC, TX

Sept 30-Oct 1:Mid-Atlantic Regional #2, Normandy Beach YC, NJ

Oct 14-15: Midwest Regional #3, Great Pumpkin, Louisville SC, KY

Oct 28-29: FL Regional #2, Halifax SA, FL

Nov 18-19: West Regional, Mission Bay, CA

Qualifying for 2024 Worlds October 13-19 at Rush Creek YC, Texas

Class Notice with Qualification details

ISCA/USSCA Class Administrator

8070 Willow Tree Way, Alpharetta, GA 30005

www.sunfishclass.org    sunfishoff@gmail.com  404-451-7743