ON THE WATER 6
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Yachting Information Committee by Donna Sue Marks, Yachting Information Chair
t the time of this article the summer Tokyo 2020 Olympics - July 23, 2021 opening ceremony will be taking place - unless a last-minute cancellation occurs. SPYC has been a long-standing supporter of the Olympics -see the front page of this issue and the Featured Article about our “A” Team Race Committee at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Savannah, GA.
It goes without saying the discipline, passion, and perseverance must stay with these athlete’s day in and day out for them to have success. No matter the outcome in Japan our 13 USA Sailors stand as role models for future generations of sailors. As a community of mariners, we should proudly support and congratulate our 2020 Olympians!
Our Club has seen future Olympians begin their sailing journey as Junior Sailors. Hopeful competitors from all over the world sail on our racecourses, explore our Clubhouses and for some of us we have had the privilege of hosting athletes in our homes.
Valentine’s Day Regatta 2021 by Todd Fedyszyn, Youth Sailing Director
T
he 2021 SPYC Valentine’s Day Regatta looked a little different than years with a few adjustments made to adapt to the ongoing Covid Pandemic. First and foremost, the event was postponed and sailed in May and was the first qualifier for the 2022 USODA Team Trials. By changing the dates, SPYC will now host two TTQ Regatta’s which should benefit out local sailors. Also, in order to not overwhelm the Sailing Center, we decided on a maximum of 150 competitors; and the event was only open to Championship Fleet sailors. Day one of the event brought light wind and warm temperatures early on. The SPYC Race Committee (RC) made the decision to postpone on shore and wait for the anticipated afternoon sea breeze. At around 12:30 pm, the postponement flag was taken down and the fleet proceeded on a long tow about four miles south to get the sea breeze a little earlier. Although the sea breeze didn’t arrive as early as we thought, it did start to fill from the Skyway paving the way for a nice late afternoon in 8-10 knots of breeze. One race was sailed ensuring that we would have a regatta. On day 2, sailors were greeted with a nice southerly of 10-12 knots and 4 great races finishing just before the afternoon deadline. The overall title was won by Peirce Olsen with Carlos Beckman in 2nd and Finn Grainger in 3rd. SPYC’s Rosie Simpson was the top female with John Hartney in 13th overall and Adam Mendelblatt 27th . All three SPYC sailors have qualified for the 2022 USODA Team Trails Regatta.
JULY-AUGUST 2021 | SMOOTH SAILING
SPYC July-Aug 2021 ISSUE MAIN.indd 6
6/24/21 4:20 PM
