WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, N.C. (June 27, 2018) – Boat speed mixed with patience and finesse proved to be the key ingredients to victory for this year’s newly crowned and celebrated Youth Champs. The 2018 U.S. Youth Sailing Championships, hosted by the Carolina Yacht Club, came to a conclusion on Wednesday following three days of racing from Wrightsville Beach, N.C.
In an attempt to fit in additional racing on Wednesday after Tuesday was washed out, the race committee moved the start time up to 10:00 am ET.
The 29er, Nacra 15, Techno 293 Plus and I 420 fleets got in a race this morning and another in the afternoon with stronger breeze. The Laser and Laser Radials had to wait for afternoon winds and the seabreeze to get in a race.
Facebook Live Coverage from Wednesday: Racing and Commentary – I420, Laser, Laser Radial
Tuesday’s Race Report (Day 3) – Facebook Live Coverage
Singlehanded Dinghy – Laser Radial
Heading into the final race of the event, Marcus Huttunen (San Diego, Calif.) trailed Asher Zittrer (Seabrook, Texas) by one point. Following the first General Recall of the race, both Huttunen and Zittrer were black flagged resulting in a last place finish for both, among other sailors. The strategy and results paid off for Huttunen who jumped into first place to win the Championship. He placed 10th in last year’s Championship in Corpus Christi. Huttunen won by two points over local standout Chase Carraway (Wrightsville Beach, N.C.) who won Race 7 from start to finish, his fourth race win of the Championship. He placed fifth last year. Ricky Welch (Long Beach, Miss.) placed third overall. He placed second in 2017.
Final Standings – Top 5
3 races Sunday; 3 races Monday; 1 race Wednesday
1. Marcus Huttunen, GCYSA/MBYC, – 6 – 3 – 3 – 3 – 7 – 6 – (BFD-47) ; 28
2. Chase Carraway, Lauderdale Yacht Club/Carolina Yacht Club NC, – 1 – 1 – 1 – 23 – 3 – (38) – 1 ; 30
3. Ricky Welch, Long Beach Yacht Club/ GCYSA, – 3 – 4 – 13 – (20) – 1 – 10 – 4 ; 35
4. Lillian Myers, GCYSA, – 10 – 7 – 5 – 8 – (19) – 7 – 5 ; 42
5. Connor Nelson, DIYC, – 7 – 8 – 7 – 9 – (23) – 1 – 16 ; 48
Singlehanded Dinghy – Laser Full Rig
Joseph Hou (Newport Beach, Calif.) carried on with his winning ways and won Race 8 today, his fifth race win the Championship. Hou won by an 18-point margin. Last year, he won the Laser Radial competition. Placing second was Caden Scheiblauer (Carpinteria, Calif.) and in third place was Cameron Feves (Long Beach, Calif.). Feves placed fourth last year.
Final Standings – Top 5
3 races Sunday; 4 races Monday; 1 race Wednesday
1. Joseph Hou, NHYC/ABYC, – 2 – 2 – 1 – 1 – 1 – 1 – (4) – 1 ; 9
2. Caden Scheiblauer, Santa Barbara Yacht Club/GCYSA/SBYSF, – 4 – 4 – 3 – 4 – 2 – 7 – (9) – 3 ; 27
3. Cameron Feves, Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club , – 5 – 5 – 5 – (9) – 3 – 3 – 2 – 5 ; 28
4. John Kirkpatrick, Sail Newport, – 1 – 1 – 2 – 7 – 7 – 5 – 7 – (10) ; 30
5. Pete McGriff, GCYSA/FYC, – 3 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 5 – (9) – 5 – 7 ; 32
Doublehanded Dinghy – International 420
The New York based team of Michelle Lahrkamp (Rye, N.Y.) and Gabriella DelBello (Bedford, N.Y.) closed out a successful regatta to win the Championship by 14 points. Sarah Burn and Patricia Gerli moved up from third to second on the final day and Lachlain McGranahan (Sewickley, Pa.) and Declan McGranahan (Sewickley, Pa.) moved to third place overall.
Final Standings – Top 5
3 races Sunday; 3 races Monday; 2 races Wednesday
1. Michelle Lahrkamp/Gabriella DelBello, American YC/LISOT, – 2 – 2 – 2 – 1 – (3) – 1 – 3 – 2 ; 13
2. Sarah Burn/Patricia Gerli, VMG Racing, BHYC/MYC, – 7 – 4 – (13) – 2 – 1 – 2 – 1 – 10 ; 27
3. Lachlain McGranahan/Declan McGranahan, VMG Racing , – 1 – 1 – 1 – 8 – 6 – 6 – 8 – (UFD-20) ; 31
4. Maddie Hawkins/Yumi Yoshiyasu, VMG/Outfit Sailing/Annapolis YC, – 9 – (13) – 5 – 4 – 8 – 5 – 4 – 1 ; 36
5. Justin Callahan/Mitchell Callahan, VMG/Outfit Sailing, – (11) – 9 – 11 – 10 – 4 – 3 – 2 – 9 ; 48
Doublehanded Skiff – 29er
The team of Ripley Shelley (Coral Gables, Fla.) and Severin Gramm (Delray Beach, Fla.) won a closely contested 29er event by a three point margin over Berta Puig (Miami, Fla.) and Bella Casaretto (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.). Shelley and Gramm improved from third place last year. David Eastwood (Santa Barbara, Calif.) and Samuel Merson (Santa Fe, Calif.) finished third overall, just five points back. Eastwood and Merson placed second in last year’s Championship.
Final Standings – Top 5
4 races Sunday; 4 races Monday; 2 races Wednesday
1. Ripley Shelley/Severin Gramm, 2NINER Skiff Squad , – 3 – 2 – 1 – 1 – 7 – 1 – 5 – 4 – (11) – 5 ; 29
2. Berta Puig/Bella Casaretto, 2NINER, – 4 – 5 – 9 – (10) – 1 – 2 – 2 – 1 – 2 – 6 ; 32
3. David Eastwood/Samuel Merson, Santa Barbara Yacht Club/ Mission Bay Yacht Club, – 2 – 1 – 2 – 2 – 8 – 7 – 1 – 10 – 1 – (OCS-16) ; 34
4. Charlie Hibben/Nicholas Hardy, Great North Skiff Squad, – (8) – 4 – 4 – 4 – 5 – 4 – 6 – 5 – 3 – 2 ; 37
5. Taylor Hasson/Steven Hardee, St. Croix Yacht Club/Great Northern Skiff Squad, – 5 – 3 – 3 – 3 – 12 – 3 – 3 – 2 – 5 – (14) ; 39
Multihull – Nacra 15
The Texas team comprised of Nico Martin (Houston, Texas) and AnaClare Solé (Houston, Texas) edged Mia and Teddy Nicolosi by one point in the multihull event. Nico Martin placed fifth last year with a different crew. Matthew Monts (Bluffton, S.C.) and Carlyn Blauvelt (Marietta, Ga.) reached the podium in third place.
Final Standings – Top 3
4 races Sunday; 4 races Monday; 2 races Wednesday
1. Nico Martin/AnaClare Solé, Seabrook Sailing Club/Texas Corinthian Yacht Club, – (8) – 1 – 1 – 1 – 4 – 1 – 6 – 4 – 1 – 2 ; 21
2. Mia Nicolosi/Teddy Nicolosi, St. Thomas Yacht Club, – 2 – 2 – 4 – (5) – 2 – 4 – 3 – 1 – 3 – 1 ; 22
3. Matthew Monts/Carlyn Blauvelt, South Carolina Yacht Club/Atlanta Yacht Club, – (6) – 3 – 2 – 3 – 5 – 3 – 1 – 2 – 2 – 4 ; 25
Windsurfing – Techno 293 Plus
Manuel Nores (Miami Beach, Fla.) overcame a one point deficit to edge Alexander Temko (Palm Harbor, Fla.) in a tie-breaker to win the title. The win for Nores marks his second consecutive title at Youth Champs. Dominique Stater’s (Miami, Fla.) two wins on Monday kept her on the podium after Wednesday’s two races. Temko improved from fourth place last year and Stater was fifth in 2017.
Final Standings – Top 3
3 races Sunday; 3 races Monday; 2 races Wednesday
1. Manuel Nores, Miami Yacht Club, – 2 – 1 – 1 – 3 – 3 – 2 – 1 – (4) ; 13
2. Alexander Temko, Clearwater Community Sailing Center, – 1 – 2 – 2 – 1 – 2 – (4) – 2 – 3 ; 13
3. Dominique Stater, Miami Yacht Club, – 3 – 4 – 4 – 4 – 1 – 1 – (DNF-6) – 2 ; 19
Complete and Final Results and Standings
Dave Perry Sportsmanship Trophy
Laser Radial: Chase Reynolds
Laser: Brandon Cassard
I420: Sarah Burn
29er: Roxy and Charlie Snyder
Techno 293 Plus: Dominique Stater
Nacra 15: Evie Blauvelt
This Championship was the final tune-up regatta for the Youth Worlds Team prior to the 2018 Youth World Sailing Championships, hosted by Corpus Christi Yacht Club on July 14-21.
Tuesday’s Race Report (Day 3) – Facebook Live Coverage
For a look back at real-time updates from the race course on Wednesday, follow US Sailing on Twitter and #YouthChamps18.
The 2018 U.S. Youth Sailing Championships are sponsored by Gill and Hobie Polarized.
US Sailing Communications Manager, Jake Fish at jakefish@ussailing.org.
Photos by Barbara Ann Howard.
About the U.S. Youth Sailing Championships
The U.S. Youth Sailing Championships is the pinnacle event for youth sailing in the United States. Annually, this US Sailing National Championship welcomes the top competitive U.S. youth sailors under 20, both young women and men, in multiple classes to race over four days.
As with all US Sailing Junior and Youth National Championships, competitors will receive world-class event management and support. The 2018 U.S. Youth Championships will be run by a team of experienced judges, coaches and race officers who will provide high quality racing for America’s top youth talent. Since the first edition of the Youth Champs in 1973, the regatta has served as a transformative step for young sailors who aspire to reach the highest levels of sailing. U.S. Youth Championship participants fill the rosters of successful college sailing programs and routinely achieve All-American status. The Youth Champs is also part of the pathway for ambitious athletes who hope to earn a place on the US Sailing Team, and ultimately at the Olympic Games.
About US Sailing
The United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), the National Governing Body for sailing, provides leadership, integrity, and advancement for the sport in the United States. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Bristol, Rhode Island, US Sailing is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. US Sailing offers training and education programs for instructors and race officials, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, issues offshore rating certificates, and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country, including National Championships and the US Sailing Team. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org.