By John Long

Mission Bay Yacht Club played host for the 81st Annual SCYA Midwinter Regatta. Six Youth Sailing Foundation sailors went down to San Diego to take part in this two day event.

The first day the sailors sailed out in 10-12 knot winds through large threatening waves in the Mission Bay Jetty. A total of three races were completed the first day under wind conditions that became progressively lighter throughout the day. The light wind made it difficult to maintain boat speed in the leftover chop and large ground swell from the passing rainstorm.

The second day started out with clear skies, 12 knots of wind and a ground swell that had increased even more overnight. Three races were run on Sunday. During the second race the skies opened up and rain came down hard with wind gusts of 18 knots. Many of the keel boats and all of the multihull boats retired and headed in to the bay to get out of the weather. All six of the junior sailors from Santa Barbara were completely comfortable with the conditions and stayed on the water to complete all of the races.

The Santa Barbara sailors were rewarded for their skill and determination. Oliver Toole got four 1st place and two 4th place finishes to earn him a decisive first place overall in the sixteen boat Laser Full rig class. Kieron Kavanaugh placed mid-fleet in the Laser Full rig class.

In the nineteen boat Laser Radial class Tucker Atterbury finished 5th, Stephen Long 6th , Newt Cutcliffe and Nick Perez finished 8th and 11th respectively.

The Midwinter event was also the third regatta in the SCYYRA Ullman/Frost series. The fourth and final regatta in the Ullman / Frost series will be held in Santa Barbara on May 2. The event will coincide with the Cinco de Mayo regatta which is run jointly by SBSC and SBYC. Awards for the series will be presented immediately following sailing.

Results