Team Race Nationals (July 16-19) – Team Racing consisted of 24 teams who competed in a Swiss League format, which set teams of four against each other on a short, tight course. The sailors completed 108 races over a course of three days. The format resulted in two divisions, with Gold being the top level and Silver the second. Going into the last race, LISOT Blue led Lauderdale YC 4 by 3 points. But the race, which counted 6 points was won by Lauderdale YC 4. As a result, first place in the Gold division went to the Lauderdale YC 4 Team, made up of Wade Waddell, Liza Toppa, Alie Toppa, Christopher Williford, and Duncan Williford. The LISOT Blue Team of Alexandra DelBello, Reiner Eenkema van Dijk, Drew Gallagher, Ty Ingram, and Harry Koeppel finished in 2nd place. In 3rd place were Andy Widmeier, Justine O’Connor, Ben Kern, Ian MacDiarmid, Nic Muller, and Wiley Rogers on Team M One. The LISOT Black Team, made up of Jared Gaynes, Matthew Kaplan, Will Logue, Jack Parkin, and Sean Walsh, came in 4th place.

In the Silver division, the LISOT Red Team of Matt Logue, Florian Eenkema van Dijk, Henry Fernberger, Travis Bobley, and Russell Clarida took 1st place Benton Cove Racing Team members Tyler Fleig, Noah Kelleher, Cameron Grubb, and Olivier Grubb finished in 2nd place. The Gnarly Red team, made up of KB Knapp, Peter Sterflinger, Ceci Wollmann, Chrissie Klinger, and Jack Budhill finished 3rd. The Loot Silver Team of Alec Chicoine, Joey Diamond, Mehvish Khan, Alyson Turner, and Amy-Katherine Turner came in 4th place.

Girls Nationals (July 20) – In this part of the event, 80 very talented girl sailors competed in three races on a 1.5-mile trapezoid course. Haddon Hughes of Houston Yacht Club came in 1st place, winning the girl champion title. She was followed by Eliot Caple of Naples Sailing Center in 2nd place and KB Knapp of Cold Spring Harbor Beach Club in 3rd. Martina Sly of Coral Reef Yacht Club finished in 4th place. After the day’s racing, the girls and the other competitors got to meet Anna Tunnicliffe, 2008 Olympic Gold Medal winner, 2-time Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year and 2009 World Sailor of the Year. She gave them some valuable sailing advice and signed autographs. She also posed for photos with the girls, who got to wear her gold medal. The young sailors really enjoyed meeting Anna and asking questions about how she achieved so much in their sport.

Open Fleet Nationals (July 21-24) – For the open fleet, Day 1 and Day 2 were scheduled for qualifying races that placed the sailors into Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Pearl Fleets. This format allowed the top sailors to compete against those with similar abilities. Day 2 did not have enough wind to race, so the qualifying races only actually took place on Day 1. On Day 3, the four fleets each got in 2 races. They completed 3 races on the fourth and final day of the regatta. In Gold Fleet, Nic Muller of US Sailing Center of Martin Co. came in 1st place. Richard Schuurmans of Houston Yacht Club came in 2nd place and Harry Koeppel of Larchmont Yacht Club finished in 3rd place. In 4th place was Eliot Caple of Naples Sailing Center. Girls overall winners were Eliot Caple of Naples Sailing Center in 1st place, Haddon Hughes from Houston Yacht Club in 2nd and Alexandra DelBello of American Yacht Club

In Silver, Alie Toppa of Lauderdale Yacht Club finished in first. She was followed by Ford McCann of Texas Corinthian Yacht Club in 2nd, Audrey Giblin of Shrewsbury Sailing and Yacht Club in 3rd, and Federico Jover of Uruguay in 4th. In Bronze, Jed Londrey of Fishing Bay Yacht Club won 1st place. Sophie Sole of Houston Yacht Club came in 3rd, Jensen Mctighe of Lauderdale Yacht Club came in 4th, and Matt Logue of Riverside Yacht Club finished in 4th. In Pearl Fleet, Gantt Shiflet of Davis Island Yacht Club finished in 1st place. Jillian Ticatch of Houston Yacht Club came in 2nd, Thad Hutcheson of Texas Corinthian Yacht Club came in 3rd, and Stephen Streater of Norfolk Yacht Club came in 4th.

View results, photos, video and more now on at the event website http://optinationals2010.org

About Fishing Bay Yacht Club
Fishing Bay Yacht Club is a private non-profit sailing club located in Deltaville Virginia, on scenic Fishing Bay in the mouth of the Piankatank River. FBYC promotes the art of sailing through Junior, One Design, and Offshore Racing and Cruising. FBYC could not present an event of this magnitude without the support of the USODA Partners (including Name Partner Layline) its Local Hosts Deltaville Maritime Museum, Deltaville Boatyard, Jackson Creek Condos, Harbor House Community, Norton Yachts, Chesapeake Yacht Sales, and Christchurch School, along with generous contributions from numerous sponsors listed on the event website at http://optinationals2010.org, a state of the art site replete with more information about the event. For more information on FBYC, please visit www.fbyc.net

Following the skippers’ meeting this morning, the first race was postponed on shore until the fickle westerly breeze decided to stick around. An hour later the breeze filled in at 6.8 knots and the sailors were sent out to start the first race.

At the first start there was a least one boat over early. Alie Toppa was the first sailor around the 1.5 mile trapezoid course. She was followed by Ellie Wollmann and Haddon Hughes. The light wind caused the sailors to spread out substantially on the course. Fourteen sailors were unable to finish before the time limit expired.

The wind built a bit for the second race enabling all of the sailors to finish within the time limit. Haddon Hughes was the first finisher. Martina Sly finished second and Eliot Caple finished 3rd.

The start of the 3rd race was by far the best start of the day. There were no boats over early and the racers formed a nice line all the way down the start. Haddon Hughes took her 2nd first of the day. Anna Weis was 2nd and Alexandra DelBello was 3rd.

All of these results are provisional and are still pending the result of a hearing as of this writing. Awards will be handed out tomorrow morning at the fleet skippers meeting.

In the evening the sailors were joined by Anna Tunnicliffe who spoke at the opening ceremony for the Fleet National Championship and was to give out Girls Championship awards. The sailors enjoyed talking to Anna, seeing her gold medal and posing for photos.

Provisional results pending the hearing from today’s racing can be found here. The notice board is being updated with any new notices from today. There are also photos and highlight videos.

Race 1

1. Alie Toppa
2. Ellie Wollmann – Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy
3. Haddon Hughes -Houston Yacht Club
4. Meredith Megarry
5. Audrey Giblin – Blue Shrewsbury Sailing and Yacht Club

Race 2

1. Haddon Hughes – Houston Yacht Club
2. Martina Sly – Coral Reef Yacht Club
3. Eliot Caple Napes Sailing Center
4. Kathryn Booker
5. Meredith Megarry

This afternoon we have awards, competitors dinner, Olympic Gold medalist Anna Tunnicliffe and the Opening Ceremonies for the Fleet Nationals all starting at 6pm

Sailgroove is broadcasting live. Check it out online here.

Now that we’ve switched to fleet racing, we’re also going to be using a different course. It’s more of a trapezoid and a diagram can be found here.

Sailgroove will continue their on-the-water live broadcast of the event. The morning preview show will start at 0930 with the first race being broadcast live at 1030.

Photo Credit: US Sailing

This evening following racing will be awards and a competitor’s dinner. Anna Tunnicliffe, an Olympic gold-medal winning Laser sailor will be here to talk to competitors and to help hand out awards.

While the girls are sailing, the rest of the boys and green fleet sailors will be arriving, getting measured and checked in. Many of them will be heading out on the race course for practice. Keep an eye on the webcam to see a lot of boats going in and out of the creek this afternoon.

Notices

• Fleet Nationals Sailing Amendment #1 has been posted to the Fleet Nationals notice board (under 7/19).

Schedule

• 0900-1800 Fleet Nationals Measurement and Checkin
• 0930 Girls Skippers’ Meeting
• 1030 Girls First Warning
• 1500 No warning after this time
• 1800 Fleet Nationals Opening Ceremony, Girls Awards and Girls Competitors Dinner

Weather

Today we’re expecting a high of 94 degrees. We’ll have light west winds 4-8mph most of the morning. Partly cloudy skies in the early afternoon. The sea breeze will not come in until late in the afternoon and may not come at all due to a few fronts expected to reach our area in the late evening hours.

Water

Water temperature is 81.6. High tide is at 7:15pm. Low tide is at 1:02pm.

SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

Printable PDF version of the Girls Sailing Instructions

1 RULES

1.1 The regatta will be governed by the rules as defined in The Racing Rules of Sailing.

1.2 “Conditions governing USODA Events” will apply, and can be found at www.usoda.org/.

1.3 RRS 61.1(a)(2) is deleted. A boat is therefore required to display a red flag if she intends to protest concerning an incident in the racing area, and shall continue to display it until she has reported her intention to protest.

1.4 RRS 61 is changed as follows: A competitor shall inform the measurement boat of its intention to protest, including the sail number of the protested boat, immediately after finishing.

1.5 Appendix P, “Special Procedures for Rule 42″, will apply. P2.1, “First Penalty” is changed to read, When a boat is first penalized under instruction P1 her penalty will be: (a) if her penalty is signaled prior to finishing: a two-turns penalty under RRS 44.2. If she fails to take it she will be disqualified without a hearing, or (b) if her penalty is signaled after she finishes: ten (10) points added to her score for that race.

1.6 Appendix A5 is changed to allow measurement penalties to be given in accordance with SI 16.9 be assigned without a hearing.

2 FORMAT OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP

2.1 There will be one Championship fleet.

3 NOTICES TO COMPETITORS

Notices to competitors will be posted on the official notice board located near the main regatta tent in the Deltaville Maritime Museum west field.

4 CHANGES TO THE SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

Any change to the sailing instructions will be posted on the official notice board before 0830 on the day that it will take effect, except that any change to the schedule of races will be posted by 1900 on the day before it will take effect.

5 SIGNALS MADE ASHORE AND LAUNCHING

5.1 Signals made ashore will be displayed from the mast of the trailered Skipjack “Virginia” parked at the corner of the Museum field adjacent to main regatta tent.

5.2 When code flag “AP” is displayed, “1 minute” is replaced with “not less than sixty (60) minutes” in Race Signal “AP.”

5.3 All boats shall launch at the same time when code flag “O” is displayed on the “Virginia” with one sound signal and proceed directly to the racing area. Boats shall not launch prior to this signal.

6 SCHEDULE OF RACES

6.1

Monday, July 19

1200-1800 Measurement and Check-in

Tuesday, July 20th

0900 Coaches, Parent and Competitors meeting (mandatory)

1030 First Warning Signal
1500 No warning signal after this time

TBD Awards

6.2 The race committee will run as many races as practical.

7 RACING AREA

Racing will take place in waters near the mouth of Piankatank River as directed by the race committee by hail and visual signal.

8 THE COURSE AND CHANGE OF COURSE

8.1 The course is illustrated below, including the approximate angle between legs, the order in which marks are to be passed, and the side on which each mark is to be left. The course length and configuration will be based on sailing conditions.

8.2 The position of marks may be adjusted slightly for small shifts in the mean wind without signaling a change of course. Any adjustments will be made before the first boat is on the leg to the effected mark. This changes rule 33.

9 MARKS

9.1 Rounding Marks 1, 2, and Gate 3S/P will be orange inflatable marks and mark 4 will be a yellow inflatable mark.

9.2 New (change) marks will be yellow inflated marks.

9.3 The starting marks are two race committee boats on either end of the starting line, and if present, any keep off buoys and all their means of attachment to these boats, all of which are defined as starting marks. A boat may not pass between a keep-off starting mark and the boat to which it is attached.

9.4 The finishing marks will be a race committee finish boat and an orange inflated mark.

10 RESTRICTED AREAS (see also SI’s 8 and 20)

10.1 The racing area is the space encompassing the course, the starting area, and the finishing area. It extends 100 yards beyond any racing boat and marks 1, 2, 3S/3P, 4, the finish marks, and the measurement boat. Except as permitted by SI 20, only competing boats and official boats (designated by the race committee) may enter the racing area while boats are racing.

10.2 The waiting area is the area to leeward of the racing area below the starting line. Its windward edge and its extensions to starboard of the starting line will be marked by at a series of small inflated balls or marks below the starting line.

11 THE START

11.1 The class flag will be numeral pennant one.

11.2 The starting line will be between staffs displaying orange flags on the race committee boat starting marks.

11.3 At least one minute prior to the first warning signal of a race, the race committee will hoist its orange starting line flags with a sound signal.

11.4 A boat starting later than five (5) minutes after her starting signal will be scored Did Not Start (DNS). This changes rule A4.

11.5 If code flag “I” and/or “Z,” or the black flag has been displayed, the Race Committee may attempt to hail the sail number(s) of boats on the course side of the starting line or its extension only during the minute before her starting signal. Failure of the Race Committee to hail, failure of the amplification system, the order of the hails, or failure of a boat to hear a hail shall not be grounds for a boat to request for redress. This instruction changes RRS 41 and 62.1.

12 THE FINISH

12.1 The finish line will be between a staff displaying an orange flag on a race committee boat on the starboard end and the course side of the finish mark on the port end.

12.2 If the race committee intends to start another race on the same day, the race committee finish boat will display the ‘Second Substitute’ while boats are finishing.

13 RETURN TO THE STARTING AREA (see also the course diagram in SI

13.1 The first ten boats to cross the finish line of each race shall report immediately after finishing to the measurement boat anchored just beyond and slightly upwind of the finishing line and displaying the USODA “M” (measurement boat) flag. They shall stay in the vicinity until measured or released by verbal instructions from the measurement boat. No adjustments to the rigging of the boat may be made between the times the boat finishes and this measurement. Boats in doubt as to whether they finished in the top ten (10) finishers should report to the measurement boat. After being measured or released, boats shall promptly return to the waiting area via the corridor shown in SI 8.

13.2 All other boats that have finished shall immediately sail clear of the finishing area, round the buoy marking the top end of the corridor to port, and promptly return to the starting area via the corridor shown in SI 8.

14 ON-WATER PROTEST COMMITTEE

14.1 On-water protest committee boats will fly code flag “J” (Juliet). A protest committee member may also be aboard the RC signal boat, and if so, that boat will also display code flag “J”.

14.2 In addition to enforcing RRS 42, the protest committee will be watching to see if boats break a rule of Part 2 (When Boats Meet) or RRS 31 (Touching a Mark). When the protest committee sees a boat break such a rule, it may make one sound signal but will not display any flag nor hail any sail number. If no boat takes a penalty under RRS 44.1, the protest committee may protest one or more boats.

15 TIME LIMITS

15.1 The time limit for the first boat in a race to sail the course and finish is 90 minutes.

15.2 Boats failing to finish within twenty (20) minutes after the first boat in a race sails the course and finishes will scored Did Not Finish (DNF) without a hearing. This instruction changes RRS 35, A4, and A5.

16 PROTESTS AND REQUESTS FOR REDRESS

16.1 Protest and scoring inquiry forms are available at the Protest Committee Desk in the Judges’ Area located in near the main tent. Protests and requests for redress or reopening shall be delivered there within the appropriate time limit.

16.2 The protest time limit is 45 minutes after the race committee signal boat docks. The race committee will post the time of docking on the official notice board as soon as practical.

16.3 The protest notices required by RRS 63.2, and the notification of protests by the race committee or the protest committee required by RRS 61.1(b), will be posted on the official notice board as soon as possible after a protest has been delivered, but not later than 30 minutes after the protest time limit.

16.4 Hearings will be held nearby as directed. The helmsman shall represent the boat. This changes RRS 63.3(a). Representatives of boats who are parties to a hearing and their witnesses shall remain on call in the Judges’ Area just outside the Junior Clubhouse.

16.5 A list of boats penalized for breaking RRS 42 will be posted as soon as practical after racing.

16.6 Requests for redress relating to possible scoring errors will initially be reviewed by the race committee before being scheduled for hearing by the protest committee. This instruction changes RRS 63.1.

16.7 Requests for redress relating to an OCS or starting penalty shall state the procedural error the competitor believes the race committee may have made. And, each boat will be expected to establish that it started properly. This adds to rule 62.2.

16.8 A breach of SI 2.2, 5.3, 11.3, 13, 16.12, 0, and 20 will not be grounds for a protest by a boat. This changes RRS 60.1(a). 16.9 The penalty for the first time a boat breaks any of SI 2.2, 5.3, 11.3, 13, 16.12, 18.1, 18.2, 18.4, 18.5, or for failing an on-water measurement inspection for the first time, shall be a ten (10) point scoring penalty. The penalty for subsequent occurrences will be at the discretion of the protest committee and may be less than or greater than DSQ. RRS 63.1 is changed such that penalties for breaking SI 18.1 will be assigned without a hearing.

16.10 On the last day of the regatta a request to reopen a hearing shall be delivered (a) within the protest time limit if the party requesting reopening was informed of the decision before that day, or (b) no later than 30 minutes after the party requesting reopening was informed of the decision on that day. This changes RRS 62.2 and 66.

16.11 A boat that has taken a penalty under RRS 44.1 shall complete and sign the acknowledgment log at the protest committee desk in the Judges’ Area.

16.12 Any competitor who may wish to become a party to a scheduled redress hearing should; 1). Check the daily schedule of protest hearings that the protest committee will post on the official notice board describing the nature of the redress request and time of the hearing, and 2) submit a written request to participate in the hearing to the protest committee before the hearing begins.

17 SCORING

17.1 The Low Point Scoring System of RRS Appendix A will apply, except that all races shall be counted. No throw outs.

17.2 One race constitutes a regatta.

18 SAFETY REGULATIONS

18.1 Competitors shall sail thru the SAFETY GATE and CHECK IN and OUT with the safety committee. Each sailor shall hail its sail number as it passes abeam. The safety boat will acknowledge each hail.

18.2 A competitor retiring from a race shall notify a race committee boat or patrol boat before leaving the course, or notify the race committee immediately upon returning to shore.

18.3 In addition to the requirements of rule 40 and it’s US Prescription, a condition of entry and participation in this regatta is the wearing of a US Coast Guard approved PFD properly secured at all times while on the water, except for brief periods while removing or adding clothing. Failure to wear one will result in a penalty up to and including disqualification at the discretion of the protest committee.

18.4 Each competitor shall have a whistle attached to their PFD at all times while on the water.

18.5 Each boat shall have a secure loop in the end of its bow line.

19 EQUIPMENT AND MEASUREMENT

19.1 Boats are allowed only one hull, dagger-board, rudder (including tiller and extension), mast, boom, sprit, and sail during the regatta. Substitution of damaged equipment must be approved by the race committee as soon as practical.

19.2 Measurement may be made of boats at anytime during the regatta by the measurement boat or at the direction of the race committee. See also SI 13 regarding mandatory measurement checks after finishing.

20 COACH AND SUPPORT BOAT REGULATIONS

20.1 General coach and support (including spectator) boat requirements

a. Coach boats shall fly a numbered blue flag provided by the race committee at all times while on the water. Coach boats shall carry a VHF radio and monitor the race committee channel (VHF 65), particularly in windy/threatening weather.

b. Support (parent and spectator) boats shall fly a green flag with a number provided by the race committee at all times while

on the water.

c. No ‘team’ flags, private signal flags, or any object that might be construed as a signal shall be flown from coach or support boats while racing is underway.

d. Coach and support boats shall follow the instructions of race committee, patrol, safety, protest committee, and race management boats at all times.

e. No coach or support boat shall tie up to or congregate around any aid to navigation, such as buoys or channel markers, or tie up to and fixed fishing gear, crab, lobster pots or oyster stakes.

20.2 Restrictions

a. All coach and support boats shall stay out of the racing area while boats are racing and at least 100 yards away from any racing boat, and move slowly and with minimal wake, except where permitted in this instruction.

b. Certain coach boats may be designated as rescue craft by the Safety Officer and given permission to enter the racing area for the purposes of rescue operations only.

c. When the race committee hoists (or is displaying) its orange starting line flags, all coach and support boats in the starting area shall proceed immediately to the waiting area and shall remain there until the race committee lowers the orange starting line flags with a sound signal, except that, after the first and subsequent start(s) of a set of races, coach and support boats may exit the waiting area and proceed slowly WITH NO WAKE to the weather mark ONLY outside the PORT side of the racing area.

d. Coach boats and support boats may only wait in the corridor as boats are finishing and briefly talk to sailors provided they stay well clear of any racing boat and do not delay the start of the next race.

20.3 Penalties

a. Competitors affiliated with any coach or support boat that breaks SI 20 may break RRS 41 (Outside Help).

b. Coaches or support boats that break SI 20 may be subject to disciplinary actions up to and including venue exclusion.

21 ENVIRONMENT

Discharge of trash into the water by competitors, support boats, race committee or protest committee is prohibited.

22 PRIZES

Prizes will be awarded according to the notice of race.

23 DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY

Competitors participate in the regatta entirely at their own risk. See rule 4, Decision to Race. The organizing authority will not accept any liability for material damage or personal injury or death sustained in conjunction with or prior to, during, or after the regatta. A waiver must be signed by all competitors and their parent/guardian.

The Coach or responsible person from each sailing association or Yacht club, will pick up his/her lunches for their entire club, and sign off on them.

The sandwiches will be placed in a large brown bag with each club name on the outside, waters will be handed out daily with lunches 1 bottle per competitor.

Officials will be able to pick up their lunches there daily as well.

A complete recap all of all of the food options for both competitors and parents can be found here.

1) Go to the USODA home page.

2) If you are a USODA Member, click the members only homepage

2a) If you are not a USODA Member, click the link to Join USODA before continuing on to step 3.

2b) Non-US sailors must be members of their National Authority and can gain access to the USODA registration sytstem by contacting the USODA Executive Director via usoda@usoda.org

3) Enter your credentials in the log in screen.

4) Click the ‘Regattas’ link at the top of the page

5) Click ‘Event Registration’

6) Scroll to find the event to register for

7) Click the ‘Register’ button

8 ) Add any comments and click ‘Ok’.  Follow further instructions to pay and continue from there.

Video

Click ‘Play’ to watch a short video of the registration process.

Note, also, that the Late Fee for Team Nationals will take effect at Midnight July 1 and the Late Fee for Girls Nationals will take effect at Midnight EDT July 4. No credit will be offered against these Late Fees, or against any Very Late Fees for Team, Girls or Fleet Nationals.