Ten youth sailors from Rockland Community Sailing enjoyed a fantastic night of racing on Rockland YC boats during the first ever RYC-RCS Youth Keelboat Scholarship Regatta on August 18. Nine boats each with a RCS youth sailor aboard competed in three ’round the buoys’ races. All youth sailors skippered the second race, and many also drove during the third race. Five to fifteen knot southerly winds under sunny skies made for steady sailing.
“The event was a triple win – RCS sailors gained keelboat racing experience, RYC shared their racing with the younger generation, and registration fees generated $450 for local youth sailing scholarships,” said KC Heyniger, Waterfront Programs Director at RCS. “Everyone involved had a great time and we’ll be doing this race again each year.”
For many of the RCS sailors, who usually sail small dinghies, racing on a full-size keelboat was an eye opening highlight to their summer sailing. RCS Head Instructor Collin Pope noted his students were in awe working with the bigger sails, lines, and winches. They experienced important teamwork and communication skills with multiple crew and felt the excitement and speed of big boats maneuvering in close quarters. It was a great glimpse of their future sailing opportunities. During the post race BBQ, run by RYC volunteers Heidi Burden, Beth Pope, and Jesse Henry, “it was hard to tell who was smiling more – the RCS youth who got to sail and steer big keelboats or RYC skippers and crews who clearly enjoyed sharing their racing skills with eager young sailors” observed Heyniger.
The top three boats on corrected PHRF time were “AKC Hound” owner George Emory/skipper Wiley Todd, with RCS sailor Bradley Gannon (15), “Walkabout”, skipper Doug Pope with RCS sailor Andy Bird (11), and “Havoc” owner Pattie Spaulding and RCS sailor Tristan Lewis (12). The first place boat will have its name, boat owner, and RCS youth sailor’s names sewn into an Optimist youth dinghy sail that will hang at the club as a perpetual trophy donated by Pope Sails and Rigging. The first three boats received silver trophies provided by David Jones, the RYC event co-creator with Heyniger. Winning boat owners gave their trophies to their extremely psyched young RCS crewmembers. Youth competitors were given RYC shirts. All participants left with finely crafted sailboat prints from the Apprenticeshop.
A strong sense of continuity permeated this inaugural event. RYC members who helped start the youth program 14 years ago were involved including long-time youth sailing advocate Charles Faulkingham who helped photograph this event, and Doug Pope, who made sails for the first RCS Opti fleet in 1998. Also attending were three former RCS Head Instructors, Patrick DiLalla, Wiley Todd, and Collin Pope. DiLalla, also the current High School Sailing team coach, had taught Todd, who skippered the winning boat “AKC Hound”. Todd worked with Collin Pope on the HSS team. And Pope was actually in the first RCS youth sailing class back in the late nineties. This in-depth community involvement, along with the connections between all the participants, will bode well for all future youth and adults sailing activities in and around Rockland Harbor, according to Heyniger and Jones.
Many thanks go to all organizers from both the Rockland YC and the Apprenticeshop including David Jones, Jesse Henry, Justin McAnaney, Beth Pope, Heidi Burden, Kit Macchi, Walt Matthews, Adam Yanchunis, and especially the enthusiastic boat owners and crews who supported and ran this event with their time, donations, and enthusiasm.
Overall Results – PHRF Corrected* – (place, boat, owner/skipper, RCS sailor, (age)
1st – “AKC Hound”, 1959 Melody Yawl, George Emory/Wiley Todd, Bradley Gannon (15).
2nd – “Walkabout”, Tartan 10, Doug Pope, Andy Bird (11).
3rd – ”Havoc”, J-24, Patti Spaulding, Tristan Lewis (12).
4th – “This Guy”, Etchells 30, Brian McClellan, Eva Ritchie (15).
5th – “Elvis Tuna”, Etchells 30, David Jones/Pat DiLalla, Martha Moskowitz (14).
6th – “Sans Culottes” Beneteau First 40.7, Robert Johnston, Devon Gordon (17) and Jesse Hansen (12).
7th – “Dora M.” O’Day Tempest, Leila Murphy, Aidan Gordon (15).
8th – “Moonbird” Colgate 26, Fred Boursier/Joe Cooper, Robin Lewis (17).
9th – “Badger” Frers 33, Jim Cuthbertson, Nick Stuart (12).
Photos of RCS Youth Race Keel-Boats in New Scholarship Regatta
