July 28th and 29th my husband and I ran race committee for the Opti State of Maine Championship. This was our third year in a row running RC. An optimist is an 8 foot long sailboat with a gaff-rigged sail and is sailed by kids ages 7 to 15.
There were two racing lines at this regatta, one for green fleeters (young and new to racing) and the Red, White, and Blue Championship line where we were. The colors signify ages, white being the youngest and red the oldest.
We had two great days of sailing with winds ranging from 10 to 18 knots gusting up to 20. This was too much wind for the green fleet's first day so as soon as they got out on the water there were several capsizes (boat tips over on its side), turtles (boat turns completely over), submarines (bow of the boat goes underwater causing the boat to swamp), and pitch poles (the boat flips over bow to stern). We had a few of these on our more experienced line but for the most part the kids were pretty resilient but by the end of the day 6 out of the 27 boats had retired because they were tired or overwhelmed.
The first day we got off five races and one of our PYC sailors finished 1st in all but one (getting a third in the last race.) The second day was more of the same breeze but from a different direction and we had to wait for it to fill in. Our first race didn't start until after noon. The top PYC sailor earned another two bullets and a second. He ended up winning the regatta and Maine State Championship with only 10 points. Not bad for a 13 year old!
People were really impressed with the regatta and there were a lot of parent volunteers to thank. I was really impressed by the sailing ability of all of those young kids, much better than the Junior Regatta I helped with a few weeks ago.
Molly,
ReplyDeleteYou said a 13 year-old won, does that mean there is only one person per sailboat? When the younger kids (ages 7 and 8) capsize, do you have to run out and rescue them? Some how I bet I would be tired and overwhelmed if I capsized!
Is there any danger when the boats capsize? What are the water temps like? Does the committee have to put safety measures in place to ensure that the younger contestants are okay?
ReplyDeleteWe have plenty of safety boats and coach boats on site. All of the competitors must wear a PFD at all times. It is possible to hit your head in a capsize and get knocked out, but people are very aware of what is going on and can get to the sailors quickly. The water temps where we are right now are around 72 degrees-warmer than usual.
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