MASSA News

Clearwater Yacht Club hosted the SAISA Single-handed District Championship & Qualifier for the ISSA National Single-handed Championship for the Cressy Trophy. David Billing, Regatta Chairman, organized the event which launched at the great facilities of the Clearwater Community Sailing Center, and raced in the Gulf of Mexico off Clearwater Beach. John Ardolino was the PRO and Ann Newton the Chief Judge.

Eight Laser Full rigs and forty Laser Radials competed for the honor of representing SAISA and their high school at the High School National Championship to be held in Chicago.

The conditions were very difficult for both the sailors and race committee. On Saturday, there was almost no wind in the morning and the AP flag was hoisted after the skippers meeting. The clouds started to build, the fleet launched and racing started with an Easterly oscillating breeze. The first race was barely
finished when the wind shut down as a rain cell approach from the south. This started a pattern of getting a race started in the temporary breeze generated as the weather cells passed Clearwater heading north.

Conditions on Sunday were very similar and the hoped for sea breeze never materialized. Four races were completed for the Radials and three for the Lasers. Live Updates were posted on the event web site during racing and the provisional results were available on-line after each race.

Two Judge boats were on the water but no yellow flags were given and no protests filed. David Billing, John Ardolino and Tom Monkus, Director of SAISA, presented the awards and distributed the SAISA District invitations to the National Championship.

Invited to compete in the National High School Singlehanded Championship for the Cressy Trophy, hosted by the Midwestern District at the Belmont Station of the Chicago Yacht Club October 28th - October 30th were.

Laser Full Rig:
1. Eric Lawrence, Martin County HS
2. Luke Muller, Lincoln Park Academy
3. Curtis Woodworth, Pope John Paul II

Radial:
1. Ian Barrows, Antilles School US Virgin Islands
2. Avery Fanning, Bishop England
3. Alec Tayler, Antilles School US Virgin Islands

Congratulations to all the competitors. We were privileged to host this event for SAISA and look forward to seeing you at future Clearwater Yacht Club events. More details and full results are available at www.clwyc.org

David Billing, Regatta Chairman
Clearwater Yacht Club