Cheers to Another Successful Cannon Cup!
written by Erin Wojdaszka
Stamford Yacht Club’s 7th annual Cannon Cup on July 21, 2025 was a day packed with energy, smiles, and amazing sailing spirit. As young Optimist dinghy sailors arrived, excitement filled the air for this JSA Area C qualifier for the JSA Optimist Champs in August. The boats were swiftly rigged, and racers gathered for meetings, with anticipation for a fantastic day on the water. The weather truly delivered, perfect breeze, shining sun, and towing was avoided as the fleets eagerly sailed out from the harbor. The race committee adapted to the wind shifts and set a fun triangle course just outside the lighthouse, keeping everyone on their toes. It was such a nice day, some of the younger junior sailors came to watch and cheer on their teammates on the SYC Ideal big boat sailboats.
With 39 boats in the Red & Blue fleet and another 36 in White, the red and blue fleets started together and the white fleet started second. Even when the breeze faded during the second race as the fleet approached the windward mark, spirits stayed high. As soon as two Stamford YC racers rounded the windward mark, the breeze picked up, giving them a great lead and lifting many boats behind them—an exciting moment that drew big smiles all around!
The race committee was able to get in three races and brought everyone into the dock by 2:15pm. They allowed 30 minutes for protests, and then it was time to enjoy snacks, celebration, and the traditional firing of the Stamford YC cannon by the top finishers—a real highlight that had the docks buzzing with applause.
A round of applause to our top finishers:
Red & Blue Fleet
- Leo Kiley (Stamford YC)
- Chloe Dodd (Noroton YC)
- JJ Bainton (Noroton YC)
- Alice Bischoff (Noroton YC)
- Alice Johnson (Milford YC)
White Fleet
- Adelaide Lewis (Pequot YC)
- Tad Bainton (Noroton YC)
- Elisabeth Hutter (Stamford YC)
- Kayleigh Lanahan (Noroton YC)
- Chandler Pace (Noroton YC)
This day was a true celebration of sailing, friendship, and fun. You can view the results here. Thanks to all who made the Cannon Cup a memorable success—we can’t wait to see smiles on the water again next year!
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