Opti Sailors Compete at the 2014 Riverside YC Optimist Regatta
by Elizabeth Schinto
On Saturday, July 12thth Riverside Yacht Club hosted it’s Annual Opti Regatta. Seventy-nine sailors representing nine yacht clubs in three states participated. The harbor start began at 10 am with about 5 knots of breeze out of the southeast. The race committee managed to deliver ten races with four for the Red Fleet, three for the Blue Fleet and three for the White Fleet before concluding racing at 2 PM where everyone returned to RYC safely.
Awards were presented to the top five finishers in each fleet. Five of our Junior Officers, Ben Van Duyne, Jack Scanlan, Jake Schinto, Peter Dunay and Tommy Glover helped Fleet Captain Randy Bourne present the awards. Fleet winners were as follows:
Red Fleet first place went to Michelle Lahrkamp of American, second to RYC’s Rebecca Hillestad, third to Kathryn Grace Austin of Belle Haven, fourth to Harrison Roth of American and fifth to Chris Lukens of RYC.
Blue Fleet first place went to Max Anker of RYC, second to Angus Manion of RYC, third to Leyton Borcherding of Belle Haven, fourth to Amelia Jessop of American, and fifth to Aidan Iaconis of RYC.
White Fleet first place went to Peter Joslin of Balboa Yacht Club, second to Benjamin Schinto of RYC, third to Vanessa Lahrkamp of AYC, fourth to Katherine McNamara of American and fifth to Frederik Parkin of RYC.
Additionally, Amelia Jessop of American won the sportsmanship award. The RYC sailors fared well winning seven of the fifteen prizes, as well as having multiple top ten finishers in each fleet such as Taylor Schinto, Lily Mayer, Charlie Kosinski and Elizabeth Haidinger.
The local sailors were joined in the regatta by four exchange sailors from the Balboa Yacht Club in Corona Del Mar, California. These sailors came to sail in the RYC program for the week to experience the optimist for the first time. Next year, four of our RYC sailors will travel to southern California to experience the sabot.
Vineyard Vines, The Dinghy Locker, The Boat Locker and Chilly Bear generously donated some wonderful items that a few lucky race participants enjoyed winning in the regatta raffle.
Thanks to the entire RYC Race Committee, led by Principal Race Officer Mark Parry, and the Chief Safety Officer, John Schinto, the safety boat crews, the registration team and the boat handlers for their volunteer efforts. Once again, the Riverside Yacht Club team of volunteers and staff delivered a very successful Optimist Regatta. The regatta was co-chaired by Alexandra Ornstein and Elizabeth Schinto.
