Sunfish North American Continental Championship Event Website

The Sunfish North American Championship is at Mattituck YC from July 20 -25, 2010.  John Condon is the very amiable host for the regatta.  The summer is a busy tourist season on eastern Long Island.  If you are planning to attend, John recommends booking accomodations ASAP.

There are many small motels and B&Bs on the North Fork between Riverhead and Greenport.  The towns of Riverhead and Greenport are approximately 15 minutes on either side of Mattituck YC.  Here is a link for motels, hotels and B&B’s on the North Fork.

John blocked 15 rooms at the Best Western of Riverhead 631-369-2200 (Sunfish North Americans-Mattituck YC).  Riverhead has the large hotels including the Best Western, Holiday Inn express and Hilton Garden Inn.  There are other Motels in Jamesport including the Country Inn, Bayview Inn and Motel on the Bay.  John was unable to get blocked rooms at these hotels.

The rental agents are Town & country 631- 298-0600, Prudential - 631-727-2000, Community Rentals-631-298-9300.

There will be plenty of room for camping at the club, and room to expand to nearby locations including John’s front yard if necessary.  The club is currently working on coordinating housing with members.  Please notify John if you want to camp or desire local housing with members.

Please contact John if you have any questions on housing.

John Condon
condon77173 <at> hotmail.com

The 2010 North American Championship will be hosted by the Mattituck Yacht Club in New York.  The club is located in Long Island’s pristine wine country on the North Fork.  The championship will be contested on the waters of the Peconic Bay just off the Mattituck Yacht Club’s beach.

The official NOR and other information will be posted as soon as it is available.

July 20, 2010 Midget and Junior Measurement (Tuesday)
July 21-22, 2010 Midget and Junior North American Championships (Wednesday and Thursday)
July 23-25, 2010 Open North American Championships (Friday through Sunday)

Visit the Mattituck YC website

Seventeen year old Jonathan Martinetti of Ecuador is taking home all the hardware from Charleston.  After starting the week with a victory in the Junior North American Championship, Martinetti concluded the week by capturing the overall North American title.  The Ecuadoran demonstrated experience and composure beyond his years on the final day of racing and with stood a furious charge by 2 time World Champion David Loring.

There were two races sailed on Friday.  Charleston native David Loring entered the day knowing he had to put about 20 points between him and Martinetti to capture the title.  David did everything he could, and won both of the day’s races.  However, that was not enough as Martinetti continued to sail consistently and error free.

Final Results - Overall
Final Results - By Division

Day 2 of the Sunfish North American Championship separated the contenders from the pretenders.  After getting caught in an unfavorable current during the first race, Jonathan Martinetti of Ecuador rebounded to win two more races and finish third in another.  Martinetti continues to lead the regatta.  Two time Sunfish World Champion, David Loring of Charleston, SC demonstrated superior knowledge of the local conditions while sailing in light air during the first race.  David horizoned the fleet and earned first bullet of the regatta.  He sail consistently in the next the next three races and after one throwout sits in second overall.  Alan Uram continues to put up top finishes, and sits in third overall.  Kamilla Sabogal of Ecuador has been the most consistent sailor, and is the only competitor without a deep finish.  She sits in fourth overall.

Those four sailors have separated themselves from the rest of the fleet.  However, with the conditions being as challenging as they are, the regatta is still up for grabs.

For the final day of racing, a 10-15 knot southwest is forecasted.  There are three more races scheduled, to bring the total for the series to 12.

On Day 1 of the 2009 North American Championship, the youth of the Ecuador Sailing Team served notice that they will be a serious force to reckon with during the regatta.  After capturing the Junior North American title on Tuesday, seventeen year old Jonathan Martinetti continued where he left off and dominated the first day of racing.  Jonathan used excellent speed and solid tactics to best his more experienced competitors, and win 4 out of the 5 races.  Fifteen year old Kamilla Sabogal, also from Ecuador, sailed consistently to all top 10 finishes, and sits in second overall.  Alan Uram of Charleston, SC leads the US sailors and is in third overall.

Overall Results - thru Day 1 (5 races)

On Monday night after racing, the water levels at James Island YC rose so high that the club’s parking lot flooded.  This was a clear indication that the currents for the following day would be extremely strong.  The second day dawned with a 10 knot northerly breeze.  After sailing in a windy northerly on day 1, many of the smaller sailors  elected to get an education on the Gust Adjust.  However, as the racers left the shore the breeze had dropped.  By the time the first races were supposed to start, there was almost no breeze in the outgoing current.  Eventually, signs of a thermal sea breeze could be seen near the eastern end of Charleston Harbor near Fort Sumter, and the races got started in a East-Southeast flow.

Cameron Hall of St Petersburg YC was the pace setter for day 2.  In every race he battled with Jonathan Martinetti of Ecuador, the overnight leader.

At the conclusion of the 7 race series, Martinetti captured the Junior North American Championship.  Kamilla Sabogal, also from Ecuador, remained in second place overall.  After his strong performance on the second day, Cameron Hall jumped into third place.  Arianna Villena from Ecuador continued to sail well to sit in fourth overall.  Nick Valente sailed a consistent series and rose to fifth place overall.

In the Midget division, Savannah’s Elise Marshall extended her first day’s lead to win the title.  She was pushed hard by Emily Nolan and Robert Gossett.

In the evening the sailors were treated to dinner and awards in the James Island YC.  The jubilent atmosphere at dinner made it clear that while the sailors had been competitors on the water,they had also forged many new friendships.  They exchanged contact information and made promises to sail again together in Mattituck, NY in 2010.

Final Results - Overall
Final Results - By Division

Charleston, SC - The James Island Yacht Club is hosting 25 youth sailors at the 2009 Midget and Junior North American Sunfish Championships.  The participants are representing six different US Sunfish Regions - Florida (1), Gulf Coast (2), Mid-Atlantic (5), New York (1), Southeast (12) and Southwest (1).  In addition, there are three sailors representing the South American country of Ecuador.

The first day of racing was dominated by Jonathan Martinetti of Ecuador.  He completed a perfect score card by winning all four of the day’s races.  His fellow Ecuador Sailing Team members, Kamilla Sabogal and Arianna Villena sailed consistently to sit in second and third place overall.

The regatta will conclude tomorrow with three races scheduled.

Overall Results - thru Day 1

The 2009 Sunfish North American Championship will be in historic Charleston, South Carolina (USA) at James Island YC. The James Island YC has a long history with the Sunfish Class. They last hosted the North American Championship in 1994.

Charleston is a family friendly tourist destination, with a large number of hotels, inns, and charming bed and breakfasts. The city proper offers a rich history with multiple museums, a large number of award-winning restaurants and quality shopping. Read more about the city’s tourist attractions at the Charleston Vistors Bureau. The Charleston area is also known for its great golf and beautiful clean beaches.

On the final day of the regatta, the tall ships participating in the trans-atlantic challenge race will arrive in Charleston Harbor. Charleston is one of only two stops in the continental United States.

Plan your vacation now. You will not want to miss this regatta!

Notice of Race
RSVPed and Registered Competitors - Open NAs
RSVPed and Registered Competitors - Junior & Midget NAs
Lodging Guide
Charleston Harbor Lessons Learned

Visit the James Island YC
Visit the Official Website of the City of Charleston
Visit the Charleston Visitors Bureau
Visit the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge website
Visit the Charleston Harborfest website

The final day of racing at the 2008 Sunfish North American Championship in Erie, PA was a show down between Derek Jackson and Doug Kaukeinen for the title.  The forecast was for a 10-20 knot southwest breeze which would have been windiest of the regatta.

The first race went off cleanly in a 10-12 knot southwester.  Doug Kaukeinen led a group of boats out to the left side of the course, which was typically the favored side throughout the week.  Todd Edwards, Marguerite Koehler and Derek Jackson played the left middle.  Steve Evans and Donnie Martinburough led a group to the right.  It was fairly even as the various groups converged on the first windward mark.

Todd Edwards rounded first.  He was followed by Steve Evans, Doug Kaukeinen, Derek Jackson, Marguerite Koehler and Donnie Martinburough.  At the windward mark, Doug Kaukeinen jibed onto port away from Derek Jackson.  Marguerite Koehler also immediately jibed.  The majority of the leaders continued on starboard.

This decision to split on ensuing downwind leg proved to be a momentum changing move by Kaukeinen.  The breeze filled in from the left.  Donnie Martinburough and Derek Jackson were among the farthest right when this happened, and were unable to get across the fleet’s wind shadow into the favorable breeze.  Among the big gainers on this leg were Doug Kaukeinen, Marguerite Koehler and Clinton Edwards.

At the leeward mark, Doug Kaukeinen was in the lead.  He elected to round the left side gate into the favored wind.  He was followed by Todd Edwards, Marguerite Koehler, Clinton Edwards, Bill Brangiforte and Steve Evans.  Donnie Martinburough and Derek Jackson never managed to recover on the downwind and were forced to round around the right gate.

During the next upwind leg, Doug extended his lead on the fleet.  He rounded the windward mark in first.  The Todd and Clinton Edwards tried unsuccessfully to real Doug in on the next downwind leg.  Doug won the race.  He was followed by Todd Edwards, Clinton Edwards, Bill Brangiforte and Steve Evans.  Derek Jackson’s 14th place was his worst of the regatta and put Doug in the driver’s seat for the championship with a 6 point lead and two races remaining.

At the start of the second race, Doug Kaukeinen started in pin third of the line a few boats to the right of Derek Jackson.  Up the windward leg, Doug stayed close to Derek ensure minimal separation.  The two sailed up the left side of the course.  Bill Brangiforte and Todd Edwards sailed up the middle of the course.  Steve Evans, Brian McGinnis and Donnie Martinburough worked the right side.  By the windward mark, Donnie Martinburough was in the lead.  He was followed by Doug Kaukeinen, Bill Brangiforte, Steve Evans, Derek Jackson, Brian McGinnis and Todd Edwards.

During the downwind leg, Doug Kaukeinen again made a move and took the race lead.  Up the next windward leg, the places at the top of the fleet remained unchanged, however Kaukeinen had extended his lead further on the fleet.  Unfortunately for Doug, he fell victim to the “Erie Current” and hit the windward mark.  After a quick 360 penalty turn, he still had a comfortable lead on the fleet.

On the downwind leg, Donnie Martinburough and Bill Brangiforte had a battle on the right while Brian McGinnis and Derek Jackson battled on the left.  Donnie and Bill rounded the right hand gate slightly ahead of Brian and Derek.

At the finish, Doug Kaukeinen comfortably won the race.  Donnie Martinburough, Bill Brantiforte, Derek Jackson and Brian McGinnis were next.

Between the second and third race, the fleet had a short break for lunch.  The Erie Yacht Club support boats distributed food and beverages to the fleet.  During this time, the wind dropped a little and was 8-10 knots.  The RC set a Modified Olympic course to conclude the regatta.

By the final race of the day, Doug Kaukeinen’s lead had grown to 8 points over Derek Jackson.  The regatta was almost mathematically locked up.  The only way Doug would not win is if Derek won the final race and Doug finished worse than 10th place.

There was tension in the air at the final start of the regatta as several sailors were engaged in tight battles for overal ranks.  Of the leaders, only Doug Kaukeinen and Judy Gesner elected to start in the pin third of the line.  Derek Jackson, Bill Brangiforte, Todd Edwards and Brian McGinnis were in the RC boat third.

Immediately after the start gun, it appeared that Don Bergman might have one upped Doug Kaukeinen.  Don was punched out on the fleet near the pin, immediately above Doug.  Unfortunately for Don, Doug would not be denied and used his dominating speed to break free from Don’s wind shadow.

Near the top of the windward leg the lead group included Donnie Martinburough, Judy Gesner, Peter Wells, Derek Jackson, and Doug Kaukeinen.  Donnie rounded in first followed by Todd, Judy, Peter, Derek and Doug.

In the next two reach legs, Doug Kaukeinen chose the low road and made some nice gains.  At the leeward mark, Donnie was still in the lead with Todd, Derek and Doug hot on his tail.

During the final long windward leg of the regatta, Doug Kaukeinen used his great speed and sharp eye for the wind to perfectly tie together the shifts.  In the final 100 yards of the leg Doug leveraged a right hand starboard lift to get by Todd and Derek.  However, Donnie still had a small lead on Doug.

Donnie and Doug battled down the final run of the regatta.  At the bottom gate, Donnie had a slight edge.  He rounded the right gate and Doug split to the left gate.  After struggling through some disturbed air, Doug caught a puff on the right side which lifted him to the favored boat end of the finish line.  The race victory was Doug’s sixth of the series and secured him the North American Championship.

Doug’s perfect final day gave him a 10 point margin of victory over Derek Jackson in 2nd place.  Bill Brangiforte stayed consistent and remained in 3rd overall.  Donnie Martinburough’s first day of NOT being called over the line multiple times produced 11-2-2 results.  That allowed him to sneak past Brian McGinnis by 1 point and end the regatta 4th and 5th places.

After taking a few years break from Sunfish sailing, Doug returned to the class last August at Brant Beach.  At the conclusion of that event, he recognized there were some things that needed to change in the next year to bring himself back to top form.  Over the following months, he worked hard to get himself to the desired physical condition.  In addition, he sharpened his boathandling by sailing his Sunfish more often in the VERY competitive fleet at Rochester Canoe Club.

After being runner up at the North American Championship twice, Doug’s focus, hardwork and commitment allowed him to convincingly win his first title.  As is the case with so many Sunfish regattas, this event was made much more special because Doug’s family was present.  Throughout the entire week, Doug was able to share the joys of this experience with two very special people in his life - his youngest son Britt and girlfriend Deidre.

We are all thrilled to have Doug active in the class again and look forward to seeing him at many regattas in the future!  Congratulations Doug!!!

Final Results

On Day 2 of the Sunfish NAs, everyone was greeted by a 5-7 knot southwester.  Like the prior day, the class enjoyed a great breakfast in the clubhouse courtesy of Erie Yacht Club.

When it came time to launch, the majority of the fleet left from the single ramp at the northeastern end of the club property.  Rich Chapman put on a show of extreme sailing acrobatics when he got a running start of the end of the dock and jumped onto his sunfish.  Derek Jackson tried to mimic Rich’s example, but found himself face planted on the deck to the enjoyment of spectators.  This was the start of a day of acrobatics.

The RC set a course that was similar to the early races on day 1.  The windward mark was skewed to the right of the length of the bay.  For the first race, this caused the left side to be favored upwind.

Race 1 got off cleanly.  Much of the fleet dragged out to the left.  At the windward mark, Derek Jackson was in the lead.  However, he unfortunately discovered the “Erie Current” and got hung up on the windward mark.  This allowed Judy Gesner and Bill Brangiforte to capitalize with an early lead on the fleet.  In the chase group was Todd Edwards, Doug Kaukeinen, Steve Evans, Jean Bergman and Derek Jackson.

During the downwind leg, Jean Bergman decided it was her turn to put on an acrobatic display of her own.  In clear view of the RC boat, Jean’s mainsheet slid out of the boom blocks.  Jean was able to quickly recover (there is probably photographic evidence).

In the next windward leg, Judy Gesner of Rochester, NY favored the left side of the course and extended her lead on the fleet.  She was never threatened for the rest of the race to take her first bullet of the regatta.

In the second race the large majority of the fleet again favored the left side of the course.  Susan Mallows of Hunterdon Sailing Club, NJ had other ideas.  She headed out to the right side of the course where she found great pressure and a starboard tack lift.  At the windward mark, Susan, Derek Jackson, Todd Edwards and Donnie Martinburough were leading the fleet.  As the fleet passed the RC boat, Todd Edwards was informed that he had been OCS.  He elected to retire and grab an early lunch.

By the leeward mark, Donnie was in the lead.  The three leaders rounded the left side gate.  Donnie and Susan continued on port to the right side of the course.  Derek elected to follow the regattas trend and go left.  About halfway up the windward leg, it was clear that the left was paying big dividends.  Derek had extended his lead and it briefly looked like Rich Chapman and Bobby Boger had also snuck by Donnie on the left side.  Donnie continued to dig in on the right and found some nice right side pressure in the final third of the weather leg to round in second.  Bobby Boger sailed a nice beat and moved into third.

In the next downwind leg, Susan Mallows tripped over one of the bay’s trademark weed islands and it grinded her to a hault.  She quickly reacted by pulling her centerboard up.  Unfortunately, her lightning fast reactions were a little too quick, which caused her to join the day’s acrobatic crowd and flip.  Fortunately, Susan used those same lightning fast reactions to quickly right her boat and only lose a couple of places.

At the finish, Derek Jackson took his first bullet of the regatta.  He was followed by Donnie Martinburough, Bobby Boger, Rich Chapman and Bill Brangiforte.

Between race 3 and 4, the fleet took a small break on the water to eat lunch.  During this time, the wind built to around 10 knots.

At the start of race 3, most of the top sailors started near the pin.  Anne Edwards was among this elite crowd.  Anne dragged out to the left with the leaders.  During her first tack, Anne’s forward block pulled out of the boom.  Despite this challenge, Anne was among the leaders going up the windward leg.

Doug Kaukeinen caught a large right hand shift in the final 100 yards of the first windward leg to jump out to an early lead.  The chase group included Marguerite Koehler, Anne Edwards, Spencer Olsson and Rich Chapman.  There was a minimal shuffling on the next downwind leg.

Shortly after rounding the leeward mark, Anne Edwards could be heard voicing her frustration about her broken boom block getting stuck in her deck rachet block.  According to Anne, Rich Chapman found this particularly entertaining because they were in very close proximity.

During the second upwind leg, some big moves came from Brian McGinnis and Lee Montes.  They both went far to the left side and made significant gains on the lead pack.

At the windward mark, Doug was still leading with Brian in hot pursuit.  However, Doug was too fast and took his third bullet of the regatta.  Brian finished second, followed by Spenser Olsson, Anne Edwards and Lee Montes and Rich Chapman.

It should be noted that Anne Edwards sailed the ENTIRE race with a broken boom block.  This made her the final member of our acrobatic club.  During every tack she made, her boom block jammed in the deck ratchet block, which created serious issues.  Despite the heckling by Rich, Anne still beat him to the finish.

In Race 4 the RC set the first modified Olympic course of the regatta.  Anne Edwards, Doug Kaukeinen, Derek Jackson and Todd Edwards punched out near the pin at the start.  At the windward mark, Derek Jackson had a small lead on Todd Edwards, Bill Brangiforte, Doug Kaukeinen, Anne Edwards and Rich Chapman.  On the reach legs, the lighter sailors were able to get the boat on a plane.

At the leeward mark, the fleet had stretched out.  Derek Jackson was in the lead and closely followed by Todd Edwards.  The two sailors battled up the entire windward leg.  At the windward mark, Derek held a small lead on Todd.  Those two were followed by Bill Brangiforte, Anne Edwards and Doug Kaukeinen in close succession.  Coming into the leeward mark, Doug jibed onto port and made some gains on Derek and Todd.  He then jibed back onto starboard and sailed a hot angle to cross in front of Bill and Anne.  At the finish, it was Derek, Todd, Doug, Bill then Anne.

The North American Championship will wrap up tomorrow.  The schedule calls for three races.  The forecast is for a 10-15 know southwest breeze.

Full Results After Day 2

Pictures