2009 Junior Regattas
August 1st - Spruce Run - Results
August 22nd - Championship Regatta at Mountain Lakes - Results
Mountain Lakes was the scene of The 2009 SANJL Junior Championship. Twenty one young sailors gathered to test their skill against each other in the light August winds. The breeze was often frustrating. Sailors, race committee and parents on shore all agonized as positions and fortunes constantly changed on the race course. In the end, local knowledge proved important as Alec Manson (a frequent guest of MLSA) consistently found better pressure along the west shore and rode puffs to the front to take the overall win. He was followed closely by Simon Bertocci and Nathan Altomare, both former winners of the event. Robert Gossett of Mountain Lakes used his experience on his home lake to stay in the wind and win the Midget fleet trophy.
The Hunterdon Sailing Club demonstrated their team depth by taking the top 3 spots as well as 7 out of the top 10 places overall. Highland Lakes was lead by Worlds competitor Will Kresic who finished a strong 4th over-all. Mountain Lakes dominated the Midget division taking the top four places.
The 2009 Championship brought together many young sailors. Some were attending their first regatta and some were racers with national and world level regatta experience. All the kids had a great time. The large fleet was is an indication of a strong future for SANJL. We are looking forward to next year and building on the momentum of this season's successes.
Junior Sunfish sailing on the lakes is seeing a resurgence. Several of our local clubs have thriving junior programs. Many kids are learning to sail and race, with some kids regularly traveling to regattas. The centerpiece of our local junior season has always been the SANJL junior regattas. Started in 1978, these events have seen successive generations of juniors progress from being new kids at their first regatta to eventually becoming expert racers. |
