Vicki Palmer, Windward Leg Editor

     The 2023 Sunfish International Masters Championship was sailed in pre-frontal moist conditions.  Sunday had fog, clouds, temperatures around 72, and wind W 8-14. There were four general recalls before the first race was successfully started. With the anticipated bad weather, the Race Committee opted to add a fifth race as permitted in the Sailing Instructions.  Monday opened with thicker fog which prompted a 45-minute shore postponement.  It was cloudy, temperatures around 70, with wind again W 8-15. As the day wore on the fog lifted noticeably. Again, the Race Committee opted to add a fifth race.  

      On Tuesday, sailors were greeted by the most dense fog yet, visibility of perhaps 1/16th of a mile with almost no wind. There was a shore postponement. Sailors and Race Committee were checking weather radar as the expected cold front was approaching. By 11:00 am there was distant thunder though the fog had lifted a little. Radar returns were rapidly growing and darkening from yellow to deep red rapidly. With a mid-afternoon start cutoff, it became apparent that the storm would prevent any racing and Code Flags N over A were hoisted with three horns to close the regatta. Sunfish Masters Regattas are five regattas in one; each age group Champion is celebrated!  

      The Senior Master Champion (80+) was George Sechrist.  The Great Grand Master Champion was Lawrence Suter (70-79). The Grand Master Champion was Hank Saurage (60-69). The Master Champion was Chris Carroll (50-59). The Apprentice Master Champion (40-49) was David Loring who also won the regatta overall.  Loring also claimed a berth to the 2024 Sunfish World Championship in Dallas, Texas, though as a past World Champion he has a standing berth.  

      Facilities at Pensacola were well suited to the event. There is a large beach area with a mat-covered ramp to aid with dolly-launching small boats. The Pensacola Yacht Club, with help from many of their members, ran an outstanding event! The food was terrific, hot breakfast every day and the lasagna dinner was very tasty. Sandwich fixings included meats and cheeses, lettuce and other add-ons and a variety of condiments. The only disappointment was losing a day of racing to the weather, but that just can’t be controlled! —Gail Turluck

For full Race Results, go to:  SUNFISH INTERNATIONAL MASTERS 2023 - Series Standing (regattanetwork.com)

International Masters Award Winners (L-R) Willo Cappelleti, Hal Gilreath, Chris Carroll, Dominic Simonetti, David Loring, Hank Saurage, Bob Findlay, Gail Murphy-Heausler, George Sechrist, Rich Chapman

Grand Lagoon International Masters Competitors

(L to R) – Kevin Marshall, James Heinold (82 yrs old!), Mark Heinhold, Peter Buckley

   Great group of locals from the Grand Lagoon Sailing Club participated in this year's International Masters event. They participated in their club boats, joined the class and did some practicing in anticipation for the event. Sailors - Kevin Marshall, James Heinold (82 yrs old!), Mark Heinold, and Peter Buckley proudly represented their club. 

     Thanks to these sailors,  one of them chartered a boat to an international sailor for the Midwinters event.  They reported they had a great time and, while no spectacular finishes in this group, they all were proud to finish where they did! 

     Thanks to the Grand Lagoon Sailing Club for representing Pensacola!

CONGRATULATIONS to Sydney Karnovsky who was one of the three top US female finishers to qualify for the US PanAm  Trials at the Sayville Yacht Club in Bluepoint, NY.

     Recap by Dan Karnovsky: The Menemsha Pond Racing crew in the photo are, from left to right, Charlie Shipway, my daughter Sydney Karnovsky, me, and my son Nick. Charlie brought his boat and Syd’s to Pensacola for us. He and I sailed in the Masters (I used Syd’s boat). He stayed and raced midwinters too. Kira Munger found (and brought) a boat for Nick, so both kids came down and sailed midwinters along with Charlie, while I watched the results from Boston. 
      As you may have seen, Syd qualified for the Pan Am trials, and Nick finished 25th overall (13th American, I believe). 
We had a great time - the facilities and hospitality at the club were amazing, and the little trip Charlie and I took to Mobile was a lot of fun. How often do you get to touch a B-52?!? Dan

Pensacola Yacht Club, Pensacola, FL – March 29-April 1, 2023

Jean Paul de Trazegnies Sails Away with Another 1^st Place Trophy …  You continue to amaze us, Jean Paul!

A Collaborative Recap by Chris Carroll, Mary Ellen Brown, Mike Ingham and Dom Simonetti

     Team Sarasota (Sunfish fleet 154) traveled north to Pensacola Yacht Club (PYC) to race in the US Midwinters at Nationals this past week. We all had a blast. PYC did a great job of organizing and managing the event. Onshore, the registration process was smooth, the food was plentiful and the Bushwackers were epic! Having warm breakfasts and coffee with our friends every morning was a wonderful way to start our day.
      On the water, our PRO Hal Smith (part time meteorologist) and his team did a terrific job. Most mornings we woke up to significant fog. The joke of the week was Hal telling us, "This is so weird, there is never this amount of fog in Pensacola". It was so foggy that we had multiple postponements and one race was abandoned because we couldn't locate the weather mark.  Those of us from Sarasota believe that Pensacola and fog are synonymous. And then out of the fog what appears?  "American Magic" blasting all around us at 30+ knots. It was very cool to watch this new AC40!
      Racing was fierce over the three days with a variety of wind and wave conditions. The competition was tight and intense with a highly skilled fleet. Sarasota Bay has chop but Pensacola Bay wins the chop competition. Going fast in the chop was a big challenge for everyone. Holy washing machine! 
      The judges certainly were not whistle shy as plenty of on the water penalties were assessed both upwind and downwind. It was great to have nine countries competing for three Pan Am spots. This is truly a testament that the Sunfish Class is alive and well!  Congratulations to Peru, USA and Canada for securing country spots for the men and to Peru, USA and Ecuador for the women!

For complete Race Results, go to: SUNFISH NATIONAL AT MIDWINTERS 2023 - Series Standing (regattanetwork.com)   

(Editor’s Note: A mere THANK YOU doesn’t express the proper gratitude for everyone who made this event such a success. The Pensacola Yacht Club and volunteers were hard at work for this double event regatta, the International Masters and the Midwinters, months before the event to make sure things went smoothly. Their great planning, welcoming gestures and positive attitude shared each day was so appreciated. Not to forget … the Race Committee and Judges who volunteered their time and expertise to help direct the completion of so many races in so many days in challenging wind and weather conditions. Thank you! That’s a special commitment that benefited so many. We hope everyone enjoyed their experience as much as all the Sunfish competitors and their guests did. A HUGE Thank You to Everyone for sharing your time, energy and passion for sailing with Sunfish competitors who are the heart and soul of our Sunfish Class. Champions, all!)

(L to R) … Luke Ramsay (CAN), Dan Hesse (USA), Eduardo Cordero (USA), David Loring (USA), Paul-Jean de Trazegnies (PER), David Hernandez (GUA), Lee Parkhill (CAN), Conner Blouin (USA), Marco Teixidor (PUR). Not available for photo: Jonathan Martinetti (ECU)

Country Qualifier Results: 

Male: PER, USA & CAN (8 countries and 48 competitors)

Female: PER, USA and VEN (5 countries and 16 competitors)

Total was 9 countries and 64 competitors in the fleet overall.

USSCA Sailor qualification 

Eduardo Cordero, #1 US male finisher

Caroline Young, #1 US female finisher

These sailors qualified the USA as a country to participate in the 2023 Pan American Games from October 20th to November 5th, 2023!

    USSCA Pan Am Games Trials Regatta will be sailed at Sayville Yacht Club, NY, July 7-9, 2023 to select one sailor (male and female) to fill the berth. US Trial provisions, qualified competitors must intend to compete in October 2023 at the Pan American Games if they win the US Trials. All participants must have a passport that does not expire before May 4, 2024. 

     More details will be emailed this week to all qualified Trails sailors and USSCA Members about the Resume Process. Stay tuned! 

Sunfish Youth Scholarships are available! Applications click below or questions contact sunfishyouth@gmail.com

Registration and NORs

• Top Youth Trophy to be awarded (youth shall not turn age 19 in 2023 to qualify as youth),
• Compete with sailors from all over the world,
• Take time out to tour some historic sites: Lincoln’s Tomb, Lincoln’s New Salem, Lincoln Home Visitor Center, Old State Capitol, Henson Robinson Zoo, and so much more,
• A great family vacation adventure as well as a terrific sailing venue. Combine the two!
• Sunfish Youth Scholarships are available! Sunfish Class Association - Youth Scholarship Application

     After attending the World Sailing Training Scholarship program in Weymouth, England, El Salvador became ISCA’s newest members. And we’re excited!

      Rodrigo Colorado, President of the El Salvador Sailing Federation, commented, “The World Sailing Training Scholarship has given me all the insights I needed to know to develop and direct our National Sailing Federation. The process and methods showed throughout the course was well thought out, clear and helpful."

      El Salvador attendees participated in this program with other sailors from Barbados, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Greece, Indonesia, Israel, Peru and Slovakia. Each candidate was able to work on a project that they will implement in their MNA (Member National Authority) to further develop sailing when they return home.

  The projects they all worked on included: 

• Developing coach mentoring programs and continuous professional development schemes
• Running structured coach and instructor courses
• Standardizing training schemes across a federation
• Expanding recreational sailing opportunities
• Expanding co-operation between sailing clubs

     With lots of training at the World Sailing Training Scholarship program and on-the-water experience, our newest members are ready to challenge us on the race course!

***** WELCOME, El Salvador *****

From Chairperson, Nancy Peterson … An open invitation to all North American Sunfish sailors to the 60th Sunfish North Americans being held June 8-11, 2023 hosted by Island Bay Yacht Club in Springfield, Illinois.  For those of you who sailed at Island Bay for the 1979 and 1993 North Americans you know that we can put on a great regatta.  If you haven't sailed a regatta at Island Bay Yacht Club what are you waiting for? It's a great inland lake with great breezes to make it fun and competitive for all.  The Notice of Race and the registration is open on 2023 NAs Registration. Don't miss your chance to sail in Mr. Lincoln's hometown.

2023 Sunfish North American Championship – The 60th 
 2023 Sunfish USA Men and Women Pan American Trials Qualifier 
 2023 US Sailing Singlehanded Championships 

United States Sunfish Class Association, US Sailing, Island Bay Yacht Club 

 Island Bay Yacht Club Springfield, IL 
 June 8-11, 2023 (Race Days: June 9-11)

PAY ATTENTION TO REGISTRATION DEADLINES:

Early entry fee until 2359 hours CDT May 15, 2023

Standard Entry Fee until 1600 hours CDT May 31, 2023

No on-site entries shall be permitted. 

A major Sunfish North American Championship at the island Bay Yacht Club in Springfield, Illinois on June 8-11, 2023 will have something for everyone. 

• Competitive challengers from all over the world.
• PanAm Trial qualifying competition to determine the #1 male winner and #1 female winner who will compete at the PanAm Final Qualifying event at Sayville Yacht Club in Sayville, NY July 7-9, 2023. The #1 Male and #1 Female winners at the Sayville YC event will be the USA representatives at the PanAm Games in Santiago, Chile, Oct. 29-Nov. 1, 2023
• A well-known North Americans sailing venue that author, Nat Philbrick, in his book Second Wind, describes his fun evening touring Springfield with Sunfish competitors Lee Parks, Pat Manning and Vicki Palmer (then Vicki Bremer).
• Hmmmmm … didn’t we have dancing on the patio at this last NAs in Springfield? This was definitely a fun event from start to finish!
• The many historical and interesting sites to tour while in Springfield – Lincoln’s Tomb, Lincoln Home Visitor Center where Lincoln lived from 1844-1861 before becoming our 16^th President of the United States, Lincoln’s New Salem, a reconstruction of the former New Salem village where Lincoln lived from 1831-1837, the Henson Robinson Zoo and so much more.
• A very nice family vacation venue as well as a great sailing venue.
• Nearby hotel group rates arranged by the Event Committee. 
• Contact Kira Munger for charter boat availability:   kira.munger@gmail.com, - (585) 260-3913.
• Registration and NORs available at the link below:

2023 Sunfish North American Championship on Yacht Scoring 

Carteret County, North Carolina

July 15, 2023

     This is a 501c(3) tax deductible event for all participants. All proceeds go to support local Sailing Schools.  On Friday 14^th is your chance to practice the course around the Island. 

     Click on the link below for more information about the event. The Notice of Race is also located at this link. 22nd Sailing Race Around Harkers Island, NC : Palmico Coastal Activities Council (PCAC) (regattanetwork.com)

(Bill volunteered to teach a Women’s Clinic at the 2019 Women’s North Americans in Niantic, CT. We’ve been reporting his observations to you in each Windward Leg issue with the hope you’ll find his observations and sailing tips helpful. Find an experienced Sunfish sailor at your Club to help explain/demonstrate any of Bill’s latest tips if you need to understand them better or want to practice them. Knowing how to surf over the waves at the fastest speed possible could help move you up a few places in the standings! We’ve worked our way up to Observation #’s 4-7 – on paper, not surfing a wave!)

4. As predicted, the breeze came on strong on Sunday and everyone used some way of depowering the rig. One of the ideas we talked about was the double Jens/small reef trick. Those who used it were pleased.  Gretchen Seymour said there were times when she had very little helm, even in the big breeze. I think anyone who is fairly light would do well trying this setup.

 5. Gail Heausler, Marguerite Koehler-Kreuzkamp and Lyndsay Kresic had solid upwind speed and it was fun to watch. They all had different techniques but still ended up close together at the weather marks.

 6. Downwind was another story! While Gail and Marguerite had some moments, everyone was missing great opportunities in the big waves. I was joking that after sailing we should all go out and practice our wave technique, since we don’t get good waves that often. While we could all use a clinic on our surfing, everyone should practice their upturns and downturns to prepare themselves for surfing nice waves like those on Niantic Bay.

7. Someone who had great wave technique upwind was Marta Chlus. It was a joy watching her sail through the waves. While everyone else pounded the boats through the waves, Marta was so silent that she kept sneaking up on us in the crash boat. She would head up when meeting the wave, then bear off at the crest. This keeps the full hull “stuck” to the water instead of pounding. I talked to her afterwards about depowering with the sheet and using her upper body to help get the boat through the waves. With these small improvements, she will have world class speed in waves.

Southold Yacht Club will host the 52nd Annual World’s Longest Sunfish Race Around Shelter Island, NY on Saturday, July 15, 2023. Registration is now open and is limited to 52 boats. Contact Beth Fleisher at BMFbethfleisher@gmail.com with any questions.

Don't miss out on this fun and unique event. Register today: Around Shelter Island Regatta — Southold Yacht Club.

By Joe Sullivan (“This summer, God willing, I shall participate in this fantastic competition for the 50th time.”) 

 Editor’s Note: Joe is a long-time, most valued and appreciated, member of the Sunfish Class. In addition to Joe’s passion for Sunfish sailing and helping those who share his passion, Joe also pens the most interesting stories. The historical account for this event is an adventure that will inform and entertain you! 

 PART I  More about Joe Sullivan

      After completing my first circumnavigation in Race #1 in 1971, however, I did not feel that it was fantastic. In fact, compared with “Round-the-buoys” racing, I thought that it was just the opposite, and at the awards ceremony following The Race, I suggested otherwise, but I’m getting ahead of myself, so permit me to start at the beginning. 

     Barbara and I had been married four years when we moved into our new summer home in Southold, on the beautiful North Fork of Long Island, NY in 1967 with our two sons, Joe and Sean, who turned three and two years old respectively, that summer. Growing up, I had never had a Sailing lesson but in May 1955 as a freshman at Fordham University, three of my classmates and I were recruited to join the Sailing Team, and prior to marrying Barbara nearly

60 years ago, it was the best decision I ever made! Thus, in 1968, we purchased a Sunfish and in 1969, joined Southold Yacht Club. 

     One sunny afternoon, during the summer of 1970, I was sitting on the screened-in porch of the clubhouse, overlooking Southold Bay and Shelter Island in the distance with Joe Potorski, one of the SYC Flag Officers, and we were discussing possible events, which might generate positive publicity for SYC and its Sunfish Fleet #307. I asked Joe if anyone had ever sailed a Sunfish around Shelter Island? Joe didn’t know but we both agreed that such a long-distance race would certainly be unique and promote Southold Yacht Club and the Sunfish Class among Long Islanders and perhaps the broader Sunfish racing community.  Later that fall, the SYC Board of Governors agreed and a Sunfish Race Around Shelter Island was approved for the summer of 1971.

     In preparing for the long-distance Race, there was general agreement, that the ultimate sailing distance, including all tacking, would be the equivalent of a nautical marathon or approximately 25-26 miles. Organizers were concerned about safety so a minimum age of 18 years by December 31 was established. We recognized that that decision excluded some very good younger teenagers from participating but the decision was based upon maturity and judgment, and we opted to go with age and experience vis-a-vis youth and inexperience. The Race was promoted extensively, and Southold Yacht Club was pleasantly surprised to attract a fleet of approximately 25 boats for the inaugural “World’s Longest Sunfish Race, Around Shelter Island, NY,” which SYC hosted on August 8, 1971. 

     The entry fee was modest, and participants received chilled bottles of water and power bars to take with them while racing. In selecting the date for the inaugural Race, however, organizers, including yours truly, misread the tide charts and instead of the tide going out at the Start, it was coming in. To make matters worse, it was very hot and light airs were the order of the day. The Race was sailed counter-clockwise and at the Six-hour time limit, the leader, Don Trueman, representing the Nyack Boat Club on the Hudson River, had reached the children’s summer camp located on the northwest shore of Shelter Island just before entering Southold Bay. As the rules had established, at Six hours, the Race Committee laid out a finish line ahead of the lead boats and after the first 10 finishers had crossed it, the Race was declared “Over” and remaining boats were scored DNF and offered a tow back to the SYC beach.    

     At the Awards Ceremony inside SYC, I, who had raced and finished second, but found the experience less than ideal, apologized to the two-dozen participants for “This goofy Idea,” only to realize immediately, that I represented a minority of ONE!  I was greeted by a mini revolution as the sailors shouted, “No way!” and “This was Fun!” And “Let’s come back next week to finish The Race!” Joe Potorski, who had not raced, was standing with a huge smile on his face and grinning from ear-to-ear!

     Later, after our guest sailors had departed, Potorski and I concluded that Sunfish sailors were truly crazy but the club had created something special. In short order, the Board of Governors agreed and opted to make “The World’s Longest Sunfish Race Around Shelter Island, NY” an Annual Event.”

PART II will be continued in the April 2023 Windward Leg. 

For the full story, go to Sunfish Class Association - Joe Sullivan Article March 2023  

Feb 11-12: FL Regional #1 RESULTS

May 6-7 : Midwest Regional #1 Hueston Sailing Assoc., OH

May 20-21: Southeast Regional Champs, Blackbeard Sailing Club, NC

May 20-21: Mid-Atlantic Regional #1, Brigatine YC, NJ

May 27-28: Upstate New York Regionals #1, Canandaigua YC, NY

June 3-4: New England Regional #1, Barrington YC, RI

June 17-18: Southwest Regional #1, Seabrook Sailing Club, TX

July 22-23: New England Regional #2, Wequaquet Lake YC, MA

Sept 16-17: Midwest Regional #2, Bruce Goldsmith Regatta, Devils Lake YC, MI

Sept 30-Oct 1: Southwest Regional #2, Dinghy Fest, Rush Creek YC, TX

Sept 30-Oct 1:Mid-Atlantic Regional #2, Normandy Beach YC, NJ

Oct 14-15: Midwest Regional #3, Great Pumpkin, Louisville SC, KY

Oct 28-29: FL Regional #2, Halifax SA, FL

Nov 18-19: West Regional, Mission Bay, CA

Regionals still to be confirmed:

• New York Regional #2
• Gulf Coast Regional

Class Notice with Qualification details

ISCA/USSCA Class Administrator

8070 Willow Tree Way, Alpharetta, GA 30005

www.sunfishclass.org    sunfishoff@gmail.com  404-451-7743