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• ZIM Sailing Sailor Highlight: Christopher Chwalk

ISCA News - Pan American Games 2027

• Regatta News & Sailing Reports
• Hot Toddy Series - Frostbite on the Neuse River
• Route to Worlds - Kathy Spalding
• Curacao Regatta Results

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• North American Championship June 4-7
• Youth North American Championship August 15-17
• US Masters September 11-13
• Women's North American Championship Oct. 9-11

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• Gulf Coast Regional Championship
• 55th Annual Around Shelter Island Race

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Sailing ISCAs is a lifelong endeavor, and has been foundational in the development of countless sailors around the world. To learn more about this, Zim Sailing caught up with Christopher Chwalk of Barrington, RI to hear about his development in the class and experience going to the Open Worlds in Salinas, Ecuador. We learned about how Christopher's time in the ISCA has made him a better-rounded college sailor, and provided a foundation for future campaigns in other classes. Say "Hi!" to Christopher the next time you see him at a regatta, and encourage the college sailors in your life to join you for some ISCA sailing!

Name: Christopher Chwalk

Age: 20

Hometown: Barrington, RI

University: University of Rhode Island

First boat you sailed: Sunfish

How did you get into sailing ISCAs?

CC: I first sailed a Sunfish with my dad when I was 2 years old. I sailed Sunfish off and on throughout my childhood and into middle school, mostly as a fun thing to do on vacation. When I got to high school I began racing in the Sunfish Frostbiting fleet in Barrington, which is where I developed my love for the class. I have been racing most weekends through the winter every year since 2020, and I have learned a lot about the boat.

How did the ISCA/Sunfish play into your development as a young sailor?

It was the first boat I ever sailed with my dad, and it made me want to learn how to sail. As a kid, I would hear about the frostbiting that my dad did every weekend, and it made me want to sail at a high level. This led to my learning how to sail in Optis in Barrington, and moving on to 420s in Newport. Amidst this, I learned how to sail Sunfish in the Barrington Frostbiting fleet, and fell in love with the boat, and the class. The people in the class are a great bunch of goofy people who all share a love of getting better at sailing, and promoting more people to get better at sailing. My favorite thing about this class is how cooperative people are, and how willing everyone is to give advice.

You're an active college sailor, with a long history of youth dinghy sailing. How has sailing the ISCA helped your sailing in other classes?

Sailing in the Barrington Frostbiting fleet has helped me a lot with short course, small fleet racing, which is similar to college sailing. The Barrington venue is also very similar to many college venues because it is very shifty and there is a lot of current. I also think sailing different boats helps make me better at sailing all of the boats that I sail. This well roundedness is something that I strive to continue to work on throughout my life. I have a Snipe, and will be competing in that class along with the ISCA class this year. In the past, I raced Optis and C420s competitively for many years, and sailed at Barrington High School. I also sail in college in FJs and 420s, race on a GP26 in beer can racing, and compete in distance racing on a Pearson 36 with my family.  All of these different looks at sailing help make me better at getting around the race course.

What motivated you to get on the path to ISCA Worlds in 2025? Did you start the year with a plan to qualify for Open Worlds?

Ever since I started Sunfish Frostbiting in Barrington, I had been thinking about going to Worlds. There are a few people who I race against in that fleet who have been, and they always talk about how great an experience it is. I didn’t really have a plan to qualify for ISCA Worlds, but I sailed in the 2024 Erie Open Regatta for fun with my mom and dad, and ended up qualifying. It was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up.

Tell me a bit about your qualification regatta. ISCA sailors are a pretty easygoing bunch, how did having berths to Worlds on the line impact the regatta experience?

I went to the 2024 Erie Open Regatta in Erie, PA, where I placed third and got my berth for ISCA Worlds. I went to this regatta, not really with much of a plan to qualify for ISCA Worlds, so it was an exciting surprise to get third and qualify. I would agree that Sunfish sailors are generally quite easygoing, and at the qualifier in Erie PA, it was no different. I felt welcomed by the top group of sailors, and I felt a willingness from them to teach me how to be better at sailing the boat.

Once you qualified for Worlds, how did you prepare for a week of sailing in Salinas, Ecuador?

I prepared for Worlds by competing in regional regattas, training in the gym twice a week, and sailing in college regattas every weekend. Looking back on it, I don’t think that I prepared enough for the long courses that we raced at Worlds. The regional regattas I sailed in, and all the college sailing I did, were on short courses which didn’t prepare me for one-mile-long beats. I also think that I should have done more cardio leading up to the event, as I felt that I didn’t have enough stamina. Even though I feel that I didn’t prepare enough, I am pleased with how the preparation that I did went. I placed well at the regional regattas I competed in, and I had a good season of college sailing.

Congrats on a very solid 41st at Worlds! What were your goals going into the regatta, and did you meet them?

My goal was to be in the top third, which I missed by quite a bit. I would attribute this to my lack of preparation leading up to the event, and primarily my lack of big fleet practice. I would have liked to have had some more practice in big fleets on big courses. Overall though, I am pleased with my performance. Even though I didn’t place as well as I had hoped, I feel as though I raced many good, clean races that I can be proud of.

What was the biggest lesson you learned at the 2025 Worlds?

I think the biggest lesson I learned was about starting. It had been a while since I had started on a line with 85 boats, since Opti Nationals in 2019, so I was a bit nervous to push the line. This was detrimental to my performance because I was not able to have good starts for the first couple of days. On the last day, I decided that I needed to really push the line -- I had nothing to lose -- and this led to my two best starts of the event.

Are we going to see you at 2026 Worlds? What's your plan for ISCA sailing in 2026?

Unfortunately, I didn’t qualify for the 2026 Worlds at either of the qualifiers that I attended, so I will not be in St Croix. Through 2026, I plan to compete in the North Americans in Barrington, and probably one or two more events throughout the summer. Hopefully at one of the events I sail in this summer I can qualify for the 2027 ISCA Worlds in Bonaire.

LINK TO ONLINE POSTING

 Winter Sailing on the Neuse River in Eastern North Carolina

Twice a month, both novice and experienced Sunfish sailors bundle up and take to the Neuse River for winter sailing in Eastern NC.  

The History

The Hot Toddy was started in the late 1990s by former Sunfish Class measurer Rob Eberle.  For many years the group met at the home of Nick and Missy Mathews who live on the river.  Boats were launched from their backyard to a protected section of the river.  The group sailed as many short races as possible in an afternoon then headed in to enjoy refreshments at the Mathews' home.  Drawing from several fleets in the area, there were usually ten to fifteen boats, and on occasion as many as twenty hearty participants for the informal series.

In 2016, Sonya Dean took over leadership and the Hot Toddy series moved to Blackbeard Sailing Club (BSC), just down the river from New Bern.  BSC proved to be, and continues to be, a perfect venue and host with ample parking, water access, and full use of their clubhouse and bathhouse.  The Hot Toddy continued under Sonya’s direction until the 2023-2024 winter season when another local sailor, Jude Brown, began organizing the series.  

The Current Series

The 2025-2026 series is in full swing with intentional focus on safety, education, and fun. Participation is steadily increasing with both men and women ranging in ages from 14 to 84!  With a 70-year span in age, one can only imagine the tremendous amount of knowledge, skill, and wisdom whirling around with each participant uniquely giving and/or gaining from the experience.       

A typical day starts with a short, on shore, pre-race discussion where participants toss around their questions and goals for the day.  Conversation ranges from handling or assisting others in a capsize situation, to proper sailing gear, to tips on safe and courteous sailing. Practice starts or drills, versus around the buoys racing, is also decided at that time. Short courses are then set and throughout the day, a designated support boat signals the start, quickly adjusts course buoys if needed, and provides any necessary sailor support. The support boat greatly enhances efficiency and safety.  Six to eight short races are sailed followed by a social on shore where participants each bring a snack to share and plenty of laughter.  Stories big and small are exchanged.  There’s no pressure; score-keeping is not done since the emphasis is on learning and having fun! 

Sailing occurs in all kinds of conditions from light winds and shifting breezes, to mid-range steady southerlies, to crazy high winds and gusts with huge shifts dropping out of the sky.  The majestic Neuse is in charge and offers excellent and variable sailing conditions on any given day!  

After the weekend there's a short write-up about the day’s sailing.  Information often includes observations and recommendations, approaching the start, rounding the weather marks, and dealing with the day’s wind shifts and air intensity.  Additional topics may include boat maintenance and tips on “housekeeping” or simple management of sheets and control lines while racing.  If the weather does not permit safe racing, there may be a chalk instead to discuss strategies and tactics: the proper time to leave for the start, decisions needed after the start, considerations when sailing up the course, and approaches to the weather mark.  A detailed write-up with images is then compiled and distributed. 

The Hot Toddy draws sailors from as far away as South Carolina, Raleigh, Winston-Salem, Harker’s Island, Emerald Isle, and of course, New Bern and Oriental. The keys to our success:  we don’t keep score and we emphasize safety, learning, and having fun!  

When asked about the origin of the name the founder replied, “We were too far south to call it frost bite racing but it’s still cold enough for a Hot Toddy afterward!”  Come join the comradery and fun!!!!

Article was submitted by Fleet 688, Oriental, NC. Contributors: Jude Brown, Sonya Dean, Paul Welles.

For additional information please contact fleet captain, Jude Brown, at heyjfb@earthlink.net.

By Kathy Spaulding, 2025 Women's Worlds Sailor

My father grew up on Lake Michigan in a small town called South Haven. He bought a kit and built his own Penguin. He told us kids stories of how much he loved sailing, but when he finished college, he moved to Kalamazoo and started a family. Sailing wasn’t something he had the time and resources for. 

When my father turned 84, my siblings and I chartered a sailboat for his birthday gift. It was a large boat and we went out on Lake Michigan. The winds weren’t bad but definitely mild. I was bored to tears. I couldn’t believe this is what he talked about my whole life. I decided that sailing was not something I would ever be interested in. 

A few years ago, my husband and I went to a camp in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, on Lake Huron. They had afternoon activities like volleyball, kayaking, hiking and sailing Sunfish. There were a couple of college-aged kids giving 30-minute lessons and then you could take a Sunfish out on the bay. 

My husband practically forced me to sail; I’m not one to sit still and he knew I would be bored in minutes. I finally agreed and went for a lesson. Completely lost after the lesson, I told an instructor that I would go if she went with me. I fell in LOVE! It was so much fun. I took a boat out every day that we were at the camp. 

When we returned home, I asked my neighbor, who runs the sailing portion of our local yacht club, about sailing. I took some lessons on a Flying Scot, found a local sailor who had Sunfish and was willing to let me sail one. 

This led to my buying and doing some restoration on a 1976 Sunfish. My maiden voyage was on Labor Day and the winds were high -- I didn’t know how high because I had not checked. In my enthusiasm to sail again, I just headed out. This would be my sixth time sailing a Sunfish and only the fourth by myself. 

Being new to all of this, I did not know about mainsheet hangers. That would have been helpful. At one point, I was tacking and the mainsheet caught me and pulled me out of the boat. The lessons I had taken never covered getting back into the boat from the water, or what to do when you capsize. I figured out how to get back in the boat, but a few minutes later I forgot rule #1 and let go of the tiller to get a drink. I capsized and found myself practicing what I had learned from YouTube on how to right the boat. Thoroughly exhausted, I almost had it righted when a kind person on a pontoon jumped in and helped me. 

I sailed back to shore, soaked and invigorated that I had sailed my own boat. It actually was the catalyst for me to learn as much as I could from anyone who would teach me. My mentor encouraged me to join a local group that races every week. I didn’t think that was my jam, but I have learned so much by racing and attending regattas. 

In sailing I have found a community of people who are so encouraging and I am even more committed to keep learning and sharing my love of this sport with others. 

Kathy participated in the 2025 ISCA Women's World Championship in Ecuador. Her top finish was a 15th in the women's division. The conditions were tough with long sails out to the course and 50-minute-long races and she did it all with a smile! Keep it up Kathy, and most of all keep encouraging others to sail. 

L - Kathy sailing on her father's Penguin, R - Preparing the boat at Worlds 2025

L - Kathy sailing in ECU R - Worlds Awards Dinner

ISCA/USSCA Class Administrator

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