On The Water: Junior Congressional Cup showcases youngsters

3 years ago 300

Long Beach

Walter McFarland won the Junior Congressional Cup past Friday evening. One of the newer and astir amusive Congressional Cup traditions is the Junior Congressional Cup. It is simply a fleet contention held successful two-man CFJs (Flying Juniors) and with the commencement and decorativeness close disconnected the Alamitos Bay Long Dock.

Ten inferior sailors are paired (via a random drawing) with the 10 Congressional Cup skippers — juniors helming and pros crewing. Junior sailors use to beryllium considered and are selected based connected sailing quality and seniority.

The victor has their sanction engraved connected a perpetual trophy and is presented with a “Crimson t-shirt” a takeoff connected the Crimson Blazer that is presented to the victor of Congressional Cup.

I had not chatted with Walter since March of past year, aft a Sabot regatta successful Mission Bay wherever helium was precise successful. What I retrieve astir astir talking with the first-generation sailor is his affirmative cognition and however that served him good successful sports and school.

“It was truthful overmuch fun; the people was precise elemental 3 laps connected a windward/leeward people straight successful beforehand of the club,” helium answered rapidly arsenic I fired questions astir the process.

“I was hoping to gully Jeffery Petersen arsenic the skipper to enactment arsenic my crew,” helium paused, and explained, “Because Petersen has been coaching maine since March.”

Jeffery Petersen is the 19-year-old sailor who grew up sailing astatine Balboa Yacht Club since helium was 6 years old.  He sailed his mode into a berth astatine Congressional Cup by taking 2nd successful Ficker Cup.

Walter Mc Farland is simply a ninth grader astatine Mater Dei High School successful Santa Ana and Petersen is simply a 2020 grad of the aforesaid school. Aubrey Mayer, the inferior sailing manager astatine Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club, who besides coaches the Mater Dei team, suggested the 2 enactment together.

“Instead, I drew Johnie Berntsson. He was precise bully and it was his archetypal clip successful an FJ,“ helium continued. “He was a bully partner, helium understood the people and was large astatine speechmaking the shifts and puffs.”

Berntsson won the Congressional Cup successful 2009, and 2021 marks his 12th clip competing. He started sailing successful Optimist astatine property 9.

“We started the race, and we were astir successful the mediate of the fleet, but astatine the archetypal people we were capable to get to the front,” Berntsson said. “It was a bully feeling to spot the vessel down america had Taylor Canfield connected board.”

Final results

1 Walter McFarland, Johnie Berntsson

2 Alex Lech, Taylor Canfield

3 Jack Snow, Sam Gilmour

4 Nicky Lech, Dustin Durant

5 Madison Mansour, Jeffrey Petersen

6 Sophia Corzine, Maxime Mesnil

7 Kai Bramble, Chris Poole

8 Hannah Crompton, Emil Kjaer

9 Jack McGhie, Ute Wagner (Monnin)

10 Olivia Corzine, David Wood

About 10 years ago, US Sailing did a survey of yacht clubs and recovered that much than fractional of the yacht club’s rank is implicit property 50. I deliberation the large take-away was that inferior programs request to beryllium much robust and promote much young radical into sailing.

Based connected the young skippers successful this year’s Congressional Cup and the ample fig of younker successful programs, it sounds similar nine enactment responded.

“Long Beach Yacht Club has demonstrated its committedness to younker sailing for years, with a important information of subordinate dues directed to younker sailing programs to make amended sailors, stronger athletes, and young radical with exceptional character,”  LBYC Commodore Jon Shull said successful an email. “This week’s Junior Congressional Cup Regatta was an fantabulous illustration of the occurrence of the younker program.”

If you person an “On the Water” communicative to share, delight email maine astatine Jo@JoVenture.com.

Editor’s note: Jo Murray is simply a subordinate of and the historiographer for the Long Beach Yacht Club.

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