2017 Race Results

[Mike Josselyn]

Sailing magazines and yacht club barrooms are frequently the place where you hear that sailing boat racing is dying.  Not enough millennials are interested, racing rules are too complicated, or boats are too expensive or take too much time are just some of the reasons given for the reduced interest in our sport.  It seems that the proliferation of boats and activities also dilutes the number of participants.  Our own boat certainly is facing competition with mass produced sportboats and our fleets are generally small.  As boats get old they either sit in the yards or become weekend cruisers.   On the other hand, those of us who race the U20 recognize it as a fun and fast boat that can give back alot of enjoyment and challenge. 

The reality is that to keep our boat class alive, we need to show that it is being raced, fleets are available for one design competition and that we have both regional and national championships.   Our web site is being upgraded and we have lots of interest in the Nationals this year in Kansas so we are making progress.

I'm hoping that this thread will allow some of us to post race results and events so that all of us can see the vitality of our boat and class.  So please post your fleet's results in this thread and let's keep us all aware of what we are doing on the water.  Have fun racing!

[Mike Josselyn]

Northern California Fleet: Behrens Regatta

The Ultimate 20s fleet raced at Tiburon Yacht Club’s Behrens Regatta on May 6th as part of their season series.  The weather was sunny with 5-10 knot winds from the south.  It turned out that the spring melt assisted ebb current was the primary tactical element in the three races around the buoys.  The first race was determined in the first leg with Uhoo! reaching the weather mark after getting a lucky lift and retaining the lead to the finish.  The second race found all boats moving well downwind and first and second place were separated by 4 seconds at the finish line.  The third race to the main channel and towards R12 channel buoy separated the fleet with the lead boats heading to Red Rock only to see their wind die and the current pushing them backward.  Uhoo! which got the X flag was ½ mile behind, but took a flier and found the NW wind shift first which brought her directly to R12 against the 3 knot current and to finish.  For the series, Uhoo!  (Mike Josselyn) finished first, followed by Ugain (David Woodside), and Breakaway (John Wolfe) third.

[TimPorter]

Five U20s competed in the annual Lake Norman Yacht Club July 4th Regatta.  As usual, the party Saturday night was the highlight of the weekend, with wonderful food, a live band, and fireworks. The winds on Saturday were variable (3-8 knots) with a medium dose of motor boat chop.  The race committee got three races in on Saturday before the afternoon storms came in.  Sunday morning the race committee made the decision to cancel racing for the day as the wind was 1-2 knots building to nothing.  The racing was very close with a lot of lead changes.  Every boat seemed to be in the lead at some point.  It was all about connecting the dots and if you failed to connect them it was easy to go from 1st to 5th. 

Results: http://www.regattanetwork.com/event/14927#_newsroom+results 

[TimPorter]

Wednesday night racing on Lake Norman in North Carolina is one of the most well attended sailing events on the lake.  It is a great way to break up the week and being later in the day you are able to escape some of the heat.  The series goes for 18 weeks starting in mid-April and ending mid-August. 

This year we had four U20s participate, fore sailed by Don Corey, Treez Decker, and Carrie Seberg, Smoke sailed by Jim Juhl and Jim Rhoades-Baldwin (new to the boat), Mighty Mouse sailed by father daughter combo Tim and Madison Porter, and No Soup For U sailed by husband and wife Scott and Dana Olson.  While the awards are only given out for the sub-divisions the main bragging rights are for the 'Overall' places.  The past three years have been won by a J70, but the U20s were able to dethrone the J70 this year.  The U20s held three of the top five spots in the Spinnaker Overall scores (Mighty Mouse - 1st, Smoke - 2nd, and fore - 5th). 

Full results can be found at: http://www.outriggeryachtclub.org/Wed/2017-Wed-Night-Standings.php

[William Mendel]

Here are results for the 2017 U20 NA
http://pycracing.tk/results/northamericans.html

Here are pictures and video :
 http://bit.ly/u20na2017
Which is your favoite?


Looking foward to next year.

If anybody wants a higher quality picture They can contact Bill Buckheit at
kcbillb@gmail.com.

[Tac Boston]

Thanks Bill!

This one is my favorite

http://www.mgatewood.com/U-20-NAs/Ultimate-20-North-Americans-2017/i-dQP6JrN/A

[Mark Allen]

I kind of liked this one

http://www.mgatewood.com/U-20-NAs/Ultimate-20-North-Americans-2017/i-fFXhLFp/A

[Travis Gregory]

I was hoping that was the one of your spinnaker under the boat?  no!   

[Tac Boston]

Travis, I was looking for that one too

[Mark Allen]

pics or it didn't happen

[Mike Josselyn]

Sportboat Invitational: Richmond Yacht Club

In a reprise of the 2016 U20 Nationals, the Blue Angels flew again over the Sportboat Invitational which also coincided with the Express 27 Nationals.  Four U20s and one Open 570 raced in Division B for two days of races (six races total).   The winds were from the southwest, building from 6-8 knots in the first race each day to 15-18 knots by then end of the race day.  Temperatures hovered in the low 80s. 

With a flood tide, the waves were dampened so upwind legs were not punishing.  The downwind legs were long and fast--with most boats hitting the low teens while surfing.  Races were usually one or two times around the course and when not watching the Blue Angels overhead, the SF skyline and Golden Gate Bridges provided a great backdrop to the event.   Team Udecide helmed by Phil Kanegsberg got bullets in all races except one so took home the trophy.  There was no correction for the 570, so they took home second, followed by Mike Josselyn in Uhoo! at third.  The other U20s were Uagain and Breakway.  Richmond Yacht Club sponsored the event---with great dinners and refreshments after each day of racing.

Regatta photos can be found here;  https://richmondyc.smugmug.com/2017E27Nats-Sportboats

[TimPorter]

Lake Norman Yacht Club has an annual club series that is spread out from April through October.  Over that period of time you experience winds from 15-20 down to 2 knts.  This year it featured 11 Saturday events with an average of 3-4 races each weekend.  The series was won by BJ and Emily Jones on Rumbullion by one point over Tim Porter (Mighty Mouse) in 2nd, with Dean Nelson (Uh-huh) in 3rd.

That also allowed BJ to participate in the annual Hewson's Club Championship, sailed in Sunfish this year. Going into the race tied with multiple time Sunfish Worlds competitor, John Butine, BJ was able to overcome a capsize on the second to last leg of the final race to hold off John off and win the title by one point.  Congrats to BJ!

[Travis Gregory]

Wow, the photographer for your regattas does an awesome job Mike.  Really cool shots!

Sportboat Invitational: Richmond Yacht Club

In a reprise of the 2016 U20 Nationals, the Blue Angels flew again over the Sportboat Invitational which also coincided with the Express 27 Nationals.  Four U20s and one Open 570 raced in Division B for two days of races (six races total).   The winds were from the southwest, building from 6-8 knots in the first race each day to 15-18 knots by then end of the race day.  Temperatures hovered in the low 80s. 

With a flood tide, the waves were dampened so upwind legs were not punishing.  The downwind legs were long and fast--with most boats hitting the low teens while surfing.  Races were usually one or two times around the course and when not watching the Blue Angels overhead, the SF skyline and Golden Gate Bridges provided a great backdrop to the event.   Team Udecide helmed by Phil Kanegsberg got bullets in all races except one so took home the trophy.  There was no correction for the 570, so they took home second, followed by Mike Josselyn in Uhoo! at third.  The other U20s were Uagain and Breakway.  Richmond Yacht Club sponsored the event---with great dinners and refreshments after each day of racing.

Regatta photos can be found here;  https://richmondyc.smugmug.com/2017E27Nats-Sportboats

[Mike Josselyn]

A club member, John Liebenberg who is a former Antrim 27 sailor, is our official club photographer.  The Great Pumpkin photos are from another source but show the fun we had.   Did I mentioned we beat a Gunboat catamaran!   Pays to chose the right direction.  Mike

http://www.norcalsailing.com/galleries/201710-greatpumpkinsat/201710-greatpumpkinsat.html#.Wf0ff-tHarU