Jay and Hailey Vann win the

2006 JY15 North American Championship  Way to go!

Beaufort Yacht Club

Beaufort, South Carolina

Aug 18 - 20,  2006 

Amidst the beautiful surroundings of Beaufort, South Carolina, and the Southern hospitality of the Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club, the 2006 JY-15 North American Championships were hotly contested from August 18^th to 20^th.  Conditions ranged from less wind than current, to moderate and shifty, to 15kts plus of gut-busting hiking.  But, the real theme of this years Championship was the success of the many family teams.  17 of 28 crews consisted of parent-child, couple and sibling combos, including all of the top 5 finishers!  This year was a true testament to our Class’ claim to a family orientation.  Aside from great competition on the water, fun was had by all ashore; swimming, dancing, enjoying some wonderful local food, and sharing the welcoming open homes of a great club.

After Class President and local host, John Potter, shared some of the basics of sailing in the Beaufort River with competitors, racing began Friday afternoon in light-to-moderate breeze and lots of current.  John and his 10-year old daughter Megan took advantage of their local knowledge and got off to a quick start with finishes of 5, 1, 1 and 6 to lead after Friday’s racing.  Another BYSC father-daughter duo, Butch and Blair Mumma, finished the day in second, 8 points behind the Potters.  10-year old daughter Hailey and I (Jay Vann) of Yorktown, VA, watched the locals closely and put together 22 points for day one.  Ross and Biz Griffith of Charleston returned after a long hiatus from JYs and finished Friday in the 4^th spot.  Rounding out Day 1’s top 5 were yet another family team, Joe and 10-year old Jimmy Pelosi of Mount Laurel, NJ.  With a decent forecast for the weekend, everyone was well aware of the 2, 3, 1 finishes Mark and Lisa Allen of Clawson, MI, had strung together with a RAF they would certainly throw out.  The feud was on!

Saturday morning saw continued lighter and shifty, not-so-common, easterly breezes that allowed the out-of-towners to keep things interesting.  After a long lunch break ashore awaiting the sea breeze, Hailey and I won the day with a 1, 3, 2, 2 to move into second place.  John and Megan Potter maintained a 3-point overall lead, giving all of us a clinic on dip starting, and turned in a 2-bullet afternoon.  The Allens threw out their RAF and moved up into 3^rd while the Pelosis moved up a spot into 4^th.  Butch and Blair Mumma held on to keep the all-in-the-family strangle-hold on the top 5!

Sunday saw the local sea breeze kick in early and build.  By race time, crews were hiking hard.  There was some real excitement during Race 1, including ejected skippers and crews, and a few capsized boats.  With only 3 points separating the top two teams, mistake-free sailing was the key.  A death-roll jibe for the Potters and a tack-gone-wrong for the Pelosis opened the door for us.  We stayed upright and in the boat, taking a 2 and a 3, and winning the regatta with 25 points.  John and Megan Potter were second, two close points behind.  Joe and Jimmy Pelosi finished third with 53 points and Mark and Lisa Allen took fourth with 58 points (after having to eat an OCS!).  Dan and Carrie Rohde of Richmond Hill, GA, sailed JYs for the first time, and finished tied for fifth overall with 64 points after demonstrating their heavy air prowess and winning both races Sunday!

Butch and Blair Mumma won the parent-child trophy.  The Class’ co-Southeast Rep, Jim Holder of Edgefield, GA, again took the Masters trophy with crew Ted Smyth.  Beaufort sisters Lacy and Elise Sproul took enough time away from coordinating the great trophies to win one as the best female team, and Beaufort siblings Wiley and Foster Marshall won the Paul and Carrie Foerster Perpetual Junior Champion Trophy.  Mid-fleet awards went to the father-son team Greg and Owen Lamb (3^rd) of Hampton, VA, daughter-and-dad duo Emily and David Smith (2^nd) of Alpharetta, GA, and 13-year old phenoms Pearson Potts Jr. and Conner Brady (1^st) of Pass Christian, MS.

I think I speak for everyone in saying that the regatta was a huge success.  The volunteers, and host families from BYSC made it one of the most fair and enjoyable that I have sailed in!  The varying conditions and currents of the Beaufort River put us all to the test.  As usual, many of us got reacquainted with old friends, and we all made new ones.  Best of all for me, was the chance I got to spend quality time doing what I love with someone I love so much… my daughter!  Congrats to all the other families, and our JY friends.  Keep coming out to the race course, and keep sailing in this family-oriented, friendly, fun class at the top of your list of things to do!

See Zach Van Hart’s Beaufort Gazette articles on the regatta at http://www.beaufortgazette.com/local_sports/story/6040129p-5301481c.html and http://www.beaufortgazette.com/local_sports/story/6041663p-5302527c.html... and see you at the next JY regatta!

Jay Vann