Junior Sailors Achieve Success At Home

and Abroad

July 2011

LYC’s top junior sailors have been traveling the globe all summer, highlighted by Reinier Eenkema van Dijk becoming the first LYC junior sailor to ever compete at the ISAF Youth World Championship. 

Eenkema van Dijk and crew Spencer McDonough won the U.S. Youth World qualifier in January, earning the right to be the sole American representative in the International 420 class at the Youth Worlds, held July 7-16 in Zadar, Croatia.  Eenkema van Dijk, who had achieved international success in the Optimist class, is in his first year in the 420 class.  The team had three finishes in the top 10 and placed 20th out of 34 despite being one of the youngest teams at the event.  Results. 

 

   Reinier Eenkema van Dijk (USA) leads the Swiss team around

   the leeward mark at Youth Worlds.

 

Other LYC 420 teams spent the month of July traveling through Europe and competing, with brothers John and Thomas Gallagher placing seventh in the silver fleet at French International 420 Nationals in Cherbourg July 11-15.  Results.  At the end of the month, several I-420 teams traveled to Tavira, Portugal for the European Championship.  Eenkema van Dijk placed 10th in the silver fleet, Harry Koeppel and Nick Gallagher placed 16th, and John and Thomas Gallagher 28th.  Claudia Taselaar and Alexandra Liggins placed 18th in the girls silver fleet.  Results.

Andrew and Matthew Mollerus, members of the U.S. Sailing Development Team in the 29er class, spent the first half of their summer honing their skills in Europe as well, competing at German 29er nationals, placing 17th.  Results.  The brothers went on to compete at the 29er European Championship, placing 35th in the silver fleet.  Results.

 

   Team USA at the 29er European Championship

 

On the Opti circuit, Ty Ingram won three of 11 races at the North American Championship in early July at Cabrillo Beach YC in California, placing 12th out of 187 sailors, despite needing a trip to the emergency room to treat a severe bone bruise on his knee.  Results.  In mid July, several teams traveled to Houston YC for the Opti Nationals.  Chrissie Klingler placed fourth at Girls Nationals, with Emma Kaneti in sixth.  Results.  Ty Ingram placed ninth out of 222 sailors, Chrissie Klingler 19th and Matt Kaplan 26th.  Emma Kaneti placed 31st in the silver fleet and Lizzie Kaplan placed 66th in bronze fleet at her first major Opti regatta.  Results.  Ingram and Kaplan also competed at Opti Team Race Nationals, finishing second overall with Team LISOT.

 

   Ty Ingram (7188) surfs the swells around the leeward mark at

   Opti North Americans

 

At the end of July, several Opti sailors traveled to Beverly YC in Marion, MA for the Optimist New England Championship.  Good breezes allowed for 13 races for the 295-boat fleet.  Ty Ingram, sailing his last-ever Opti event before aging out of the class, went out with a bang, winning five races and placing second overall.  Matt Kaplan placed seventh, Chrissie Klingler 24th, Will Gallagher 50th, Lizzie Kaplan 230th and Charlie Roseberry 251st, in what was his first major Opti regatta.  Results.

While teammates were at New Englands, Elizabeth Hansen was in Singapore, having qualified for the IODA Asian Sailing Championship.  Hansen placed 75th overall.  Results. 

On the domestic 420 circuit, Casey Klingler and Julia Rew placed 19th out of 113 at the Club 420 North Americans in mid July at Buffalo Canoe Club and 17th out of 71 at Club 420 Nationals in Wilmette, Illinois.  Results.  Klingler and Rew also competed at for the Ida Lewis Trophy, which is the US Sailing Girls Doublehanded National Championship, placing 16th at Bay Head YC on the Jersey Shore.  Results.