LYC Juniors Compete for Spots on US Youth World Team; Reinier Eenkema van Dijk Qualifies for Youth World Championship

January 15-17, 2011

Houston, TX

Five LYC juniors traveled to Houston YC to compete against the best American junior sailors at the winner-take-all qualifying regatta for 2011 ISAF Youth World Championship, and all five juniors finished on the podium.  Reinier Eenkema van Dijk won the International 420 division in the boys doublehanded class with crew Spencer McDonough from Indian Harbor YC, and will become the first-ever LYC junior sailor to compete at the Youth World Championship, to be held July 7-16 in Zadar, Croatia.  Markus Edegran and Nick Gallagher finished third in the boys International 420 division, and brothers Andrew and Matthew Mollerus finished third in the 29er class for the doublehanded skiff division. 

 

   Reinier Eenkema van Dijk, Markus Edegran and Nick Gallagher 

   occupy the three spots on the right side of the podium at the Youth

   World Qualifier.  Photo courtesy US Sailing

 

The three day, 10-race regatta was hosted by Houston YC over Martin Luther King Day weekend and saw primarily light to moderate conditions.  Eenkema van Dijk transitioned from the Optimist to 420s only a few months ago, but was fresh off a solid performance at the International 420 World Championship two weeks earlier.  Eenkema van Dijk and McDonough finished in the top three in all but one race to claim the qualifying spot, four points ahead of Graham Landy and Colin Murphy. 

 

   There was never much separation in the International 420 fleet at

   the Youth World Qualifier.  Photo courtesy Bill Crane.

 

The Mollerus brothers, having returned from the 29er World Championship in Argentina where they finished among the top youth teams, were sailing their second regatta in the 29er as a duo, and came on strong halfway through the event, posting two firsts and two seconds in four consecutive races.  The two bullets by the brothers were the only races not won by the regatta winners, Antoine Screve and Mac Agnese, who will return to the Worlds to see if they can improve upon the bronze medal won in 2010.  Results

 

    The Mollerus brothers (far right) with their bronze medals at the

    2011 Youth World Qualifier.  Photo courtesy US Sailing