FAST in ACTION! Here’s what we are doing...
December 2009
Laser Team Newsletter
2009 Year in Review
In 2009 the Fast laser program provided 18 coached clinic days and 17 coached regatta days for over 25 youth laser sailors from the New England area, as well as from New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and California.
Beyond the laser opportunities within Fast, many of our radial and full rig laser sailors were selected for the Brooke Gonzalez Advanced Racing Clinic and for Youth Champs, and also competed at the Leiter Cup and the Healy Trophy (the New England High School Singlehanded Championships). At the Healy Trophy all eight sailors who advanced to the national Cressy Cup were Fast sailors.
Additionally, recent ‘graduates’ of the Fast laser program are now attending and sailing at Brown, the College of Charleston, Dartmouth, Georgetown, Harvard, MIT, Stanford, SUNY Maritime, Tufts and the Webb Institute.
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September 27, 2009
FAST laser sailors took top honors for Healy Trophy
FAST laser sailors took home top honors at the recent New England Schools Sailing Association (NESSA) High School Singlehanded Championship for the Healy Trophy, hosted by the Conanicut Yacht Club in Jamestown, RI on Sunday, September 27, 2009.
FAST sailors Matt Gowell (RI) won the Laser Standard division, with Gabe Salk (RI) taking second and Tim Entwistle (CT) taking fourth. In the Laser Radial division FAST sailors Nick Johnstone (RI) took first, followed by Liz Dubovik (MA) in second and Oriane Longerstaey (MA) in fourth.
These six FAST sailors are among the eight New England qualifiers who now go on to represent their high schools at the National High School Singlehanded Championship for the Cressy Trophy in Corpus Christi, Texas at the end of October.
Among the 40 competitors from around New England at the Healy Trophy, FAST was well represented with close to twenty of the sailors having FAST affiliations. Great job and good luck in Texas!
September 12-13, 2009
Over 20 FAST Opti sailors practice in Newport
As the second week of FAST practice kicked off, over twenty of FAST’s sailors training for ACCs and Midwest Championships got away from school for a great weekend of sailing. In addition to Fran, Spencer, and Scott, three-times Opti Worlds qualifier Pearson Potts joined them to coach on Sunday.
Saturday proved to be another rainy day. There was a good breeze in the morning, dying down around noon, and picking back up during the afternoon. After two races in about eight knots, the team split up into team trails, intermediate, and development groups and worked on boat speed and boat handling, upwind and downwind. After lunch, the teams came back together to work on starting before a few final few races in the afternoon.
After the usual warm-ups, the FAST team took to the water on Sunday, a beautiful sunny day with five to ten knots in the morning. Unfortunately, after some starting drills and racing, the wind died, and the team was subdued for over an hour. Finally, around two, the wind came back in, and FAST finished off the final few races before the coaches had to catch their flights.
All in all, FAST week two was a very successful practice in light to medium conditions, and a great relief to get back in a boat after the first week of school.
August 29-30, 2009
FAST Opti Team practice in Newport, Rhode Island
8:00 AM Saturday August 29: the last weekend before school starts and the first day of fall FAST. Heavy rain, low 60’s—most people spend these days curled up on a couch with a blanket and a mug of hot chocolate. No one suspects there are kids out on Narragansett Bay defying nature.
The forecast showed tropical depression Danny to pass by us, it rained like being under a fire hose…
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July 19-21, 2009
2009 USODA National Championship
The Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club was home base for the weeklong USODA Nationals in San Pedro, California. Everyone enjoyed a week of glorious sunshine, but weather changed dramatically out on the water. The sailors had to launch in the heat (85 to 90 degrees) in their full spray gear to be prepared for the freezing Pacific temperatures. Their days began late waiting for the wind to pick up but "Hurricane Gulch" provided them with 4 days of constant breeze ranging from 10 to 20 knots. Each day was a new adventure for our sailors with the bay and channel filled with behemoth container ships, seals, sea lions, dolphins and windsurfers.
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June 16, 2009
FAST 420 clinic dates for July and August
John Morgan, our coach from New Zealand will be returning for 420 clinics this summer. The clinic dates are the following:
July: 7, 8, 10, 14, 15, 16 and 24
August: 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6
The clinics will be held from the beach at the salk residence, 20 Seaview Avenue, Jamestown RI. Cost of the clinic is 100 dollars per day per boat. Please send your dates of attendance and checks made out to FAST and sent to:
Robert Salk
20 Seaview Avenue
Jamestown, RI 02835
(401) 742 4568
April 25-26 2009
FAST Opti practice at Norwalk YC in preparation for Team Trials
During the weekend of April 25-26, FAST Opti team members decended on Norwalk YC and its newly completed waterfront project to practice for Team Trials to be held April 30 – May 3 at nearby Noroton YC. The weekend prior to this practice, FAST was at nearby Milford YC holding a joint practice with LISOT and experienced a breezy day of sailing on Saturday with temps in the 70's followed by a YC dinner and another good sailing day on Sunday. Thanks Chris!
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December 15, 2008
Congratulations to FAST sailors making the USODA National Team
2009 USODA South American Team
Max Simmons
The 2009 USODA South American Team will be led by Brad Simmons. Coaches are Scott Norman and Juan Carlos Romero.
2009 USODA Holland Team
India Johnstone
Jake Rizika
2009 USODA Holland Team Leader will be Erik Eenkema van Dijk, and coaches Amanda Clark and Peter Strong
2009 USODA Lake Garda Team
Chase Quinn
2009 USODA Lake Garda Team leader will be JA Booker and coach Marek Valasek
We wish you all the best of luck and have fun!!
November 28-29 2008
10 FAST Sailors Compete at Optimist Midwinters 2008
India Johnstone, Carter Pemberton, Carter Rose, Max Simmons, Tristan Sess, Sean Golden, Jake and Gabrielle Rizika, Chase Quinn, & Pearson Potts all made to trip to the Big Easy. Brad Simmons said the weather was not cooperating, but got some races in on Friday and 1 on Saturday.
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November 8-9, 2008
Max Simmons - 2008 Naples Cup Champion
Huge congrats in order to Max Simmons, Optimist 2008 Naples Cup overall winner! Also many thanks to Max and Brad for putting FAST at the top of the results, even before the event started. Max is a perfect example of what sailors can do when they get out of their own back yard and travel a bit. "This event was a bit of a last minute effort but worth the trip as there was good competition & a solid warm up for Midwinters." said Max's dad, Brad Simmons. There were 95 RWB Opti sailors but the great part was the 80 boat green fleet, a positive sign for the future of the class here in the states. There were about 40 Lasers and 15 420’s so a big event with a wide range of junior sailors all interacting; definitely an event worth having on the calendar.
October 17-19, 2008
2009 Cressy Trophy at Cornell University
A five-strong team of FAST Laser full rig and radial sailors (qualifying with 5 of the 8 allotted slots out of New England via the Healy Trophy regatta in Wickford) attended the National High School Singlehanded Championship for the Cressy Trophy this past weekend in Ithaca, NY. The event was hosted by Cornell University and Hobart and William Smith Colleges at Cornell’s new sailing center on one of the Finger lakes. Laser Performance provided brand new boats for all – very nice. There were 18 Laser full rig and 18 Laser Radial sailors that qualified to attend the Cressy from around the US – having 5 FAST sailors there among the best in the country was great to see.
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October 10-12, 2008
2008 USODA Atlantic Coast Championship
28 Fast sailors and families road tripped to Brant Beach Yacht club on Long Beach Island, NJ. Conditions were excellent and the regatta was run with perfection. Out 262 sailors, Max Simmons placed 3rd overall with 4 bullets. Way to go Max. Chase Quinn was 29th and Jake Rizika was 30th followed closely by India Johnstone in 36th! Charlie Lalumiere was 56th, Greg Fligor was 59th, Alec Stewart was 77th, Fiona Paine was 80th and Carter Rose was 87th. Carter Pemberton was 93rd, Sophie Naughton was 99th and Graham Kilvert was 100th.
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September 27, 2008
2008 Healy Trophy
It was a challenging and wet regatta. The results from a FAST perspective were impressive. Our sailors did a great job – I assume you have the results.
- 5 of the 8 sailors going to the Singlehanded HS Nationals at
Cornell are FAST regulars - Half of the top 10 in each of the Radial and Full rig fleets
were FAST sailors - One third of all the participants at the Healy have been active
with FAST recently.
Here’s a picture of the FAST group (with a big thanks and photo credit to Jay Gowell) as well as shots of Dan, Nate and OJ. Not pictured in the group shot but attending were, Oriane L., Michael B., Tristan P., Saraid D., Ryan W., and Albert N. Plus Quinn H. and Claire C. who entered but were unable to attend. Also Luke, Pearson and Dan Carney who have sailed with FAST occasionally.
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February 9-10, 2008
FAST Sailors compete in the Valentine's Day Regatta held at St. Petersburg Yacht Club
FAST Optimist and Laser sailors traveled to St. Petersburg Yacht Club in Florida on February 9-10 to participate in the annual Valentine's Day Regatta. There was only one race on the first day because nearby storms forced all sailors to retreat to the safety of the harbor. Day two started early with a 7:30 am harbor start and NE winds of 10-15 knots.