FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Jake Fish
US SAILING Communications Manager
jakefish@ussailing.org
The first day of racing began Monday for the U.S Junior Women’s Doublehanded Championship, hosted by the Hingham Yacht Club. The weather was hot and humid with a south/south westerly breeze at approximately 14 knots. Three races were completed on Hingham Bay and the team of Melany Johnson and crew Mackenzie Needham have a five point lead after day one.
In race 1, the conditions were ideal for the heavy wind sailors. On the downwind leg many boats capsized due to these heavy winds. Johnson (Berwyn, Pa.) and Needham (Shelter Island, N.Y.), representing Brant Beach Yacht Club, won race one. In second place was skipper Allyson Donahue (Brigantine, N.J.) and crew Madelynn Widmeier (Pipersville, Pa.), representing Brigantine Yacht Club. Finishing in third place was a team of sisters from Richmond Hill, Ga., skipper Devon Rohde and crew Dana Rohde, representing Beaufort Yacht and Sailing and the Savannah Sailing Center.
Race 2 had relatively strong breezes, but not quite as heavy as it had been in race one. The sailors were fighting the current on the upwind but the solid breeze kept them on course. Skipper Holly Tullo (Staten Island, N.Y.) and crew Haley Fox (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.), representing Lauderdale Yacht Club, took first place. Coming in second was skipper Mary Hall (Seminole, Fla.) and crew Rachel Perry (Tampa, Fla.), representing St. Petersburg Yacht Club, and in third place was Devon and Dana Rohde.
As a precaution to the forecasted thunderstorms, race 3 was moved closer to land. The longest race of the day took nearly an hour to finish. Taking first place was skipper Mallory Schluter (San Diego, Calif.) and crew Marly Isler (San Diego, Calif.), representing San Diego Yacht Club. Johnson and Needham finished second, and in third place was skipper Kate Rakelly (Carlsbad, Calif.) and crew Colleen Hackett (El Cajon, Calif.), representing Mission Bay Yacht Club.
Although four races were scheduled today, the fourth race did not begin due to approaching foul weather conditions. Erin Mullins (East Greenwich, R.I.) and Erica Lush (Jamestown, R.I.) trail Johnson and Needham by five points. Meanwhile, Donahue and Widmeier are eight points behind the leaders. Racing continues tomorrow and runs through Wednesday.
Visit the event website for daily recaps, results, photos and more. Follow the action with live updates from Hingham at US SAILING's Facebook and Twitter sites.
This championship is sponsored by LaserPerformance and supported by the C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Trust.
- Race recap content provided by Charlotte Robinson.
About US SAILING
The United States Sailing Association (US SAILING) is the national governing body for sailing. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, the organization provides leadership, promotes integrity, and fosters growth for the sport of sailing in the United States. US SAILING offers training and education programs for instructors and race officials, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, issues offshore rating certificates, and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country, including National Championships and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Teams. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org.
About LaserPerformance
LaserPerformance is a global company formed from a merger between Vanguard Sailboats and Performance Sailcraft Europe. LaserPerformance is the world’s largest supplier of recreational and high performance sailboats. LaserPerformance products include the Sunfish and the Olympic class Laser, two of the most recognized brands in the sailing world. LaserPerformance has offices in Portsmouth RI (US), Long Buckby (UK), Melbourne (AU), Middle East (UAE), and Hong Kong. For more information on LaserPerformance, call 401-683-0960 or visit their web site at www.laserperformance.com.