Local duo captures U.S. Junior Women's Doublehanded Championship

by US Sailing on 19 Jul 2017 Tuesday’s exciting final set of races on Chesapeake Bay put the finishing touches on a fun and eventful 2017 U.S. Junior Women’s Doublehanded Championship, hosted by Annapolis Yacht Club.

Thirty-five highly skilled young doublehanded teams from around the country convened in Annapolis, a city rich in sailing, for three days of great competition and two days of clinics in the Club 420 with top-notch coaching and instruction. There are teams from 14 different U.S. states in competition at this championship, who represented their home yacht club or sailing organization.

The returning champions from the 2016 event in Mississippi, Sarah Burn (Short Hills, N.J.) and Patricia Gerli (Greenwich, Conn.), joined this year’s fleet for a chance to defend the historic Ida Lewis Trophy. Burn and Gerli were challenged considerably throughout the championship, especially by local standouts Maddie Hawkins (Edgewater, Md.) and Kimmie Leonard (Annapolis, Md.).

Hawkins and Leonard dominated the first half of the regatta, while Burn and Gerli were the more dominant team over the final four races.

After a slow beginning to the championship on Sunday, which included only one race due to light wind, the regatta picked up the pace with four races on Monday and three on Tuesday. Hawkins and Leonard had a three point lead over Burn and Gerli going into the final race of the championship on Tuesday afternoon. Burn and Gerli’s throw-out score was a 13 versus Hawkins and Leonard’s 4. Burn and Gerli won race eight, but Hawkins and Leonard stayed close and placed second to win the championship by two points.

Final Results – Top 5

1. Maddie Hawkins/Kimmie Leonard, Annapolis Yacht Club, 1-2-1-2-[4]-3-1-2- ; 12
2. Sarah Burn/Patricia Gerli, Bay Head Yacht Club, 2-[13]-5-1-2-1-2-1- ; 14
3. Emma Batcher/Sammy Pickell, Southwestern Yacht Club, [15]-1-13-3-10-8-4-7- ; 46
4. Teagan Cunningham/Grace Austin, Barnegat Light Yacht Club, 3-9-9-21-[36/DSQ]-7-3-6- ; 58T
5. Ella Marsden/Emma Marsden, Coral Reef Yacht Club, 4-6-7-10-[21]-9-17-5- ; 58T