USODA Team Race National Championship - Tough fight for Russell Trophy

by Talbot Wilson on 22 Jul 2015 The Team Race National Championship Opti sailors could not have asked for a better day. They had completed their 78-race required round-robin on Monday and got in a final 28 races on the Gold Course plus a first to three finals and a best to two petite finals. Long Island Sound's LISOT Black came out first in the Gold Fleet taking the USODA Team Race National Championship Russell Trophy three - zero from the Brenton Reef team from Newport RI.

The Long Island sound team was led by team captain Emma Cowles, and included Max Anker, Carmon Cowels, Owen Hennessey and Conner Marac. Emma and Carmon celebrated their birthday today in a special celebration as all the sailors sang Happy Birthday to the sisters.

The committee decided to go back to the regular schedule with a 10AM CDT start. They got off all their 28 round-robin races with only one short delay. The wind had come in early from an unusual north-westerly direction and stayed steady but turned light and died out as the sea breeze filled in from the usual 185º that Pensacola is famous for. It built through the afternoon reaching about 16kts as the finals started. Competition between the top team was tight and exciting.

On the Silver/Bronze B Circle SYC White was first in the Silver Fleet, LISOT Gold was second and Ft Lauderdale's LYC Gold was third. There was a tie for first through third that went to a tiebreaker to decide the final order for the winners.

In the Bronze standings Lake Ontario's Loot 3 was first, Southern Yacht Club's SYC Yellow was second, Long Island Mid Atlantic's Lima Red was third and New Jersey's Team Manto was fourth.
Spectators are invited to come to the Pensacola waterfront at Plaza de Luna, Pensacola Maritime Park, Sanders Beach or Pensacola Yacht Club. A 'Food Truck' food court will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner daily at Pensacola Yacht Club.

Fleet racing in the USODA Girls National Championship will be sailed on Wednesday and the USODA National Championship will be sailed Thursday through Sunday. Individual entries come from all over the USA and other countries including Canada, Bermuda, the Bahamas and more.

Pensacola Yacht Club welcomes all of the young Opti sailors for these elite events from beginners to experts. A ‘beginners’ Green Fleet will race Thursday through Sunday in the shallow waters off Sanders Beach adjacent to Pensacola Yacht Club. In total, PYC expects over 2000 people to be involved in the championships as participants, coaches, race officials, volunteers and parents supporting their young green and championship fleet challengers.

The USODA Opti Nationals week is a great time to enjoy all that Pensacola and Northwest Florida have to offer.