Second annual CanAm Challenge – Registration open

by Youngstown Yacht Club on 2 May 2015 The Youngstown Yacht Club volunteers are back at it, planning for year two of the CanAm Challenge. Registration is open and we are up to 56 entries so far.

Remember, we welcome any fleet that can get five boats to the starting line, so spread the word to your fleet and bring your boats to Youngstown in July! As of today, we have the following classes started: J/22, J/24, J/27, J/70, J/88, J/105, Melges 24, Kirby 25, Laser 28, CS30, Beneteau 10R, Beneteau 36.7, eight metre, and Pursuit. I know it may sound early to register now, but it really helps the Race Committee and onshore organizers plan ahead and make sure the event runs smoothly for the competitors. Most importantly, it helps attract others to attend.

Click here for registration.

New Website
We are proud to announce our new regatta website. This was the work of our publicity chair, Amy Reynolds, and we are continuing to build it out as we go. We are still using Yachtscoring for the race management part of the regatta, but the new site will contain all the other info relating to the regatta, mainly the onshore stuff. Please be patient as we add pages of info along the way.

Pursuit Class was a hit in 2014
If your boat doesn’t fit in a one design class, fear not, we have a place for you in the Pursuit classes (spinnaker and non-spinnaker). The racing is actually very competitive and on Sunday of last year we had six boats finish all within five minutes of one another in the distance race course. For those who don’t know what Pursuit is all about, here is the gist of it. Boats receive staggered start times based on their PHRF ratings, i.e. the slower boats start first, followed by faster and faster boats thereafter, with the scratch boat starting last. We use a distance race course on Lake Ontario and the boat that finishes first is the winner, simple as that. We have races on Saturday and Sunday, one per day.

What do we get for the Entry Fee?
We are trying to keep costs down for boat owners and their crew. With that goal in mind, we're including a lot in the entry fee, more than most regattas we attend. Aside from the top notch racing and social entertainment ashore, the entry fee includes wristbands for you and all of your crew. That wristband gets you five free drink tickets (beers are $1 and $2 thereafter, all weekend), a breakfast snack and coffee on Saturday and Sunday mornings before racing, and pizza on Sunday after racing. As always, we will have live bands Friday and Saturday night, so don't plan on going to bed early!

Friday and Saturday Dinner onsite
We love to have everyone stay on YYC grounds and we have setup some great food options. On Friday night, we will have “The Great Foodini” food truck back again, which was a huge hit last year. This is a pay per order type of deal. On Saturday we will be selling buffet dinners under the main tent for $15 a plate. If you would like something else, the Yacht Club will also be serving dinners off the menu.

No Fee Launching, Dockage, Mast Stepping, Trailer Storage
As road warriors ourselves, we try to make this affordable and easy for those trailering in from out of town. We have volunteer committee to help assist with the entire process. We have two (two-ton) cranes for single point launching. For larger boats (up to 40ft) we have a marine travelift and mast stepping crane operated by RCR Yachts, also free to competitors. We will store your trailers for the entire event, again no cost to you.

Dock Talk with North Sails' Mike Marshall
Mike is a North Sails One Design rep and will be here to sail in the event and give a dock talk on the dry-sail pad post racing on Saturday. Mike is an expert in the J/22 (North American Champion), J/24 and J/70. He will be racing on a J/70 for the CanAm.

North Sails J/22 Summer of Fun Trophy
The CanAm Challenge was selected as one of the four regattas in this newly created trophy. The circuit includes Cleveland Race Week, Raw Bar Regatta in Buffalo, CanAm Challenge and Mid-Atlantics in Annapolis. The winner will be the best cumulative result from the team's best three out of four events. Stay tuned for more details.

J/105 Great Lakes Championship
We are pleased to announce that the J/105 class will be making this a championship event and we are expecting a nice turnout from the Great Lakes fleets. There is a trophy being made and will be awarded at the event. Who's name will be the first champion on the trophy?

Hockey Tournament Last year’s ball hockey tournament was a great time and as you might expect, a Canadian team won it all. The USA wants another crack at it and we will have an even better setup this year. Make sure you come prepared for a battle on US soil.

Official Regatta Photographer Tim Wilkes
Tim and team will be back again as our photographer for the event, check out their photos from last year and previous Level Regattas, they do great work. Tim will be back under the tent in his usual spot. timwilkes.com

Drone Video sponsored by Hewlett Packard
We are lucky to have HP as a technology sponsor, which will allow us to have a big screen under the tent to show video. We plan to have drone footage from the race courses for racers to watch on Saturday night.

Sponsors
We thank our sponsors who have already signed on with more to come. This event is not possible without their support. Thanks to HP, Obersheimer Sailor Supply, First Niagara, Paxhia Investments, Buffalo Technology Group, North Sails, Merrill Lynch, Towne BMW, Ullman Sails, RCR Yachts, and Sensatia Botanicals.

Logistics
Accommodations are still available at the Youngstown Motel, Ontario House a.k.a Stone Jug, Emerson House, Riverview/Riverloft Inn (suedory@hotmail.com). For those die-hard’s who still like to camp, the same piece of property on the corner of Hinman and Main Street is available. There is a grocery market in town which can fix you boxed lunches, Rite Aid for those late night essentials, and of course Anchor Spirits Liquors for all of your libations. For the larger vessels that will be using a mooring, YYC’s Launch Service hours will be available daily. Hours shall be posted on the side of the launch shed. And while you are here, YYC will extend our bar and restaurant hours during the event. If you've been here before for the Level Regatta, you know we like to party late into the evening!