160 Juniors flock to 'Bay Week' Events

by Barby MacGowan on 22 Jul 2008
Over 160 junior sailors converged on tiny South Bass Island on Lake Erie for the first of three events in the Inter-Lake Yachting Association's (I-LYA) Bay Week Regattas. Held July 14-18 and presented by Progressive and sponsored by GMC, the Junior Bay Week Regatta hosted sailing in five one-design classes (Thistle, 420, Club FJ, Laser and Laser Radial) for youngsters ages 13-18.

It also served as a stepping-stone to the US SAILING national junior sailing championships for the Sears Cup, Bemis and Smythe Trophies, by doubling as the Area E Quarter-Finals for those ladder events.

Andy Gunkler (Perrysburg, Ohio) started his junior sailing career in the Optimist, a singlehanded training boat utilized by learn-to-sail programs. At last year’s Junior Bay Week Regatta Gunkler won the 420 class, a doublehanded boat that is used at the collegiate level. This year, the 18-year-old won the Thistle class with a mix of first and second-place finishes. 'He is a fierce yet gentlemanly competitor,' said Phil Moehle, the regatta’s chairman. Another repeat winner is Kyle McLaughlin (Sandusky) in the Laser class.

One of the oldest traditions on the Great Lakes, the I-LYA’s Bay Weeks continues with Bay Week Powerboat Regatta (July 30-August 3), followed by the Bay Week Sailing Regatta (August 4-6), which has been held annually for 115 years. Many sailors coming to the August sailing event participate in local 'feeder races' coming from Sandusky, Port Clinton and Toledo, Ohio.

The I-LYA is the oldest yacht racing association in the country with 146 member yacht clubs located in the states that surround Lake Erie: Indiana, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and the Canadian province of Ontario. In addition to Progressive and GMC, supporting sponsors for the 2008 Bay Week Regattas are West Marine, La-Z-Boy and Lakeland Boating.

For race results, photos and more information, visit www.i-lya.com

I-LYA 2008 Junior Bay Week at Put-in-Bay – Final Results
July 13-18, 2008 (Quarterfinals for the US SAILING Chubb Junior Championships)
Thistle Championship Series – Sears Quarterfinal
1. Gunkler, Andy (Perrysburg, Ohio)/Gilmore, Nick (Toledo) /Rush, Sydney (Toledo)/ North Cape Yacht Club, [2]-2-1, 1-2-2- 1-1, 10 points
2. Weible, William/Graves, Evan /Lansdowne, James (all Lakewood, Ohio)/Cleveland Yachting Club, 1-1-3-9/DSQ]- 1- 8-3-2, 19
3. Salisbury, Chandler (Lakewood, Ohio)/O'Connor, Bobby (Shaker Heights)/Hunger, Jack (Rocky River)/ Cleveland Yachting Club, [7]-3-2-3-5-1-5-4, 23

Thistle Commodore Series
1. Verbiar, Dennis (Vermilion, Ohio)/Kramer, Mac (Chagrin Falls)/Freeman, Abby (Vermilion)/ Vermilion Yacht Club, 2-[4]- 1-1-3-3-2-1, 13 points
2. Burko, Steve /Harmon, Mike/Muller-Greven, Guillaume (all Mentor, Ohio)/Mentor Harbor, [3]-1-2-2-2-2-1- 3, 13
3. Mooney, Colleen (Put-in-Bay, Ohio) /Schneiders, Kevin (Clinton Township, Mich.)/Trebilcock, Alyssa (Cleveland, Ohio)/ Put-in-Bay, [6/OCS]-3-3-4-1-1-3-2, 17

420 Championship Series – Bemis Quarter Finals
1. Frissell, Scott (Perrysburg, Ohio)/Harris, Molly (Madison, Ohio)/ Mentor Harbor Yachting Club, 1-3-3- 1-4-[5]-2-2, 16 points
2. Bloomstine, Mike (Erie, Penn.)/Rickloff, Peter (Fairview, Penn.)/ Erie Yacht Club, 3-2-4-5-[6]-2-1-1, 18
3. McRitchie, Leah (Oak Harbor, Ohio)/Schaefer, Natalie (Huron, Ohio)/ Sandusky Yacht Club, 2-4-[5]-2-2-1-4-4, 19

420 Commodore - Series Standing - 8 races scored – Top 3 of 26 boats
1.Sackett, Corrinne/Frissell, Allie (both Mentor, Ohio)/ Mentor Harbor Yachting Club, 2-2-9-1-1-2-[27/OCS]-1, 18
2. Hoover, Taylor (W Springfield, Penn.)/Bloomstine, Ellie (Erie, Penn.)/ Erie Yacht Club, 6-1-1-5-2-3-5-[12], 23
3. Beck, Madeline/Beck, Chloe (both Fremont, Ohio)/ Port Clinton Yacht Club, 1-6-3-4-5-6-[9]-2, 27

Laser Championship Series – Smythe Quarterfinals
1, 185419, Zacher, Tim (Vermilion, Ohio)/ Vermilion Boat Club, [1], 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1, 7
2, 180319, Fisher, Hannah (Carmel, Ind.)/ EagleCreek Sailing Club, [5], 2, 3, 3, 2, 3, 4, 5, 22
3, 167466, Cruickshank, Tyler (Upper Arlington, Ohio)/ Leatherlips Yacht Club, 2, [7], 2, 2, 7, 2, 5, 3, 23

Laser Commodore Series
1. McLaughlin, Kyle (Hinkley, Ohio)/ Sandusky Yacht Club, 1-1-[4]-1-3-1-1-1, 9
2. Williams, Evan (Zionsville, Ind.)/ EagleCreek Sailing Club, [4]- 3-1-3-2-2-3-3, 17
3. Christensen, Wade (Fairview, Penn.)/ Erie Yacht Club, [6]-2-2-2-5-5-2-2, 20

Laser Radial
1. Fisher, John (Carmel, In.)/ EagleCreek Sailing Club, 1-1-1-[2]-1-2-[7]-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-2, 15
2. Dubois, Ellen (Grosse Ile, Mich.)/ Grosse Ile Yacht Club, 3-2-4-3-1/RDG-4-3-[6]-[10]-2-3-2-2-3- 4, 36
3. Williams, Erika (Zionsville, Ind.)/ EagleCreek Sailing Club, 2,-3-2- 1-6-[7]-2-5-3-6-2-5-[8]-5-1, 43
CFJ

1. Mackay, Colin (LaSalle, Mich.) /Rush, Andrew 'AJ' (Toledo, Ohio)/ North Cape Yacht Club, 2-2-2-[4]- 1-2- 1-1-[3]-1-1-1-1-1-3-2, 21
2. Blackburn, Drew (Port Clinton, Ohio) /Riedy, Jacob (Sandusky, Ohio)/ Sandusky Sailing Club, 1-1- [3]-1-3- 3-2-2- 1-2- 2-2-[4]-2, 1-1, 24
3.s LaForce, AuBree /Sexton, Connor (both Vermilion, Ohio)/ Vermilion Boat Club, 3-3-1-2-4-1-[5]-3-2-3- [6]-3-5-5-2-5, 42

full results online at www.i-lya.com