Kohl Killeen takes Celebrate Sailing Trophy in Pensacola

by Talbot Wilson on 6 Jul 2009
Kohl Killeen (Southern Yacht Club, New Orleans, Louisiana), sailing 16007 in the Red Optimist Dinghy fleet, had scores of 2,1,1,1,[2],1,1 in racing July fourth and fifth in the USA Junior Olympic Sailing Festival presented by Subway in Pensacola. He took first place in his fleet and also won the new Subway Celebrate Sailing Trophy as the first place finisher in the largest fleet in the Independence Day Regatta.

Seven-year-old Savannah Baus (123789) Pensacola, Florida) was the youngest sailor in the festival and the cream of the youngest sailors, the Green Opti Fleet. Those sailors are not actually scored for prizes, but she had finishes of 3,2,1,3,[5],2,2,3 for 16 points and a six-point lead over fellow Pensacola sailor Grant Gaston.

Killeen has an active program for the rest of the summer including racing in Nantucket later in July. Savannah has done four regattas and owns her own opti. She wants to move up the White Opti fleet and take on the competition there.

Dodge Rees (Pensacola, Florida) took first in the Laser Radials with a nearly perfect score, really perfect with the drop… 1,1,1,1,1,1, [2]. dodge has a very active campaign this summer including Laser competition in the Cork regatta on Quebec, the Nationals in New Jersey. He came in the top ten in the US Youth Championship earlier this summer in Greenwich, CT

Juniors also sailed the Gulf Yachting Association club Flying Scots in the Independence Regatta. The Pensacola Yacht Club team skippered by Eddie Adams was first with [3],1,1,1,1,1,1. They had an eight point lead over Zach Grant from Ft. Walton Beach.

Sailors 8-21 years old were invited to bring their Optis, Lasers, Club 420’s and Flying Scots to join the fun at this traditional 4th of July holiday regatta. Racers cam from all over the Southeast including lake Lanier, Birmingham, Ft. Lauderdale, the Tampa Bay area and Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama coastal yacht clubs. The event had a record seventy-nine participants.

For results, photos or to learn more about the event, go to the PYC web site, http://www.pensacolayachtclub.org/, click GUEST then click on HERE below the Junior Olympic Sailing Festival event logo.

About the 2009 USA Junior Olympic Sailing Festivals
In its 13th season, the Junior Olympic Sailing program is a nationwide series of regattas for youth, ages 8 to 21. There are 25 regattas slated for 2009 in the continental United States and Hawaii and over 4,300 sailors are expected to participate. The action begins with two events in June, and the series culminates with the 33rd annual Orange Bowl International Youth Regatta in Miami, the largest junior sailing event in the country.

This youth development program, nationally sponsored by West Marine, Gill North America, Active.com and Bull Frog, is a nationwide series of regattas hosted by yacht clubs and sailing organizations. They are designed to promote the enjoyment of sailing, develop the skills of young sailors, and to provide a pathway for hopeful Olympic competitors.

During the course of the 2009 JO season, young sailors will race Optimists, Lasers, Bytes, Sunfish, El Toros, Club 420s, CFJs, 29ers, windsurfers andmore in 25 events held in 16 states. Since the inception of the program in 1997, more than 38,000 sailors have participated in 233 events offering various levels of competition, skill building and fun activities designed to encourage a life-long involvement in the sport of sailing.

Additionally, US Sailing’s JO program has inspired hundreds of young sailors to reach for their Olympic dreams. The medal ceremony at the end of each JO event is similar to that of the Olympic Games format, as class winners step up to the podium to collect gold, silver, and bronze Junior Olympic medals. Special fun prizes and sportsmanship awards are presented at many JO events.