U.S. Junior Women’s Doublehanded Championship for the Ida Lewis Trophy

by Jake Fish on 7 Jul 2009 The Hampton Yacht Club (Hampton, Va.) will be the host for 37 teams competing at the 2009 U.S. Junior Women’s Doublehanded Championship for the Ida Lewis Trophy, a US Sailing National Championship event sponsored by LaserPerformance.

The regatta will be run in Club 420s on the waters of Chesapeake Bay over three days from July 9-11. Participating sailors will take part in a two-day advanced racing clinic that precedes the regatta on July 7-8.

The field of competitors, who range in age from 13 to 18 years old, was selected from among the best junior women’s teams throughout the United States. Of the 76 young women participating in this year’s championship, 18 sailed in last year’s event.

There are several top notch sailors contending for the championship. Grace Lucas (Little Silver, N.J.) will try and improve her third place finish in last year’s championship with new crew Tierney Driscoll (Bayport, N.Y.). Lucas’s crew from last year, Jane Rew (Princeton, N.J.), is now crew for Sarah Williams (Summit, N.J.). Carly Shevitz (Santa Barbara, Calif.) hopes to make a run at the title after finishing third in last week’s U.S. Youth Sailing Championship in Greenwich, Conn. Shevitz will be at the helm with crew Erica Parker (San Diego, Calif.).

Another team to watch is Deirdre Lambert (Cumberland, Maine) and Tracy Doherty (Sea Cliff, N.Y.), who finished 12th at their first U.S. Youth Sailing Championship. Chanel Miller (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) and former teammate Melany Johnson (Berwyn, Pa.) are both competing separately at this year’s regatta with new crew. Johnson and Miller finished fourth in 2007 championship and eighth in 2008. Miller is now sailing with crew Yuri Namikawa (Ranchos Palos Verdes, Calif.), while Johnson has begun helming and sails with crew Mackenzie Needham (Shelter Island, N.Y.). Another former crew, Morgan Russom (Springfield, Pa.), who finished second last year as crew, is helming this year with Rachel Hanscom (Maclean, Pa.).

Competing sailors will be treated with Skype question and answer interactive sessions with US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics member and Olympic Gold Medalist, Anna Tunnicliffe (Monday, July 6); and former head coach of the US Sailing Team, Gary Bodie (Thursday, July 9).

The Ida Lewis Trophy, named for the 16-year-old Newport (R.I.) lighthouse keeper, will be awarded to the winning team. Keeper trophies will be awarded to the skippers and crew finishing in the top three places. US Sailing medals will be presented to the top five finishing teams. The C. Thomas Clagett Sportsmanship Award will be awarded to a team based on the results of the competitors’ secret ballot.

For complete results, daily reports, and photos as the event is happening, please visit the event website at http://championships.ussailing.org/Youth/USJrWomensDoublehanded.htm.