Orange Bowl Regatta - An international success

by Connie Bischoff on 29 Dec 2009
This 40th Orange Bowl International Youth Regatta has lived up to its name by attracting sailors from 17 countries, including six European nations, five South American nations, plus 23 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

Acting as the 'Captain' of the Optimist Finish Boat is Adrian 'Stog' Stoggall of Great Britain. This regatta is a bit of a treat for 'Stog', as his previous experience includes race committee work for the recent Beijing Olympics. When he returns to England, he will be running a squad regatta at Weymouth, home of the next Olympics under different sailing conditions… breezy cold and maybe snow.

The leaders through day two again reflect the international flavor of the Orange Bowl. Starting with the Optimists, Ft. Lauderdale brothers Christopher and Duncan Williford are managing to stay ahead of Brazil's Gabriel Esltrodt and current Optimist World Champion Sinclair Jones from Peru.

The 420 Class leaders were not exactly international but definitely not Floridians. In International 420, they were Morgan Kiss, a former Opti star herself, and Katia DaSilva from Rhode Island and Michigan respectively. The 420 leaders are California brothers, Chris and Daniel Segerblom. In the Laser Radial class, St. Petersburg, Florida's Mateo Vargas, another former Opti star, is leading Brazilian Stefano Mazzaferro by only one point in the 135 boat fleet.

Yesterday's leaders in the Laser 4.7 and Laser Full-Rig classes continue to dominate. They are Maximilian Stein from Germany and Canada's Ricardo Montemayor. The beginner Green Fleet sailors were more local. In first place is Sam Baker from Tavernier, Florida followed by Miamians Sebastian Clark and Geronimo Nores.

It was a 'Miami Convention Bureau' day with a blue sky and no clouds. The wind was from 8 to 15 on the Optimist course in the north part of Biscayne Bay closer to the Key Biscayne Causeway and further south in the bay (west of the Key Biscayne lighthouse) it got up to 16 to 8 steady with a big gust of 22 during the last race of the day.

The Orange Bowl International Youth Regatta is hosted by Miami's Coral Reef Yacht Club (CRYC) assisted by the US Sailing Center-Miami, Biscayne Bay Yacht Club and Lauderdale Yacht Club. Sponsors include Investors Solutions, Dinghy Locker @ Landfall, Laser Performance, Lightning Printing, West Marine, Zoum and McLaughlin Boats. West Marine has loaned the regatta a safety boat and driver. Scoring is done on the water using DataJack.com. The regatta runs through December 30th.

For complete results, visit www.coralreefyachtclub.org.