Sailors reaching new heights at HP Camp
by Oakcliff Sailing 13 Jun 2019 15:06 PDT
Sailors reaching new heights at HP Camp © Oakcliff Sailing
Sails reefed 50% of the time, raining 50% of the time, but sailors determined 100% of the time, the Oakcliff crew pushed through extremely challenging conditions in the Annapolis to Newport Race.
"This race was a war of attrition!" stated Greg as he collapsed on the floor of the Oakcliff media office Tuesday morning.
Last weekend we celebrated the end of the Classics Spring series with a Party Like A Pirate theme. The Summer Classics series will begin on Thursday nights starting tomorrow. Sign up here.
Wet and wild ride in Annapolis to Newport Race
Oakcliff's three Farr 40s and the Open 30 Overproof embarked on the Annapolis to Newport Race at 11am on Saturday, June 8. For the first 15 hours of the race, the teams juggled their jibs and Code Zeros reaching out of the Chesapeake Bay. Farr 40s Blue and Red exited the Bay neck-and-neck on opposite sides of an inbound cruise ship. Red went South of the shipping channel and headed offshore while Blue went North and tacked around the Chesapeake Bay Light Tower as tight as possible to go farther inshore.
The Navigator on Red, Roby Douglas, opted for the offshore route because he predicted that the deeper water would produce a more manageable sea state with rolling waves instead of choppy ones. He also anticipated a better angle on the final approach to Block Island when the breeze was forecast to go aft.
Black exited the Chesapeake just a short margin behind Blue and Red but they were experiencing serious oil issues with the engine. Black and Overproof made the difficult (but smart) decision to retire from the race. They ducked into New York Harbor and took refuge at Liberty Landing Marina.
See full results here and read full story here
The youngest boat captain Cullen Zelenka of Farr 40 Red came in third place with an experimental Interlux bottom paint.
High Performance Camp
Our High Performance Camp is in full swing, trapeze harnesses and all. Good breeze and sunny skies have made the perfect conditions for the 32 new acorns to hone their skills in the Olympic skiffs and cats. Thanks to support from US Sailing who added Oakcliff HP Camp to their Olympic Development Program, we have especially top-notch coaching. Three out of four coaches have been to the Olympics and one of them, Chris Rast, has represented the U.S. four times in his sailing career.
"These athletes have shown a lot of interest in learning and working hard" said High Performance Fleet Manager Andres Guerra Font. In addition to on-the-water skills, the acorns are learning boat preparation, fiberglass repairs, nutrition, and effective fitness strategies."
Coach Chris Rast remarks, "This is what you have to do, and if you don't think you can do it, well then this is where the journey ends."
Most of the athletes in this camp haven't even graduated college yet but they still possess the tenacity to manage an Olympic campaign. That's exactly why Hunt & Betsy Lawrence, the founders and primary benefactors of Oakcliff, started the organization: to build American leaders through sailing.
If you'd like to donate to Oakcliff to support this vision, visit our website. If you're local, become a Supporter and join us on the water for match racing, Classics racing, one-design fleet racing, and offshore sailing.
Our collection is growing: New C&C 30 One Design
Oakcliff is thrilled to announce our newest racing machine: Flying Jenny, a C&C 30 One-Design donated by Sandra "Sandy" Askew of Annapolis. The boat is in great condition and has several brand new sails.
Sandy and Dawn grew up together in Michigan. In April, Dawn was a guest speaker at Fawcett Boat Supplies in Annapolis where Sandy was inspired to contribute to the organization. We are very grateful for her donation and look forward to getting Flying Jenny out on the water soon!
Party like a pirate
Congratulations to Caper who came in first overall for the Spring Classic Series. Bonzai won the 1st half of the season and Judy and Invader the second half (tied). Classics racing will resume on Thursday nights with the Summer Series. Sign up for the first race of the series tomorrow evening.
We'd also like to thank Board Member Karin McKinnell Leidel and Development Manager Chris Bellerjeau for organizing a great pirate-themed party for the Classics Awards Ceremony.
SailGP coming To NY Harbor
Come out to Brookfield place in lower Manhattan on June 21-22 to witness some of the fastest racing in the world. Top sailors from the America's Cup and the Volvo Ocean will go toe-to-toe in the foiling F50 wingsailed catamarans.
The race village will be open be open 3-8pm each day and racing will take place 5-6:30pm. You can watch for free from the Race Village or you can purchase tickets for the spectators boats here.
Oakcliff will be assisting with the event on the water and we hope to see our friends and Supporters there!