Chubb U.S. Junior Sailing Championships to celebrate 100th anniversary in Marblehead

Chubb U.S. Junior Sailing Championships © Colin Grey

The Eastern Yacht Club, located in a North Shore coastal community town of Marblehead, Massachusetts, will host US Sailing's oldest and most historic National Championship this week.

Top young athletes from around the nation have been invited to Marblehead for this week's 2021 Chubb U.S. Junior Sailing Championships. This US Sailing National Championship features three days of racing for the historic Sears Cup, Bemis Trophy, and Smythe Trophy this Wednesday, August 11 through Friday, August 13.

These highly-skilled young sailors representing their home yacht clubs or local sailing organizations are eager to test themselves against their peers from around the country in single-, double-, and quadruplehanded competition.

Sailors compete regionally to earn an opportunity to race at this championship in one of three fleets. Competing sailors range in age between 13 and 18. Each Area is eligible to send at least one sailor/team to compete in each of the fleets for the 2021 event:

• U.S. Junior Singlehanded Championship for the Smythe Trophy to be sailed in the ILCA 6.
• U.S. Junior Doublehanded Championship for the Bemis Trophy to be sailed in the Club 420.
• U.S. Junior Quadruplehanded Championship for the Sears Cup to be sailed in the RS21.
• List of Competitors

The ILCA 6 and Club 420 boats are chartered by Zim Sailing, and the RS21 boats are chartered by the Eastern Yacht Club.

The top three eligible athletes in the singlehanded fleet will receive early acceptance to the 2021 U.S. Youth Sailing Championships coming up this October in Arapahoe, North Carolina.

"Many of the country's top sailors have competed for the Sears, Bemis, and Smythe trophies over the years," said John Pearce, Sport Development Director at US Sailing. "This regatta draws top talent from the regional level and gives them the opportunity to be a part of the great tradition, while also learning from top coaches and competing against other top young sailors. It's extra special this year because we are celebrating the 100-year Anniversary of the Sears Trophy."

The Eastern Yacht Club hosted the first of these Championships in 1921 for the Sears Trophy and it is only fitting that we celebrate the launch of this 100-year-old event on the shores of the EYC in 2021.

"I'm really looking forward to meeting the participants, watching them race and sharing this great venue at Eastern Yacht Club in Marblehead," said Henry Brauer, Commodore of the Eastern Yacht Club and US Sailing Board member. "The Sears Cup was started by Eastern Commodore Herbert M. Sears in 1921. The first several years of the regatta were held in Marblehead and the visiting teams stayed aboard Constellation, Commodore Sears' 131' Schooner. It is exciting to bring the Sears Cup back to its original home to observe how far the event has evolved with a sport boat being used for the Sears Cup."

Sailors are taking part in onshore and on-water clinics with a collection of top coaches from around the country on Tuesday, August 10 to hone their skills and acclimate themselves to the racing conditions and the boats.

The following coaches are on site working with the sailors throughout the championship:

• Richard Feeny - US Sailing Youth National Coach
• Cappy Capper - US Sailing Master Coach Trainer
• Matt Lindblad - Head Sailing Coach at MIT
• Cori Radtke - Assistant Sailing Coach at Bowdoin College
• John Pearce - Director of Sport Development at US Sailing

The races will be mostly sailed in the waters outside of Marblehead Harbor in Massachusetts Bay.

This event is sponsored by Chubb Insurance Group. Chubb, a long-time supporter of this championship and youth sailing, has been title sponsor of the U.S. Junior Sailing Championships for over a decade.

The Eastern Yacht Club's Rich Wilson, a two-time Vendee Globe finisher who has set multiple intercontinental speed records will giving a presentation to the sailors. Wilson will be promoting the excitement of blue water racing, a mission of his Collegiate Offshore Sailing Circuit.