Derby Anderson and Lucy Kupersmith Win 2002 Ida Lewis Trophy!

Strother Scott on Wednesday July 10, 2002 05:32PM

*BREAKING NEWS*
The Jury has reinstated Emily East and Hartley Meric (Fairhope YC) into race 5. East and Meric were recorded OCS by the Race Committee, but filed for redress claiming the the OCS was not warranted. The Jury agreed and has given the team their 2nd place finish for the race. This moves East and Meric into first place, just one point ahead of Derby Anderson and Lucy Kupersmith (Annapolis, MD). With one race to go today, only the top two teams of East/Meric (19pts) and Anderson/Kupersmith (20pts) have a mathmatical chance to take home the Ida Lewis Trophy.
THE RACE FOR PORTUGAL!
While the top two teams battle it out today, another race of significance will be going on as well. This event serves as the qualifier for the 2003 ISAF Youth World Championship to be sailed on the island of Madeira, Portugal next July. The catch is that only teams who will not turn 19 during 2003 are eligible to represent the United States at that event. Therefore the teams of Anderson/Kupersmith and East/Meric are not eligible. This opens up a whole new battle to represent the USA at the Youth Worlds. Each competing country can send only one entry per class and the Youth Worlds is considered the "Olympics" of junior sailing. Two teams have a chance going into the last race to earn the prestigious spot. Just 2 points separate Caroline Young and Shannon Heausler (Davis Island YC) with 29 points and Blaire Herron and Lauren Usrey (Coronado, CA) with 31. Although neither team has a chance to win the regatta, they will be sailing hard to earn the right to represent the United States.

Race 8 - FINAL RACE:
The final race of the 2002 U.S. Junior Women's Doublehanded Championship for the Ida Lewis Trophy started in 10 knots at 1200 hrs. The breeze has slowly built to 12 knots and at the second windward mark of the windward leeward finish upwind course, Derby Anderson and Lucy Kupersmith (Annapolis, MD) have a two boat length lead over Blaire Herron and Lauren Usrey (Coronado, CA). Kitty Lovelace and Hillary Webb (Greenwich, CT) are close behind in third and Emily East and Hartley Meric (Fairhope YC) who were leading by just one point going into today are in 8th place. With just one lap to go, Anderson and Kupersmith look poised to add to yesterday's dominant string of three straight bullets and take home the title. The race for Portugal is also heating up. Caroline Young and Shannon Heausler (Davis Island YC) had a solid lead over Blaire Herron and Lauren Usrey (Coronado, CA) on the first lap, but Herron and Usrey sailed a flawless second beat to round second overall, a few places ahead of Young and Heausler.

Anderson and Kupersmith have taken another bullet in race 8, giving them 4 straight wins and the U.S. Junior Women's Doublehanded Championship for the Ida Lewis Trophy (pending official results). The team from Annapolis Maryland showed total dominance in the moderate winds, winning every race over 9 knots. Caroline Young and Shannon Heausler passed Blaire Herron and Lauren Usrey on the final beat to place second in the race and win the battle to represent the United States at the 2003 Youth Worlds in Madeira, Portugal (pending official results). Herron and Usrey had an 8-10 boat length lead over Young and Heausler at teh last leeward mark, but on the final beat, Young and Heausler made huge gains to finish second. Herron and Usrey finished 5th in the race. Fourth place in race eight went to Leigh Kempton and Kaitlin Storck (Tom's River YC) and fifth place was taken by the comeback team of . Kitty Lovelace and Hillary Webb (Greenwich, CT). "Kitty and Hillary get the award for the best comeback of the regatta after their first day finishes of 10,22,20. They turned their performance around on the second day to close out the regatta with a 7,9,2,4,4. They just seemed to get better every race" said Brian Doyle, US Sailing's Olympic Development Coach.

Every competitor, regardless of how she finished will go home with many new experiences. The sailors were treated to a two-day advanced racing clinic, a beach luau, a harbor cruise on a 70 foot restored tug boat and endless trays of chocolate covered strawberries.
Fishing Bay Yacht Club
Office Mail: Fishing Bay Yacht Club, 2711 Buford Road #309, Bon Air, 23235,
Clubhouse Address: 1525 Fishing Bay Road, Deltaville, VA 23043 (no mail delivery)

Phone Numbers: Club House 804-889-2327

Contact Webmasters