Benton Amthor receiving the Commonwealth of Virginia Trophy for the second year in a row, and third year in a row for FBYC!

With the end of Junior Week, 49 kids on the FBYC junior race teams began the most intense period of sailing-and racing-many will experience in their entire lives. Over 19 days the teams raced in 7 regattas!

The first regatta was FBYC’s own Junior Olympics, immediately following Junior Week on June 27 & 28. The Opti and Laser Development Teams, and the Opti and Laser Race Teams, all competed. Our kids dominated against teams from AYC, SSA, Tred Avon, Hampton, around the bay and North Carolina. In the Opti division, our own Nathan Smith won Overall, and the next four spots were claimed by teammates Benton Amthor, Boyd Bragg, Ian Street and Guthrie Braun! In the Laser Radial, Luke Hayes was 6th, followed by Jed Londrey and Garret Levy.

After taking Monday off, the Opti and Laser Teams travelled to Annapolis for the Severn Sailing Association Annual Junior Regatta on Wednesday, followed by the Annapolis Yacht Club Annual Junior Regatta on Thursday. Most parents alternated vacation days with their spouses to support their kids at the regattas. Again, FBYC dominated in the finishes, placing in all classes and fleets. Benton Amthor was second Opti Overall at SSA; and fourth overall at AYC. The AYC regatta also served as the Maryland State Championships. The Laser Team also scored numerous top 10 finishes in both regattas.

Opti Development Team Member Noah Wensell

The following week, on Friday, July 10, both the Opti and Laser Development Teams travelled to Hampton for the Hampton Yacht Club Annual Junior Regatta. Many of our younger kids, and members from the Hampton area, competed. Opti Overall was won by Opti Race Team member Reed McAllister, followed by Opti Development Team members Walker Angus in second and Chase Brewer in fifth. Opti Race Team members Benton Amthor and Boyd Bragg took first place sailing in their first 420 regatta! In the Laser Radial Class, Laser Development Team member Jackson Montague was second in his third Laser regatta.

All of the teams then travelled to the Norfolk Yacht and Country Club for the Commonwealth of Virginia Junior Championships, held July 11 & 12. (We have hosted this regatta for the past five years.) For the second year in a row, and the third for a FBYC sailor, the Opti Overall was won by Benton Amthor! Our Opti sailors dominated in all fleets, winning each division and the top four or five places in each . In Lasers, Garrett Levy was third, Trent Levy was fifth, and Jordan Bendura was sixth.

Opti Race Team at Norfolk Yacht and Country Club

Leaving directly from Norfolk, on Monday the teams drove up the Eastern Shore for regattas at Tred Avon Yacht Club on Tuesday and Corsica River Yacht Club on Wednesday. Again, our kids dominated. At Tred Avon, which has one of the largest junior programs on the Bay, Boyd Bragg won Opti Overall, followed by Benton Amthor in second and Nathan Smith in fourth; in the Lasers, Luke Hayes was fourth, followed by Garrett Levy in fifth.

At Corsica River Yacht Club, Benton Amthor won Opti Overall, followed by Nathan Smith in second, Boyd Bragg in fourth, and Guthrie Braun in fifth. In Lasers, Garrett Levy was first followed by Luke Hayes in second, Trent Levy in third, and Daniel Resio in fourth. Our sailors keep flipping in the results, and are often their own toughest competition!

In addition to the above results, many of our youngest sailors raced in Green Fleets at the various regattas, which does not record the finishing order.

The teams then returned to Fishing Bay on Thursday, July 16, for all of two days. By Friday, the Opti Race Team was on the road to Florida for the Opti Nationals and on Saturday the Laser Race Team left for New Jersey for their Nationals. The Development Teams practiced at home, and will resume their race schedule this coming weekend with regattas at Indian Creek Yacht Club and Rappahannock River Yacht Club. At one point this week we had FBYC Race Team kids sailing on the same day in Florida, New Jersey, and Virginia! And during this same time period following the JOs, Opti Race Team Member Gannon Troutman competed as helmsman on his family’s J-70 at the World Championships in France, finishing 15th! The kids are having an unforgettable summer and their parents are having fun burning through all their money and their annual vacations!

Select Results:

Chesapeake Bay Junior Olympics (June 27-28) Laser Radial Sixth: Luke Hayes; Seventh: Jed Londrey; Eighth: Garrett Levy Opti Overall First: Nathan Smith: Second: Benton Amthor; Third: Boyd Bragg; Fourth: Ian Street; Fifth: Guthrie Braun Opti Red First: Nathan Smith; Second: Benton Amthor; Third: Boyd Bragg; Fourth: Ian Smith; Fifth: Alex Resio  Opti Blue First: Guthrie Braun; Third: Gannon Troutman; Fourth: Reese Bragg Opti White Second: Reed McAllister; Third: Logan Hayes; Fifth: Madeline Amthor; Six: Walker Angus Opti Girl First: Reese Bragg; Fourth: Madeline Amthor 

Severn Sailing Association Annual Jr. Regatta (July 1) Laser Radial Sixth: Jed Londrey; Seventh: Trent Levy; Eighth: Garrett Levy Opti Overall Second: Benton Amthor Opti Red Second: Benton Amthor; Opti Blue First: Guthrie Braun; Second: Reese Bragg; Fifth: John Vail Opti White Fourth: Reed McAllister; Seventh: Logan Hayes, Eighth: Madeline Amthor

Annapolis Yacht Club Annual Jr. Regatta & Md States (July 2) Laser Radial Fifth: Garrett Levy; Sixth: Jed Londrey; Ninth: Trent Levy; Eleventh: Luke Hayes; Eighteenth: Jackson Montague; Nineteenth: Daniel Resio; Twentieth: Ralph Levy; Twenty-second: Jordan Bendura; Twenty-Eight: Amanda Almany Opti Overall Fourth: Benton Amthor; Fifth: Nathan Smith Opti Red Fourth: Benton Amthor; Fifth: Nathan Smith Opti Blue First: Guthrie Braun; Second: Joshua Bendura; Third: Reese Bragg; Fifth: John Vail Opti White First: Reed McAllister; Sixth: Madeline Amthor; Seventh: Logan Hayes

Hampton Yacht Club Annual Jr. Regatta (July 10) Laser Radial Second: Jackson Montague; Eight: Latane Montague; Tenth: Jack Cabell; Eleventh: Nick Cabell Opti Overall (no fleet divisions) First: Reed McAllister; Second: Walker Angus; Fifth: Chase Brewer; Seventh: Mae Wallace Angus; Eight: Quinn Sparkman; Ninth: Swayne Sparkman

Commonwealth of VA, Norfolk Yacht and Country Club (July 11-12) Laser Radial Third: Garrett Levy; Fifth: Trent Levy; Sixth: Jordan Bendura; Eighth: Luke Hayes; Ninth: Daniel Resio; Tenth: Ralph Levy; Twelfth: Nick Cabell; Fourteenth: Evie Wensell Opti Overall First: Benton Amthor; Second: Boyd Bragg; Third: Nathan Smith; Fourth: Guthrie Braun; Fifth: John Vail Opti Red First: Benton Amthor; Second: Boyd Bragg; Third: Nathan Smith; Fourth: Morey Levy; Fifth: Alex Resio Opti Blue First: Guthrie Braun; Second: John Vail; Third: Baylor Goldwaithe; Fourth: Joshua Bendura; Fifth: Madeline Amthor; Sixth: Ren Moody; Seventh: Michael Mason Opti White First: Reed McAllister; Third: Logan Hayes; Fourth: Georgia Winsel Top Opti Girl Baylor Goldwaithe

Tred Avon Yacht Club Annual Jr. Regatta (July 14) Laser Radial Fourth: Luke Hayes; Fifth: Garrett Levy, Sixth: Trent Levy; Eighth: Ralph Levy; Tenth: Daniel Resio; Thirteenth: Jordan Bendura; Sixteenth: Amanda Almany Opti Overall First: Boyd Bragg; Second: Benton Amthor; Fourth: Nathan Smith; Fifth: Guthrie Braun Opti Red First: Boyd Bragg; Second: Benton Amthor; Fourth: Nathan Smith Opti Blue First: Guthrie Braun; Second: John Vail; Sixth: Joshua Bendura Opti White Third: Reed McAllister; Fourth: Logan Hayes

Corsica River Yacht Club Annual Jr. Regatta (July 15) Laser Radial First: Garrett Levy; Second: Luke Hayes; Third: Trent Levy; Fourth: Daniel Resio; Seventh: Jordan Bendura; Eighth: Ralph Levy; Twelfth: Amanda Almany Opti Overall First: Benton Amthor; Second: Nathan Smith; Fourth: Boyd Bragg; Fifth: Guthrie Braun