Juniors and their families RULE June with record numbers, perfect sailing, tons of ice cream and FUN!

Opti Kids

Paul and Julie Ann Wash, assisted by ODT Coach Austin Powers and 40 parents and grandparents, finished the second week end of Opti Kids on June 14 & 15 with a cook out for 100 and an exciting sail to the far beach in Fishing Bay.  All 34 kids looked like old pros by the end of the class, thanks to the calm and patient teaching of Paul, Julie Ann and Austin.  Not a tear was shed, and all are promising to come back for more sailing at FBYC!  Perhaps just as importantly, the parents and grandparents had as much fun as the kids, which is the secret to our success.  Thank you Paul, Julie Ann and Austin!

Junior Week

Doug and Jennifer Bendura blew all Junior Week records out of the water!  An astonishing 145 juniors participated, 138 as sailors, and 7 as Counselors in Training.  In addition, 17 lead and assistant instructors, and 50 volunteers assisted the entire week!  The week began with the traditional Commodore’s Dinner June 15 (thanks to Commodore John Wake and Nica Waters for a wonderful dinner!), and a two hour meeting for the instructors.  During the week there were gentle but steady winds, plenty of sunshine and abundant fun.  Entertainment followed sailing every afternoon, including frozen popsicles, ice cream on two days, a pool party with a teenage rock band and hotdogs, and the final cook-out for 285!  Only one afternoon was lost to thunderstorms, but thanks to Doug’s foresight in keeping all boats inside Fishing Bay that afternoon, by the time the quarter inch hail and 60 mph winds blasted through, every sailor, instructor and volunteer was safely sheltered in the main clubhouse or Fanny’s.  Due to the storm, the traditional Thursday night Sail-A-Thon to benefit Leukemia research was moved to Friday morning, where the kids had a blast while raising $3,195.00!  There was more than just racing during Junior Week.  Classes sailed to the far side of Stove Point, deep into the Bay, and crossed the Piankatank on cruises.

Doug and I want to especially thank the Coaches, Instructors, Assistant Instructors, and Volunteers who taught the classes and kept the boats running.  They are truly the face of Junior Week, and they inspire our children.  Most have taught in one capacity or another for over 5 years, and 5 instructors-Charlie and Stella Jones, Russ Collins, Mike Karn and Judy Buis-have been involved for decades in junior sailing at FBYC.  In fact, Stella and Charlie taught in the 1970s.  Russ ran the program in the 1980s.  Mike  helped build the first wooden Optis used at the Club in the early 90s, and Judy is now instructing her grandchildren.  There were 8 instructors this year who learned to sail as kids at FBYC.  Three former Commodores volunteered for the entire week.  There were 4 families of multi-generation instructors.  Perhaps the most telling measure of their success is the fact that 7 sailors decided to join our Opti Development Team by the end of the week, bringing the number of juniors sailing on FBYC’s Race Team to 45, a new record and making us the largest team on the Bay!  Most of the Race Team sailors fell in love with sailing during this and previous Junior Weeks, and this year several gave back to the program as CITs.    

Commonwealth

Immediately after Junior Week we hosted the 2014 Commonwealth of Virginia Junior Championship Regatta, with 88 yachts competing from club’s around the Bay and North Carolina.  Latane and Patricia Montague did a fabulous job hosting the event, with flawless organization, great food, great race courses, great wind, and great fun for all!  Patty and her crew of Race Team parents served approximately 400 breakfasts and lunches over Saturday and Sunday to all the sailors and Race Committees, not including the Mexican Taco Bar (big hit!) for 150 on Saturday night.  Teams from Annapolis Yacht Club, Severn Sailing Association, Sail Strong, Christ Church,  Rappahannock River Yacht Club, Ware River Yacht Club, Hampton Yacht Club and Carolina Yacht Club competed.  FBYC Race Team members Benton Amthor and Boyd Bragg were first and third overall in the Opti Division, and FBYC Race Team members Alexander Hanna and Eric Roos were first and third overall in the Laser Radial Division.  Another sign of the health of our program-twenty Green Fleet racers participated on their own course.

Bo Bragg and Doug Amthor headed up the Opti Red, White & Blue RC, and Joe Roos and Race Team grad Conrad Roos headed up the Laser and 420 RC.  All were assisted by a fleet of Race Team parents patrolling as safety boats and mark boats.  Many parents were also on the Green Fleet course in small boats and kayaks assisting.  Thanks to all for the great courses and safe racing!     

Race Team

This summer we have a record 45 sailors on FBYC’s Race Team!  The team swung into high gear for the Commonwealth Regatta, and will not slow down until after the Annual One Design.  In fact, the week after Junior Week, the Opti and Laser Race Teams left for a 9 day road trip to regattas on the CBYRA circuit, including Rock Hall, West River, Corsica River, AYC and SSA.  We will have 33 juniors at each event, all proudly wearing their FBYC racing penny!  The 12 Opti Development Team members will stay at home to practice and compete at club’s in the Southern Bay.  Demand was so high for ODT by the end of Junior Week that we had to scramble to find an assistant coach to accommodate all the new sailors!  Luckily, we were able to hire Jacob McKinnis, long time crew for Paul and Mary Almany, Junior Week graduate and CIT, to assist Coach Austin Powers.  Stay tuned for updates on the exploits of the Race Team in the coming weeks.

What’s Next for Juniors not on the Summer Race Team?

Private Lessons:  Offered through August.  Customized instruction by our ODT Coach on Club Optis, Lasers or 420s.  
Fun Sail:  July 26.  Open to kids of all ages, and headed up by one of our most beloved Junior Week Instructors, Paul Almany!  
Annual One-Design:  August 9-10.  Racing for all Opti, Laser and 420 sailors.
Fall Race Team:  September, October and November.  Designed to be flexible for sailors with other sport and school commitments.

Visit our website at www.fbyc.net for additional info and to register.

And of course, the Club’s Optis, Lasers and 420s are always available for any member to sail!  

Mark Hayes
Junior Division Commander