St. Thomas Aquinas Varsity Sailing Team Headed Back to Mallory Fleet Race Nationals!
The team Qualified by virtue of a 2nd place finish at the District Championship held at the Florida Yacht Club this weekend. Only the top 3 teams from the uber-competitve South Atlantic Inter-Schoolastic Sailing Association (SAISA) receive invites to the Mallory Fleet Race Nationals to be hosted at Lakewood, Texas May 12-13th and sailed in FJ’s. The SAISA district encompasses all High Schools from North Carolina to Florida and the US Virgin Islands and the top 16 teams were in attendance and fighting to advance.
Chase Sabadash, sailing with Kenna Reed and Libby Redmond won the first race of the regatta to set the tone, and sailed with remarkable consistency to maintain control of B Division throughout. Connor Correll and Bobby Rielly also only posted one double digit score to support the effort with an excellent 2nd place finish in A Division.
The STA squad may have been considered underdogs coming into the event but sailed a dominant regatta. Chase Sabadash, sailing with Kenna Reed and Libby Redmond won the first race of the regatta to set the tone, and sailed with remarkable consistency to maintain controll of B Division throughout. Connor Correl and Bobby Rielly also only posted one double digit score to support the effort with an excellent 2nd place finish in A Division.
With shifty conditions, 24 races total and no throw outs consistency was the name of the game and the team sailed an exceptional regatta, almost winning and handily getting the job done – qualifying by 38 Points. The sailors peaked at the right time, knocking off 4 teams that had finished ahead of them in the South Points Qualifying Series – HB Plant (4th), Riverview (5th) Gulliver Prep (6th), and Ransom Everglades (8th). District Champs South Fork High School, and 3rd place finisher Antilles School (USVI) will join St. Thomas Aquinas at the 2018 Nationals!
Congratulations to our sailors on a big accomplishment! Full results on techscore here.
Some thank you’s/further acknowledgements:
*Robby Brown was the coach at the regatta. He joined LYC as a regatta coach in the Fall, and we were able to put together a program where he coached the last 3 Southpoints going into districts and further got to know the sailors thorough joining us at practice last week. Robby’s calm demeanor, exceptional racing expertise, and local knowledge from decades of winning regattas at all the Florida venus were instrumental in the team’s success. As many of you know Robby was my College Coach and we put together this program when it became apparent I would coaching Optis in Italy during districts. Thank you to Robby for your awesome work with our sailors and thank you to LYC for supporting brining in a high level guest coach – not to mention our training at the LYC facility throughout the year!
*Thank you to the High School Chair Suzanne Sabadash and Treasurer Debbie Fitzgerald for incredible logistical support throughout the season. You constantly put our sailors in a position to succeed! Thank you also to our school liaison Steve Buckely and regatta chairs Beth Rielly and Bob Meagher. Ms Kim Dubois and Mrs Rielly were also the chaperones at the event – they are driving the team back now!
*Thanks to the Florida Yacht Club for hosting a great event!
*Last but definitely not least, thank you and congratulations to all the STA and Pine Crest Sailors who have contributed to practice throughout the year – you share responsibility for your teammates success by making them better through competition!
Up Next:
Spring Break!! HS Practice (STA and Pine Crest) Resumes April 10th.
May 5-6 SAISA Team Race Districts and Baker Team Race Nationals Qualifier @ LYC/Hollywood! The team will try to secure 1 of 2 Team Race Nationals Berths.
May 12-14 Mallory Fleet Race Nationals @ Lakewood Yacht Club, TX
May 25-27 Baker Team Race Nationals @ San Diego YC, CA
Way to go team!!!
Coach Arthur
LYC Sailing Program Utilizes Tracking System!
Last fall our Board of Directors approved the purchase of a tracking system to put LYC up to another level in safety and coaching effectiveness-as the first US Yacht Club to utilize this new technology. It worked so well, Yachting Committee Members personally purchased more, as well as the Sailing Program. All coaches agree it is an amazing tool to directly analyze racing in real time, which increases the learning curve of sailors significantly, and parents love to watch the racing live! Trackers have been utilized for Laser, Opti Gold/Silver/Bronze, and even Green Fleet! Every race of every Class for Commodore’s Cup is ready to view! Head to lycsailing.com and click on Tracking.
Commodore’s Cup Results for All Fleets!
Lasers, Optis and Mercuries have had their Commodore’s Cup. Congratulations to all sailors on the podium!
| Mercury | Laser Radial |
| 1st PC Peter Commette | 1st Scott Harris |
| 2nd Tom Lihan | 2nd Nicholas Reeser |
| 3rd PC Jack Loving | 3rd Jamie Paul |
| Opti Gold | Laser Radial Tyro |
| 1st Stephan Baker | 1st Mathieu Dale |
| 2nd Connor Boland | 2nd Liam Dorsey |
| 3rd Lucas Tenrreiro | 3rd Antonio Miranda |
| Opti Silver | Laser 4.7 |
| 1st Ty Lamm | 1st Emma Asturias |
| 2nd Cody Roe | 2nd Lauren Connell |
| 3rd Nico Garcia-Castrillon | |
| Opti Bronze | Green |
| 1st Drew Lamm | 1st Millie French (Tie) |
| 2nd Skye Johnson | 2nd Jessica Wilson (Tie) |
| 3rd Valentina Agnese | 3rd Pierce Weber |
Sophia Reineke and Crew, Lily McGrath, NEISA Women’s College Sailors of the Week
Sophia with crew Lily McGrath sailing for Boston College won B division at the 2018 St. Mary’s Women’s Intersectional Regatta, which clenched them Women’s College Sailors of the Week for the third week of March. Congrats Sophia on performing so well during your freshman year!
LYC Opti Sailors Training Hard for Team Trials
What is Team Trials you ask? Team Trials is the U.S. pinnacle regatta for Optis. To qualify, a sailor must be in the top 50% at US Nationals or in the top 25% at Regional Regattas. Opti sailors train all year to qualify for Team Trials. This season LYC has a record 20 of 27 sailors from Gold, Silver and Bronze qualified! Team Trials begins April 26th on Biscayne Bay. Go LYC!!
In case you missed it earlier this month…….below
LYC Laser Sailor Chase Carraway Qualifies for Youth Worlds!
The second and final qualifier for Youth World was in Houston, Texas the first weekend in March. Just as at LYC’s LOCR, Chase was coached by Erika Reineke and dominated the regatta to earn an easy birth in the only spot for Youth Worlds for the USA. Youth Worlds will be held in Corpus Christi, TX July 14-22, 2018. Good Luck Chase!