Frostbiting with the Best

by Nick Langone

Chairman, LYC Winter Sailing

The Fall and Winter Series of the Winter Sailing season have ended and, as usual, the racing has been active, close and extremely competitive. The average number of IC Dinghies on the starting line every Sunday at 1:30PM is around twenty-five. However, what makes the racing so intense and exciting is the ability of the sailors. There is no fleet in the country comprising sailors more talented than LYC’s IC Dinghy Fleet. This group contains:
• 12 All-Americans (including skippers and crew)
• 7 National Champions in other classes
• 6 World Champions in other classes
• 6 LYC IC Fleet Champions
• 3 IC National Champions
• 1 Olympic Medalist

Heading into the Spring Series, defending fleet and IC national champions John and Molly Baxter lead reigning Vanguard 15 national champion Danny Pletsch in the A fleet; newcomers Tom Zanios and Julie Lelek hold a slight edge over a tight pack in the B fleet while Peter and Jack Bauer lead the C fleet. Eight days of Winter Sailing remain. The agenda features the Stanley Bell Memorial Regatta, April 4-5, before LYC hosts the 2009 IC National Championship, April 18-19. For more information on Winter Sailing, with results to date, go to the LYC Winter Sailing Page.

---