Emily Maxwell and Kelly Stannard
Mandeville (La.) July 11, 2007 — After seven races sailed in Club 420s on Lake Pontchartrain, Emily Maxwell (Stonington, Conn.) and Kelly Stannard (Salem, Conn.) triumphed over 35 teams in a hotly contested finale to capture the U.S. Junior Women’s Doublehanded Championship for the Ida Lewis Trophy.
During the three-day regatta, sponsored by Vanguard Sailboats and hosted July 5-1
0 by Pontchartrain Yacht Club, the young women racing at this event were schooled in conditions that try the patience of the very best sailors: the vagaries of light air. On the final day of this US SAILING Championship, the top teams in this national fleet were tested even further by a points situation that had escalated into a lethally close battle.
Maxwell/Stannard sailed into the final race tied in points with the team of Stephanie Hudson and Laura McKenna (Winnetka, Ill./Palo Alto, Calif.), with the California duo of Syndey Bolger and Morgane Renoir (Long Beach, Calif./San Diego, Calif.) only one point behind the leaders, factoring in a discard race. A win for Maxwell/Stannard in the last race cinched their victory on a slim two-point margin.
The light winds and lake chop were conditions that Maxwell described as, "pretty tough … My biggest challenge was being really patient in the light air and chop. The downwind legs were brutal!"
Maxwell finished sixth at this regatta last year, but this was the first time she and Stannard campaigned for this US SAILING Championship together. According to Maxwell and all those who watched this team sail, these two young women with little time in the same boat together clicked extremely well.
Stephanie Hudson and crew Laura McKenna sailed to a very close second. For Hudson, the light air, the heat, and staying hydrated and patient on the racecourse made this a challenging series; still, these two women pulled a strong performance out of the conditions. Hudson noted that many competitors tried to wring the most speed from the light-air conditions, but the strategy of Hudson/McKenna was to push for high angles: "All of the girls went for speed, but we worked on our pointing." Hudson was the leading skipper after the first day, with four races.
In third place were Syndey Bolger and crew Morgane Renoir. Renoir came to this championship fresh off a win at the U.S. Youth Sailing Championship, sailed in late June on Lake Pontchartrain. Renoir was top crew in the Club 420 class at this US SAILING Championship.
A two-day clinic preceded the event to prepare the fleet for the challenge of the championship. Lead by United States Naval Academy’s head intercollegiate sailing coach, John Vandemoer, and a team of instructors, top competitors found the clinic good preparation for the regatta; conditions on clinic days were quite different, however, with stronger breezes and rolling waves. The top-ten finishing teams will have an opportunity to take their sailing education even further by receiving invites to an advanced racing clinic, held in 29ers and run in conjunction with CORK Sail Week in Kingston, Ontario.
As winners of this championship, Emily Maxwell and Kelly Stannard become the next young women to wear the mantle of the legendary Ida Lewis, by accepting the trophy that bears her name. Born in the mid-1800s, Ida Lewis was only 16 when she became the lighthouse keeper of what was then Lime Rock Light in Newport (R.I.), after her father could no longer perform the job. Renowned for her skill in her wooden rowboat in extreme conditions, Lewis is credited with 18 documented rescues.
When interviewed about her performance at this national event, Maxwell not only discussed the sailing that earned her the regatta win: she made note of the smooth running of the championship that gave her an opportunity to compete for this national title. "The clinic was very well run," said Maxwell, "and the Race Committee, they did a great job in the trying conditions."
The C. Thomas Clagett Jr. Sportsmanship Award went to the team of Caroline Wright (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) and crew Megan Place (Wilton Manors, Fla.). Place had dislocated her shoulder during the weekend; in a show of true determination, she raced the entire regatta one-armed—her injured arm carefully bandaged, wrapped in a sling, and held firmly in place within her lifejacket. This Florida team finished the regatta in 12th place.
For complete results, visit the event website at
www.ussailing.org/championships/youth/usjrw/double. The U.S. Junior Women’s Doublehanded Championship for the Ida Lewis Trophy is part of US SAILING’s National Championships series; for more information about these events, visit
www.ussailing.org/championships.
About Vanguard Sailboats
Demonstrating a continuing commitment to youth sailing, Vanguard Sailboats, manufacturer of the Club 420s sailed in this event, is once again sponsoring the U.S. Junior Women’s Doublehanded Championship. Vanguard Sailboats has been a dedicated sponsor of numerous U.S. National Championships for more than a decade, encouraging sailors in the U.S. to enjoy the sport while also ensuring great competition. Visit their website at
www.teamvanguard.com. About US SAILING
The United States Sailing Association (US SAILING) is the national governing body for sailing. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, the organization provides leadership for the sport of sailing in the United States. US SAILING offers training and education programs for instructors and race officials, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, issues offshore rating certificates, and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country, including National Championships and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Teams. For more information, please visit
www.ussailing.org.
FINAL RESULTS (seven races / one discard)
1. Emily Maxwell/Kelly Stannard (Stonington, Conn./Salem, Conn.); 5*, 4, 2, 5, 2, 1, 1: 15 points
2. Stephanie Hudson/Laura McKenna (Winnetka, Ill./Palo Alto, Calif.); 8, 1, 1, 2, 20*, 2, 3: 17 points
3. Sydney Bolger/Morgane Renoir (Long Beach, Calif./San Diego, Calif.); 2, 2, 3, 8, 4, 4, 27*: 23 points
4. Chanel Miller/Melany Johnson (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla./Berwyn, Pa.); 4, 26*, 4, 3, 5, 5, 10: 31 points
5. Eliza Richartz/Nicole Heinl (Old Lyme, Conn./Barrington, R.I.); 6, 6, 8, 1, 25*, 3, 18: 42 points
*indicates discard
