Ask any EYC Junior Sailing alumni and they will tell you that one of the most prominent memories they have from their years spent here was the three days at Marblehead Junior Race Week.  Every July, Pleon takes over and kids reign supreme, as an additional 300 sailors from other clubs come to seek out friendly competition and a great time.  I remember my first year as an instructor at Junior Sailing; back when Opti III didn't even exist and the program didn't field a single Race Week participant.  Oh how we've grown in such a short period of time!  This year, we have seven junior sailors who have signed up for MJRW.  We are proud to announce our starting lineup!

Elizabeth Ayer

Bryn Burton

Jake Gallup

Ben Hutchinson

Tyler Lubeck

Nills Skaane

Sam Thompson

Each of these young sailors has put forth great time and effort to be ready for racing next week.  Topics covered by Opti III thus far include right of way rules, sailing upwind, different courses, mark rounding's, starts, and starting sequences; however, it takes more than a knowledge of sailing to sign up for Race Week.  It takes a certain amount of chutzpah to go out for three days and sail in a place you're only slightly familiar with (the outer harbor) and sail against 5 times as many kids as you're used to.

Not only will this be the first regatta for all seven of our junior sailors, but they will also be among the youngest kids sailing in the entire regatta!  Most of the 2009 Junior Sailing alumni will be on the same starting line as our current Opti III Race Week goers.  (As it works out, when graduating from Opti III at EYCJS, you place into Opti I at Pleon, which is beginner to racing.  Going through our Opti III class usually puts those kids ahead of the rest of the Pleon Opti I class).

Be sure to check out pictures from the Opti III class and Marblehead Junior Race Week coming next Monday as our young sailors give it their best and crush the competition on the racecourse!

See you there!