By Airwaves Writer Zach Brown
Days after Santa dropped by over the holiday, Biscayne Bay challenged the top youth sailors in Optis, 4.7s, Radials, Lasers, 420s, I420s, and 29ers with light and unstable winds at the 2012 Orange Bowl. The Orange Bowl International Youth Regatta was quite the show with Coral Reef YC, Biscayne Bay YC, and the Miami US Sailing Center hosting 652 sailors. Coconut Grove Sailing Center hosted 29ers, I420s, and adult Lasers in the Open Orange Bowl. Consistency was difficult to achieve as the results show. The strong attendance of domestic and foreign sailors proved once again that the Orange Bowl reigns as the premier youth winter event.
Biscayne Bay was filled with boats in each and every corner of the body of water. Club 420s were tucked in the northeast end under Key Biscayne, Optis were northwest near the harbor entrance, Lasers were southeast off the tip of Key Biscayne, and the 29er/I420 course was in the southwest section of the bay. No course was the same with each race area having its own unique geographic and location specific wind velocities and sea states. The only thing in common was the light wind and patchy holes that were difficult to avoid. Only the final day saw breeze exceed 7 knots, when a cold northeast wind blew just above 10 knots for the last few races.
Looking at the scores of the top three finishers in each fleet, only a few sailors in a few classes were able to finish with consistent results from beginning to end. Boat speed and fleet management were the keys to victory this year. International sailors found their way into the top three of almost every fleet at this year’s Orange Bowl. One of the most obvious takeaways from the leader board is that sailors from “year-around” sailing venues dominated the regatta due to more time spent on the water. Most of the top three finishers from the US in each class were from California, Florida, or Texas.
For more results on the 2012 Orange Bowl International Youth Regatta, please visit: http://www.coralreefyachtclub.org/Waterfront/orange-Bowl-Regatta/Orange-Bowl-Results.aspx
For the Open Orange Bowl Results, check out: http://www.regattanetwork.com/clubmgmt/applet_regatta_results.php?regatta_id=5841&show_divisions=1&show_crew=1
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