Sunday, December 20, 2009

2009 CJ Buckley Team Racing Regatta Breaks Records


Pictured are regatta founders and organizers (l to r): Lucy Buckley (CJ's mom), Kyle Assad, Justin Assad, Carter Buckley (CJ's dad)

Team Boss from Lake Beulah YC Wins the 2009 CJ Buckley Team Race for the Club 420 National Junior Team Race Championship.

For 2009, the Club 420 class designated the CJ Buckley Team Race as this year’s Club 420 National Junior Team Racing Championship. With 24 teams and 144 junior sailors from as far as Texas, the United States Virgin Islands, and Wisconsin, the CJ Buckley Team Race was the largest team race in the United States this year, and the second-largest team race event in the world! Regatta organizers delivered, completing 340 races over three days.

Congratulations to Team Boss, from Lake Beulah YC, Wisconsin, who won the event and are the 2009 Club 420 National Team Race Champions! Team members were Will Haeger, Ian Schappe, Chris Banholzer, Nick Clemence, George Kutschenreuter, and Ellie Banholzer.

CJ Buckley lost a valiant fight with cancer in 2002, at the age of 17. A member of the Tabor Academy and Greenwich Bay Sailing Teams, he was a fierce competitor who especially enjoyed team racing. This regatta began in his honor in 2003, and had become one of the summer's most popular regional events, this year expanded to the national stage. For everyone involved, it was a great reminder of how lucky we are to be able to enjoy this game, and a truly ideal way to celebrate a very special friend and teammate.

A very special thank you to CJ’s parents, Carter and Lucy Buckley, and to the many GBSA parents who played leading roles in organization, from securing support boats and the Goddard Park venue, to handmaking 180 lunches to distribute on the water each day. Thank you to PRO and Chief Race Officer Justin Assad, his team of Tyler Baeder, Scott Millard, Alex Baittinger, Kim Murtha, Jess Langella, Melissa Monbouquette, and all the coaches who helped run 340 races in three days.

Markboat support was provided by Laser Performance representatives Alexa Schuler and Chris Souza, who were instrumental in keeping things square. Additionally, Head Scorer Kyle Assad and assistant Sol Vairavan, who worked fiendishly to keep results current and rotations coming out efficiently, especially during Tuesday’s swiss-league style format. Finally, Chief Umpire and Judge Baker Potts was joined by Joel Hanneman, Joey Mello, and Brendan Healy for on the water umpiring, and 3-minute justice protests were heard by Ted Hale, Rob Hurd, and Josh Saltmarsh.

This year’s regatta was sponsored by Doyle Sails, LaserPerformance, Harken, Annapolis Performance Sailing, Vineyard Vines, and US Sailing.

Day 1, August 3:
24 teams arrived in East Greenwich to beautiful weather and perfect team racing breeze. Two 12 team round robins were set up, and racing commenced in 5-12 knots of wind. With lunch served on the water, 66 team races were sailed in each round robin, with two teams going undefeated. A total of 132 races were completed with 9 protests resulting in 2 disqualifications.

Island Time, the team composed of sailors from the USVI, RI, TX, and NY sailed to a perfect record of 11-0 in the even numbered teams division. This team, formed just the day before at a fleet race event, consisted of Dan Eichler, Katia DaSilva, Tyler Rice, Billy Gibbons, Taylor Lutz, and Nick Galligan.

St. Georges Yachting Squadron, composed of team members attending St. George's School in Newport, RI, raced 11 solid races, going undefeated in the odds group. The 6 sailors who escaped unscathed after the first day were Pearson Potts, Caitlin Connerny, Evan Read, Sarah Peck, Kevin Martland, and Will Webster.

Day 2, August 4:
Teams were seeded into 4 leagues for modified Swiss league based on their results from Monday. With 6 teams in each league, the top two and bottom two teams could move up or move down from their league based on their win/loss record following each rotation.

League A consisted of the two undefeated teams, as well as LISOT q, and LISOT Bobsled Team, teams hailing from the LISOT racing program. They were joined by Wild Harbor, from Wild Harbor YC, and Team Boss, from Lake Beulah YC, Wisconsin.

Tabor Academy, CJ Buckley’s high school, brought two teams this year, coached by Tabor Head Coach Rob Hurd. The White Seawolves and Cardinal Seawolves were joined in League B by LISOT MOAS, Team Shibby, team Green Fleet, and team NBYC Sailors.

League C had the Wu Tang Whalers, the North Kingstown Yacht Squadron, LISOT Turfdogs, Young Dudes Older Babes (YDOB), JV Production, and Team Rubix.

League D started with the Gym Class Heroes, the Tye Dye Tigers, Wood, Saunderstown Tennis Club, Blowin’ Up Homies, and The Flying Turtles.

A round robin for each league was completed, and while the teams waited on the water, scorers Kyle Assad and Sol Vairavan tallied the scores and reseeded teams to run a second round robin before the day was done. A total of 120 races were run on Tuesday with 11 protests filed. Of those protests, 9 boats were disqualified, once again showing that sometimes it may be better to take a quick circle and keep racing than bring it to the room.

Day 3, August 5:

Based on the two round robins from the day before, teams were seeded into Gold, Silver, and Bronze fleet. After the competitor’s meeting, the 144 sailors charged off the beach for the final day of racing in a building southerly, which fluctuated from 8-15.

The gold fleet had modified umpiring, with an umpire following each race in the round robin. Joel Hanneman from LaserPerformance, URI Head Coach Joey Mello, Tufts University graduate Baker Potts, and College of Charleston graduate Brendan Healy. Umpires were able to help sailors with settling disputes on the water by flagging offending teams.

Silver and Bronze fleets also completed their round robins. Racing was tight around the course, and no team went undefeated. Principal Race Officer and Race Committee Chair Justin Assad kept the racing running, and 84 more races were completed on Wednesday.

Even with on umpires on the water, 11 protests were filed, 7 in gold fleet and 4 in silver. All four silver protests were withdrawn, and 3 boats were disqualified after the last round of racing.

Final Results:

GOLD FLEET
1st
Team BOSS

2nd
Island Time

3rd
LISOT q

St. Georges Yachting Squad
Bobsled Team
NBYC Sailors
White Seawolves
LISOT MOAS

Island Time wins the head to head tie breaker with LISOT q
NBYC Sailors win the head to head tie breaker with White Seawolves

SILVER FLEET
1st
Wild Harbor

2nd
NK Yacht Squadron

3rd
Green Fleet

Cardinal Seawolves
LISOT Turfdogs
JV Production
Gym Class Heroes
Wood

3 way tie between NK Yacht Squadron, Green Fleet, Cardinal Seawolves broken by points in championship round robin.

BRONZE FLEET
1st
Team Rubix

2nd
Wu Tang Whalers

3rd
YDOB

Tye Dye Tigers
Team Shibby
Saunderstown Tennis Club
The Flying Turtles
Blowin' Up Homies

Ties broken by head to head results

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