U.S. Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship

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PORTSMOUTH, R.I. (July 6, 2012) – US Sailing’s 2012 US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship is coming to the “Windy City” July 9-11 for three days of racing on Lake Michigan. Chicago Yacht Club welcomes a fleet of 50 sailors from around the country to race Laser Radials for the prestigious Nancy Leiter Clagett Memorial Trophy.

Four top ten competitors from last year’s Championship have returned to race for the 2012 title. Madison Gates (Sarasota, Fla.) comes into the US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship after a fifth place finish in 2011. This is the best finish among returning sailors. Other returning competitors include, Dana Rhode (Richmond Hill, Ga.) ninth, Hanne Weaver (Gig Harbor, Wash.) sixth, and Quinn Howes (South Orleans, Mass.) seventh. Weaver, Rhode and Gates competed at the 2012 US Laser National Championship this past May in Houston, Texas. Weaver finished ahead of Rhode and Gates placing 13th out of 44 boats. Weaver was the second best female competitor in the field.

Lindsey Baab (Saratoga, Calif.) returns from overseas to race in this event. Baab recently competed at the 2012 Laser Radial Youth World Championships in Brisbane, Australia, where she finished 13th overall, and was the top American. Maddie Widmeier (Pipersville, Penn.), coming off her victory at the US Women’s Doublehanded Championship, has also entered the field. All five sailors will compete in US Sailing’s 2012 US Youth Championships this August in Cascade Locks, Ore.

Four local sailors, representing the Chicago Yacht Club, will compete for the Championship, including sisters Samantha Foulston (Hinsdale, Ill.) and Elizabeth Foulston (Hinsdale, Ill.), Mary Claire Kiernan (Hinsdale, Ill.), and Rose Edwards (Chicago, Ill.).

The event is preceded by a two day clinic (July 7-8) for the participating racers, led by US Sailing’s Junior National Coach Brian Clancy and a staff of distinguished high school and collegiate coaches.

For results, recaps, photos and more details about the U.S. Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship, please visit the event website at http://championships.ussailing.org/Y...nglehanded.htm. This Championship is a Sailors for the Sea - Clean Regattas certification event.

Stay connected with US Sailing through Facebook and Twitter for breaking news and results from Chicago.

The U.S. Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship is sponsored by Gill North America and Switlik Survival Products, and is supported by the C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Trust.

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Chicago, Ill. (July 9, 2012) – Forty-eight sailors took to the challenging waters of Lake Michigan this morning for the opening day of racing at the U.S. Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship, a US Sailing National Championship hosted this year by Chicago Yacht Club. At the end of day one, Madison Gates (Sarasota, Fla.) is at the top of the leader board by a sizeable margin.

Gates started off her day with a solid sixth place finish, before scoring three firsts in the last three races. This is the third year she has raced competitively in the Laser Radial class. Gates was fifth in last year’s Championship, the best finish of all returning sailors in this year’s field. She was also the third best female racer last December at the Orange Bowl International Youth Regatta, the pinnacle of all US Junior Olympic Sailing events.

Despite significant fluctuations in wind direction, the race committee was able get off the first race at approximately 11:00 am CT. The early breezes started off from the northeast at 5 to 7 knots, building slightly and turning eastward later in the afternoon. The fleet sailed aggressively all day long, causing a few general recalls, and leaving several sailors with OCS penalties. The day ended with four races completed, with six more scheduled over the remaining two days of the regatta. Racing resumes on Tuesday at 11:00 am CT.

Sitting 16 points behind Gates is Lindsey Baab (Saratoga, Calif.), who has only been racing Laser Radials for a year. Baab just returned from the Laser Radial Youth World Championships in Brisbane, Australia, where she placed 13th, and was the top American female sailor. In each of the first three races today, Baab finished one boat behind Gates, taking a seventh in the first race, followed by a pair of second place finishes. Baab dropped back a bit with respect to overall points with a 14th place finish in race four, but was able to hold onto second place in the overall standings.

A two-day clinic for the participating sailors took place on Saturday and Sunday, and was supported by the C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Trust. These clinics were conducted by US Sailing’s Junior National Coach, Brian Clancy, and a team of notable sailing coaches from all over the country.

For more details on the U.S. Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship, including a list of competitors, results and standings, recaps, photos, and more please visit the event website at http://championships.ussailing.org/Y...nglehanded.htm. Stay connected with US Sailing through Twitter for breaking news and results from Chicago.

The U.S. Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship is sponsored by Gill North America and Switlik Survival Products, and is supported by the C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Trust.

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Weaver Captures US Junior Women's Singlehanded Championship

Chicago, Ill. (July, 11 2012) – The final day of racing at the US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship was sailed in a mild easterly breeze of 6 to 8 knots with minimal chop. After numerous postponements and general recalls at the start of the day, Hanne Weaver seized control, and locked up an impressive victory over the field of 48.

After surging to the front after yesterday’s racing, Weaver (Gig Harbor, Wash.) quickly extended her lead with a win in today’s opening race. The first place finish sealed the win for Weaver. She sailed with remarkable consistency throughout the Championship. Weaver placed in the top five in seven of ten races, including five top three finishes, and bullets in races five and nine.

The second day was the windiest of the three days, and opened the door for her to jump to the front of the pack. Weaver believes that her training and physical fitness played a huge role in her ability to capture the title.

“I was nervous coming into the regatta because I sail against all of these girls at a lot of events,” said Weaver. “I liked the breeze, and it was noticeable during the clinic that I was one of the strongest girls in the group. I exercise on a daily basis in addition to my sailing. I also do a great deal of sailing at the Gorge in Oregon.”

The high school senior will continue to push herself this summer. She plans on competing in the Laser Radial North American Championship, US Singlehanded Championship, US Youth Championship, and CORK Olympic Class Regatta later this summer. Looking ahead at next year, she has Rolex Miami OCR marked on her calendar as a goal.

“I want to compete at OCR in Miami, and try to make the US Sailing Team”. Weaver has dreams of making the Olympic Team for the 2016 Games in Rio de Janiero, Brazil.

Just behind Weaver was a three way skirmish for second place. Lindsey Baab (Saratoga, Calif.) edged Dana Rohde (Richmond Hill, Ga.) and Lola Bushnell (San Francisco, Calif.), with two points separating the three sailors. The trio shuffled around the top of the leaderboard for the latter part of the regatta. Baab put an exclamation point on her series with a win in the final race to steal the second place spot on the podium.

The reward for winning this Championship is the prestigious Nancy Leiter Clagett Memorial Trophy. The top three individuals were awarded trophies, and the top five individuals received US Sailing Championship medals. Later this evening, a sailor will also be rewarded with the C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Sportsmanship Award.

The Championship was preceded by a two day clinic put on by US Sailing, and hosted by Chicago Yacht Club on Lake Michigan in Laser Radials. The competitors received top level coaching from US Sailings Junior National Coach, Brian Clancy, and a team of notable sailing coaches from across the country.

For results, photos and more details about the U.S. Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship, please visit the event website at http://championships.ussailing.org/Y...nglehanded.htm. This Championship is a Sailors for the Sea - Clean Regattas certification event.

The U.S. Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship is sponsored by Gill North America and Switlik Survival Products, and is supported by the C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Trust.