Over the past year communication from the Nation’s Optimist class has gone extreme!  With their new Editor for OptiNews and all class communications, Betsy Altman the level of information and value of content has skyrocketed and is now (in my opinion) one of the best sailing information sources available.

In the issue of their email newsletter “Roll Tack“, my friends and supporters at McLaughlin Boatworks featured an advertisment with your truly in it!  

As many of you know, I have spent the majority of my sailing career racing the Optimist Dinghy and credit the USODA and IODA structure for my interest in competitive sailing and the training dedication that will take me all the way to the podium in Rio!

Make sure to follow all of my progress and please PLEASE donate to my campaign!

 

 

The full content of the latest newsletter is below!

 

E blast of the latest USODA news

British National Championship at
Pwllhhei, Wales, August 11-17

The weather started out warm and sunny for the 2012 British National Championship but deteriorated through the week to the point where the last day of racing was lost to gale winds, high seas and poor visibility. Tucker Week in 30th overall was the top finisher for Team USA. All scores are here:

Senior Gold Fleet
Junior Gold Fleet
Senior Silver Fleet

Team USA at British Nationals


USODA Pacific Coast Championship at
Morro Bay Yacht Club, August 13-14

Pefect conditions greeted sailors at the PCC regatta in Morro Bay. Eight races were sailed in 8-12 knots breezes. Soenke Jordan was first followed by Frankie Dair, Ansgar Jordan, Gavin McJones and Matty Pierce. Final results are here:

Final Results
Green Fleet Participation

 PCCs at Morro Bay


USODA New England Championship at
Sail Newport, Newport, RI, August 6-9

More than 300 sailors competed in the New England Championship hosted by Sail Newport. Thank you to the organizers and many volunteers who made this a successful event. Jack Johansson, Coral Reef Yacht Club, was 1st overall, with JC Hermus, Bellport Bay Yacht Club, in 2nd, Sean Brennan, Coral Reef Yacht Club, 3rd, Shawn Harvey, Coral Reef Yacht Club, 4th,  and Audrey Giblin, Shrewsbury Sailing & Yacht Club, 5th and top girl.

Final Results

New Englands


 

USODA National Championships at
Sandusky Sailing Club, July 21-29

Racing was held at the foot of giant roller coasters at Cedar Point where sailors and volunteers watched the slow rise and fast descent of roller coaster after roller coaster for eight days. They were spectacular from a distance and the sailors loved their visit to the park, too. One USODA Board Member confessed to being the most thrilled on the old, wooden roller coaster.

Good conditions provided lots of racing for Team Race Nationals, Girls and Fleet racing. Sandusky Sailing Club provided exceptional organization to get 300+ sailors launched in record time each day (and recovered as fast in the evening ahead of impending thunderstorms). Shawn Harvey, Coral Reef Yacht Club, is the USODA 2012 US National Champion. Eli Burnes, Wianno YC/FAST, was 2nd, Sean Brennan, Coral Reef YC, was 3rd, JC Hermus, Bellport Bay YC/SailStrong YR, was 4th, and Audrey Giblin, Shrewsbury Sailing and YC, was 5th and top girl. Thank you to Mike Austin and his wife Sue for their exceptional hospitality. You and your volunteers were sensational. A special thank you to Rachel Austin for social media reorting. Results are here:

Final Results – Championship Fleet
Green Fleet 

Wacky Group Photo USODA Nationals Photographer, Nate Parsons

 


Potpourri
Registration is open for Great Plains (August 25-26), Southeast (September 22-23), West Coast (September 22-23), Atlantic Coast (October 6-7), Northwest (October 20-21), and Midwinter Fleet, (November 21-25).

One of Two Olympic Medals Won in the Western Hemisphere!
USODA National Team coach Lucas Calabrese, with crew Juan de la Fuente, picked up a bronze sailing medal at the London Olympics in the 470 Men’s two-handed event for Argentina. Well done Lucas!

This was Lucas’ first Olympics. Lucas’ crew said “I knew that Lucas is a super-talented guy and that he could do great things. He’s the most talented helmsman we have and he has learned a lot in the last three years, as well as being a cool-headed guy mentally, very strong physically and a very serious worker.” This is a terrific achievement especially in light of the fact that only two medals were won among all the Western Hemisphere countries. Nice job, Lucas!

Videos
Kid’s Eye View at Harraseeket Yacht Club
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDdnfCc4Tag

Dennis Conner at Team Trials
Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-TTfrIwg2o
Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJrQSOyD79w&feature=relmfu

Trevor Moore on his olympic Experience
https://www.google.com/search?q=you+tube+trevor+moore+weymouth&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-Address&ie=&oe=&rlz=1I7ADRA_en

Good luck to all USODA members at their regattas.Go fast, be smart and have fun! Send your stories for OptiNews by September 1. The best stories are those written by sailors.


Mclaughlin

What will be one of the coolest and fastest Optimists on the water?

USA 20000

McLaughlin’s Custom Built Pro racer hull

Optiparts Blackgold Racing Spar set

Optiparts Pro finish Epoxy race blades

Optiparts dolly with large wheels

Optiparts breathable top and bottom covers

to benefit USODA’s Sailing Foundation.

Raffle tickets are now on sale. $20 each or 6 for $100.

 


USODA

 
The Late Season issue of OptiNews is in the mail. Look for it in your mail box. An electronic copy is posted at usoda.org. Please send in your comments about the new issue and stories and photos you would like to share. Sailors, please write about your experiences on and off the water. If you receive a duplicate copy, please share it with your local sailing organization or junior program.

Parents, please take lots and lots of photos of your sailors and send them to OptiNews for publication. Many, many of them will be used, and your sailors love to see themselves in the magazine.

Gear Exchange on the USODA.org website is available to help you sell your unused equipment and buy relacements.

Parents, please mark your sailor’s gear with their name and remind them to look in lost and found for their belongings.

We seek new advertising relationships to help sustain the new magazine. Without a formal ad sales team, we lack contacts to consumer product advertising departments. If you can help introduce us to companies looking for access to US Opti sailors and their families (cell phones, cars, cool clothes, great vacations on snow or the sea, healthy snacks, things that interest you), we would appreciate it. You can reach Betsy Altman at OptiNews@usoda.orgor 312 635 3113.

Please send information and video links for Roll Tack to OptiNews@USODA.org. Check out our website for information on clinics and regattas.

See you on the water,

Betsy Altman
US Opti Sailing Communications, editor/publisher

Copyright © 2012 USODA, All rights reserved.