With Santa Catalina Island23 n.m. away, racers move out to the course on a clear, bright, crazy Sunday

2009 US Sailing ISAF Youth World Qualifier

& US Youth Multihull Championship

Alamitos Bay Yacht Club Long Beach,Calif. Jan. 17-19,2009

Jan. 18, 2008
Wispy, wonkywinds test Youth sailors at L.B.
LONG BEACH, Calif.---The 2009 US Sailing ISAF Youth World Qualifier and US Youth Multihull Championship took a turn down the yellow brick road Sunday … like, as Bert Lahr's Cowardly Lion noted, "Unusual weather we're having, ain't it?"
No, it didn't snow, but the wind was sort of weird for Long Beach, which is better known for afternoon westerlies, not light, maddeningly shifty breeze off the beach that fades away in bright sunshine and reappears from offshore.
"Oh, my gosh," Emily Billing said, "it was the most difficult day I've sailed in a long time."
And Billing, 17, Clearwater, Fla., shares first place in the girls Laser Radial class with Claire Dennis, 17, of Saratoga, Calif., with Marissa Lihan, 17, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., one point behind.
Whoever wins out on the last day Monday will qualify for the
39th Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship at Buzios, Brazil July 9-18, as will the winners in four other classes. There are 79 competitors from 11 states age 19 or younger competing in the event hosted by the Alamitos Bay Yacht Club this Martin Luther King weekend.
Racing on both courses was delayed Sunday waiting for wind to fill---from any direction. When it got under way the boy and girl Laser classes on the ocean course off Seal Beach started normally in a seaward direction, 220 on the compass, with a temperature of 68 degrees (F.) but only 2-3 knots of wind southwesterly wind.
At about the same time, two miles west inside the breakwater the Hobie 16s, boys International 420s and girls Club 420s started northeast toward the beach in 80 degrees of a 3 1/2-knot Santa Ana desert zephyr.
Jerry Montgomery, a former ABYC commodore and veteran racer who was principal race officer for the latter groups, was asked when the last was he started a race toward shore.
"I can't remember," he said. "Very unusual weather conditions."
The good news was that the Lasers managed to sail three races and the other classes two, bringing both to a total of four that made it an official regatta, according to the Sailing Instructions. They probably won't make the scheduled 10 races, but everybody can discard their worst finish after one more fifth race today.
That could almost clinch the boy's Radial title for Chris Barnard of Newport Beach, who has won three of four races but finished 11th in another when the quirky onshore wind caught him on the wrong side of the course.
All other leaders remained the same. Dave Dellenbaugh, who coaches girls 420 leaders Morgan Kiss, Holland, Mich., and crew Laura McKenna, Palo Alto, Calif., said, "They sailed amazingly well [1-2] on a really tough day."
Brothers Erik, 18, and Matt Raybon, 14, of Shrewsbury, N.J., are four points behind Hobie 16 leaders Korbin Kirk, 14, Long Beach, and crew Daniel Segerblom, 13, Costa Mesa.
Matt Raybon said, "The wind's been light every day and we're a little heavy. There's no room for mistakes."
The Hobie 16s, with 11 boats provided by the Hobie Cat Co., also are seeking the national Youth Multihull title for the Arthur J. Stevens Trophy.
Racing is scheduled to start at noon today on two courses inside or outside the breakwater---depending, of course, on weather conditions.
The leaders
(after 4 of 10 races)
BOYS INTERNATIONAL 420 (9 boats)---Judge Ryan, San Diego/Chris Segerblom, Costa Mesa, Calif., 3-1-7-1, 12 points.
GIRLS CLUB 420 (9 boats)---Morgan Kiss, Holland, Mich./Laura McKenna, Palo Alto, Calif., 1-3-1-2, 7.
BOYS LASER RADIAL (40 boats)---Chris Barnard, Newport Beach, 1-11-1-1, 14.
GIRLS LASER RADIAL (11 boats)---Tie between Emily Billing, Clearwater, Fla., 1-3-5-1, and Claire Dennis, Saratoga, Calif., 2-2-4-2, 10.
HOBIE 16 MULTIHULL (open; 12 boats)---Korbin Kirk, Long Beach/Daniel Segerblom, Costa Mesa, 2-1-2-6, 11.
Complete results, photos and more
CHAIRMAN
Steven Smith
310.849.9779

MEDIA CONTACT
Rich Roberts
310.835.2526
cell 310.766.6547
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OCS flag flies during
a wild Boys Radial start

Claire Dennis was among contenders
in girls Radial class

Seldom seen at L.B., girls 420s start upwind toward the beach

Hobie 16s struggle through
leeward gate in almost no wind

Jake Larson (r.) and Alex
Bommersbach left sub-zero weather
in Iowa and S. Dakota behind
More photos in hi-res
for downloading
Complete results and more