DSA Junior Regatta August 20, 2011
by Brandon Kass
Executive Director, Community Sailing of Colorado
On August 20th, the Denver Sailing Association and Community Sailing of Colorado hosted the 2011 DSA Junior Open Regatta at the Cherry Creek Marina. The event was the finale of the 2011 SAIL Junior Regatta Tour and the largest-attended junior regatta of the year, with a record number of 38 Junior Sailors in 28 boats participating. The day started off with registration and breakfast provided by Juice Plus, followed by a Competitor’s Briefing and a demonstration by our Race Committee Team to assist our first-time regatta participants. For lunch, Fat Sully’s pizza truck filled all Junior Sailors, parents and volunteers to the brim with delicious slices of pizza.
The day’s weather forecast called for a light breeze, and the Race Committee Team sent the kids out on the water hoping to get a few races in. Everyone was patient as the wind disappeared and the sun blasted down on sailors and spectator alike. After a few on-purpose capsizes and splashing wars, the Race Committee Team (Adam Hostetter, Lucas Armstrong, Tom Downing) managed to get off a start. The wind was light and shifty, but all Juniors were glad to be sailing (or drifting). Around 3:30 PM the Race Committee called the racing for day and Regatta Chair Steve Davis met the kids at the beach with buckets full of popsicles to cool them down.
After de-rigging, the awards ceremony and snacks kept all the kids around waiting for their prizes. Commodore Jim Ulatowski presented the trophies and participation awards to an eager bunch of sailors. The day was a great success (even without the wind) and the kids had a great time. THANK YOU to all the DSA volunteers, sponsors and parents for making this regatta special for so many Junior Sailors. If you would like to check out photos taken by Francine Hoffman Photography please click here. I look forward to be part of this wonderful regatta next year and to keep promoting Junior Sailing in our communities!
Congratulations to our top 3 finishers in each racing class:
Laser 4.7 class
- Gerritt Luoma
- Max Williams
- Karthik Vishnamtra
Portsmouth 1 (420s & Lasers) class
- James McKeever
- Nikitas Medrano
- Rajev Vishwamitra / Aaron Aiboaf
Portsmouth 2 (General Boats) class
- Brad Knudsen / Pau V.
- Benjamin Krauss / Daniel Sanderson
- Caleb Due
Opti / Pram class
- Cameron Davidson
- Lucas Fesenmeyer
- Greg Dick
And thanks to all who registered and participated:
| Competitor First Name | Competitor Last Name | Additional Team member | Boat Class |
| Noah | Brown | Laser Radial | |
| Maxime | Dassonville | Laser 4.7 | |
| Cameron | Davidson | Opti | |
| Evan | Dick | Will Sewall | Pico |
| Gregory | Dick | Opti | |
| Caleb | Due | Sunfish | |
| Lucas | Fesenmeyer | Opti | |
| Ryan | Fesenmeyer | Opti | |
| Kyle | Garrity | Pram | |
| Alice | Kilduff | Thatcher Bouck | 420 |
| Sarah | Knight | Mai Lai | 420 |
| Brad | Knudsen | Paul V. | Laser II |
| Benjamin | Krauss | Daniel Sanderson | Force 5 |
| Andrew | Lemley | Pram | |
| Elizabeth | Lemley | Pram | |
| Gerritt | Luoma | Laser | |
| James | McKeever | Laser | |
| Nikitas | Medrano | Laser | |
| Kenneth | Pasterkamp | Jake Barker | Pico |
| Cameron | Robinson | Cooper Robinson | Laser |
| Cooper | Rockwell | Pram | |
| Camden | Scovill | Zuma | |
| Pepijn | Van Ede | Laser Radial | |
| Karthik | Vishwamitra | Laser 4.7 | |
| Rajeev | Vishwamitra | Aaron Aboaf | 420 |
| Austin | Williams | Opti | |
| Max | Williams | Laser 4.7 | |
| Noah | Work | Anna Raedeke | Pico |
