Huge congrats to Jack Guinness & Milo Fleming for winning the 2023 Maine State 420 Championship Regatta in Boothbay! With 38 boats on the line, the competition was fierce with sailors coming from up & down the Maine coast.
KSEA will now have the honor of hosting the 2024 Maine State Championship. That’s going to be a lot of boats in our little harbor but there is no doubt that the KSEA team will pull it off in grand fashion:)
Well done Jack & Milo!
Every year, Pleon Yacht Club pulls off the event of the regatta season with hundreds of junior sailors showing up to race. This year was no different. With over 50 boats on both the 420 and Opti starting lines, our KSEA racers were up against some steep competition. And they were amazing! KSEA had two 420s finish in the top 10 - Jack Guinness & Molly Pile in 6th, Milo Fleming & Oona McPhearson in 9th. Finn Wooten took 10th place in the Opti Green Fleet and Max Pulitzer got 1st in the Opti White Fleet. Well done KSEA racers!
“Another Marblehead, come and gone. It's been a big experience for everyone, especially new racers and first-timers to this particular venue. Each sailor should be proud of their accomplishments and growth this week for sure!”
~ Sachi Rodes, KSEA board member & (tireless) parent volunteer
This past Friday— breaking away from the festivities at the Long Island Picnic— some of our Opti sailors traveled to Castine alongside the 420 Race Team to compete against the CYU Opti fleet.
Before racing, the sailors hung out with the Castine team, eating burgers, skipping rocks, and playing ping pong– rules being that the play didn’t end until the ball fully stopped bouncing. (This led to chaos.)
After about 45 minutes, Castine led the skippers meeting, where the sailors (420 and Opti alike) learned that they would be racing a windward leeward with a gate. The Castine instructors were incredibly helpful in instructing the KSEA sailors on where to go, and how to navigate their harbor.
On the water– it was great to hear the more novice racers asserting themselves and their rights toward their unfamiliar competition. Though by the end of the day, all of the sailors knew each other by name and were goofing around like there hadn’t been a competition at all.
We are extremely proud of Max, Finn and Shep for placing first, third and fourth. Great work everyone!
~ Brin Huseby, Opti/Rowing Fleet Captain
Each year, KSEA holds the Becton Cup - a one-day regatta in honor of Jean & Henry Becton. As two of the earliest and most passionate advocates for junior sailing at KYC, the annual event is a “tip of the hat” to Mr. & Mrs. Becton and their lasting legacy of youth sailing on Blue Hill Bay.
As in past years, the post-race tea was hosted by the extended Becton family with a few words of Becton sailing lore shared by Henry Becton. Thanks to all the Bectons for the delicious tea (which was devoured by our hungry racers) and their ongoing support of KSEA.
Optis
Henry Armstrong
Max Pulitzer
Finn Wooten
420s
Jack Guinness & Molly Pile
Ben Baldwin & Zoe Pulitzer
Campbell Ardrey & Buckley Wiley
Boothbay Yacht Club hosted the Battle of the Bay Regatta earlier this week, running six races over two days for forty-two 420s and 17 Optimists. KSEA was well represented in both fleets with eight of our 420 racers and two of our Opti racers competing against sailors from Portland YC, Harraseeket YC, SailMaine and others.
A huge shout out to KSEA racers Jack Guinness & Molly Pile for taking 1st place in the 420 fleet! Amazing! And a congrats to all our racers for a job well done. Next stop… Marblehead Junior Race Week starting July 24th.
The KSEA race teams took advantage of last Thursday’s break in the rainy weather to run their first cup race of the season. The annual KYC Cup included 3 races for both the 420 and Optimist fleets. With eight 420s and 6 Optis on the line, we enjoyed an exciting day of racing. The final results were:
Optimists
Max Pulitzer
Fraser Wiley
Finn Wooten
420s
Buckley Wiley & Zoe Pulitzer
Jack Guinness & Molly Pile
Milo Fleming & Emi Rodes
The KSEA race calendar is full with the Founder’s Cup being held this week. Check out the schedule below and come and join us out on the bay for an afternoon of racing.
Thurs. 7/6: Founder’s Cup
Tues. 7/11 & Wed. 7/12: Battle of the Bay Junior Regatta @ Boothbay Harbor YC
Thurs. 7/20: Becton Cup
Mon. 7/24 - Wed. 7/26: Marblehead Junior Race Week @ Pleon YC
Wed. 8/2 & Thurs. 8/3: Opti Maine States @ Southport YC
Fri. 8/4: Hoppin Cup
Mon. 8/7 - Thurs. 8/10: 420 Maine States @ Boothbay Harbor YC
