Area F Junior Championship Qualifiers schedule - Register soon!

[Yolanda Cortes Mares]

Calling all 13 to 18 year old junior sailors!

Here is the final Area F Junior Championship qualifier schedule for 2015:

Smythe singlehanded qualifier on BYOB Laser Radials will be on May 2-3, 2015 at Texas Corinthian Yacht Club during the 2015 Laser Gulf Coast Championship

Registration deadline is midnight on April 22, 2015 

Event website is at:  http://www.regattanetwork.com/event/10030

Bemis doublehanded qualifier on BYOB C420s (some borrowed C420s will be available) will be on May 16-17, 2015 at Rush Creek Yacht Club during the TSA Chocopalooza Regatta

Registration deadline is midnight on May 6, 2015

Event website is at:  http://www.regattanetwork.com/event/10085

Sears quadruple handed qualifier on borrowed Ensigns will be on May 30, 2015 at Houston Yacht Club

Registration deadline is midnight on May 20, 2015

Event website is at:  http://www.regattanetwork.com/event/10077

There will be no onsite registration!

I encourage all 13 to 18 year old junior sailors to register.  (Please note, competitors must have reached their 13th birthday, but not their 19th birthday during 2015.)  These qualifiers are races between clubs.  The helmsman of each team represents their club.  To clarify, all the team members don’t have to belong to the same club!  So, get your teams ready!

If you don’t have a C420 or an Ensign, no worries!  Privately owned Ensigns will be provided for the Sears quadruple handed qualifier by Houston Yacht Club.  Some C420s will be available on a "first come first served" basis for the Bemis double handed qualifier through Rush Creek Yacht Club - just indicate on the registration form that you need to borrow a boat.  

These are the Area F Junior Championship qualifiers.  They are ladder events.  The two top singlehanded winners (“teams”), the two top double handed teams, and the top quadruple handed team will be selected to move on to the National finals in Wyanno, Massachusetts on August 2-6, 2015.  There are 12 US Sailing Areas.  This Area F covers 8 States:  Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas, Wyoming, the Western part of Montana, and the Western/Southwestern part of Nevada.  Each US Sailing Area will send their top teams to the finals, where the competitors will race against each other for the prestigious Sears Cup, Smythe Trophy, and Bemis Trophy.  The top singlehanded (Smythe) and double handed (Bemis) winners at the finals will receive early acceptance to the US Youth Sailing Championships if they choose to apply.  There will be great competition at the finals, and a clinic, where the top junior sailors will get an opportunity to display their skills to get on the Olympic pathway!

Five teams for the Smythe singlehanded and the Bemis double handed qualifier must be registered by the deadline and on the start line, and three teams for the Sears quadruple handed qualifier must be registered by the deadline and on the start line for our Area F to be able to have each of these qualifiers.  So, competitors must register early.

Please help me to spread the word by forwarding this email to any parents or competitors you know who might be interested.  Please also post the dates on your club and personal websites.  Information about these qualifiers and about the National championship finals is available on the US Sailing website at www.ussailing.org.  Registration is available through the event websites above and at www.regattanetwork.com.  Of course, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.  

Best wishes,

Yolanda Cortes Mares

US Sailing Area F Junior Championship Committee Representative

[Yolanda Cortes Mares]

Hello!  

►There’s a NEW Coach policy!

The Area F singlehanded (Smythe) qualifier - on Laser Radials - and the double handed (Bemis) qualifier - on C420’s - allow private coaching.  Please read below for details about the NEW Coach policy! 

Only proof of First Aid, CPR, and US Sailing Level 1 Certification is required.

  

It is US Sailing’s goal to improve the experience at our National Championships, including its qualifiers. Adequate safety measures are a key component to the process. US Sailing’s Regulation 10.07 (below) became official this month.  US Sailing has extended the timeframe for its implementation at the local level to allow more opportunities for program coaches to earn their required certifications.

  

For 2015, US Sailing has determined that at the qualifier level only, coaches are required to provide proof of current First Aid, CPR and US Sailing Level 1 certification…

OR

… its equivalent from another NGB or proof of current First Aid, CPR and a certificate of liability insurance for $1 million (US).  Foreign coaches will need to provide proof of insurance in the United States.

 

Effective January 1, 2016, US Sailing Level 3 certifications will be required at all championships and their qualifiers. 

►Don’t miss the REGISTRATION DEADLINES!

   April 22 is the deadline to register for the Area F Junior Championship singlehanded (Smythe) qualifier on May 2-3 at TCYC!  Here’s the link:   http://www.regattanetwork.com/event/10030

May 6 is the deadline to register for the Area F Junior Championship double handed (Bemis) qualifier on May 16-17 at RCYC!  Here’s the link:   http://www.regattanetwork.com/event/10085

May 20 is the deadline to register for the Area F Junior Championship quadruple handed (Sears) qualifier on May 30 at HYC!  Here’s the link:   http://www.regattanetwork.com/event/10077

Please forward this email to any interested sailors age 13-18, families, coaches, yacht clubs, sailing clubs, etc., and post this on your websites.  I encourage you to contact me with any questions you may have!

 

Best wishes,

Yolanda Cortes Mares

US Sailing Area F Junior Championships Committee Representative

On Mar 23, 2015, at 1:08 PM, Yolanda Cortes Mares <yma...@earthlink.net> wrote:

Begin forwarded message:

[Yolanda Cortes Mares]

Hello!  The registration deadline is midnight on April 22 for Area F’s Jr. Championship singlehanded (Smythe) qualifier on Laser Radial!  No exceptions!  It will be at Texas Corinthian Yacht Club on May 2-3, 2015.  There will be no onsite registration.  To register, you must register and pay before the deadline for the qualifier at www.regattanetwork.com/event/10030 and also register before the deadline for the 2015 Laser Gulf Coast Championship at www.regattanetwork.com/event/9427.  Reminder:  private coaching is permitted at this qualifier, but coaches must have their current US Sailing Level 1 certificate along with current First Aid and CPR and must provide proof to me on or before May 2 during check-in.  Coaches are invited to contact me before check-in to provide me with that information.  This will save time!  Also, anyone wanting to bring a spectator boat must also check-in with me on May 2 for approval.  You must have a working VHF and be willing to invite others who wish to spectate on your boat.  Please note, if you are on a spectator boat, you can provide encouragement, food and water, but you cannot give any information or advice to the competitors!  The “no contact” rule still applies!

There will be two other qualifiers for Area F in May:

(1) The deadline for the double handed (Bemis) qualifier on C420’s is May 6.  It will be at Rush Creek Yacht Club on May 16-17, 2015.  There will be no onsite registration.  To register, you must register and the entire team (skipper and crew) must pay before the deadline for the qualifier at www.regattanetwork.com/event/10085 and also register before the deadline for the 2015 Texas Sailing Association Chocopalooza Regatta at www.txsail.org.  Boats will be provided on a first come-first served basis for FREE!  Private coaching is permitted at this qualifier, but the same rules above apply.  Same thing for spectator boats.

(2) The deadline for the quadruple handed (Sears) qualifier on Ensigns is May 20.  It will be at Houston Yacht Club on May 30.  There will be no onsite registration.  To register, you must register and the entire team (skipper and crew) must pay before the deadline for the qualifier at www.regattanetwork.com/event/10077.  Boats will be provided with your registration fee, along with a clinic!  No private coaching is permitted at this event.

These qualifiers are races between clubs, the skipper represents the club!  For the double handed and quadruple handed qualifier, everyone on the team doesn’t have to be a member of the same club.  But, all competitors must be members of a sailing club or yacht club in Area F.  Please read the NORs and the coach boat and support boat policy on the US Sailing website for more detailed information, as well as the email thread below.  Get your teams ready!

Attached is a flyer.  Please post it at your club and on your websites and pass this information on to anyone who might be interested!

Best wishes,

Yolanda Cortes Mares

US Sailing Area F Junior Championship Committee Representative

[Yolanda Cortes Mares]

Hello!  To make sure everyone has an opportunity to register, the registration deadline has been extended to midnight on May 8 for Area F’s Jr. Championship double handed (Bemis) qualifier on C420!  No exceptions!  It will be at Rush Creek Yacht Club on May 16-17, 2015.  There will be no onsite registration.  To register in the Area F Bemis qualifier, all eligible teams (skipper and crew) must register in TWO REGATTAS before the May 8 deadline and pay both regattas before the May 8 deadline.  The link to register for the Area F Bemis qualifier is http://www.regattanetwork.com/event/10085 and the link to register for the 2015 TSA Chocopalooza regatta is  www.txsail.org.  For the Bemis qualifier, Skippers must send an email to the crew for them to receive a link to register.  This must be done directly from the Skipper’s registration page.  Skippers must then pay for the entire team.  Crew will not be able to register separately and pay separately.  I will be happy to assist you with the registration process if you run into any difficulty.  Please let me know if you need any help!

Rush Creek Yacht Club will be generously providing some borrowed boats on a “first come first served” basis. The price is included in your registration fee.  But, all skippers of borrowed boats will need to bring me a check during check-in for a damage deposit.  Information about this is in the NOR.  Make sure you indicate in your registration whether you need to borrow a boat.  If you have already registered, please also confirm that you have indicated your sail number if you will be bringing your own boat.  I will contact the competitors soon after the deadline to notify them if they will be able to get a borrowed boat.

Reminder:  private coaching is permitted at this qualifier, but coaches must have their current US Sailing Level 1 certificate along with current First Aid and CPR and must provide proof to me on or before May 16 during check-in.  Coaches are invited to contact me before check-in to provide me with that information.  This will save time!  Also, anyone wanting to bring a spectator boat must also check-in with me on May 16 for approval.  You must have a working VHF and be willing to invite others who wish to spectate on your boat.  Please note, if you are on a spectator boat, you can provide encouragement, food and water, but you cannot give any information or advice to the competitors!  The “no contact” rule still applies!

There will be one other qualifier for Area F in May:  The deadline for the quadruple handed (Sears) qualifier on Ensigns is May 20.  It will be at Houston Yacht Club on May 30.  There will be no onsite registration.  To register, you must register and the skipper must pay for the entire team (skipper and crew) before the deadline for the qualifier at www.regattanetwork.com/event/10077.  Boats will be provided with your registration fee, along with a clinic!  No private coaching is permitted at this event.

These qualifiers are races between clubs, the skipper represents the club!  For the double handed and quadruple handed qualifier, everyone on the team doesn’t have to be a member of the same club.  But, all competitors must be members of a sailing club or yacht club in Area F.  Area F includes these eight States:  Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming, part of Nebraska, and part of Missouri.  An important eligibility requirement is that ALL competitors must reside in Area F or regularly compete in Area F, AND be a member of a sailing club or yacht club in Area F that is also a member of US Sailing. All the team members must be a member of the same Regional Sailing Association.  In Texas, the Regional Sailing Association is Texas Sailing Association (TSA).  Of course, all the competitors must also be members of US Sailing to be able to register.  More information about eligibility requirements is found in the NOR, in the US Sailing Championship Conditions on the US Sailing website at http://www.ussailing.org/wp-content/uploads/DARoot/Championships/USJrChamps/2015/Jr%20Champs%20Conditions.pdf, and in the US Sailing Regulations on the US Sailing website at http://www.ussailing.org/wp-content/uploads/DARoot/Bylaws/US%20Sailing%20Regs.pdf.

If you have any questions about eligibility, please contact me as soon as possible.  I will confirm everyone’s eligibility in the next few days and will let you know if I have any questions.

The two top double handed teams, and the top quadruple handed team will be selected to move on to the National finals in Wyanno, Massachusetts on August 2-6, 2015.  Each US Sailing Area will send their top teams to the finals, where the competitors will race against each other for the prestigious Sears Cup, Smythe Trophy, and Bemis Trophy.  The top singlehanded (Smythe) and double handed (Bemis) winners at the finals will receive early acceptance to the US Youth Sailing Championships if they choose to apply.  There will be great competition at the finals, and a clinic, where the top junior sailors will get an opportunity to display their skills to get on the Olympic pathway!

So, get your teams ready!  Please pass this information on to anyone who might be interested!  

[Yolanda Cortes Mares]

Dear friend of junior sailing:

I am starting to plan for next year’s Jr. Championship qualifiers for US Sailing’s Area F and I am writing to ask your opinion about the pros and cons of the boats that have been previously used for the single-handed and double-handed National Championship finals:  the Byte CII and the C420. 

As you know, there are three Jr. Championship qualifiers in Area F each year:  a singlehanded (Smythe), a double-handed (Bemis), and a triple/quadruple-handed (Sears).  (Next year, these qualifiers will be open to all 13 to 18 year old junior sailors who will have reached their 13th birthday, but not their 19th birthday during 2016.) 

The single-handed qualifier is raced on Laser Radials, but for the past several years, the National Championship finals has been raced on Byte CII’s.   The double-handed qualifier is raced on C420’s, and the finals have also been on C420’s.  

The Byte CII’s and C420’s are provided to the competitors for the National Championship finals through a package deal contract with Zim that is up for renewal.  Since Zim is not a Laser dealer or manufacturer, the boat that has been provided is a Byte CII.  They also provide the C420’s.

Here are some questions where I would like your input:

1.   Should the event continue as a provided boat format?
2.     Should the event be a BYO or provide your own charter event like Youth Champs and other regattas?  (If my Jr. Championships Committee chooses not to continue the Zim contract, US Sailing will do their best to secure official charter providers but a portion of   the sailors will need to bring their own boats.)
3.     Should the event keep its traditional format of all sailors having evenly matched boats in the larger fleets?

Kindly send me your comments before tomorrow at 6 p.m.  Please do not click "reply all".  While I hope that you want to continue to receive my emails about Junior Championships, please do not hesitate to let me know if you would like to be removed from this list. Please forward to anyone you think might be interested.

Please also let me know if your club is interested in hosting a qualifier next year!