hoofhearted
Member
Gulf Yachting Association Junior Lipton Cup sailed in Viper 640’s
This past weekend, Southern Yacht Club hosted ten all youth teams from ten yacht clubs, for the 73rd running of the Gulf Yachting Association’s Junior Lipton Regatta. Part of the GYA’s Capdevielle Series, the Junior Lipton Cup is sailed by all youth teams, eighteen and under, in a six-race series, where each skipper may only drive up to two races. The first regatta sailed in 1941 in the Fish Class ( [SIZE=10.5pt]https://fishclass.org/history/history.html[/SIZE] ) and later sailed for decades in the Flying Scot was sailed in Viper 640’s for the first time this past weekend. With the Gulf Yachting Association adopting the Viper 640 as their interclub or Capdevielle Series boat in 2018, all Capdevielle events are now sailed in the Viper, this is to include not only the regular series, but the Junior Lipton Cup, and the all Ladies event, the Knost Regatta as well.
Approximately 80 sailors from Florida to Texas had a great time on Lake Pontchartrain during the six-race series. With the skipper requirements requiring teams to change out drivers, many teams swapped out crews as well to match wind conditions, sailor’s strengths, and allow opportunity for all youth sailor involved the chance to compete. The phrase "Kids Playing With Snakes" was seen and heard throughout the boat park.
Winds throughout the weekend ranged from 5 knots, to 14-16knots, allowing for the Lake Pontchartrain chop to build up. With some puffs hitting 17 and a 20-knot puff here and there, the teen drivers had all smiles with boats speeds in the teens and waves to play in. One funny comment by one sailor was “We went faster than I am old, I have never been that fast on a sailboat before”
All the youth teams handled their Vipers extremely well, with tight starts, close mark rounding’s, boats gybing in sync with each other to cover one another. Spectator and support boats were boxed out by race management boats flying green flags to give the fleet room and space and to make sure no on the water coaching during racing was permitted. Quite honestly, the fleet was sailing so well, that one could not assume the event was a youth regatta.
At the end of the regatta, Pass Christian Yacht Club, Mississippi pulled off a win over host club Southern YC (New Orleans) with a 14-point score over 15 points. Gulfport Yacht Club came in third with 18 points. Lakewood Yacht Club, Texas, received the Uncle Roy Trophy for winning the last race of the series with Asher Zitter at the helm. Lakewood also took a bullet in Race Five. The Leslie Beard Sportsmanship Award was awarded to Pontchartrain YC (Louisiana) after single ballots by each competing team were turned in after voting by their fellow youth peers.
Results can be found here: https://www.regattanetwork.com/clubmgmt/applet_regatta_results.php?regatta_id=17203&show_crew=1
Facebook post can be found here : https://www.facebook.com/groups/1912474155654277/
Lots a vids can be found in this thread on the Viper forums : http://forum.viper640.org/index.php/topic,2427.0.html
One of the vids:
This past weekend, Southern Yacht Club hosted ten all youth teams from ten yacht clubs, for the 73rd running of the Gulf Yachting Association’s Junior Lipton Regatta. Part of the GYA’s Capdevielle Series, the Junior Lipton Cup is sailed by all youth teams, eighteen and under, in a six-race series, where each skipper may only drive up to two races. The first regatta sailed in 1941 in the Fish Class ( [SIZE=10.5pt]https://fishclass.org/history/history.html[/SIZE] ) and later sailed for decades in the Flying Scot was sailed in Viper 640’s for the first time this past weekend. With the Gulf Yachting Association adopting the Viper 640 as their interclub or Capdevielle Series boat in 2018, all Capdevielle events are now sailed in the Viper, this is to include not only the regular series, but the Junior Lipton Cup, and the all Ladies event, the Knost Regatta as well.
Approximately 80 sailors from Florida to Texas had a great time on Lake Pontchartrain during the six-race series. With the skipper requirements requiring teams to change out drivers, many teams swapped out crews as well to match wind conditions, sailor’s strengths, and allow opportunity for all youth sailor involved the chance to compete. The phrase "Kids Playing With Snakes" was seen and heard throughout the boat park.
Winds throughout the weekend ranged from 5 knots, to 14-16knots, allowing for the Lake Pontchartrain chop to build up. With some puffs hitting 17 and a 20-knot puff here and there, the teen drivers had all smiles with boats speeds in the teens and waves to play in. One funny comment by one sailor was “We went faster than I am old, I have never been that fast on a sailboat before”
All the youth teams handled their Vipers extremely well, with tight starts, close mark rounding’s, boats gybing in sync with each other to cover one another. Spectator and support boats were boxed out by race management boats flying green flags to give the fleet room and space and to make sure no on the water coaching during racing was permitted. Quite honestly, the fleet was sailing so well, that one could not assume the event was a youth regatta.
At the end of the regatta, Pass Christian Yacht Club, Mississippi pulled off a win over host club Southern YC (New Orleans) with a 14-point score over 15 points. Gulfport Yacht Club came in third with 18 points. Lakewood Yacht Club, Texas, received the Uncle Roy Trophy for winning the last race of the series with Asher Zitter at the helm. Lakewood also took a bullet in Race Five. The Leslie Beard Sportsmanship Award was awarded to Pontchartrain YC (Louisiana) after single ballots by each competing team were turned in after voting by their fellow youth peers.
Results can be found here: https://www.regattanetwork.com/clubmgmt/applet_regatta_results.php?regatta_id=17203&show_crew=1
Facebook post can be found here : https://www.facebook.com/groups/1912474155654277/
Lots a vids can be found in this thread on the Viper forums : http://forum.viper640.org/index.php/topic,2427.0.html
One of the vids:
