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Sailing
Team Stevenson (NZL) crossing the finish line slightly in front of Team Petersen (USA) to win the 55th Governor’s Cup.
New Zealand Team Takes 55th Governor’s Cup International Youth Match Racing Championship
By: JORDAN B. DARLING
NEWPORT BEACH— Five days of racing led to a first-time victory for Jordan Stevenson of New Zealand and teammates Mitch Jackson and George Angus against defending champs and newly crowned World Youth Match Racing Champs Jeffrey Petersen, Max Brennan, and Scott Mais.
Stevenson is ranked number 12 on World Sailing’s Open rankings premiering in the GovCup in 2019.
Stevenson faced off on the final day of racing against home team Petersen from Balboa Yacht Club.
Petersen started off strong on day one and held on tight throughout the week and into the finals giving Stevenson strong competition at the end.
Stevenson started with three wins on the first day and worked his way up to a tie for second place on day two, lined up with Jack Egan (USA), who went undefeated on day two, and Marius Westerlind (SWE).
By day three, Petersen and Stevenson had secured their semifinal slots, with Stevenson just one point behind the USA team at 14 points.
In the semifinal with Egan, Stevenson took the lead and had a penalty to “kill,” which required him to either cause a penalty on Egan or complete an approximately 270-degree turn before the finish.
Stevenson allowed himself to be “caught” and then used the racing rules to gain an inside position at the BYC Race Committee boat, and not only prevented Egan from finishing but also stopped his opponent’s boat.
At that point, with greater initial speed, Stevenson could tack and then jibe, which would have killed the penalty.
However, his loss of speed and need to make the maneuver as soon as possible caused his boom to hit the port side of the Race Committee boat, resulting in another penalty. At the same time, Egan still stopped at the Race Committee boat, slid sideways, and hit its starboard side. At that point, Stevenson completed his second penalty turn and was awarded the victory.
Chief Umpire Flavio Naveira (ARG) said afterward that it was the “best I’ve ever seen in all the years I’ve been an umpire!”
Coming into the “first to three” point series in the finals against Petersen, Ste-
What to Do When Someone Says Mayday!
Ahoy sailors, last lesson we talked about your VHF (Very High Frequency) radio, how it works, how to use it, and how to send out a distress call. The second part of that lesson is how to properly respond when someone sends out a distress call and you are on the receiving end, what to do if you come across a vessel that is in an emergency, and what to do if you are in an emergency. Stay tuned for your next lesson which will discuss flares.
By: KATHERINE M. CLEMENTS
If you hear a distress message from a vessel that goes unanswered, you must answer. Experienced captains write down coordinates if they hear a pan-pan or a mayday, and they are ready to stop what they are doing and come to your assistance if in range.
The radio procedure is always to be scanning Channel 16. If you hear a distress call, press the 16 button, which locks in that channel. Then grab your logbook and pen, ready to record any information relayed from the radio. In addition, you should mentally try to locate the mayday site regarding your own position and prepare your crew and boat to immediately head in that direction if it is nearby.
Even in dire circumstances, bringing a second boat to the scene can make a huge difference. Each year, many on-thewater emergencies are assisted by good Samaritans who arrive on the scene before rescue crews.
Never assume that someone else will handle a mayday call. If you hear an unanswered call, immediately get on the radio, and acknowledge the mayday, boat name, boat location, and nature of distress. Then try to relay the mayday to the Coast Guard.
If a Mayday call is issued offshore and you are within range, immediately stop your onthe-water activities and head for the emergency location.
Recommendations and Warnings:
•Always use plain
English on your
VHF radio; do not use code words, abbreviations, or “CB talk.” CB is a citizen’s band radio used in many countries. It is a land mobile radio system that allows for short-distance person-to-persons bidirectional voice communication among individuals. • Limit your conversation to five minutes or less. There may be others trying to use that channel for emergencies or to help. • Remember, if you issue a MAYDAY call, your first course of action is to have everyone put a lifejacket on. • Always remember, foul language and false distress signals are illegal; you can be prosecuted for either.
If you are in an actual Mayday situation, stay tuned to channel 16. The Coast Guard will handle everything on that single channel. However, for non-emergency help, the watch stander may ask you to switch to channel 22, the Coast Guard’s working channel for carrying on informal conversations that aren’t about life-threatening problems.
If you hear a Mayday call on channel 16 and you are not in danger, do not transmit on 16 while the Coast Guard and the boat-in-distress are communicating, or you may interfere with the emergency communications. When one party talks on a channel, it blocks out all other conversations on that channel.
The Coast Guard will send out a rescue boat or, sometimes, a helicopter in response to any Mayday call, or in special cases where your boat has a dangerous mechanical problem, where someone onboard has a serious medical problem, where the weather is worsening rapidly, or when it’s getting dark.
When a rescue vessel arrives, follow the orders of Coast Guard crews. USCG personnel are law-enforcement officers as well as first-responders. Remember, depending on where you are, and what the conditions of the seas are, it can take quite some time for a Coast Guard response boat to get to where you are. Therefore, it is extremely important to immediately put your lifejacket on and if you have a leak don’t abandon ship for as long as it is safe.
According to Merriam Webster, the term MAYDAY was supposedly coined by Frederick Stanley Mockford, a senior radio officer in Croydon, but Merriam Webster has been unable to substantiate that claim.
Governer's Cup
From page 21
venson took races one and two and then took three tries to get that final point.
Petersen raised a red protest flag on race three after an incorrect rounding when the Race Committee moved one of the leeward “gate” marks to square the gate to the wind.
Since the move couldn’t be made by the time the boats were approaching the mark, that left a single mark, which needed to be rounded in a clockwise direction. Stevenson did so and started up the course.
Petersen then rounded in the other direction, and once he realized his mistake, he returned to round again. However, even then, he did not “unwind the string” of his first incorrect rounding and therefore had still not rounded the mark.
In the next race, Stevenson notably slowed down due to hitting a patch of kelp. At the end of the race, he found 88 pounds of kelp on the keel.
Petersen initially incurred a penalty during race three before the start. Still, in shepherding Stevenson down the line before the starting gun, Stevenson made a critical mistake and was over the line when the gun went off.
As he returned to the line with no rights against Petersen, he committed a double penalty for an intentional foul, which meant he had to do his penalty turn immediately.
This action erased the penalty for Petersen but left Stevenson with one penalty turn to complete. His boat speed and tactics were again sufficient to eke out a lead, but it was unclear whether he had enough distance to finish his turn before the hard-charging Petersen finished.
Stevenson and crew did an excellent job with the turn, but Petersen got a puff, then an overlap, and was surging past Stevenson.
The large spectator fleet had to wait for the Race Committee to raise a yellow flag indicating that the New Zealand team had won by two or three feet, giving Stevenson the Cup.
The Governor’s Cup International Youth Match Racing Championship is presented by DISC Sports and Spine Center.
Image courtesy of Martin Chumiecki/Element Photography
Allie Blecher (10) leads Giselle Camet Nyenhuis in the first match of the 2019 U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship
2022 U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship
By: KATHERINE M. CLEMENTS
OYSTER BAY, NEW YORK— The 2022 U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship will take place Aug. 19-21 at the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club in Oyster Bay, New York.
The U.S. Women’s Match Racing Championship is a match race regatta for up to 10 all-female teams sailed on keelboats. The format includes a series of Qualifying Round Robin(s), Semi-Finals, and a Finals Series.
All competitors must be members of U.S. Sailing at the time of registration and during the event. In addition, international competitors must be members of U.S. Sailing or their members of their National Authority (MNA).
The U.S. Women’s Open Championship serves the interest of female sailors who wish to compete against other women at the national level in double and singlehanded boats. The regattas are organized along traditional one-design racing lines where boat preparation is a factor, and no eliminations are required.
An award ceremony will take place on Aug. 21 where the top three finishing teams will be awarded their medals and in addition, the top two teams will receive trophies. The winner will be awarded the Allegra Knapp Mertz Trophy, and the Mrs. Charles Francis Adams Memorial Trophy will be presented to the runner-up.
The event has applied for World Sailing (WS) Grade 3. This grading is subject to review by World Sailing. The event may be re-graded where there is apparent reason to do so. This event will be sailed in Sonar type boats.
The top placing eligible skipper (per U.S. Match Racing Championship Conditions) will be invited to the 2022 U.S. Match Racing Championship hosted by Oakcliff Sailing on Oct. 7-9. Should the qualifying skipper decline her spot to the 2022 USMRC, or already be invited, the spot will be filled by the USMRCC’s Invitation Committee process per the USMRC Conditions.
Fleet of 9 sailboats specifically designed for adaptive sailing.
SAIL INTO SUMMER!
PARTICIPATE! VOLUNTEER! DONATE!
Leave your wheelchair behind. We make it happen.
Challenged Sailors San Diego provides FREE therapeutic and recreational adaptive sailing opportunities for people with disabilities to enhance their dignity, well being, and independence.
https://www.challengedsailors.org
(760) 690-6594 info@challengedsailors.org
ON THE HORIZONS
By: JORDAN B. DARLING
Offshore Racing Series
Oceanside Sprint (August 20)
DANA POINT— The Dana Point Yacht Club (DPYC) will host the fourth race in the 2022 Offshore Racing Series, San Mateo Point, on Aug. 20. The regatta is open to boats in PHRF, Spinnaker, Non-Spinnaker, and ORCA classes. PHRF Spinnaker entries will need to have a current PHRF rating. This is an open ocean series. The course for the race will be included in the Sailing Instructions. A competitor’s meeting will be held the morning of Aug. 20 before the race at DPYC. Take-home trophies will be awarded for each class, and the overall winner in the PHRF fleet will be awarded the Top Gun flag. There is a $35 entry for the race; entries must be completed by 6 p.m. on Aug. 19. There will be a post-race celebration after the race at the DPYC for the Overall Series Trophy Party; racers from all four races are invited to join the festivities; overall series trophies will be awarded at the party. For more information, see https://www.regattanetwork. com/event/24239#_home.
CORONADO— The Coronado Yacht Club will host the Mercury Class National Championship on Aug. 12 and 13. The regatta is open to yachts in the Mercury Class. Skippers must be current members in good standing with the Mercury Class Yacht Racing Association. Participating yachts will need a valid measurement certificate on file with MCYRA. Any new sails will need to be measured by Aug. 11. There is a $130 entry fee per boat due no later than Aug. 11 at 4 p.m. The racing area will be in south San Diego Bay. The complete set of racing instructions will be posted online by 3 p.m. on Aug. 11. After the racing, there will be drinks and tacos at the Whelan residence on Aug 12. On Aug. 13, there will be a MCYRA Championship Dinner at CYC. For more information, see https:// bit.ly/3PPACKN or contact CYC Fleet Captain at fleetcaptain@coronadoyc. org for information on storage and parking.
2022 Charity Bay Race
and Fundraiser (August 20)
POINT LOMA— The Point Loma Yacht Club will host a charity race and fundraiser on Aug. 20, benefitting Challenged Sailors San Diego. This sailing group provides therapeutic and recreational adaptive sailing opportunities for sailors with disabilities. The regatta is open to members of organizations affiliated with US Sailing. As part of the event, there will be a silent auction and raffle, with all proceeds going towards CSSD. The racing area will cover San Diego Bay and start near Harbor Island’s center. Four classes are scheduled for this race; spinnaker and non-spinnaker classes will begin at 12 p.m., cruisers at 12:05 p.m., and Martin 16s at 12:10 p.m. The entry fee is $1 per foot of the participating boat’s length, with $50 considered the maximum; CSSD boats are exempt from the fee. Entry fees are due by 5 p.m. on Aug. 19. After-race activities will take place at 3 p.m. at Sunroad Pavilion. This will include music, tacos, and refreshments. For more information, see https://www.regattanetwork. com/event/24816.
