The Official Newsletter of the Stanford Sailing Program • #39The Layline

December 2012

Stanford University Sailing Program - Arrillaga Family Sports Center - Stanford - California - 94305-6150650-723-2811 (Phone) - 650-725-0758 (Fax) - 650-364-1292 (Boathouse) - www.gostanford.com

Look for this and all future newsletters in electronic form on our website;

www.gostanford.comWe will also email a full link. Please email Coach Vandemoer, vandemoer@stanford.edu, with your email address if you are not

already in our database.

Over the past nine months I have had the amazing opportunity to be a member of Team Quest for the Cup, a team of college-aged sailors pursuing of a bid in the first ever Red Bull Youth America’s Cup. It all begin when Red Bull announced their plan to hold a Youth America’s Cup in San Francisco next summer, to be sailed in AC 45 catamarans right before the real America’s Cup is held in AC 72s. Hopeful participants would have the opportunity to race in the same boats as the pros, and receive guidance and coaching from some of the top America’s Cup sailors in the sport. It all started when Judge Ryan approached me earlier this year with an offer to be the tactician in what was to become an eight-person team, with six actively sailing the boat and two alternates. We added two more current Stanford sailors to the team, Oliver Toole and Hans Henken, along with Willie McBride, Erika Reineke, Marly Isler, and Mac Agnese. The logistics were staggering; coordinating a team of eight en route to obtaining sponsors, coordinating potential practice dates, and dealing with Oracle’s constantly changing plans for the selection process proved to be quite challenging. But over Thanksgiving break; we were finally given the coveted opportunity to sail on the AC 45s for two days as an on-the-water tryout for Oracle. The sailing proved to be extremely challenging. Aside from coordinating jobs between six people, the catamaran was very physical and even sailing two laps around a course (less then one race in terms of the America’s Cup World Series racing) was exhausting. On top of that, Oracle ran us through a rigorous fitness test after sailing on the second day. Bruised and battered after the second day, we were nonetheless thrilled to have sailed the boats and hopeful our tryout went well enough to secure a spot in the Cup next summer. Unfortunately, word came out later that week that we hadn’t been selected, but had received a recommendation to compete in the independent

Youth America’s Cup

selection series, which will be held in February. While not necessarily the end of the road, we are currently in a holding phase while we decide how to proceed. Participation in the selection series could still get us a spot in the Cup, but also comes with a heavy price tag and the commitment to skipping school and college sailing practice. So while we have yet to come to a consensus, this will probably be the end of the road for Team Quest for the Cup. Here is a link to our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/teamqftc?ref=hl Video of us sailing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-o_dPbBSkQ&feature=youtu.be

2 The Layline

LaylineThe official newsletter of the Stanford Sailing Program,

published in December and June.

Arrillaga Family Sports CenterStanford, CA 94305-6150

650-723-2811, Fax 650-725-0758www.gostanford.com

Arrillaga Rowing and Sailing Center, 300 Cardinal WayRedwood City, CA 650-364-1292

Head Coach & Director of Sailing: John Vandemoer(vandemoer@stanford.edu)

Assistant Coach: Clinton Hayes (cehayes@stanford.edu)

PLease follow us on twitter (@Stanfordsailing)

and facebook (stanford University sailing team)

for real time updates,

Unless otherwise noted, photos in this issue provided by Stanford Athletics Official Photography Department.

www.stanfordphoto.com

From the Coach BoatDear Friends, Alumni and Parents of Stanford Sailing, As we approach the winter holiday season it is a great time to reflect on a great Fall season as well as the great people who are a big part of the Stanford Sailing Family.This Fall the team was active as always on both coasts competing and most importantly learning to perfect their craft. The team won both the Men’s and Women’s singlehanded conference champs, in fact the women went 1,2,3 and the men were 1,2,4. The Singlehanded Nationals was also a great event for us with Kieran Chung finishing 3rd and Oliver Toole finishing 6th. The women, McKenzie Wilson and Rebecca King, represented us proudly with 12th and 13th place finishes respectively. The Match Racing Conference Championships did not happen unfortunately due to lack of breeze and a resume system was implemented to figure out who would go to nationals. The team’s resume was determined to be 2nd best to CMA and they moved onto nationals. The Fall finished with the annual PCC’s or better known as North/South. The team finished strong winning all divisions and winning the event by 138pts! The fall season brings us new events but also new people. The new freshman class has been great and their transition has been smooth. We have a really talented and fun group of freshman, which has only added to the fun team atmosphere, we enjoy. The freshman and upperclassmen have been working hard both on and off the water to represent the team, Stanford, and themselves with honor and grace. As a coach I am very fortunate to have such a great group of people to work with. This fall has also been a time of new things for the team. Yup, Christmas came early for the sailing team. Thanks to a generous donation we were able to purchase a new fleet of 18 FJ’s for practice and competition. This generous gift has allowed the coaches to provide top of the line equipment to our players; and to focus on improving as a team on the water. Stanford sailing has also signed a new sponsorship

deal with Sperry Top-Sider to provide on –the- water footwear for our team. This is really exciting for us as we were not able to provide footwear in the past. As always without your support we could not provide the opportunities that we do to our student athletes. Whether it is housing, a meal, boats or a financial donation it is all needed and very much appreciated. The best gift of all is your cheers and moral support for this team. So, please continue to come out and cheer on the team on at a regatta or through our Facebook page. From everyone here on the Farm, I would like to wish you and your families a happy and safe holiday and we look forward to seeing you in 2013! Your coach, John Vandemoer

3Fall 2011

Thank you to all who have given to Buck/Cardinaland listed sailing as your preferred sport;

we truly appreciate your generosity now more than ever

Thank you for hosting us, feeding us, and being there for us.

The Toole’s - Food at PCC’s

The Laube’s- Housing and Dinner at SDYC Match Race

The Ortels’- Housing at Navy Fall

All Family and Friends who follow Stanford Sailing!

Thank You to our team sponsorsNike, Patagonia, and Sperry

(Spencer Allen Photo)

4 The Layline

By Katie Riklin ‘13 Every fall, the Cal-Stanford rivalry hits the water for the annual ‘Big Sail’ – a day of match racing and friendly competition hosted at the St. Francis Yacht Club that takes place in the lead up to Big Game. This year the Stanford crew aboard our J-105 spanned all four years and consisted of Kevin Laube (skipper), McKenzie Wilson (bow), Jack Ortel (trimmer), Antoine Screve (trim and tactics), Rebecca King (pit), and myself (mid bow). Having grown up big boat racing in England, I’d aspired to be part of the Big Sail team since freshman year and the reality of being able to represent Stanford at one of my absolute favorite venues was even better than I expected. Walking through the doors of the St. Francis Yacht Club always makes you feel pretty special and nestled between the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz, it boasts a pretty spectacular view. With our tight academic and practice schedules, we could only make it up to the city for one quick afternoon practice the day before the event so we were determined to make the most of it and get ourselves up to speed on match racing in J-105s. After McKenzie taking charge in teaching us how to set up the boat properly, we headed out in perfect breeze for an afternoon of practice. Within a few hours we’d nailed down our individual jobs, found the key to jibing the spinnaker as quickly and seamlessly as possible and realized how important it was going to be for us to be able communicate effectively with each other during the frenzy of racing the next day. The sun was setting over the Golden Gate Bridge as we were sailing back in creating one of those picture perfect moments that made us all realized why we loved sailing. As soon as we arrived back at the yacht club the next day, we knew we were in for an exciting day. Stanford and Cal flags were everywhere, the sun was shining and breeze was on. With a Stanford alum and her baby along for the ride, we set off to get in some last minute practice before racing began. We planned out our entry and got off to a great start in the first race, staying out to the side of the course and ahead of our opponent. The wind,

THE CARDINAL WIN BIG SAIL 8TH YEAR IN A ROW!

Stanford overtaking CAL on leg 3 of 4. Oracle AC72 sailing in the background. Only an hour later they capsized right off St.FYC during the awards ceremony.

which had been steadily building since our sail out, was now well into the mid-high 20s and every move had to be executed with speed and precision to maintain smooth sailing. Approaching the windward mark, we geared up for our first spinnaker hoist, but perhaps having underestimated the power of the wind in the huge sail, next thing we knew the clutch on the tack line had blown and we broached, leaving us panicked for about 10 seconds with our boat at an unnatural angle and our cardinal red spinnaker flying like a flag out in front of our boat. We eventually managed to stuff the spinnaker back down the hatch (that’s the last we saw of it for the day and spinnakers were disallowed from then on), by which time Cal had gained a significant lead on us. Luckily, with some calm, collected decision making and good wing-on-wing sailing, we managed to come back to win the race. We were all eager for a less dramatic second race and we pulled off exactly that, simple sailing with an emphasis on boathandling and teamwork kept us ahead throughout the race and ultimately led us to a 2-0 victory over Cal. We came back to the dock starving, soaking wet from waves splashing over the rail, but pumped up on adrenaline and excitement

from an amazing morning of racing. The energy around the team was awesome as we had successfully maintained the Stanford varsity winning streak, now 8 years in a row! In addition, the Stanford young alumni led by recent graduate Nick Dugdale also ended up on top, beating Cal for the first time in years. But the excitement wasn’t over yet. Making the most of the windy conditions, one of the Oracle AC72s was out practicing on the bay and from the window of the lunch room, we looked on as this giant boat caught a huge gust of wind, pitch-poled and capsized right in front of our eyes. You can imagine the roar of shock and excitement that came from the crowd of sailing savvy observers. We watched for a while in awe as they attempted to right the boat, which according the evening news, didn’t actually happen until 1am that morning after the boat had been swept four miles past the Golden Gate Bridge. At the end of the day I was exhausted but had had an experience way beyond any of my expectations. Being part of a winning team at the windiest Big Sail that coaches and club members had seen reminded me of some of the reasons I love sailing and was a really special way to highlight my senior fall season on the Stanford sailing team.

Mckenzie Wilson ‘14 Displays the Stanford Battle Flag at this year’s Big Sail.

5Fall 2011

Podium Result at Singlehanded NationalsICSA Singlehanded NationalsBy Kieran Chung ‘15 After a successful and competitive singlehanded conference championship two weeks before the finals, Stanford occupied all four PCCSC berths to the Single Handed Men’s and Women’s National Championships. This year we had the rare opportunity to sail the Single Handed National’s in our west coast time-zone out of Long Beach, California. This was exceptionally exciting to the team given the amount of time that we have spent sailing in front of the Belmont Pier and Long Beach in general. The

local knowledge is always comforting. Additionally we were excited with the hour flight south in the same time-zone towards warmer temperatures, as opposed to a red-eye towards most likely colder temperatures east. Following our Thursday night arrival in Long Beach, the event wasted no time with an early morning dedicated to rigging the brand new boats. After an hour or so of fiddling with spars, blocks, and lines Mckenzie, Oliver, Rebecca, and I were all pleased with our set up that we assembled from scratch. Meanwhile the breeze was still trying to settle from the predictably light fall sea breeze direction. Friday saw winds starting from the South-East at 4-6 knots. Going into the day the team had a quick briefing with John to summarize our goals and keys to focus on for the day. We all recognized the fact that “you can’t win the regatta on the first day, but you can certainly lose or take yourself out of it”. Thus the keys to the

day were to keep things simple, consistency, place an emphasis on starts and separating from the pack, and to stay out of congestion through anticipation. The day unfolded with the left being slightly more favorable, and with eight races the Stanford Cardinal were off to a good start with everyone playing the game. The second day really seemed to be the regatta “make or break” day series with 8 more races leaving only two for the third and final day. The “make or break” day consisted of 4-10 knots from the west all day, transitioning to a tricky offshore NNW direction that ended the day. The day was a fine balance between leading right towards the persistent shift, but with patience due to the greater pressure up the left side of the course. As always having starts with options was the key to the day’s fine balance. Coming into the final day the wind picked up just before noon from the west but with some fighting wind directions near to shore, which prompted the committee to hold the final race of the event out towards the federal break wall to the South. The final race was probably one of the more exhilarating finishes that I’ve ever had in my sailing endeavors and reminded me why I love racing so much. The gold and silver had been decided and the bronze could only be contested by the Yale contender (last year’s champion) and myself. It came down to whoever beat who in the final race. With a solid start, a controlling position from the first leg, and butterflies overwhelming my stomach, Stanford came out on top with the bronze at the close of the Nationals. As a team I think we all made sure that Stanford’s presence was known. Mackenzie and Rebecca stepped into the conference berths convincingly and battled through one of the deeper women’s fleets that we’ve seen at Nationals. Oliver and I were able to significantly improve from our finishes during our separate freshman appearances at the Single Handed Nationals in Chicago and St. Petersburg before that for Oliver. Overall the racing was “champagne” with clear skies, warm temperatures, a very competitive fleet of many peers, and some hiking to our surprise. To put the icing on the cake we had several of our parents and other Stanford supporters come out to the end of the Belmont Pier to support our efforts and to cheer us on!!!

Kieran accepting his 3rd place award.

6 The Layline

2012 Big Sail: An Alum’s Prospective

By: Nick Dugdale ‘12 This year was my first Big Sail as an alumnus, sailing on the young alumni team. As the youngest of the young alums on the team, I was tasked with running the front of the boat as well as helping with prestart tactics. I’d driven the varsity boat for the last two iterations, so it was definitely a big change to find myself back on the pointy end of the boat. Due to the Pac-12’s decision to schedule the Big Game a month earlier than normal, we were met with one of the last truly windy days of the fall season rather than the usual fluky, November weather that has characterized previous Big Sails. Unfortunately the breeze built to such an extent that both the young alumni and the masters divisions were only able to complete one race rather than the best-of-three series that had been planned, but this was probably for the best—both for the borrowed boats and for the crews involved! Despite a rather embarrassing first start in which both the Cal and Stanford teams managed to miss the fact that our start sequence was a 10-minute rather than a 7-minute countdown (my fault entirely...), we fared much better on our second attempt, leading Cal off the line. At this point I took off my tactician hat and sprinted up to the front of the boat, where things quickly got out of hand. A somewhat sloppy tacking duel up the first beat saw us round the top mark ahead by a few boatlengths, but this race was far from over. After a hectic hoist and some rather messy gybes, we managed to get the kite down just in time to round the bottom mark a few inches ahead of the Cal boat. Despite my futile attempts to convince Scott to cover our opponents out to the favorable current, he elected to continue up the left side. As it turned out, Scott had made a great call by ignoring my pleas, and by doing two less tacks than Cal we extended our lead significantly by the second-and final- windward mark rounding. This wasn’t the end of our troubles, however: by this point the breeze had built significantly, and our kite came up with a huge twist in it. Thankfully our lead was big enough that we were able to sort it out before Cal could catch up, but there was still one challenge ahead before we could claim victory: the final gybe to the finish. I should explain to those not familiar with J105s that the bowman’s job in a gybe involves manually running the clew of the spinnaker around the front of the boat and down along the leeward side of the boat to help the sail fill on the new gybe. As fate would have it, just as Scott turned the boat into the gybe we were hit by a particularly large puff, and where the leeward rail had been only moments before, I suddenly found myself buried under a wall of water! As I gasped for air I managed to wrap myself around

Unfortunately, this was the scene all weekend in Newport Beach for PCCSC Match Race Championships. See the next page for McKenzie

Wilson’s positive spin on a tough weekend.

a stanchion, and somehow escaped getting washed off the boat as we rounded up to the cheers of the spectators on the StFYC race deck. Thankfully, the team managed to wrestle the boat back under control and hang on tight for the rest of the leg, and we crossed the finish line to take the first Big Sail victory for the Stanford young alumni in several years. Unfortunately the Masters’ boat, skipper by Alan Andrews, was defeated in their only match against Cal. The race was sailed in the windiest conditions of the day, gusting to 25 knots. That, combined with boat damage from the undergrad race, forced the race committee to singnal that no spinnakers would be allowed in that race. Their team, stacked with J105 veterans, were probably the most capable of setting a kite in the extreme conditions the City Front served up that day. Thankfully there’s always next year!

7Fall 2011

A Positive Spin on Match Race Weekend

PCCSC Match Race ChampionshipsBy Mckenzie Wilson ‘14 This fall, UC Irvine and Balboa Yacht Club of Newport Beach played hosts to the Match Race PCCs and national qualifier. Having lost previous years’ skipper, the now graduated Nick Dugdale, who helped us along the road to victory in last year’s Match Race PCCs and ultimately a third in Match Race Nationals, Kevin Laube and I were left to fill the leadership role on the boat. Joining us for the event were sophomore Jack Ortel and freshman Antoine Screve. With a busy dinghy schedule leading up to the event for all involved, finding time and boats with which to practice was certainly a challenge, but a big thanks to the Lanes for letting us borrow their J22s for the week leading up to the the event. After a warm up regatta in San Diego in mid-September, Big Sail in mid-October, and the week of J22 practice at the Lanes, we felt confident in our boat handling going into the event...if only we were going to be able to use it! We had the luxury of flying down to LAX on Friday night, and we all felt well rested and in good spirits having had the extra day on campus to relax and prepare for the weekend. The flight, unfortunately, however, required us to miss dinner, and not surprisingly, all of the boys were starving upon landing in LAX. Kevin immediately suggested In-N-Out, arguing that one is never more than five minutes away from an In-N-Out when in Southern California. It did not take long to prove that argument was not necessarily true. Once we finally made it out of the rental car lot, after a fair bit of confusion about Clinton Hayes name not being on the reservation, Kevin convinced all of us to take a short detour, no more than five minutes he promised, to In-N-Out. For the record, it was definitely more than five minutes, but I’ll let that one slide. Antoine taught Jack about the milkshake glitch at In-N-Out (when you request your milkshake right when your order it at the register, you’ll receive a second one with your meal), and the double-double and neapolitan shake were definitely crowd-pleasers. All throughout however, Clinton was reminding us that we still needed to make weight in the morning! The next morning we went down to the yacht club to register, weigh in, and hit the water. After the skipper’s meeting, we were the first ones off the dock, excited to start racing. Unfortunately for us, and everyone else, the weather did not cooperate. For the next two days, we were greeted with the hottest and calmest weather Newport Beach had to offer us, while pleasant for beach-goers and pleasure-boaters, it was not what we had hoped the weekend would bring. Instead of spending the weekend racing, we spent the weekend drifting. While it was certainly disappointing to not get a single race in over two days of drifting, I can say with certainty that I returned to Stanford with a respectable Southern California tan having caught up on all of my sleep. Overall not an entirely unproductive weekend! Even though the weekend ended up a non-regatta, it was still a success -- a bonding experience and fond college sailing memory for all.

PARENTS WEEKEND

2012March 1-3, 2013

Come watch your sons and daughters sail in the McIntyre Team Race and meet the team and fellow

parents.

Events:

Friday 3:00-5:00pm Watch Practice on the water. Sail with/against your kids!

5:30-7pm Cocktail Party at the boathouse. Hear from the coaching staff and team captains.

Saturday and Sunday Racing all day! Come down and cheer the team on at the Boathouse. BYO Meat to

BBQ on the grill.

Saturday Night Join the regatta dinner at the Sequoia YC in Redwood City.

Cost: $10.00 per person and Cash Bar.

Team Hike in the Marin Headlands during our pre-season training week. This is essential for us to catch up on sailing and fitness as most other schools are in session weeks before

Stanford.

8 The Layline

Fall 2012 Regatta Reports

St. Mary’s InterconferenceBy Haley Kirk ‘15Hitting the Ground Running The first regatta of the season proved this year was not only going to be tough, but that we were going to do well. The St. Mary’s Fall Intersectional was the first regatta of our 2012/2013 season. The regatta occurred just after preseason and before any stress of classes or homework was bestowed on us. The regatta lineup included Oliver and myself in “A” division, and Kieran and Kelly in “B” division. After an intense preseason session the four of us felt ready to go. Saturday proved to be long and windy. Numerous energy bars were consumed and hiking was at its peak in the beginning of the day, when we found finding a lane to be crucial. Towards the end of the day the wind died down a bit, so we transitioned into a mode that was more about connecting the puffs. Sunday on the other hand was extremely light and shifty. The focus was on keeping our head out of the boat and trying not to focus so much on the fleet, but more on the wind itself. Overall Oliver and I had a great first regatta, and I would say this even if we didn’t finish 3rd in our division, and 6th overall. We learned so much we want to work on throughout the year and were able to shake off the rust from Nationals last year. Looking forward I feel more confident this year that we are going to have a great spring year. Our team is older now and more matured and we are all ready for what is to come…GO STANFORD!

SDYC Match RaceBy Kevin Laube ‘14 Danmark Trophy By: Michael Dahl ‘15As I headed to the East Coast for not only my first regatta of the year, but also my first east coast regatta in fleet racing, I was filled with anxiety as well as excitement. I had no idea what to expect and after the long red-eye flight to Boston. Clinton found a nice place to stop and rest for

a fulfilling breakfast. After breakfast we headed to the hotel hoping for some nice beds to sleep in before we left for practice at the Coast Guard Academy. Unfortunately, our rooms were not ready so a few of us got comfy on the couches in the lounge until the rooms became available. After a much needed nap we headed to the Coast Guard Academy for a fun practice. When we arrived it was howling 20 and pouring rain so we all

quickly ran down the pier to the boathouse to change but when we came out decked out in our foul weather gear, the wind had died down to a steady 5 knots and the rain had come to a complete stop. The Stanford team went out to practice in the 420s and after an effective practice we headed back to the hotel to get a good night sleep for the next day. The next day it seemed that all the good wind had been used up early in the week because we were greeted with a whopping 0-5 knots of breeze and a good amount of current for the next two days. Struggling to figure out

the inconsistent, puffy breeze we carried on throughout the regatta. Although the results may not have shown the true ability of the Cardinal Sailing Team, we left the regatta full of new knowledge that we would be able to utilize in our future regattas.

Moody TrophyBy Kelly Ortel ‘14 Sailing at URI was a blast. We experienced near perfect conditions on Saturday. Each division worked hard and improved, finishing the end ofthe day in first. Sunday

brought us much less wind and warmer temperatures. Without enough breeze to race, we all set up camp on the small island we rotated from, Survivor Island. We soon had a fire built on the beach. Rival fires were quickly constructed, and the competitive atmosphere that was lost with the wind had returned, full force. We decided that the twigs and grass from the beach were not enough to out do our enemies. We knew we had to venture into the woods

A successfull team post awards at Navy Fall.

9Fall 2011

to find more significant pieces of wood. But who knows what creatures lurk in the dark woods of Survivor Island? Oh, but we did not have to worry, because Clinton took the lead. Despite the lack of wind, we had a successful and adventure filled day, outsmarting our competition on the island, and wrapping up the event in first. Our trip to URI was so much fun. We are so grateful for the opportunities we have through Stanford Sailing to compete and learn all over both coasts.

Hobart Fall InterconferenceBy Max Kohrman ‘15 This was an exciting event for all of the sailors going to Hobart because it was my and Jack Ortel’s second time skippering at an east coast event, the first regatta of the year for freshmen Noelle Herring and Samantha Steele, and a return to his alma mater for Coach John Vandemoer who sailed at Hobart William & Smith during his college sailing career. It was a gorgeous weekend in Geneva, NY on Seneca Lake (the middle finger of the finger lakes). After our arrival on Friday morning from the red-eye we went right over to the boathouse located on campus. The winds were shifty coming off of the land from the west but we got a nice practice in with the two boats from Hobart competing in the event that weekend. Saturday’s sailing was frustrating but at the same time really fun. Weather was in the upper 50’s with warm water and winds, again coming from the west, were variable between 8 and 18 knots. Since the water was flat it was easier to see the shifts but that did not make the sailing any less tricky. Jack and I were producing similar scores and after the first day of racing we had almost the same number of points in our respective divisions (he in A and me in B) with Stanford in 3rd overall. On “Cardinal Sunday” we put on our red pinnies for the second day of racing. It was slightly colder in the low 50’s with cloud cover for most of the day. The wind again started out of the west but was so light and shifty that the first B division race of the day was abandoned after sailing 3 upwind legs in a row. After a short delay it filled in from the south

with conditions anywhere from 0-7 knots and some mild chop. Racing in the very light drifter conditions is difficult and after a few races with a few too many mistakes our team finished the regatta in 6th place over all. I certainly learned a lot sailing at Hobart about certain strategic and tactical decisions in shifty conditions. Jack had

a few bullets throughout the weekend I got my first win in a college sailing race, definitely something I won’t forget.

Navy FallBy Helena Scutt ‘14 The Navy Fall regatta’s name is fitting: there’s nothing like a beautiful, mid-October Annapolis weekend. With four divisions (A & B: 420s and FJs, C: Laser, and D: Laser Radial), Navy Fall is arguably the largest and most competitive regatta of the fall season. As a venue, Navy is always a little bit funky because of the trapezoid racecourses and quirky sails made in-house. But nonetheless, it is one of the better college sailing sites (probably my favorite!). Friday’s practice was very windy and cold, a reminder of how brutal winter can be. While the wind was fun, fortunately the sun came out for the weekend and we still had wind allowing us to sail 14 races per division. On Saturday morning we used the postponement for breeze to say hi to the Stanford Women’s Lacrosse team that was competing in a tournament at Navy. Then soon enough we had 4-8 knots with lots of chop from the Boat Show. On Sunday we had more breeze, 8-12 knots. Antoine and

I were amused that a good place to tack on Sunday was just after crossing a moored boat named “Happy Destiny”. We thought the name was appropriate for our sweet spot on the racecourse! In several races we made huge comebacks on the last beat (as many as 8 boats!) because we were pushing to catch boats one-by-one. This weekend

demonstrated to our team that in practice we need to all push each other on the startline as if it’s a regatta. This forces you to set up early, hold a position, and accelerate in close quarters. When we returned to Stanford we emphasized this to the rest of the team and it has really made the whole team more aggressive and confident on the startline. Stanford finished 6th overall, a testament to our teamwork in this four-division event. Kevin, Natalie, and Katie sailed in a very competitive A Division and improved

throughout the weekend, demonstrating our team focus this year of constant improvement. Michael really stepped up in sailing a Laser Radial. His performance is something to be proud of because he does not usually sail Lasers, let alone Radials, but he delivered! Antoine and I won B Division and Kieran finished 2nd in the Laser (to Charleston’s Guatemalan Olympian Juan Maegli, I might add!). The most important thing that I learned this weekend was that if you treat each race separately and don’t worry about the score and how you’re standing overall, the score will take care of itself. Congratulations to freshman Antoine for an outstanding performance at his first collegiate regatta!Thank you to Annapolis Yacht Club, the US Naval Academy, and mostly, the Ortel family for their hospitality (banana pancakes!).

Captain HurstBy rebecca King ‘13 In October four of us traveled to Hanover, NH for the Captain HurstBowl at Dartmouth. The regatta is held in memory of the late Captain, who served as the Dartmouth Sailing Head Coach for decades. When we arrived at Lake Mascoma we were greeted by rain and a ton of wind. Axel, Mckenzie, Yuki, and I suited up in our drysuits and headed out

Windy and Chilly Friday Practice at Dartmouth beofre the Hurst. Overnight Temps were in the 20’s.

10 The Layline

to practice with the Dartmouth team. Practice was short, but the breeze gave us a pretty intense workout. Each of our boats were no more than a combined 265 lbs, luckily for us though the forecast forSaturday was much more small-people friendly. I was pleasantly surprised to find out we wouldn’t be staying in our normal hotel but rather the Pierce’s Inn, where we had a cabin to ourselves. It was quite niceto be in New Hampshire in October with beautifully colored leaves and a fireplace next to which you could do your homework. The breakfast was also killer. The regatta was bigger than normal college regattas, with 22 boats on the line. The conditions on Saturday were very shifty and up and downpressure wise. We made some very freshman mistakes, but also showed progress putting together a few beats at a time. Clinton kept a fire going for us during the off sets, the warmth was great, too bad everything I packed ended up smelling like camping for a good bit of time after. On Sunday we sat in a holding pattern until 2pm, and the breeze just never quite filled. Mrs. Hurst and parents of currentDartmouth sailors graciously provided the entire regatta with BBQ andsweets. That day, another exciting event was taking place 21 milesabove us, and we all watched as Felix Baumgartner broke the soundbarrier and free fell back to earth.

Stoney BurkeBy Sammy Steel ‘16 Stoney Burke was my first west coast college regatta. With twenty-five teams on the water and coed and women’s sailing in a combined division, it was also one of the largest PCCSC regattas of the fall. Cal hosted the regatta at Treasure Island, a former military base between San Francisco and the East Bay. The sailing takes place against the backdrop of the almost completed new eastern span of the Bay Bridge, the world’s largest self-anchored suspension span, a technological and visual marvel. As a San Francisco native, TI is one of my favorite west coast venues, and I was thrilled to get to compete there with a collegiate fleet.

It was an unusually sunny day in the city as we pulled into the TI parking lot under cerulean skies. We unloaded our boat from the trailer and began to rig. After sailing on the east coast the weekend before, I was struck by how comparatively laid back the west coast sailing culture can be. After the skippers’ meeting, we were the first boat off the dock by a good ten minutes. Jack Ortel and I sailed A division, while Max Kohrman and Michelle Catania sailed B. Jack and I had sailed together at

Hobart, and we felt like our boat handling was increasingly in synch. The breeze started at five knots and continued to build throughout the day. By the last races, it picked up to fifteen, which made for some really fun, breezy sailing. The key to the weekend was getting a good start off the line, which was very pin favored for most races. By contrast, Sunday was very light. In fact, we spent most of the morning drifting and waiting for wind. This gave us the opportunity to catch up with the other west coast sailors, many of whom we knew from high school sailing. Finally, the breeze filled in enough to start racing, although we only managed to finish one set before Cal called the regatta. We ended the weekend 5th overall. We headed back to Stanford, a bit frustrated at the lack of Sunday sailing, but nonetheless appreciative of the venue’s beauty and the chance to gain much-needed competitive experience.

Freshmen ChampsBy Michelle Catania ‘16 I began the weekend very excited for my first east coast regatta and to see all the freshmen from other teams, including friends from high school. I was sailing B division with Yuki Yoshiyasu, Axel Sly and Sammy Steele were our A division and Noelle Herring was an alternate. According to the forecast a hurricane was about to hit the east coast and we all nervously anticipated what that would mean for us and the regatta. After a long

red eye, delicious breakfast and quick nap we headed over to Coast Guard Academy to practice. I was amazed by the facility; the river is gorgeous, and the boathouse is outstanding with a full FJ and 420 fleet among many other boats. We practiced with just our two boats for a bit, getting used to the tricks of the river. We practiced using current to our advantage and quick accelerations for the start, both of which definitely came in handy at the regatta. We left practice with great insight into the conditions and what we needed to remember that weekend.

The next morning we arrived at the boathouse and there was

an air of naïve excitement; the freshmen from all the teams were ready to prove themselves and represent their team. The conditions were very light, very shifty but Yuki and I sailed very well, we were fast and made very smart decisions. By the end of the day our nerves were completely shoot. Most of our races included a very poor start, finding a lane fairly quickly, sailing smart and catching up by the leeward mark then cumulated with sailing to the finish line in second place with seven other boats within feet behind us. Sunday when we arrived we were told The Academy was in a sate of “hurricon 2” and racing would end at 12 in order to prepare. The conditions took some time to get used to, giant puffs followed by disastrous lulls, and our first race was the worst of the regatta. Once we figured it out we did well. Stanford came in 3rd overall, with B division in 2nd and A division in 6th. There were certainly some mistakes over the weekend but we all sailed well and I was very proud of the Cardinal freshmen! After de-rigging and taking down

Oliver and Kelly, part of team Star Wars, at the annual Halloween 2 vs. 2

11Fall 2011

masts so the boats could be stored, John met us and explained that we had ten minutes to change and get in the cars or we “wouldn’t get home until November”. It was October 28th but the way he phrased it jump-started us into action. We quickly packed up a drove for six hours through 6 states into the hurricane to make our flight. We arrived home exhausted but looking forward to improving and the rest of our college careers.

Women’s SinglesBy Noelle Herring ‘16 The Women’s Single-handed PCC event was the first national qualifier of the year, and our team showed tremendous promise as we took first, second, and third place in a 5-boat fleet. Hosted by USC, the regatta took place off of Belmont Pier in Long Beach, a familiar venue to the three Stanford sailors who participated. Up in the Bay Area, we had already begun to layer on spray gear for the autumn chill, so the warm sunny Southern California conditions were a welcome change of pace. On the water, Rebecca, Mackenzie, and I competed against two Hawaii sailors. While the competition was light, the conditions remained challenging during the one-day event. Throughout the regatta, boat speed was on everyone’s mind. It was clear that whoever reached the windward mark first was nearly guaranteed to lead the race into the finish. With limited current and pressure across the course, the key strategies were to keep the main in as much as possible, hike, and sail a conservative path. With superior boat speed, McKenzie Wilson finished the regatta with a mere 6 points. Rebecca King followed close behind with 9 points. Her strategy through the regatta showed her years of experience, as she was able to catch up tremendously following small mishaps in the first leg. Both McKenzie and Rebecca secured their spot in the Women’s National Singlehanded event that was hosted two weeks later at the same venue. I followed my teammates into third place, leaving Hawaii in fourth and fifth places. The regatta helped prepare McKenzie and Rebecca for the national event, and also demonstrated how our time training off the water directly correlated to superior boat speed in windy conditions

where hiking is crucial.

Men’s SinglesBy Oliver Toole ‘14 This years Mens Single Handed Qualifier was hosted by USC in Long Beach, CA. We were fortunate to have practice there as Single Handed Nationals would be out of the same venue just two weeks later. Saturday and Sunday featured similar conditions, cloudy skies and light winds. The three Stanford sailors came on strong in the unideal conditions, having a boat cross the finish line first in all but one of the twelve races. It is always an honor to represent Stanford on the water, and this regatta was one I will never forget. The results reflected the hard work we have been putting in all season, and everyone left with huge smiles. Women’s PCC’sBy Yuki Yoshiyasu The previous weekend, I sailed in frigid dry suit conditions at Dartmouth. Therefore, it made me even more excited for my first west coast regatta, Fall Women’s Pacific Coast Championship, at Long Beach. Our team consisted of McKenzie Wilson and me in A division and Rebecca King and Noelle Herring in B division. The rest of the Women’s double handed crew sailed PCCSC Women’s Singles on Friday, so they were already at the

venue. Therefore, I flew down with the PCCSC Men’s Singles crew, whose event coincided with ours. The start of the event on Saturday was slow and relaxed, which is apparently typical of west coast regattas. Unfortunately, what was not typical of sunny SoCal was the weather. The sky was heavy with rain clouds. The winds were very light, while the waves were choppy. It was the kind of conditions where it was critical to keep the boat moving and connecting as many puffs as possible. A division and B division sailed together on the same line. I had trouble getting off the start and sailing fast in light and lumpy conditions. But as the day went on, we could see visible improvement in starts and with boat speed, especially on the down winds. Sunday morning was rainy, but luckily it cleared up by the time we launched. Like Saturday, the winds were light. The highlight of the weekend was when we finally achieved an anticipated Stanford first and second place finish in the very last race. We concluded the regatta in second place overall, pleased to end with a great finish.

Our fire on the island they rotate off of at URI. We did the best with what we could find during the wind delay Saturday morning before taking the win on the water later that day.

12 The Layline

Coed PCC’sBy Jack Ortel ‘15 After an exciting and busy fall, to conclude our season the entire team travelled to scenic Santa Barbara for the fall Pacific Coast Championship regatta. Although it was sunny as usual, Saturday brought windier conditions than usual for autumn at this venue, causing some carnage in both the JV and varsity fleets. Unfortunately the JV sailors were sent in by the race committee after only one set in eachdivision, leaving the varsity fleet to finish out the day in the shifty area sheltered by the pier and surrounding land. Conditions were tricky as the wind came over the Santa Barbara mountains, causing big shifts and quickly moving puffs, that made foran exciting end to such a successful fall. The varsity sailors enjoyed the large waves caused by this condition in the ocean, while the JV sailors spent the remainder of their Saturday both surfing ‘SandSpit’, and cheering on their teammates. Fortunately, Sunday brought lighter, more manageable conditions for the race committee, allowing both fleets to get in much more racing than Saturday.

Fall PCC’s is alway great event for the whole team.

138 Point Victory at Coed Pacific Coast Champs

We ended up winning the event by a whopping 138 points. Kieran Chung followed up his 3rd place finish at singlehanded Nationals with an almost flawless regatta in the laser division, winning twelve out of fourteen races. Oliver Toole and Haley Kirk won A division, and Kevin Laube and Kelly Ortel won B. What a great way to end the fall season!

With the breakwater at Santa Barbara Harbor closed for repair the sandspit really was Survivor Island.

13Fall 2011

SeniorsRebecca King Santa Monica, CAKatie Riklin** London, UK

JuniorsTally Buckstaff* Belvedere, CACam Hutton* Menlo Park, CAKevin Laube San Diego, CASally Mace* Newport Beach, CAMolly McKinney* Sarasota, FLYuri Namikawa* Palos Verdes, CAKelly Ortel Annapolis, MDHelena Scutt** Seattle, WAOliver Toole Santa Barbara, CAMateo Vargas* Treasure Island, FLMcKenzie Wilson Rowayton, CT

SophomoresKaitlyn Baab Saratoga, CAKieran Chung Newport Beach, CA

Michael Dahl Newport Beach, CAHans Henken Coronado, CAHaley Kirk Long Beach, CAMax Kohrman Miami, FL

Jack Ortel Annapolis, MDNatalie Urban San Rafeal, CA

FreshmenMichelle Catania Encinitas, CA Noelle Herring Rancho Santa Fe, CAAntoine Screve San Francisco, CAAxel Sly Weston, FLSammy Steele San Francisco, CAYuki Yoshiyasu Houston, TX* Abroad for the fall**Team Captains

Stanford Varsity Sailing Team Roster – Fall 2012

Happy Holidays, From Your Stanford Sailing

Team

2013 Spring Competition ScheduleDate Regatta Host BoatsWeek #2 Feb 9-10 North #1 and #2 Stanford University CFJ Bryson Women’s Stanford Univeristy CFJ

Week #3 Feb 16-17 Spring Interconference College of Charleston 420 Women’s Interconference U/South Florida FJ Frank Menelblatt Team Race U/South Florida FJWeek #4 Feb 23-24 North #3 and #4 CAL Maritime CFJ Bob Bavier Team Race* College of Charleston 420 Week #5-- Stanford Sailing Parents Weekend Mar 2-3 McIntyre Team Race Stanford University CFJ+420 Week #6 Mar 9-10 Navy Women’s Spring Navy FJ+420 St. Mary’s Team Race St. Mary’s College, MD FJ+420 John Jackson Team Race* Georgetown FJ+420 Week #7 Mar 16-17 Exams Stanford University

Week #8-Spring Break Mar 23-24 South Desginate UCSB CFJ Boston Dinghy Cup Harvard/MIT 2 FJ+Firefly Aaron Szambecki Team Race* Old Dominion FJ Duplin Women’s Team Race Tufts LarkWeek #9-Spring Break Mar 30-31 St. Francis Intersectional Stanford/St.FYC CFJ Dellenbaugh Women’s Brown 420 Southern NE Team Race Conn College FJ+420 Ted Farrarone Team Race* Yale 420

Week #10 April 6-7 Carter Ford Team Race SDYC CFJ Healy Trophy Coed Fleet Race SDYC CFJ Friis/Marchiando Team Race* Tufts and MIT Lark/FJ/Firefly Week #11 April 13-14 Emily Wick Trophy Coast Guard Academy FJ+420

Week #12 April 20-21 Women’s Conference Champs Stanford University FJ Thompson Trophy U.S. Coast Guard Academy FJ+420 Admiral’s Cup Kings Point FJ+420+Laser

Postseason-ICSA National Championships April 27-28 Coed Dinghy National Hampton University/ODU FJ+420 Championship First Round Semifinal May 21-24 Women’s National Championship U/South Florida FJ May 25-27 Team Race National Championship U/South Florida FJ May 28-30 Coed Dinghy National Championship U/South Florida FJ *Awaiting InviteBold Denotes Conference Championship