USODA Midwinters 2019

This past week 10 Lakewood sailors traveled to New Orleans to participate at the annual USODA Midwinter Championship, hosted by the Southern Yacht Club during Thanksgiving.

A total of 68 sailors raced at this two-day event, with a wide range of different sailing conditions. While Saturday, the wind blew from the N-NE with a max intensity of 8 knots, Sunday came fully stocked with S-SW winds and gusts from 12 to up to 23 knots.

The weather fully cooperated, with sunny skies and no rain, and the RC did a great job finishing 8 races during these two days.

After all this racing, and for the first time in a very long while, a Lakewood sailor took the overall win and engraved his name in the perpetual trophy. Stephen Momeier, after a very consistent and well-sailed regatta, secured the win with even a race to spare, showing great determination and focus. He finished 1st in Red Fleet as well as first GYA sailor, which got his name engraved in the perpetual trophy for this award too.

Two more sailors finished in the top 10, with Matias Martin missing the podium for just 1 point but scoring a bullet and getting 3rd in Red Fleet. Charlie Allen was the other Lakewood sailor in the top 10, finishing 8th overall.

Inside the top 20, two of our youngsters, Dylan Tomko and Casey Small and Ewan Dossin. Dylan sailed a fantastic regatta, and fought for the White Fleet overall until the last upwind, missing the win for just two points but getting 12th overall and 2nd in White Fleet. Casey Small didn't end up far behind, finishing 15th overall with a few ups and downs but bringing two awards back home, with her 3rd overall in White Fleet and 2nd overall in the Girls Division. Closing the top 20 was Ewan, who despite the heavy winds on Saturday, claiming 20th overall.

About the rest of the Lakewood Team sailors, great perseverance and determination by all of them, as nobody retired and all of them sailed until the end, showing a great improvement on their heavy wind skills. Patrick McNamara, being our youngest sailor, claimed the last spot in the White Fleet awards list, and finished 5th overall to achieve his first award in a USODA Regatta. Following Patrick was Sydney Small, who despite having not her best regatta, fought hard and finished 36th overall.

Closing the Lakewood representation were Teddy Reiser in 39th (with his first-ever top 15 race result in a USODA Event) and Dax Marsden in 48th overall.

Results can be found here