Steve Ross, BYC Chairman
Bellingham has been selected as the host city for the 1998 U.S. Sailing Junior Championships . These events, commonly referred to as the "Sears-Bemis-Smythe Regatta," will be hosted by the Bellingham Yacht Club August 15-20. Many of this country's Olympic medallists have competed in this regatta in years past.
U.S. Sailing, the national governing body for the sport of sailboat racing, is the organizing authority for these races. The competitors are aged 13-18. They compete in a series of events to qualify for the national championships. First, they must be chosen to represent their local club in regional championships. Those who win in a given region compete in one of ten areas, spread across the United States. Only the best from the regional competitions will travel to Bellingham.
This event attracts national attention. Two manufacturers of sailboats-Vanguard Sailboats and W.D. Schock Corp.-are donating brand new boats to this competition. The regatta will receive extensive coverage in the national sailing press. Parents, coaches, and yacht club officials from all over the country will be in Bellingham to witness the racing. The winners become members of the US Junior Sailing Team, a new component of US SAILING's Olympic Path Program. Further details on this new program can be obtained from Lee Parks at leeparks@compuserve.com or from the US SAILING web site .
The regatta is composed of three simultaneous competitions. The U.S. Junior Triplehanded Championship, for the Sears Cup, is the oldest. The competition originated in 1921 in Massachusetts. Eleven crews of three persons each will compete using Santana 20 sailboats. Each of the ten U.S. Sailing areas, plus Hawaii, will send a crew to Bellingham.
Each area will send two teams to compete for the Bemis Trophy, awarded to the best doublehanded crew. These racers compete using Club 420 sailboats. In addition, each area will send two persons to sail Laser sailboats and compete for the Smythe Trophy, which recognizes the best singlehanded sailor in the country.
Although the boats and competitors are provided, this event requires a large group of volunteers and support from local boating and business organizations. The boys and girls competing in this event need homes to stay in. We try to minimize cost to the competitors, and their host families, by soliciting donations of food and entertainment.
We hope that you will help support this event. We need to arrange billeting for about 100 people. We need volunteers to help unload the boats when they arrive from the factory and to reload them for their next destination. We need people to help with the race committee and people who will use their boat or drive a donated boat. We are asking the other boating clubs in Bellingham to help with evening meals and activities.
For more information, please visit the BYC web site - http://www.byc.org - or contact Steve Ross: (360) 738-7677 or steve.ross@wwu.edu. If you can help with the race committee, please contact Al Callery: 676-0784 or catspaw@cssnw.net. If you can help by providing a boat or driving one, please contact Steve Moore: 671-4200 or semoore@televar.com. If you'd be willing to have one or more of the junior sailors stay at your house during this period, please call Lisa Black: 671-0327 or cgd@az.com. If you would like to help in another way, please call Steve Ross.
Bellingham has one of the most scenic sailing venues in the country. Please help us make this summer's event one of the best ever by providing hospitality and support to the event.
Last updated 8/9/98 by SCR