Community Corner

U.S. Junior Windsurfing Championships

The 2012 U.S. Junior Windsurfing Championships were held in Vineyard Haven on August 2. Competitors from Martha's Vineyard, Florida, Canada and Mexico came to compete.

The Junior Windsuring Championship travels to different places every year. From San Franciso to Oregon, the event is always an exciting time. Unlike many championships, the windsurfing competition is a relaxed event. 

The night before the race, Frederic Verrier, from Quebec said he hasn't been sailing for long, but was looking forward to racing. "I came with my brother and I just want to have fun," said Verrier. 

This kind of positive spirit was shared by all of the competitors. Windsurfers from Clearwater, Martha's Vineyard, Miami, and San Fransisco were enjoying each other's company before racing. "We've all known each other for years," explained Charlotte Samson from the CCSC team. 

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The group was relaxed. The main objective was to enjoy a friendly competition.

Jonathan Rudich from Clearwater, FL, explained, " I haven't been racing in awhile so I'm excited to get back into it. It should be a pretty big fleet." Rudich ended up winning first place overall in the Techno (junior) Division. In second place was Geronimo Nores from Miami and in third place was Maximo Nores, also from Miami. 

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In the Kona (adult) Division, Nevin Sayre won first place. Nevin not only raced, but also organized the event. At the skipper's meeting Sayre was laid back, "I'm just looking forward to seeing all the boards out there and the kids having fun. I think we're at 47 people so far which is a lot for the island." After Sayre, Margot Samson of CCSC came in second and Geoff Cassel came in third. 

The championship took a couple days to complete and getting enough wind was a bit of a struggle. "It's hard to schedule exactly when the races are because of the wind," explained Sayre. But eventually, the wind picked up and the surfers enjoyed a friendly competition. 


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