Corinthian Yacht Club of Seattle Team Excels to Win U.S. Offshore Sailing Championship

September 26, 2021. Annapolis, MD. – Eight teams representing their respective US sailing areas from regions across the country competed for the Lloyd Phoenix Trophy at the 2021 US Offshore Sailing Championship in Annapolis this week. Skipper Steve Travis from the Corinthian Yacht Club of Seattle and his crew prevailed after two days of racing and scored a total of 10.5 points after three distance races and one buoy race.

“It was a fun race and a fun event…. Good people, a great venue – an interesting venue – and it’s one of the best things to do, ”says Travis.

Bob Fleck and his crew from Fishing Bay YC were closely behind Travis with 10.75 points, followed by the Navy Offshore Sailing Team under the skipper of Ensign Don Poirier with 12.25 points.

The regatta, which was scheduled to take place on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, was hosted by the U.S. Naval Academy Sailing Squadron and sailed aboard Navy 44 MK II sloops. To kick off the weekend, the fleet completed a bouy and a distance race on Friday, with Fleck and his crew both winning and taking the lead at the end of the first day, followed by Poirier and then Travis.

“The finish of the second race took place right in front of the sea wall of the Robert Crown Sailing Center and was a great spectacle for the compatriots,” said Jahn Tihanksy, director and head coach of the Offshore Sailing Team at the US Naval Academy and also chairman of the event. “[Fleck] expanded to a commanding lead to intercept the bullet while Poirier and his Navy crew took second place. “

The race was interrupted on Saturday due to lack of wind. On Sunday, however, the participants were ready to start and completed two distance races in a fresh breeze. In the final race, Travis and his crew were able to take the lead, overtaking Poirier and the US Navy Sailing Team halfway through the race to secure their overall victory.

“We got off to a good start and thought we had a good shift, and it turned out that it wasn’t such a great shift,” said Travis of the last race. “We rounded the mark in third place and the boat in front of us [Navy] took down his kite and set up a jib, which ultimately wasn’t the right thing to do. And then put the lead boat away, and when he came back he was behind us. From there it was only a stone’s throw to the weather mark. Then it was changeable, in the port with 30-degree shifts … it was stressful to hold out … but we made it. “

The invitation to tender requires the competing teams to have a certain consistency in their crew arrangements – at least five participants in each team must have participated in at least five regattas in IRC, ORC, ORR (including the designated skipper). PHRF, Offshore One Design, Offshore Level Class Racing or Portsmouth Numbers rating systems in the past 36 months. You’ll also need to sail aboard with a US Naval Academy midshipman from the university’s offshore sailing team. The overall championship winners had Midshipman Keegan Steele on board, and the runner-up, led by Fleck, were assisted by Midshipman Cade Gelhar.

“They sailed a great race and are great competitors, they are great fun to be with, and they represent the US Navy very well,” said Travis of the US Naval Academy sailors who attended the weekend’s events . “Our midshipman was very good and helpful in beating his buddies on the Navy boat.”

The US Offshore Sailing Championship is a biennial event. The championship winner will receive the Lloyd Phoenix Trophy, named after a U.S. Naval Academy graduate who served in the Civil War. After retiring and entering the business, he became a yacht enthusiast and Rear Commodore of the New York Yacht Club. The trophy is on display in the Robert Crown Center of the United States Naval Academy.

More information about this championship can be found on the event website (https://www.ussailing.org/competition/championships/2021-us-offshore-championship/)

About US Sailing
The United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), the national umbrella organization for sailing, provides leadership, integrity, and advancement of the sport in the United States. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Bristol, Rhode Island, US Sailing is a 501 (c) (3) not for profit organization. US Sailing provides training and education programs for instructors and regatta officials, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, issues offshore rating certificates, and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country, including national championships and the US Sailing Team. More information is available at www.ussailing.org.

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