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On June 23rd, 2001 aspiring young sailors from all over the Midwest will converge at the Wayzata Yacht Club on historic Lake Minnetonka for one of the most fun, educational and inspirational events of the year. The volunteers are hard at work to ensure that this USA Junior Olympic Sailing event will be the best ever.

I want to personally invite you to bring your students and junior sailors to the Wayzata Yacht Club to participate in this two-day event. Whether they are learning to sail an Optimist pram, transitioning to a Laser Radial, or are hard-core Laser or seasoned 420 competitors, this is an opportunity to have fun, meet fellow young sailors, receive intensive coaching, learn and compete.

We are pleased to announce that Betsy Alison, 1998 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year and 5 time World Champion will be the lead clinician and on-the-water coach for the entire two day event. Betsy will be assisted by Cappy Capper, nationally recognized sailing coach and director of the Lake Minnetonka Sailing School.

We have carefully structured this event to make it convenient and attractive to out-of-town participants. Housing is available on request. Sunday racing and the trophy presentation will be completed by 1:00 pm to provide time for the out-of-towners to drive home. Between races there will be plenty of fun activities targeted at all age groups. 

Dave Onan

Commodore
Wayzata Yacht Club

*****

Betsy Alison is one of the top female sailors in the United States and abroad. She is widely recognized for the numerous prestigious and competitive races she has won, holding title to 22 national, international and world championships. Betsy is currently ranked 1st in the United States and 2nd in the world in Women’s Match Racing (America’s Cup style one on one sailing). Her current goal is to defend the World Women’s Match Racing Title in 1999, and break into the Open Match Racing Circuit competing against the men for the 2000 season. Long term goals include winning a Gold Medal in the Women’s Keelboat Division, a new sailing event at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, the home of the first Olympic Games.

Some of the individual accomplishments of Betsy Alison follow: the only 5-time Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year, reigning Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Champion for the 5th time, recipient of the RI Sports Council personal Achievement Award/ 1998 Special Honors. She is the Gold Medalist in the 1998 Women’s World Match racing Championships, and Silver Medalist in the Women’s Keelboat Fleet racing event. She is a 3-time US Women’s National Sailing champion, 3-time US Women’s Singlehanded Champion, and was selected twice by the US Olympic Committee as the US Amateur Athlete in Sailing. She serves on the Board of Directors of the RI Sports Council.

Betsy has worked with US Sailing as a coach and advisor for many years, currently is US Team Coach for the US Disabled/Paralympic Sailing team. She has served on the National Training Faculty, and trains sailing instructors at all levels, including racing coaches, as a Master Trainer. Betsy is a consultant to Rolex Watch USA, to US Sailing and Harken Yacht Equipment, working to design, promote and teach clinics nationally for women focusing on confidence, teamwork, and increased skill levels. Her expertise has taken her abroad to work with programs in Chile and New Zealand. Currently, she is actively involved with the National Women’s Sailing Association and it’s AdventureSail program, a program designed to introduce sailing and a healthy athletic lifestyle to inner city/at risk youth. With Sandy Hayes CSCS, a personal trainer and Strength and Conditioning Coach, has produced a fitness video series for boaters, FITNESS afloatä .


2001 Thomas R. Smith Sea Scout Regatta


June 23-24, 2001 Belmont Station

During the weekend of June 23-24th, we will be racing the fourth annual Thomas R. Smith Sea Scout Regatta. Participating Scouts will pair off as skipper and mate on 14' sailing dinghies, as they race in the wake of Smith's legacy, that of - "always and honorably - GOING TO WIN."

Smith, a long-time competitive racing sailor himself, was a veteran member of the Chicago Yacht Club who is sponsoring the event for ALL Sea Scouts/Boy Scouts of America. Sea Scouts worldwide, as registered members of BS, are invited to participate. (Nobody into Robotics need apply; this is strictly "brain and brawn").

Two required training/qualifying sessions will precede the race, on Saturday, June 23 at 9 am and noon. Space is limited, the entry deadline is coming up. Parental/guardian permission is necessary. The entire event, concluding with an awesome award ceremony, is totally no-fee, courtesy of the Chicago Yacht Club.

For entry blanks and more information, contact Regatta Chairman Lloyd Karzen 
email: ljkarzen@megsinet.com
fax : 773-725-2259
phone: 312-861-7777
(ER: Sea Scouts Hotline: 312-421-8430 x497)


Huron Double-Handed Challenge

Sailors!

Accept the Challenge. The Doublehanded Sailing Association is pleased to invite you to participate in the 17th annual Huron Doublehanded Challenge. If you have never participated in this memorable event, 2001 could be the year. 

We will have three starts, the first, the traditional will start in Sarnia, rounding the mark in Goderich. The second will start in Sarnia, taking the shoreline course to Rogers City. The Bay City course starts at the R-28 Channel Buoy of the Saginaw Bay Channel. The Sarnia Yacht Club and the Bay City Yacht Club will host the respective fleets.


For additional information, please contact Paul Krutty (248) 649-0597 email: paulkrutty@home.com <mailto:paulkrutty@home.com> John Neville (Bay City Fleet) at (517) 755-8789