From I-LYA to the Puget Sound
From I-LYA to the Puget Sound
Eight or so years ago, Chloe Beck (Port Clinton Yacht Club) and Colleen O’Brien (Put-in-Bay Yacht Club) were racing full rig lasers in the I-LYA Traveler Series and at Junior Bay Week. Now they are working side-by-side for Salish Sea Expeditions on the Puget Sound aboard the 60’ sailing/research vessel Carlyn. According to their website, “Salish Sea Expeditions inspires youth to connect with the marine environment through boat-based scientific inquiry and hands-on learning, instilling curiosity, confidence, and critical thinking.” Chloe and Colleen are well-prepared to carry out the mission.
Chloe Beck is currently serving as the Logistics Coordinator/Deckhand for the Carlyn. She is a graduate of Miami University with degrees in Zoology and International Studies. During college, Chloe studied abroad and backpacked in Patagonia, Chile and did ecological research in Patagonia National Park. After graduation, Chloe moved to Seattle with an AmeriCorps position as Conservation Science Coordinator at Seattle Audubon Society, followed by a summer in the Great Basin of Utah and Idaho doing plant and avian research.
Colleen O’Brien is putting her BS degrees in Marine Science and Biochemistry from Eckerd College to good use as a Marine Science Educator aboard the Carlyn. During college, Colleen spent a summer as an AmeriCorps Intern at Put-in-Bay and spent a few weeks on the Niagara. Following graduation, she travelled to Indonesia to study mangroves and then worked throughout the southwest as an AmeriCorps intern. In 2016 she worked as an Educator Deckhand aboard the Schooner Adventuress in Seattle before heading cross country to sign on with the World Ocean School. Aboard the Roseway, she travelled with a group of high school students from New England to the Caribbean with a stop in Havana, Cuba. After leaving the Roseway, Colleen returned to Seattle and spent the summer in the San Juan Islands.
Clearly, racing optis, lasers, and 420s instilled in both Chloe and Colleen a love for the water, nature, and adventure. Your support of the Yachtsmen’s Fund allows us to continue to sponsor youth sailing and boating opportunities for the next generation of environmental educators and even people who just like to play around in boats.
This event would not be possible without the amazing efforts of an amazing group of volunteers. It was a great team effort! Thank you to our many sponsors who helped support the event this year! Of particular note, we want to thank Preformed Line Products and Quantum Sails Cleveland who supported miniature golf at Perry’s Cave; The Boardwalk again provided mooring for the Thistles; Commodore Arne & Marge Hansen whose generosity made the first “Sunset Cruise” possible – the sailors enjoyed an evening of fun activity on board the Miller Ferry Monday evening; and, the Inter-Lake Yachtsmen’s Fund who once again supported us with very generous grants for coaching and housing along with scholarships awarded to the 1st through 3rd place skippers and crew in each class and the winners of the individual sportsmanship trophies. Without their support, and that of many others, this long-running event would simply not be possible.
Three past Junior Bay Week champions: Matt Fisher, Wayne Pignolet, and Ian Moran, teamed up to win this year’s Thistle Great Lakes held in conjunction with Cleveland Race Week at Edgewater Yacht Club in June. Matt, representing BLYC, won the Sears qualifier as crew in 1972 and then as skipper in 1973. Wayne Pignolet skippered the winning thistle for MHYC a few years later in 1976. Ian Moran from EWYC skippered the winning C420 in 2014, 2015, and 2016.
Former I-LYA junior sailors Samantha Moran and Maggie Hoffert won both the Jet 14 Junior National Championship and the Jet 14 Women’s National Championship which were held at EWYC on August 9th. Nice job girls! And thank you EWYC for hosting the Jet 14 Nationals.
Cowan Lake opti sailor Sara Schumann continues to find success in 2017. She finished 1st at Centrals Sodus Bay, 1st at Team Race Nationals, 4th at Girls US Nationals, and was 1st girl at CORK and 4th overall out of 168 sailors in Canada. Sara is pictured with her teammates on the podium at Team Race Nationals. The win at Team Race Nationals qualifies the team to represent the US in Berlin in October. Good luck Sara! Safe travels!
This year’s I-LYA Optimist Championship (held at Hoover Sailing Club in conjunction with the final traveler series event) was won by EWYC sailor Jack Vanderhorst. Jack, age 13, is pictured with his grandparents, Yanny and Karl Vanderhorst, olding the Gunkler Family Trophy. Yanny and Karl were the driving force behind the I-LYA Optimist Challenge which used to be held on the Friday of Junior Bay Week at PIBYC with the support of the Yachtsmen’s Fund. In addition to the Gunkler Trophy, Jack also was awarded the Jeb Memorial Trophy for finishing first overall in the Traveler Series. Jack is the son of Kathy and Sjoerd-Jan Vanderhorst. Sjoerd-Jan won the laser fleet at JBW in 1986 and 1987 and the thistle fleet in 1988. Kathy skippered an FJ for Sandusky Sailing Club, finishing top five in Bemis in 87, 88, and 89. In 1989, she was also awarded the Com. Art O’Hara Trophy for individual female sportsmanship. The tradition continues.
In addition to working as instructors at Edgewater Yacht Club this summer, Ian Moran and Abie Griggs are getting to know a new boat. If you’ve seen an Olympic class 49er on the water in Cleveland this summer chances are it was them. A heavy air adventure at CORK provided some on the water/in the water training, but the boys are up to the challenge. Ian is a senior at Rocky River High School this year and will be doing some high school sailing. Abie is heading back to Wake Forest for his sophomore year. Both were extremely successful in the opti and c420 classes, sailing locally, nationally, and internationally. They like to go fast. This new boat has wings and will fly!
