USAA Junior Nationals

Dear Junior Sailors,

The US Albacore Association invites you to compete in the 2014 Junior National Championship.

The Albacore class is a two-person non-spinnaker, non-trap class that sails much like a 420 or FJ: Big roll tacks, easy to plane and very tactical racing. It is one of the most popular dinghy classes in the Chesapeake area and is a great boat for high school racers.

This year the class is making a special effort to introduce the Albacore to a broad group of high school age sailors. Albacore owners have agreed to make their boats available to teams who would like to try an Albacore and participate in this regatta. The racing will take place on August 25th at West River Sailing Club in Galesville, MD (about 20 minutes south of Annapolis). The event will feature a combination of short course (collegiate format) races, and some longer course races where boat speed will be at a premium. Also included is a clinic led by a top Albacore sailor. It will focus on the tuning and adjustable aspects of the Albacore rig for maximum boat speed. The clinic and a picnic dinner with music and social time will take place in the afternoon and evening of Saturday, August 23.

Teams with helm and crew 19-years old and under are eligible to compete. Awards will be given for the best teams in three age brackets as indicated in the enclosed NOR.

This is a great opportunity to try a new class, have fun with other high school sailors and potentially add a national title to your sailing resume. Come on out and join the fun. Line up your crew and contact me so that I can arrange a boat for you to sail.

Sincerely,

Peter Duncan
Regatta Chair- Albacore Junior Nationals
410-431-5480
sailfaster [at] aol [dot] com

The Albacore is a two-person non-spinnaker, non-trapeze class that sails much like a 420 or FJ: Big roll tacks, easy to plane and very tactical racing. It carries 125 sq ft of sail and is typically crewed a team with combined weight of 270-350 lbs, making it a great boat for teens.

It is one of the most popular dinghy classes in the Chesapeake area. Many sailors who grow out of 420's find the Albacore the right “next step” to continue racing small dinghies. The Chesapeake area has great competition including several former collegiate All-Americans and the current class International champion. A full schedule of events can be found at http://usaa.albacore.org/schedule. Prospective teams are welcome to join the senior fleet at any of these events in order to practice for Junior Nationals. Those wishing to borrow a boat for any of these events should contact Peter Duncan. Come on out and challenge the best!