October is party hardy at Oakcliff
by Oakcliff Sailing 13 Oct 2018 12:32 BST
October is party hardy at Oakcliff © Oakcliff Sailing
This past Saturday we hosted the last Grade 5 of the season. Meanwhile, on the other side of the harbor, the Classics finished their last race of the Fall Series. There are only a few sailing opportunities for the rest of the season, but guess what! There are plenty of social opportunities!
On October 25 we will host our annual Celebrate New Heights fundraiser in Manhattan. The following weekend is the Halloween Regatta. Dress up and join us on the evening of Saturday the 27th as we tag along for the Raynham Hall Museum Halloween Parade.
On November 1 Oakcliff is teaming up with the NYYC's American Magic to give a presentation on Aerospace Engineering in America's Cup Sailing at the Cradle of Aviation Museum. This event is free and open to the public but you must RSVP here.
"Do I have the stuff of champions?"
That's the question that select Oakcliff staff and Graduates have been asking themselves for the past 10 months since Oakcliff developed a partnership with New York Yacht Club's America's Cup Challenge American Magic. Next week they will find out the answer. The team's leadership and trainer will host a four-day training and try out session.
The session will consist of match racing in Oakcliff's Match 40s, rigorous performance tests in the gym, and individual interviews. The team leadership is genuinely looking to fill support positions with individuals who show potential for future growth on the team. Even if nobody makes the team this week, they will have benefited from networking opportunities and experiencing a true America's Cup trial.
I will have the privilege of shooting the tryouts alongside legendary Volvo Ocean Race OBR, Amory Ross, who has been hired as American Magic's Content Manager. We will post updates on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter throughout the tryouts. At the end of the week we will post a recap video to our YouTube Channel. If you're not following us.
This session is just the first phase of a long-term partnership with the team. American Magic will continue to collaborate with Oakcliff for training opportunities with Sapling Graduates. Learn more about the Sapling program here, or contact Ethan for more info.
High performance acorns at red bull foiling generation
Oakcliff is proud to say that four of its 2018 High Performance Acorns received invitations to the Red Bull Foiling Generation. Ben Rosenberg and Sidney Charbonnet will compete together as one team and Sydney Monahan with Catherine "B" Lindsay as another.
The Red Bull Foiling Generation is a youth competition (16 - 20 y.o.) in a one-design foiling catamaran called the Flying Phantom, which can reach speeds up to 35 knots. This competition is designed as a training platform for the youth America's Cup.
Take a look at the workouts they did earlier this summer under the direction of coaches Andres Guerra-Font and Sara Stone.
If you are a coach or sailing director with kids who would be interested in getting experience in high performance or foiling boats, feel free to contact our Training Program Director Ethan Johnson. Talent helps but we can do a lot with a good attitude, hard work, and a genuine desire to improve.
Move over match 40s, skiffs are up next
Each year Oakcliff hosts nearly one third of all the graded match races in the United States with its fleet of eight Match 40s. As the guy who takes pictures for all of these regattas, you can imagine my delight when I get to photograph different boats. In the Triple Crown Series I get to shoot the Olympic skiffs. These boats are fast!
Pictured above are Caroline Atwood and Willie McBride going full send in the 49erFX at last year's Triple Crown Series. Caroline is now competing in the foiling Nacra 17 alongside Ravi Parent.
This weekend and next weekend we will host Stages 2 & 3 of the Triple Crown Series and will award tens of thousands of dollars in prize grants to help US Olympic hopefuls make it to Tokyo 2020.
If you want to watch these fierce competitors in action, hop aboard our spectator boat which will be available Saturday and Sunday with pickups from Oyster Bay Marine Center at 10am, 12pm, and 2pm. Make sure you arrive before 8:30 though if you want to catch the first ride out because the roads will be closed until 10:30 for Oyster Fest.
Halloween Regatta: Festive But Fierce
Every year we end the season with a Halloween Regatta in which we encourage volunteers and competitors to dress up. Despite its festive vibe, the racing is actually pretty competitive; it's a Grade 3 regatta. Last year Pearson Potts and Yankee-Creole Racing, the 2017 US Match Race Champions, dressed up in full shark costumes. This year I'll be dressed up as Gandalf the wizard from the Lord of the Rings;-) What will you be?
This regatta this year will be hosted October 27 & 28 with a practice day on Friday 26. We are going have a spectator boat out Saturday and Sunday doing pickups from Oyster Bay Marine Center at 10am, 12pm, and 2pm. Saturday night we will have a big BBQ and then we'll join the Raynham Hall Museum Halloween Parade for a march through town.
Whether or not you're involved with the regatta you're invited to come to Oakcliff in the evening from 5:30 on to celebrate with us. This night is very special because it is the eve of Bill Simon's last day. I wonder if we can get him to cut loose and play a game of flip cup or beer pong with us;-)