USODA Midwest Championship Regatta

On September 11-12, 2010 Meta Simon competed in the United States Optimist Dinghy Association (USODA) Midwest Championship regatta hosted by the Pewaukee Yacht Club. This regatta attracted top-notch sailors from across the country. The green fleet was incredibly competitive with the area's best young sailors braving cool fall sailing conditions. Meta and Fritz Simon were also fortunate to participate in a two-day clinic led by national coach Tom Coleman on Thursday and Friday prior to the regatta. The clinic was an incredible learning experience for all of the green fleet sailors.

See results at the PYC website (green fleet & RWB fleet) and photos on the picasa page.

Madison ILYA Opti Clinic - A big hit!

The Madison Opti fleet enjoyed a beautiful day on the water on Sunday, August 29. Twelve optis with 15 children took part in a clinic sponsored by the Inland Lakes Yachting Association. The Inlands brought in two Opti coaches to help our young fleet progress to the next level. Coaches Andrew Fox from the Geneva Lake Sailing School and Brendan Boylan from the Lake Calhoun Sailing School put the sailors through a day of boat handling drills while keeping it fun. Special thanks goes out to ILYA's Candace Porter for suggesting the clinic and assisting with the arrangements.

The Mendota Yacht Club also lent their support through the use of motor boats for the instructors and pier/park facilities at Burrows Park.

Melissa Hanson gets the #1 Opti mom award for bringing two boats and five children to the lake while Jamie was tied up with a home renovation project. Go Melissa! Trey Sprinkman and Kyle Metzloff went the extra mile in towing boats from the Madison Youth Sailing Foundation sailing center in Warner Bay. Brian Anderson lent a hand in prepping the launching beach. Donna Schoor came through with serving platters to lend that special touch to the lunch.

The kids enjoyed the 15 mph southwest breeze and warm late-summer temperatures. While the Optis sailed near shore, Scow sailors traveled to the middle of the lake for the Sunday series. Burrows Park was buzzing with activity when the E's and I-20's returned to the pier in the midst of 12 Optis parked for lunch.

Congratulations to all Opti sailors for completing the clinic and advancing their sailing skills. Sailors included:

Billie and Micah Hanson
Bryn Ostby
Oscar and Martha Anderson
Will and Bella Sprinkman
Quinn and Colin Senke
Meta and Fritz Simon
Tyler and Cayley Metzloff

More photos at the picasa page.

Opti Clinic this Sunday

Hello fellow Madison Opti Parents:

We are pleased to announce details of this Sundays Opti Clinic hosted by ILYA"s and the Madison Opti Fleet.

Date: Sunday Aug. 29th
Location: Burrows Park
Time: 10:00am- 4:00pm
Cost: $20 per sailor
Boat Rental (if needed) $30

Lunch will be provided for the sailors and parents. Please contact Hope Simon if you would like to help with lunch arrangements.

Our two instructors are Andrew Fox from Lauderdale, FL. He was an Opti standout and has coached in FL and this year at Lake Geneva. His sailors this year were most successful. He has a winsome smile that will immediately place the sailors at ease. He competed at both Single and Doublehanded Collegiate Nationals as a freshman.

The second instructor is Brendon Boylan from Lake Calhoun, MN. He traveled to many national events as an Opti sailor and was appointed to one of the international teams while in Optis. Brendon competed in the Doublehanded Collegiate Nationals as a freshman representing UW. He spent the summer coaching on Calhoun. He has a quick wit and easy-going demeanor which makes him a favorite with the UW team and his young sailors.

Let's hope/pray for good weather and have a great time teaching the kids the love of sailing. Questions or comments? Please contact Greg Simon 849-4605

No Tears Results now on-line

Pine Lake Yacht Club has posted the full results from the 20th anniversary No Tears Regatta. Seven Madison sailors competed in the event and for most it was their first regatta. Thirty-nine boats were scored in the junior fleet. Overall finishes for the Madison fleet were as follows. Complete results can be found here.

Oscar Anderson 27th
Billy Hanson 20th
Micah Hanson 31st
Tyler Metzloff 22nd
Bryn Ostby 23rd
Quinn Senke 32nd
Meta Simon 7th

ILYA Opti Clinic on Lake Mendota

We are excited to announce that the ILYA and Madison Opti Racing is hosting an Opti sailing clinic on Lake Mendota on Sunday Aug. 29th.

The ILYA has offered to recuit two National level Opti coaches to come in and work with our Madison area Opti sailors. IYLA has been thrilled with the revivial of youth sailing in our area and wants to help our local sailors continue to enjoy the sport. The sailors will be grouped in either the beginner or racer class based on experience.

The clinic will be run from Burrows Park starting a 10:00am and will wrap up shortly before 4:00pm. Lunch will be provided. Cost is $20 per sailor. Several boats are available for rental from MYSF at ($30).

Please contact Greg Simon to reserve a spot for this special opportunity.
GregSimon213@gmail.com or 608-849-4605

Pram Power Results

Thursday Aug 12th was a very hot day with light winds. The North Lake Yacht Club hosted the 21st annual Pram Power regatta. Forty-nine beginner Opti sailors from around southern Wisconsin competed in a Junior ( age 8 and under) and Senior (age 9 and up) fleets. Two races were completed for each fleet.

Lake Beulah's Annie Cate Schmidt won the Junior fleet and Karolyn Kunz from Lac LaBelle won the Senior fleet. Local Mendota Yacht Club skippers Meta and Fritz Simon competed in the Junior fleet. Fritz was the youngest sailor to compete and had a very eye opening first race with a finish of 9th place in the 28 boat fleet. Meta went on to pass her little brother and win that first race.

Meta finish the regatta in 3rd place and was thrilled to recieve a huge jar of candy for winning a race. Both kids enjoyed the regatta for the arts and crafts that the North Lake Yacht Club sponsors between races. Face painting, t-shirt art, tatoo's, picture frame making, and drawing were a big hit with the kids. Talk about making sailing fun for young kids...... NLYC has it figured out. Thanks to the club for hosting another great event. See you next year.

Full results here on the NLSS web site. Photos from the event on the picasa page.

North Lake Pram Power

North Lake Pram Power is quickly approaching. It is set for Thursday, August 12 at the North Lake Yacht Club. It is a great regatta for beginning sailors, sailors who don't have many opportunities to race and/or don't sail a the top of their fleet. The Junior Fleet (age 8 and under at 1/1/10) and Senior Fleet (age 8 and over at 1/1/10) sail at different times and can use the same boat, so your family/club doesn't have to transport as many boats. There are awesome crafts again this year--bags, picture frames, bottle holders, T-shirts (different this year--bring a black/dark cotton T), and the all time favorite-Shrinky Dinks! Along with crafts there is face painting and tattoos and an awesome raffle-including a boat cover from Aquarius, Rashgard shirts from Harken, Stelluca bag, American Girls Doll and much more! Are you having fun yet?! There is a check-in/drop-off opportunity at the Yacht Club the night before the regatta from 6:30-7:30 pm. Non-sailors can purchase the craft package which includes lunch. We serve a hearty taco lunch with peanut butter sandwiches for our non-meat eaters. The racing registration fee increases after Sunday, Aug 8th, so get your registration in today! More race details are on the NOR and Registration form and can be found on www.nlss.us Questions? Contact Terese Bailey at 262-751-5000.

Local Opti Sailing this Sunday

Madison Opti sailors will be practicing for the Pram Power regatta on Sunday, August 8 at Burrows Park. Sailing will begin at 10:00 a.m.

If you’re interested in the Pram Power regatta scheduled for Thursday, August 12 on North Lake, see their website for more information. This is a great beginner regatta.


Sailors Thor Rosten, Caley Metzloff, and Meta Simon enjoy Pram Power 2009.

Opti Inlands Recap

93 boats sailed in the Opti Inlands on Lake Okauchee August 2-3. Local sailor Meta Simon finished 9^th in the Green fleet. Four races were sailed in the Green and RWB fleets on Monday in 6-8 mph winds. Tuesday brought cloudless skies, no wind and no races. Full regatta results can be found on the ILYA website along with a regatta recap: day one and day two/final.

No Tears Regatta Report

Seven Madison Opti fleet members attended the No Tears regatta on Pine Lake. The Barkow family residence was the regatta headquarters and provided a stunning venue for the sailors and families to enjoy.

Four races were completed in light winds for the morning races and a moderate 8mph wind in the afternoon. The lake water was increadably clear and clean which made it impossible not to take a dip.

Oscar, Bryn, Tyler, Meta, Quinn, Billy and Micah represented the Mendota Yacht Club, Monona Sailing Club, and the 4LIYC very well. The ILYA was thrilled with the "revival" of youth sailing in our Opti fleet. Look for a future regatta on our home waters!

Thanks to all the young sailors from Madison that made the effort to compete. They all left the water with huge smiles on their faces and no tears. Great first regatta learning experience for all, including the parents.

Go Team Mendota!

Madison Opti Sailors Enjoy No Tears Regatta

Photos from the No Tears Regatta are posted on the picasa page.

Pine Lake No Tears Regatta

Just some reminders before heading off to the No Tears event on Pine Lake July 26th.

Please respect the Barkow family home. Shoes, shirts, and shorts are suggested. Flip flops and/or bare feet are a no-no. Sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses and a water bottle while ensure happiness.

All kids need a whistle, bailing bucket and a life jacket. Life jackets are required at all time while on the piers or near the water.

Parents need only say "Good Job" and "Have Fun" while out watching the kids. Leave the coaching up to the coaches. If you have concerns about your childs sailing, talk with a coach.

This is a fun regatta.... make sure you enjoy yourself and your young sailor will follow suit.

Happy Sailing.... See you at Pine Lake.

Greg

Senke family are new boat owners!

Quin and Colen Senke are proud owners of an Opti sailboat. The boat was built by Winner and manufactured in Denmark. Watch for them out sailing soon on their home waters of Lake Monona. Quin is planning to race in the upcoming No Tears event on Pine Lake.

Big Wind, Big Waves, Big Fun

The kids had a wild ride on Friday, July 16 with steady 18-20 mph winds and big waves rolling across the lake from the southwest. More boats became swamped than tipped over as the kids managed the big blow. Many dads came to the rescue standing in chest deep water to bail out boats and set the kids back on course. A cookout complete with mint-cookie smash icecream fresh from the Metzloff icecream maker followed the sailing along with lots of swimming in the waves. With the high winds and waves we weren't able to hold any real practice races. In anticipation of the upcoming No Tears Regatta on 7/26, we're tentatively planning to hold some practice races this Sunday afternoon at Burrows Park. Watch for an email with more details.

Hope did get some photos of the sailing but pulled the camera out late and missed some of the early sailing (sorry Tyler and Oscar!). See the photos on the picasa page and hopefully we can sail on Sunday.

Tyler Metzloff wins first race!

Tyler Metzloff, fresh off his return from six months in New Zealand, got his first race win on Friday, July 9 with the Madison Optis. Fourteen young sailors in 11 boats enjoyed a 7 mph NW breeze in Warner Bay on Lake Mendota. The sailors participated in five short races complete with the cow bell clanging to signal the finish. Many sailors are showing great progress this summer: Will led around the buoys last night; Ellie and Anna sailed solo in individual boats for the first time and Anna demonstrated her skills to mom, Teresa; Oscar continues to lead the charge each week being the first boat off the pier; Tyler and Cayley are shaking loose all of the cobwebs in the first night back in Madison this summer; fighting beltline traffic to get to the lake, Kelsa and Kylie dove right in and sailed the final two races; Samantha let her dad, Dave, come along for a ride; and the Senke boys Quinn and Colin continue to work well together - will next week bring solo rides for them as well? Meta had the good fortune to win the "hot dog" race ensuring she got the first hot dog at the cookout. Cayley received the coveted "cow bell" award and brought all sailors to shore to the ringing of the bell (while dad, Kyle, did his best to cover his ears). Parents and sailors alike enjoyed the post-racing cookout of hotdogs (and beer for the parents).

There was also talk of Mendota sailors going to the upcoming No Tears regatta on Pine Lake on July 26. See you next week! More photos on the picasa page.

July 2nd Opti Sailing

Eleven kids appeared to sail on a beautiful Friday evening. The highlight of the night included Oscar Anderson joining the tip-over club. He righted the boat himself and sailed to the beach where he learned how to use a bailing bucket! Oscar was all smiles and made the other kids jealous that he was the first to swim this season.

The evening marked the first official racing of our Madison Opti fleet. Four boats raced including skippers Frankie Hearn, Bryn Ostby, Oscar Anderson, and Meta Simon.

All enjoyed the after sailing party which included healthy snacks provided by the Schoor Family.

See you next week. Please check back for photos later in the week.

Payton Regatta

The Mendota Yacht Club invited all opti sailors to participate in the Payton Regatta on Saturday, June 19. Sailors brought eight boats to the lake, and more than 20 young sailors took turns at the helm and as crew in braving 15 mph winds at the start. The winds settled out nicely as afternoon turned to evening giving all children a chance to sail. The piers were lined with parents and spectators from the club as the sailors rounded buoys on an informal course.

Special thanks to Trey and Shelly Sprinkman for hosting the weekend events - Friday after-opti sailing party and the pig roast on Saturday.

See more photos at our picasa page.

Second Friday Night Sailing

The sky parted for a couple of hours just in time for some Opti sailing. A group of eight kids taking turns in four boats sailed for a little over an hour. Special thanks to Lon Schoor for jumping in a boat and sacrificing his back to help the sailors.

The Sprinkman family hosted an MYC party at their home that quickly was taken over by the sugared up Opti fleet. Thanks to Shelly and Trey for a great event.

Today the Opti fleet is sailing in the Mendota Yacht Clubs Payton regatta. Sailing starts at 4:30pm, but come early to set-up. There is a pig roast to follow sailing. Both events have no fee. Come join the fun.

More photos found on our picasa page.

Successful Start to Opti Sailing

A spirited group of kids sailed Opti's on Friday evening. The high winds earlier in the day settled to a nice 10mph warm wind from the south.

In the beginning the Dads set up a couple of boats to give the kids rides. That only lasted a few minutes before the Dads were thrown overboard and more boats were requested by the young sailors. By the end we had six boats being sailed by 13 kids of all ages .

The Moms were busy making hot dogs on the grill and assisting. The evening ended with a water balloon fight that included the Moms being targets!

On a personal note, I want to say how proud I am 0f all the sailors for making the effort and showing the enthusiasm to go sailing. You guys are true rock star sailors!

Sorry for not having photos to post.... that darn Coach Greg forgot to bring a camera!

2010 Madison Opti Sailing Roster

We're excited to have many young sailors returning for the 2010 summer and many new faces as well. Nine out of the ten boats from the Madison Youth Sailing Foundation have been reserved. Nine privately owned boats will also be brought to the lake.

New sailors include:

Samantha and Marisa Gorwitz
Quinn Senke
Will Sprinkman

Returning sailors include:

Martha and Oscar Anderson
Billie, Cora and Micah Hanson
Anna and Ellie Huff
Jenny, Kelsa and Kylie McCormick
Katie and Molly McCormick
Cayley and Tyler Metzloff
Bryn Ostby
Thor Rosten
Fritz and Meta Simon

Welcome sailors and see you on Friday!

First Friday of Opti Sailing for 2010

Fellow Sailors:

The 2010 Opti sailing season starts on Friday, June 11 at 5:00pm. Please come down to the Maple Bluff Marina next to the Warner Park boat landing.

A few quick reminders: Bring a life jacket for you and your young sailor. Parents are encouraged to sail if necessary.

Make sure the kids have good sandals, aquasocks or shoes. Flip flops or bare feet are not recommended.

The first Friday will focus on getting the kids comfortable in the boats and rounding some buoys.

I'll try to do a little coaching when needed..... but our main focus is on having fun.

See you on Friday and hope for good weather!

Greg

PS. Raise the excitement level for this year - share the photos from last year with your sailor http://picasaweb.google.com/GregSimon213

Opti Sailing Postponed For Sunday Morning

Due to high winds and cold temps we have postponed sailing on Sunday June 6th.

See you all for the start of Friday night sailing, June 11th at 5:00pm

Greg

Opti Sailors sail a C-Scow

Lake Monona sailor Tim McCormick was kind enough to lend out his Season Championship boat to two local Opti sailors. While brother Andy McCormick donated his best sail to be used for the day.

Thor Rosten and Meta Simon competed in the Memorial Day Race on Lake Monona. Each took turns stearing the boat and showed strong boathandling skill. Meta steared during the start of the race and Thor finished the race.

The Rosten/Simon team finish 2nd out of nine boats.

Thanks to the McCormick brothers for supporting these Opti sailors!

Opti Season to Begin!

Opti Season to start June 11th at 5:00pm

Maple Bluff Marina

Friday Night Opti Racing Overview

June 11th Intro to Racing

June 18th Reading the Wind

June 25th Basic Rules

July 2nd Starting Line

July 9th Boat Speed

July 16th Celebration!

Informal races each night with grill and snacks to follow!

McCormick Family Purchases an Opti

Kelsa McCormick is a proud owner of a pink colored Opti. The McCormick family purchased the boat several weeks ago and are now the ninth area family to be boat owners! The boat was built by the Johnson Boat Works and was sailed on Lake White Bear in Minnesota. The pink colored boat is in great condition and is the sistership to Thor Rostens and Mica Hansons boat. The McCormick girls have already cleaned it up and are working on it in their basement.

Congratulations, all the other girls are jealous of your boat!

2010 Opti Regatta Schedule

There are three beginner Opti regattas in our area this summer:

June 25th   No Tears West -   White Bear MN.

July  26th   No Tears East-      Pine Lake WI.

Aug. 12th   Pram Power-         North Lake WI.

Also listed below are three local regattas on Lake Mendota, Monona and Waubesa!

Hanson Family Purchases Second Boat!

Billy, Mica and Cora Hanson received an Optimist sailboat for X-mas.  The Hanson family now own two Opti's and are looking for a third.  Father Jamie has been working hard to building a fleet of summer Opti's and even has been working on an Ice Opti.

The Hanson boat is a sister ship to Thor Rosten's boat.   The Dan Quiram family owned the Opti and sailed it on Lake Pewaukee.  The boat is a mid 90's model built by Johnson Boat Works of White Bear Mn.   During the 90's Johnson BW was the major supplier of Opti's in the midwest.  Many ILYA clubs bought "fleets" of boat for their youth sailing programs.  The boats are very well built and are great for our beginner sailors.