Mission Statement
The mission of Junior Racing is to promote and facilitate competitive youth sail racing through
club and intra-club races, with a focus on inclusivity, sportsmanship, and skill development.
Why Join?
Junior racing is for junior sailors that love sailing and competition. Not only will they compete
against their own teammates and LYC’s highly skilled senior sailors in club races, but once
ready, they will likely take short trips to Buckeye Lake and Hoover Reservoir to compete against
junior racers from Inter-Lake Yachting Association member clubs in Indiana, Michigan, western
Pennsylvania and around Ohio. The most experienced team members will travel to regattas on
Lake Erie and potentially compete in I-LYA’s Junior Bay Week off the shores of Put-in-Bay.
The team is coached during practices and most regattas. Many believe O’Shaughnessy
Reservoir’s tree lined shores, narrow shape and the resulting shifty wind conditions are ideal to
develop some of the most skilled sailors. This, combined with the club’s nearly 100-year history
and determination to pass along skills to the next generation, means Leatherlips is the home of
23 national champions.
Competitive sailing not only involves physical strength and agility, but teaches navigation,
physics and the importance of teamwork. It’s a sport found at a number of colleges and many
sailors participate for the rest of their life.
You won’t find more welcoming, inclusive, and supportive teammates, coaches, and club
members anywhere else.
Practices
The team participates in weekly practices over the course of the season. Many team members
supplement team practices with the LYC Sailing School’s Advanced Class and club racing.
Regattas
Regattas include the I-LYA Traveler Series, Junior Bay Week at Put-In-Bay, the I-LYA Opti
Championships, and US Sailing Qualifying regattas. Parents attend most regattas and many will
need to tow a boat.
Junior Racing Boat Classes
The team races in four different boat classes. Nine to fifteen year-old kids may race on the
Optimist, or “opti”. Kids of appropriate size, age, and skill level compete on the ILCA 6, aka
Laser Radial, C420s, and Thistles.
Recent Team Awards
The team was the 2021 winner of the I-LYA Sportsmanship Award. Team member Siri Schantz
won Top Female Finisher at Bay Week in 2019 and Evelyn Hannah won the I-LYA Traveler
Series on the Laser Radial in 2022.
Eligibility
Team members must be an Active, Provisional, or Jr Competition Member of Leatherlips Yacht
Club. The Junior Competition membership is a cost-effective membership option for those that
do not have their own boat and facilitates participation at a cost that is comparable to many
other sports.
Participation ages range from nine through the summer after high school graduation. With the
exception of some opti sailors, team members are expected to be taking or have taken LYC
Sailing School’s Advance Racing Class or an equivalent course. Class registration opens early
in the year and fills up fast.
Team members must show appropriate maturity, sportsmanship and respect for all coaches,
teammates and volunteers to promote a positive environment and the team mission statement.
Additional requirements and Code of Conduct are available upon a request of the team manual.
Costs
Team members participating in regattas will have other costs such as purchasing sailing gloves
and a team pinnie (uniform), low priced regatta registration fees, and if using a team boat, a
very reasonable boat use fee. Sailing wear appropriate for the sailing conditions may also be
necessary.
Contacts
To learn more about opti racing, please contact Opti Racing Director Tim Weiher at
tim.wieher@gmail.com. For the team manual or general questions, please contact Jr Racing
Committee Chair Curtis Hannah at lyc.jrraceteam1@gmail.com.
