9 LISOT Opti Sailors Qualify for All Four International Spring Teams!

Congratulations to the nine LISOT Opti sailors who qualified at the USODA Midwest Champs in Milwaukee (over a very chilly Columbus Day weekend) to represent the USA at all four international regattas this coming Winter/Spring of 2010.

Four LISOT sailors finished in the top 20 in Milwaukee and more than half of the 16 sailors on team LISOT made a US Team - representing 15% of all the spots on US spring teams!

Congratulations to Head Coach Pepe and coach Panic for helping the team reach such a milestone in Milwaukee. And coaches Marcos Lamas, Graham Merganthaler, Amanda Clark and Jeff Bonanni who helped the team train throughout the the summer and fall.

IODA South American Championship, Punta del Este, Uruguay
- Harry Koeppel
- Megan Grapengeter-Rudnick

IODA Oceania Championship, Adelaide, Australia
- Drew Gallagher

28th Annual Lake Garda Optimist Meeting, Riva Del Garda, Italy
- Alexandra DelBello
- Reinier Eenkema van Dijk
- Audrey Giblin

25TH Annual Magic Marine International Easter Regatta, on the Brassemermeer, Roelofarendsveen, Netherlands
- Augie Dale*
- Will Logue
- Sean Walsh

*Declined - due to a previous commitment with a surfboard!

LISOT Opti's Video Spectacular

Could LISOT Opti Head Coach Pepe be a top notch photographer, director and video editor? Check out this video and you be the judge....

The video is also available in HD on Facebook.

LISOT All Classes Regatta A Success

Stefan Kuehn enjoys the waves and breeze on Saturday

Optimist Results - Click here
Laser Radial, C420 & I420 Results - Click here

LISOT All Classes Regatta A Reality - This Weekend

Hello everyone – The long overdue, much talked about without much detail, LISOT All Classes Regatta, is going to happen this weekend, October 24^th and 25^th at American YC in Rye, NY.

Thanks to American Yacht Club’s always amazing hospitality, LISOT will run an open regatta for Optimists, Laser Radials, Club 420 and I420’s this weekend. Please note that the Optimists will only race on Saturday the 24^th.

Attached I provide the Notice of Race. We hope this will be a fun weekend of racing without the pressure of being a national championship or an international team qualifier. All we ask is that you respect the hospitality American Yacht Club offers, abide by their rules and keep cars and dollies clear of the dry sailing area (see the NOR for more guidance).

We hope to see you on Saturday. Even if you can’t make it on Saturday please come on Sunday.

Click here for the Notice of Race

LISOT Has Strong USODA Midwest Champs

It's over. The 2009 USODA Midwest Championship in Milwaukee, WI finished up today. 148 sailors survived the huge cold front that engulfed the midwest United States over the last three days to complete the 7 race series. Morning temperatures below freezing combined with wind from zero to 25 knots, 40 degree wind shifts and challenging sea conditions combined to make for a tough regatta.

Four LISOT sailors finished in the top 20 with Harry Koeppel the top LISOTer in 5th.

Congratulations to the winner Luke Muller of Coral Reef Yacht Club, Miami, FL. Luke was followed by Jack Barton (San Francisco YC) in 2nd, Chris Williford (Lauderdale YC) in 3rd, Kristopher Swanson in 4th and Harry (Larchmont YC) in 5th.

This regatta was the qualifier for the 2010 USA spring international teams and LISOT has placed at least 6 teammates on US teams:

5. Harry Koeppel (Larchmont YC)
12. Reinier Eenkema van Dijk (Larchmont YC)
13. Drew Gallagher (Larchmont YC)
19. Megan Grapengeter-Rudnick (Noroton YC) and 3rd girl
41. Alexandra Delbello (American YC) and 9th girl
54. Audrey Gilbin (Shrewsbury YC) and 13th girl

All will all be offered spots on USA Optimist teams traveling in early 2010 which include:

• IODA South Americans (Punta Del Este, Uruguay)
• IODA Oceana (Adelaide, Australia)
• The 25th Optimist Easter Regatta (Braassemermeer, Holland)
• The 28th Lake Garda Optimist Meeting (Lake Garda, Italy).

Other LISOT sailors may be fortunate enough to get invitations. Congratulations to all the sailors!

LISOT Head Coach Pepe Bettini and Coach Pablo "Panic" Panichelli worked hard with the team for weeks leading up to the event and kept everyone focused and "Relaxie-Taxi" during the regatta.

Complete results are available here.

Active LISOT Columbus Day Weekend

It was Columbus Day weekend so where were LISOT sailors? They were racing or training in Milwaukee, Sayville or Patchogue!

LISOT Optimist sailors were competing in the USODA Midwest Championship in Milwaukee, WI while LISOT Club 420 were attending the C420 Class Mid-Atlantic Championship at the Sayville YC on Long Island. LISOT Laser Radial sailors took in the great weekend wind with coach Rob Crane at Bellport Bay Yacht Club.

The USODA Midwest Champs qualify sailors for the 2010 USODA Spring International Teams. Racing concludes on Monday, October 12^th and the results should be posted at http://www.milwaukeeyc.com/

The Club 420 Mid-Atlantic Championship concluded on Sunday. Awesome LISOT results can be seen at http://www.club420.org/results/09UL2009MidAtlantics420Championship.htm