That would include not only the class leaders---notably the Brooklyn girls who share first place in the International 420s with a couple of guys, but the race committee that has been wrestling with the mysteries of the uncharacteristic weather conditions.

Two days without double-digit wind in the venue known for its "notorious sea breeze"? No complaints from Fiona Walsh, 16, who crews for Lily Katz, 16, on their I/420.

"We're really good in the light breeze," she said.

They had plenty of that, like 3 knots building to 6 through the long afternoon to sundown, and they are tied for the top with Long Beach hopefuls Korbin Kirk and Riley Gibbs. Megan Grapengeter-Rudnick and Abigail Rohman of Darien, Conn. are only a point behind and two New York state teams only two more points back. Currently, Kirk and Gibbs hold a tiny tiebreaker for a better finish---first to ninth---in the last race Sunday.

Walsh has a special ambition here. The winners win a trip to Ireland for the ISAF Youth Worlds in July.

"My father's family is from Ireland," she said.

After the 90 sailors on their 120 boats were shut out with no starts in any of the classes on Saturday’s first race day, principal race officer Mark Townsend tried for an hour's head start at 11 a.m. Sunday, but the powers were not cooperating. First he set a course for the east toward the beach, but as the Lasers charged the line he had to call it off when the feeble zephyrs switched hard right to the south.

Then he tried again, only to lose the air to the southwest, from where he finally connected. The Laser Radials and I/40s managed four races, while the 29ers scored five races on the other course.

They planned to go an hour early at 1100 hours again on Monday and will try for three races instead of the scheduled two, facing a 1500 hours getaway deadline for any race start.

The weather? The forecast is a hopeful 8 knots from southwest … but it's been a bit strange this weekend. As racing ended under a suddenly clear blue sky Sunday, scattered raindrops speckled the glassy water.

There are separate classes for boy and girl singlehanded Laser Radials, doublehanded boy and girl International 420 dinghies and singlehanded boy and girl Techno 293 windsurfers; doublehanded 29er skiffs are a coed class without gender designation.

All competitors must be age 19 or younger through the end of this year.

Class winners will not only race in the Youth Worlds but will be invited to join the US Sailing Development Team as future Olympic prospects. The USSDT will have two teams training in each class and a target age span of 16 to 24.

Top 10 Results Overall after 4 races:

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Source and Images: © Rich Roberts