USA Qualifier delivers comeback kids place at ISAF Youth Worlds
None of the winners was leading his or her class entering the third and last day, which was blessed by decent, if chilly, 9-10-knot breeze for the first time on the weekend. They all earned trips to Ireland in July, where they will join 400 boys and girls ages 19 and younger from 60 nations in Dun Laoghaire on Dublin Bay for the 2012 ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships showdown from 12-21 July.
"We're ready and excited," said Abigail Rohman, aged 18, who crewed for Megan Grapengeter-Rudnick, 16, in International 420s. "I studied European history and wrote a paper on Ireland."
Now they'll all become a part of the land's sporting history.
All of the competition mixed boys' boats with girls' boats, except for the 29er skiffs which had coed crews: boy-girl, two boys or two girls. Grapengeter-Rudnick and Rohman won four of their eight races, just ahead of Lily Katz and Fiona Walsh who outsailed the 15 other I/420s, including a dozen raced by boys.
All competitors were required to 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 Overall after 8 Races
| Pos | SailNo | Gender | Helm | Crew | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | Pts |
| 1 | 53782 | Girls | Megan Grapengeter-Rudnick | Abigail Rohman | -10 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 19 |
| 2 | 54065 | Girls | Lily Katz | Fiona Walsh | 1 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 4 | -11 | 2 | 2 | 24 |
| 3 | 53896 | Boys | Harry Koeppel | Charles Bocklet | 4 | 3 | 5 | -7 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 28 |
| 4 | 53718 | Girls | Sarah Williams | Haley Fox | 6 | 11 | -12 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 29 |
| 5 | 54064 | Boys | Korbin Kirk | Riley Gibbs | 9 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 3 | -13 | 29 |
| 6 | 54067 | Boys | Reinier Eenkema van Dijk | Spencer McDonough | 5 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 3 | -8 | 6 | 6 | 34 |
| 7 | 51482 | Boys | Charlie Lomax | Evan Morgan | 7 | -14 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 12 | 3 | 49 |
| 8 | 53720 | Boys | Esteban Forrer | Christopher Ford | 2 | 9 | 13 | -15 | 9 | 10 | 4 | 9 | 56 |
| 9 | 53656 | Girls | Georgie Ryan | Greer Wattson | (18.0 OCS) | 10 | 11 | 3 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 11 | 61 |
| 10 | 54069 | Boys | Chuck Eaton | Daniel Ron | 8 | 7 | 8 | 4 | -14 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 64 |
Racing took place from 14-16 January 2012 at the Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, California, USA.
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Top Image: Megan Grapengeter-Rudnick/Abigail Rohman
Source and Images: © Rich Roberts
