Youth Sailing in Lake Country
In spite of a questionable start, summer has arrived in Wisconsin, and with it, comes the youth sailing season. A “boat load” of regattas are available for kids to attend. Last weekend, young teens showed up on North Lake, for the annual QUINT regatta. Sailors from North Lake, Lac LaBelle, Pewaukee, Nagawicka and Okauchee sailed a very challenging regatta due to very little, and ever shifting breezes. 20+ boats were on the line, and the event ended with the top three skippers, tying for points and using a tie breaker for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places. Home lake skipper, Blake Kenney and crew, won the tie breaker and the 1st place overall finish.
Thursday, we found our young opti sailors on Okauchee Lake for the LOP’N Regatta.( LaBelle, Okauchee, Pewaukee and Nagawicka) The morning was inviting with steady breezes from 5-10mph. The 20 boats were sailed in one course, with designations for junior or senior status, by age. One of the younger skippers, Henry Chapman, son of a local boat dealer, showed up the “big boys” with a stunning win on the first race. The second race was won by home lake skipper, Tommy Groskopf. After lunch, a fast approaching wind shift and weather front, brought in the winds of 15-20mph, sending all of the junior skippers except for Henry, in to shore. The remaining senior skippers, raced two more exciting races, with back to back photo finishes. Ethan Heinze of Nagawicka and Trevor Trepton of LaBelle, duked it out at the finish, with 
Trepton nudging into the first place spot. The last, and fourth race of the day, was in heavy wind, also. Kids were hiking out of their boats, and using their skills to maneuver a course in heavy air. Trepton and Pewaukee skipper David Winquist, were neck in neck on the last downwind, and finished the race in a very exciting upwind tacking duel. Trepton inched ahead at the finish, to win the race, and the overall first place title in the senior fleet. Henry Chapman secured the overall first place finish in the junior fleet.
Youth sailing is just one of the many activities that makes Lake Country Wisconsin, a great place to be in the summer.
Posted by:
Karen Trepton
