Midwest Sailors Triumph at East Coast Championship in Annapolis
The iconic sailing town of Annapolis, MD hosted the second annual East Coast Championship at Severn Sailing Association. Twenty-nine teams, mostly from the region, competed, but a Midwest boat topped the leaderboard.
Toby Sullivan and Graham Ness from Minnesota won the event in a 24-point tie-breaker with New Jersey’s Emily and John Haig, followed by Annapolis locals, Sara Morgan Watters and Anna Flynn.
The three-day event featured consistent winds and flat water on the Chesapeake Bay. Nine races were sailed to engage a throwout, which shook up the rankings.
This was Sullivan’s first Championship win since joining the Class in 2021. “The win still hasn’t sunk in yet, but it means a lot to finally bring home a championship win after competing against the top guys for a few years,” remarked Sullivan.
After the first seven races, the sailors left their boats behind and headed to Camp Steele for live music, dinner, and tasty beverages. A special thanks to Ron and Bonnie Steele for hosting the party!
The regatta was a culmination of three events, the Triple Crown Series, hosted by the Annapolis clubs. The Sailing World Regatta Series, Spring Series, and East Coast Championship dates all coincided with the Triple Crown horse racing event introducing a new competition for the SSA, Eastport Yacht Club, and Annapolis Yacht Club.
“The Triple Crown was really neat because it encouraged everyone to register for each event and we had all three clubs represented,” said Watters, a member of Eastport Yacht Clubf. “There’s a lot of ex-college sailors that live in the area and are looking for the next boat to sail. This boat is really taking off here, and it’s fun to see the momentum.”
Annapolis Yacht Club member, Madeleine Schroeher, added “The fleet here is super competitive and a great group of people. It’s awesome being able to have great racing in your own backyard.”
The Championship Series continues with the following events:
West Coast Championship • June 21-23 • Long Beach, CA
Great Lakes Championship • July 12-14 • Rochester, NY
Inland Championship • August 2-4 • Pewaukee, WI
National Championship • August 23-25 • Traverse City, MI