Please select your home edition
Edition
upffront 2024 October sale Leaderboard

Kaneohe YC claim back-to-back Sears Cup victories at Chubb US Youth Triplehanded Championship

by US Sailing 15 Aug 2023 20:20 BST August 11-13, 2023
From left: Jaxon Hottinger, Noelani Velasco, Makani Andrews, and Bryce Huntoon with the Sears Cup at the award ceremony of the 2023 Chubb US Youth Triplehanded Championship at Lakewood Yacht Club © US Sailing / Lexi Pline

After three days of close racing, Makani Andrews, Noelani Velasco, Bryce Huntoon, and Jaxon Hottinger from Kaneohe Yacht Club overcame a slow start in Sunday's Gold Fleet racing to claim their second consecutive Sears Cup.

Second place came down to the last race, where the San Francisco Yacht Club team of Hailey Thompson, Rhett Krawitt, Julian Levash, and Mark Xu were able to best the Austin Yacht Club team of James Brock, Ryder Getson, Zachary Romberg, and Lily Wind on the final leg. San Francisco finished with 42 points, while Austin Yacht Club finished with 44 points.

"Winning a second year in a row with the same crew is incredible, it's an indescribable feeling," said trimmer Bryce Huntoon. "Being able to train and compete with a consistent crew is massive. We're all good friends at home; many of us are training partners on other boats, so it's just pure fun racing with this team against some of the best sailors in the country."

Competitors at the Chubb US Youth Triplehanded Championship saw a wide range of conditions on Clear Lake, with lighter conditions in the morning building to a 15-18 knot seabreeze from the Gulf of Mexico in the afternoon. Racing took place August 11 - 13 in Lakewood Yacht Club's fleet of RS21s.

First awarded in 1921, The Sears Cup is US Sailing's oldest youth trophy, and serves as a pathway into keelboat sailing for youth sailors. Two teams from each US Sailing area can qualify for the Sears Cup in a local area qualifier.

Each year, US Sailing coach and event staff choose a winner of the Sportsmanship Award, based on a display of sportsman-like conduct to their competitors. This year's winners were the team from San Diego Yacht Club: Ava Gustafson, Madilyn Anderson, Kaya Hancock, and Taylor Ashton.

Unique to the Chubb U.S. Youth Triplehanded Championship is the Sears Shipshape Award, awarded to the Triplehanded team who demonstrates the utmost care and attention to detail for their borrowed boats during and after the Championship. This year's winners were the team from Mission Bay Yacht Club: Liam Kaseburg, Carlin Fretwell, Efe Derman, and Ariana Ludwig.

This year's event had a strong showing of mixed gender teams, with 4 boats driven by female skippers, and 14 of the 19 boats having mixed gender crews.

US Sailing would like to thank title sponsor Chubb Insurance, national sponsors Gill Marine, and host Lakewood Yacht Club for their support of the 2023 Chubb US Youth Triplehanded Championship.

Related Articles

US Sailing Team set for the Paris 2024 Olympics
13 American athletes in nine classes will take to the Bay of Marseille Over the course of 12 days, 13 American athletes in nine classes will take to the Bay of Marseille for competition at the Paris 2024 Olympics, following a shortened runway of three years due to the delayed Tokyo 2020 Games. Posted on 27 Jul
Open letter from Paul Cayard
The Executive Director of U.S. Olympic Sailing writes from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Sailing venue I am departing Japan today after absorbing the Olympic environment, observing our team in action and getting pointers from old friends who have been running teams in this game for decades. Posted on 5 Aug 2021
Hempel Worlds: New Doublehanded Offshore event
Mixed two-person offshore keelboat event will be on the program at the Paris 2024 Olympics For the first time in Olympic history, a Mixed Two-Person Offshore Keelboat event will be on the program at the Paris 2024 Olympic Sailing Competition. Posted on 7 Dec 2019
US Sailing team leadership statement
A statement from US Sailing regarding the U.S. Olympic Sailing Program US Sailing and Malcolm Page, Chief of Olympic Sailing, announced that they have agreed to part ways. Page will be leaving US Sailing and returning to his home in Australia. Posted on 20 Sep 2019
2019 Hempel World Cup Series Miami preview
30th anniversary of elite-level Olympic class sailing on Biscayne Bay Racing will soon begin at the 2019 Hempel World Cup Series Miami (HWCSM). This year marks the 30th anniversary of elite-level Olympic class sailing on Biscayne Bay. Posted on 25 Jan 2019
2024 Olympic Events: Open letter from US Sailing
After request to submit proposals from World Sailing Recently, all World Sailing Member National Authorities (MNA's, such as US Sailing) were requested by to submit proposals for what events should be used at the Paris 2024 Olympic sailing competition. Posted on 4 May 2018
With one year on job Malcolm Page looks ahead
It was almost exactly a year ago that Malcolm Page took reigns of US Sailing Team It was almost exactly a year ago that Malcolm Page, a double gold medalist in the 470 class for Australia, took the reigns of the US Sailing Team. With winds in excess of 30 knots keeping all 10 classes on shore for the entirety of Day 4 Posted on 27 Jan 2018
Familiar faces return for World Cup Series Miami
Anna Tunnicliffe Tobias returns in the 49erFX class The 49erFX class is one of 10 sailing disciplines that will compete in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Regatta. Medal contenders in all 10 will be competing at the World Cup Series Miami, the second stop, of four, on World Sailing's 2017-'18 World Series Cup tour. Posted on 23 Jan 2018
U.S. Adult Championship at St. Petersburg
Northeast Sailing Association (Sail Maine) win the title The action was fast and furious on Tampa Bay this week. Twelve teams in J/70s representing their respective Regional Sailing Associations (RSA) enjoyed the speedy and highly entertaining racing format. Posted on 13 Nov 2017
Enoshima Olympic Week
Views from USA and AUS teams US Sailing Team Laser Radial athlete Erika Reineke (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) won gold at the conclusion of a stormy Enoshima Olympic Week, the first large multi-class regatta to be held at the site of the Tokyo 2020 sailing competition. Posted on 30 Oct 2017