Junior competitors find smooth sailing ahead

Young sailors from yacht club are buoyed with confidence

SEA BREEZE—Above, boats hit the high seas at the North America National Tera Championship. Aug. 4 and 5 at Dana Point. Young sailors from the Westlake Yacht Club were among the kids who competed. Courtesy photo

SEA BREEZE—Above, boats hit the high seas at the North America National Tera Championship. Aug. 4 and 5 at Dana Point. Young sailors from the Westlake Yacht Club were among the kids who competed. Courtesy photo

The Westlake Yacht Club junior sailing team recently traveled to Dana Point to participate in the North America National Tera Championship.

The sailing competition, which took place Aug. 4 and 5 outside the harbor breakwater in open ocean under moderate to good winds on Saturday followed by light winds on Sunday.

The Westlake team consisted of four Westlake Yacht Club Juniors, who sailed well against the best sailors in the West.

Three qualifying races took place Saturday to divide the sailors into Gold and Silver fleets. The two fleets competed in five races Sunday to determine the champion.

Emily Rychlik, a sixth-grader at Medea Creek Middle School, was the overall regatta champion and winner of the Gold Fleet. She came in first in all five races on Sunday, beating out 30 other sailors from 10 yacht clubs from Southern California and Colorado.

Rachael Koscelnick of Agoura High School placed third in the Silver Fleet. Her sisters Danika of Lindero Canyon Middle School placed fourth and Lauren, also of AHS, finished in 12th place, both of the Silver Fleet.

AHOY!—Westlake Yacht Club Juniors who sailed in the North America National Tera Championship include Rachel Koscelnick of Agoura High, above, and Emily Rychlik of Medea Creek Middle School, below. Emily was overall regatta champ and winner of the Gold Fleet award. Courtesy photost

AHOY!—Westlake Yacht Club Juniors who sailed in the North America National Tera Championship include Rachel Koscelnick of Agoura High, above, and Emily Rychlik of Medea Creek Middle School, below. Emily was overall regatta champ and winner of the Gold Fleet award. Courtesy photost

The Tera is a 9-foot-5-inch dinghy used by the Westlake Yacht Club in its Summer Sailing Academy. This season, 130 youngsters from the Conejo Valley ages 8 to 18 learned to sail in the Tera.

The eight, one-week sessions are open to all students living in the community.

The boat is suitable for training kids and for racing in regattas locally and leading to world championships.

Next year’s world championship will take place in Sweden.