Lakewood Seahorse Hughes Wins Girls Nationals
Lakewood Yacht Club Member Haddon Hughes, aged 13 earned the USODA Layline Girls National Championships in the US Optimist Nationals held this year in Deltaville, Virginia. Eighty of the best girl sailors from around the United States sailed three races to determine the national champion on Tues., July 20.
During the first race on a 1.5 mile trapezoid course in light wind conditions, Hughes placed 3rd. She took first place in the second and third races, thus earning the national championship. “We think this is the first Texan to win Girls’ Nationals! She started sailing at aged 5 and her first regatta was Texas Youth Race week’s Lakewood venue a couple of years later,” related Bethany Hughes, Haddon’s mother. Also competing in the nationals from Lakewood Yacht Club were racers Jessica and Anna Willits who had strong showings and finished 32nd and 39th respectively, the latter also placing 2nd in White Fleet Optimist in the country.
The Fleet Racing National Championship was also held during the same week at Deltaville, Virginia. The first day of racing results were used to break the large fleet of 262 of the toughest sailors in the USA into smaller fleets such as the Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Pearl. Seahorse racer Dane Byerly, along with Haddon Hughes both raced well and were placed in gold. Byerly finished 10th in the Gold Fleet with Haddon on his heels placing 13th. They each also earned a bullet in an individual race over the course of the competition. Parker Hughes, Jessica and Anna Willits also competed.
For further information about these races, check www.optinationals2010.org
A company called SailGroove webcasted the races live during the July 20 –24th timeframe. |
