2024 Hampton One-Design National Championship
One Design Racing at its Best
The Hampton One Design Class competed in the 90th annual National Championship on August 9-11, 2024. Although there are no professional sailors in the class, the competitors are highly skilled. Of the seventeen teams signed up to compete one skipper is in high school, six are collegiate sailors, three prior collegiate sailors, five active in their careers and two retired from their careers. Three of the crews are in high school, six in college, two are postgraduates, five in their careers and one retired.
Heavy wind predictions were a reality on day one as the remnants of Hurricane Debby past to the west of the regatta venue at Norfolk Yacht and Country Club in Virginia. PRO Mark Wheeler declared a brief high wind delay but was able to complete the scheduled two races in 18-22 knots of southwest breeze. After the races the group gathered for a sorely needed dinner in the Elizabeth and James rooms overlooking the Lafayette River. Saturday came with no wind until the afternoon. The teams chilled in the yachting house AC watching the Olympics while waiting for wind. The breeze finally looked promising, and all boats were launched but PRO Mark Wheeler and Race Committee Chairman Edward Wolcott quickly realized storms with lightening were popping up suddenly and all boats were hauled and tied down in the nick of time. With AP/A flags on display all competitors cleaned up to prepare for the happy hour and dinner. The Elizabeth and James rooms were decorated with sunflowers and river rocks in glass cases and the full array of Perpetual Hampton One Design Trophies. Music featuring theme songs for each of the team’s boat name was a fun mix. The dinner was professionally staged and delightful. After dinner the group gathered along the row of 17 Hamptons all lined up for photos in the sunset.
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Sunday came with 10-14 knots of ENE wind and PRO Mark Wheeler ran four incredibly competitive races to complete the requisite six race series. A testament of how competitive the series was is that each of the six races had a different team finishing in first place. Once on shore we quickly cleaned up and met in the ballroom for the Trophy presentation.
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Lindsey Kaufmann competed in six regattas and demonstrated exceptional skill as crew for Blake Goodwin throughout the season. Lindsey was awarded the William J. Daugherty Memorial Trophy and recognized as the best crew of the year for her efforts.
The T. Lane Stokes Cup is awarded to the skipper or crew who exhibit exemplary sportsmanship, actively participates in Hampton One Design regattas, and actively promotes the class. Kerri Rae Stokes, who made the trophy 21 years ago, was appropriately awarded the T. Lane Stokes Cup for 2024.
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Charlie McCoy awarded the Charles H. McCoy, Jr. High point trophy to Gordon Stokes with 73 points followed by Latane Montague IV with 67 points and then Commodore Jackson Montague with 54 points.
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Kerri Stokes presented a bundle of sunflowers to each female member of the race committee. All competitors and members of the race committee were presented an engraved Hampton One Design tumbler glass.
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This is the first time in the 90-year history of the Hampton One Design National Championship that the winner of the J. W. Hurst Novice Trophy was also the winner of the National Championship. Parker Purrington a sailing team member recently graduated from Old Dominion University won the Championship sailing 724 “Patriot”. Parker and Alex Schuck were each presented first place plaques with Hampton One Design half models. Tyler Brown and Sabrina Abdelrahmam who lost the tie breaker with Parker and Alex were each presented the second-place half model plaques. Latane Montague and Jackson Martin each took home their third-place half model awards. Blake Goodwin and Lindsey Kaufmann each received fourth place engraved plaques, and Gordon Wolcott with his sister Sarah Raymond were each awarded fifth place engraved plaques.
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We feel the Hampton One Design National Championship represents one design racing at its best. Competitive racers from Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia come together as friends without professional sailors, compete intensely, enjoy the social gatherings, congratulate the victors, and leave as friends looking forward to the next opportunity.
gks
Secretary
Hampton One Design Class
2023 Hampton One-Design National Championship at Hampton Yacht Club
The 2023 Hampton One Design National Championship at HYC was one to be remembered. The competitive 15 boat fleet made for three fantastic days of racing at Hampton Yacht Club. With two races completed Friday, three completed Saturday, and one completed Sunday, Mark Wheeler and his team provided a complete series of races despite challenging August conditions. Leigh Chapman and the HYC staff did a great job making this weekend happen!
Throughout the three days of racing the competition was close. However, by Sunday the class had a new National Champion! Gordy and Kerri Stokes of Norfolk Yacht and Country Club came out ahead in a tie breaker victory over Latane Montague and Dorothy Ballard. Gordy also won the Charlie McCoy High Point Trophy, showing that time and practice does pay off. Congrats Gordy and Kerri!!
While experienced Hampton sailors filled the ranks, this season's addition of four new skippers to the class brought some fresh competition to the water over the weekend. Latane Montague (nicked-named Cinqo by Gordy), Blake Goodwin (HYC), Will Chapman (HYC), and Max Penders all brought their A games. Of these four sailors Blake Goodwin, sailing 706, placed as the top "novice" winning the J.W. Hurst Novice Award!
The William J. Daugherty Memorial Trophy, which is awarded to the best crew of the year, was awarded to Gracie Goodwin of HYC! Gracie competed in 6 Hampton regattas this season and won the Ware River Governor's Cup sailing with her dad Keith.
The T. Lane Stokes Trophy was awarded to Latane Montague V (not to be mistaken for Latane Montague IV). Latane's continued excitement and passion for Hampton sailing combined with his eagerness to help others made regattas and regatta parking lots more fun than ever.
Overall, the 2023 Hampton One Design National Championship was a huge success! Thank you to everyone who helped make this event happen and to all of you who showed up to compete. Next up for the HOD class is the NYCC Labor Day Regatta September 2nd.
modified from article by Jackson Montague
2021 SEASON UPDATES
The 2021 Nationals at Urbanna was a rip roaring success, proving that the optimal combination for a great National Championship can be two great shoreside parties, fantastic race committee work, and a strong turnout of 16 teams ranging from 14 to 85 years old/young.
The weekend forecast was daunting, with all the forecasts showing little to no wind on the middle bay. But Kathy and Mark Wheeler brought the A-Team from HYC including: Rich and Julie Wilcox, Debbie and Tom Ryan, who collectively managed to squeeze off a complete Nationals series of 6 races in zephyr-like conditions on the Rappahannock.
Not to be outdone on the shore side, Patricia Montague fired up Club-Montague for two great parties Friday and Saturday night that earned her the T. Lane Stoke Trophy for outstanding contribution to the class, with attendees saying it was the most fun regatta party since Key West 1991. The evening featured unlimited hot and cold running Dark-n-Stormies, and a special salute to Charlie McCoy featuring a drinking game called “Calamity Jane Trivia” that will not soon be forgotten, through several intervening thunder storms.
On the water, the RC was able to get off all the races on schedule, starting with 2 on Friday in 3-4 knots in the first race, and closer to 5 kts in the second. The first race featured Jackson Montague and Alex Jacob winning their first Nationals race, and representing the City of Alexandria, Fishing Bay YC, and the sailing capital of the Potomac in strong fashion.
Race #2 featured another pair of young Fishing Bay sailors smoking around the course, with Reed McCallister and Henry Ciszewski pulling a down a second place in the fleet of 16 boats in their first Hampton Nationals together. Reed won the 2020 HOD Nationals crewing for Latane Montague and did not miss a beat stepping into the back of the boat.
Saturday was a new day, but the same weather. Race # 3 once again featured a young gun from Fishing Bay winning with Finn Cisznewski and Dave Chapman winning a close one in front of Latane Montague and Gordon Wolcott. In race 4, order to the universe was restored with Gordon and Lizzie Wolcott winning with Gordie and Ian Stokes (in from San Diego for the regatta) pulling down 2nd, with Jackson Montague and Alex Jacob in 3rd. Race 4 was started, but abandoned on the last beat as thunder storms passed to the south, and all wind on the course evaporated, with everyone getting towed in and feeling lucky to avoid the storms.
Sunday produced the best breeze with 5-10 from the North to East. Race 5 was won by Jackson Montague and Alex Jacob followed by Gordon Wolcott and Gordie Stokes. Race 6 was a full Nationals course with trapezing breeze with gusts near 10 kts won by Gordie and Ian Stokes.
I would write more, but I am too worn out from all the festivities, you just had to be there.
Full results are here: https://yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eid=14726