South Torrance High team sailors Peyton Lieser and Emma Tallman took first place in the FJs (14-foot Flying Juniors) competition, during the youth sailing races hosted by the King Harbor Yacht Club last Wednesday. The races were the opening event in the International Surf Festival.
The races started in Basin 3, in front of Joe’s Crab Shack, and ran upwind to the main channel and back.
“I’m a very competitive person overall. I like sailboat racing because it’s both a mental and physical sport. It really challenges you,” Tallman said.
“For the newer sailors, these smaller competitions help them build experience and learn what it’s like to be on a start line,” Tallman said.
“You never know how you’re going to place, so it’s always a new challenge,” Tallman said.
Owen Pepper, a sixth grader at Parras Middle School, won the Optimist (7-foot-9 dinghies) division.
Pepper, who has been sailing for just one year, also said he enjoys competition. “You get to catch up and see who is doing the best and how you can improve. You also get to hang out with your friends,” Pepper said.
King Harbor Youth Foundation coach Emi Stephanoff said she was impressed with the level of sailing at the competition.
“Sailing competition isn’t like soccer or basketball, where the playing field is always the same. In sailing, the conditions are always changing,” Stephanoff said.
Children as young as seven and eight years old participated.
“I coach the older kids, but sometimes, I hear stories about the eight-year-olds who cry on the first day and do not want to go in the water or take the swim test. But by the end of the summer, they are sailing in the ocean by themselves,” Stephanoff said.
“Some kids pick it up quickly, and some kids are just here to have fun and don’t like to race. Racing kids join for the summer then join the race team, while others do the summer sailing programs and just cruise around during the rest of the year,” Stephanoff said.
Youth Dinghy races are held Wednesday evenings throughout the summer. For more information visit the King Harbor Youth Foundation website at khyf.org.
Results: FJs: 1. Emma Tallman, Peyton Lieser. 2. Matt Gregory, Chris Gregory. 3. Scott Hemstreet, Arlo Brill. 4. Forbes Smith. Optis: 1. Owen Pepper. 2. Reese Lieser and Millie McCartney, 3. Palmer Mays. 4. Cole Luppo. 5. Harrison Checketts and Sidney Mays. 6. Juliet Hemstreet and Sailor Mays. 7. Miles Metoyer. Plopties: 1. Luc DaCosta. 2. Owen Bartley and Henry Horan.
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