Rogachenko Captures U.S. Singlehanded Championship
MONDAY, 30 JULY 2007
Pennsylvania sailor Kyle Rogachenko was one of few sailors who could hold a steady place on the leader board at the U.S. Singlehanded Championship, hosted July 24-28 by the Corinthian Yacht Club in Cape May and sponsored by Rolex Watch U.S.A. and Vanguard Sailboats, supplier of the Lasers sailed in the event. Winds were light, not one skipper in the 23-boat fleet could easily log a string of bullets, and first-place finishes ran as deep as the 13th-place boat. Each night after racing, competitors saw their fortunes rise and fall as scores were tabulated and fleet positions shifted. But 19-year-old Rogachenko held steady at the position that counts most: first.
At this US SAILING championship—which drew skippers who ranged in age from 16 to 69—Rogachenko led the fleet after a first day of three races, by a four-point margin. After four more races on day two, his lead had downsized to two points—but that was enough to capture a regatta win. Without a breath of air blowing off the Cape May coast on the third day of the regatta, racing was called in the early afternoon and Rogachenko had claimed a new crown. Winds for the regatta ranged 5 to 11 knots.
Boat speed and consistency were the keys to Rogachenko's success. Although he did not win a single race, he opened the regatta with a seventh-place finish and never dropped below fourth for the rest of the regatta. "Boat speed was really important because of the light air," he said at regatta's end. "But no matter what the breeze was like, there was always a group who were really fast." As winner of the regatta, Rogachenko claims the George D. O'Day Trophy, a special trophy named for a legendary builder of small boats who was also an Olympic medalist.
Among those whose speed translated into a medal performance were Clayton Johnson of Tom's River, who captured second place, and West Coast sailor Charlie Buckingham, who finished in third. Buckingham, who won the opening race of the regatta, was the only other sailor who finished in the top 10 who also held his position in the fleet after each day of racing.
Final results (23 boats / 7 races, no discard)
1. Kyle Rogachenko (Collegeville, Pa.); 7, 2, 4, 2, 4, 2, 4: 25 points
2. Clayton Johnson (Toms River, N.J.); 5, 6, 7, 1, 1, 5, 2: 27 points
3. Charlie Buckingham (Newport Beach, Calif.); 1, 9, 8, 4, 6, 1, 3: 32 points
4. Emery Wager (Seattle, Wash.); 2, 4, 14, 5, 10, 4, 1: 40 points
5. Sarah Lihan (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.); 17, 1, 10, 18, 3, 10, 6: 65 points
For more information on the event and complete results, visit the event website at
www.ussailing.org or www.bymnews.com
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