Thank you, Newport Harbor Sailing Foundation, for supporting me at my first East Coast regatta, the C420 Midwinters East in Jensen Beach, Florida. I am so grateful for the opportunity to compete and represent my burgee.

I had the chance to sail with Jack Condon, and together we made memories that will last a lifetime. Although we only had about a month to train together, I’m incredibly proud of what we were able to accomplish as a team.

We went into this regatta knowing it would be challenging, and it definitely was. From heavy winds to a less-than-ideal charter boat, we faced a lot of obstacles. But those challenges pushed us to grow, and we came out of the experience stronger and more determined than ever. We’re excited to keep building from here.

Thank you again for your support of my sailing journey and this new chapter in double-handed sailing. I truly appreciate the opportunity.

This year's midwinters I sailed with Vanessa Mellinger. We have only been practicing with each other less than a month (2 weekends actually), so we were nervous, but hopeful. When we arrived in Jensen the weather was beautiful, sunny and 80 degrees. On our practice day we sailed well. We were hoping the first day was going to be breeze on, but unfortunately that was not the case. It was maybe 5-10 knots at most and shifts all over the course.

The C420 Midwinters Regatta in Florida was an incredible experience from start to finish. We spent several long days on the water racing in a wide range of conditions, from very light wind to heavy breeze, which meant every race required a different strategy and constant focus. Some races were slow and tactical, while others were fast and physically demanding, and it really pushed us to adapt and improve. Being on the water for so many hours was exhausting, but it also made the racing more rewarding.

Thank you to the Newport Harbor Sailing Foundation for supporting me at the C420 Midwinters in Jensen Beach, Florida. Competing at this level meant going up against some of the best sailors in the country, and the competition was intense every day. The conditions pushed me both physically and mentally, and earning a spot in the Gold Fleet was a goal I had set for myself this year. With an amazing crew, we were able to navigate the challenging conditions and achieve it. This regatta pushed me in the best way and showed me where I can continue to improve. I’m excited to keep training, keep pushing, and build on this momentum in the events ahead.

On Wednesday, February 11 this year, I traveled to Jensen Beach Florida with a large group of other Southern California sailors. The next day, most of the sailors racing were at the US Sailing center for practice before the regatta. My skipper, Kingston Keyoung, and I spent the first part of our day getting various boats off trailers and putting together our own boat. Once rigging and a brief meeting was over we were finally able to get out on the water. In contrast to the past couple Midwinters, conditions were light, and the water was colder than expected. However, the air was warm, and the competition was incredible. The sunny practice was about three hours of boat handling and speed testing in separated groups, and practice races with all sailors in 73 sailing. 

This year at C420 Midwinters I had a lot of fun sailing in the different conditions especially when it got windy. My skipper Lincoln Betz and I were flying on the downwinds just rushing through the puffs, riding waves and speeding by other boats. And on the reaches I was flat out on the trapeze getting sprayed by waves hitting our bow splashing up into the boat. All in all it was super fun to go sail Midwinters this year and I really enjoyed it. 

I appreciate all the volunteers, coaches and parents that helped make this regatta happen. And thank you to the Newport Harbor Sailing Foundation for your support.