Southport Yacht Club’s Ella Beauregard and Hamilton Barclay qualified again to represent New England at the Chubb US Sailing Doublehanded Junior National Championships in Redwood City, California in August. The Southport sailors earned the second of two qualifying spots among 37 teams by placing second at Wianno Yacht Club in Osterville, Massachusetts July 17-18.

In the first race Beauregard and Barclay rounded the weather mark 3rd, set the spinnaker and were vying for 2nd place near the leeward gate when they capsized. The pair jumped to the boat’s partially raised centerboard and righted the boat without getting doused. They dropped the spinnaker amongst growing waves, wind, and competitors struggling with their own boats. The pair rounded the leeward gate in 14th. They persisted and finished in 10th which would later be dropped. Fifteen of the 37 boats capsized during the race with only 26 finishing.

Race 2 saw the wind rise to 18-22 knots. Barclay started at the committee boat and tacked immediately seeking less current and waves. They rounded in third close behind a boat that hit the mark and chasing the leader who had hoisted a spinnaker. Leader, Hayden Earl and Ellie Alex from Stage Harbor Yacht Club, capsized while jibing at the next mark and Race 2 belonged to Beauregard and Barclay from Southport Yacht Club. Several more boats retired because of the difficult conditions.

Race 3 saw Barclay and Beauregard battling eventual winners Earl and Alex. After their second race capsize and DNF, the local Cape Cod sailors showed great form. Earl won the 29er class at the US Sailing Youth Championships in June in Brant Beach. The current switched and a southerly shift saw Barclay going for a pin start. With boats dropping down on them, Barclay tacked to port and crossed behind the fleet. Grinding down boats, Barclay and Beauregard rounded the weather mark in 7th then set and jibed the spinnaker immediately. They rounded the leeward gate in 2nd place. Earl and Alex were able to cover and take the closest finish of the day with the boats separated by just two boat lengths.

Race 4 saw a wind shift during the start sequence cause the pin to be favored. As the boats stacked up and pushed onto the course side a general recall occurred. Beauregard and Barclay started again in the second row but passed boats on most legs and finished 3rd.

Race 5 saw the pair with their best start of the day at the line with speed. Leading start to finish, Beauregard and Barclay finished with the largest lead of the regatta. Earl won the 6th and last race of the regatta finishing with 6 points (1, [38], 1, 1, 2, 1) to Barclay’s 10 points ([10], 1, 2, 3, 1, 3). Thursday’s storms and a lack of wind saw race committee call the regatta at 11 a.m. Prizes were awarded as sailors took a break from packing boats. Full results are at www.regattanetwork.com

Barclay and Beauregard were the top qualifier at this event last year in Boothbay and went on to finish 2nd in the Chubb Double-handed Junior National Championships in Michigan. The pair competes this week in the C420 National Championship in Newport July 22-24.