JJ Giltinan 2013

Who is Chad and why does he get angels?

 The most asked question during the JJ Giltinan 18 Foot Skiff World Championship was: who is Chad and why does he get angels? Chad is the founder of the Skiff Sailing Foundation and the ‘ring leader’ of the 18 Footers in San Francisco. Chad was the one who got me involved with 18 sailing; he provides me with a boat to use; and he has been coaching me for the past four years. Why does Chad get angels? Chad gets angels because of his symbolic resemblance to Charlie and his angels. In a nutshell, Charlie would send his three angels out to fight treacherous battles and take care of business that others could not fathom. When the angels get in trouble Charlie would save them. Chad sends his angels out on an 18 on the treacherous city front of San Francisco, in a boat that other girls could not fathom, and from time to time saves us... get it?

Chad has obtained a plethora of angels in the past few years, including: Mallory McCollum-Bozina, Yvonne Galvez, Christine Neville, Emma Shaw, CC Childers, and me- Katie Love. In 2009 I put together the first all-women’s team to sail an 18 foot skiff in the U.S., as well as at the annual St. Francis Yacht Club 18 Foot Skiff International regatta. The only event that could trump this historic milestone was to make it to the JJ Giltinan Championship with the first all female team. The JJ Giltinan is the pinnacle regatta for the 18 Foot Class which had never had an all female team. Due to circumstances beyond my control, this would be the first time I would be able to make it to Sydney in the past four years. I knew to fulfill this long time dream that I had to find the right girls for the job. For the past year I trained with Emma Shaw and Christine Neville in the bay area.

 The team was decided, plane tickets were purchased, training was going well, charter boat arranged, and a good grasp on accommodations… life was good. Everything was in order until I received an urgent call from Emma explaining that she broke her leg and would not be able to attend the JJ’s. Luckily, CC Childers was available to replace Emma for the regatta.

 CC and I arrived in Australia early with aspirations to get on the water and practice. CC and I were at the 18 Footers League the Sunday before the JJ’s to attend the 18 footers weekly race. Unfortunately we did not get to go sailing, but we did get on the ferry to get the lay of the land. It was fantastic to see the race course, watch the competition, and to see so many people excited to watch 18 racing. There is gambling and a bar on the ferry, but without a doubt the sailing is the most exciting part for everyone aboard. Riding the ferry just made me more anxious to get my hands on the boat and go for a sail.

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AYSF Selected for Youth America's Cup

The American Youth Sailing Force Team has been selected to compete in the Red Bull Youth America's Cup to be held in AC45's in August. Visit their site americanyouthsailingforce.com to stay updated on their campaign.

Ian Andrews on the 18 Event

Wow, what a regatta. I cannot even begin to describe how incredible this past week of 18 foot skiff sailing has been.  Writing this now a little while since the final race and I feel as if I’m still out on the water, three stringing with the kite up, the boat leaping out of the water as we make our way down San Francisco Bay. The residual effects from racing this type of boat aggressively in conditions that warrant extreme conservation will linger for quite some time.  So on to more details about racing.

Read More Here at AmericanYouthSailingForce.com

Pink Boat Regatta 2012

A fun regatta for a great cause! The Pink Boat Regatta was hosted by Corinthian Yacht Club on October 14, 2012. This regatta is unique because it is a “sail-a-thon,” you sail around a set course of three buoys for three hours. The person who sails around the buoys the most times in three hours wins. However, there is a twist in this regatta; the twist is that you can buy points, or buoys by donating to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation on www.thepinkboat.org . Not only was the race focused on sailing around buoys it was encouraged to wear pink, decorate the boat pink, and have a great time!

The morning started fairly early at Richmond Yacht Club with Chad Freitas and J.V. Gilmour to rig the Love Machine. We had to rig up and be on the water before 9:00 a.m. to sail over to Corinthian Yacht Club. Unfortunately, there is no practical place to launch in Sausalito or Tiburon. When we left RYC there was no wind and we were drifting with the ebb towards Tiburon. Luckily a nice family heading to Sausalito gave us a tow! We made it just in time to cruise by CYC and check in. As we sailed by we saw nothing but pink on the white decks of the club: it was so cool!

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The race started at 12:00 between the CYC race deck and a temporary buoy. There were 19 boats on the line ready to start the three hour lap race.

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About the Skiff Sailing Foundation

The Skiff Sailing Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit corporation dedicated to the promotion of high performance sailing incorporated in 2001 by Chad Freitas and Daniel Malpas, Directors. Over the years a good many sailors have been helped onto the water by the SSF and many have passed on their skills to the upcoming generation. Through grants and the provision of equipment our nonprofit makes competition possible for those who might not reach the starting line.