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August 11, 2010
Alpena, Michigan- 2010 North American Yngling Championships
A thrilling weekend of racing wrapped up on Thunder Bay Sunday afternoon with a photo finish of the top 5 sailors crossing the line in front of a cheering crowd. Atop the podium was a new face, but an old name, as Noel Ingalls succeeded both her mother, Ellie Field, and father, John Ingalls as North American Yngling Champion. At age 17 she became the youngest champion in Yngling history winning the regatta handily with 4 firsts a 3rd and a 4th. She sailed with her father (current World Yngling Champion) and Patrick Gallagher as crew.
Alpena sailors crossed tacks in an exciting finish to determine the next 5 positions. The crew of Steve Fletcher’s Dwarf Iris, with Chris McCoy as helmsman and Tait Frogett as crew, sailed a solid and consistent regatta to hold onto 2nd place followed closely by Steve Wilson’s crew of Pete Wilson and Julie Mitchell and Tim Rumbles sailing with Sam and Anna Rumbles. Val Upham, sailing with Mark Upham and Erin Damery, squeeked out a win in the final race to propel her into 5th place overall.
John Johnston, with crew Emily Thayer and Ben Diamond, distinguished himself by not only winning the Alpena Cup for highest finishing youth sailor but performing a heroic rescue of another youth sailor who had been washed overboard during the turbulent and boisterous conditions of Saturday’s racing in 25 knot winds and 4 foot seas.
