AYC Team Takes 4th at SDYC Women's Invitational
In mid February, 24 teams of women converged on San Diego Yacht Club to participate in the 2024 Women's Winter Invitational. The format was short-course, non-spinnaker racing in J/22s. American Yacht Club sent a 3-women team of Laura Heiss (skipper), Carolyn Russell, and Lisl Dunlop.
The courses were windward-leeward-finish with each taking only a few minutes, so getting a good start and ensuring inside rights at the leeward mark were both paramount. The teams swapped in and out of boats, and between every rotation, you could the AYC sailors studying the course for changes.
By the end of stage 1, AYC was in third place out of 24 boats and into the gold fleet for the final races. And while New York Yacht Club's team (which included fellow AYC member Fiona Walsh) managed to snag the third place spot, moving AYC to 4th for the regatta, Laura led the team to win the final race, ending the weekend on a great note.
