JAYC 100: The 2000s

This is the seventh installment in a series about the history of JAYC in anticipation of the JAYC100 Celebration later this month.

JAYCers celebrated the beginning of the 21st century by continuing what they had been doing for the previous seven decades – having fun on the water, building character, racing competitively, and forging lifelong friendships. JAYC sailors had always sailed outside of the program, but in the 2000s, interest in local high school sailing and sailing in the “shoulder seasons” (spring and fall) expanded. In the 2000s, interest in sailing Blue Jays waned, and the JSA introduced the Pixel in 2009 to fill provide sailors who were ready to leave Optimists for a doublehanded boat but not yet ready for a 420. 

JAYCers continued to win on the racecourse. Cam Cullman won the Smythe Trophy, the US Sailing Singlehanded Championship in 2005 and the US Sailing Youth Championship in 2008. Scott Furnary put together an incredible run by winning both the JSA Optimist and Blue Jay Championships in 2002, the JSA Laser Radial Championship in 2004, then finally the Laser Championship in 2005. Kevin Gordon kept the JSA Laser Championship in JAYC hands by winning in 2006. Emily Stubbs brought home the Laser Radial Championship in 2006, along with the JSA Girls Championship in 2005 and 2007. Her sister Sarah Stubbs won the Girls Championship in 2009. The depth of JAYC talent was evidenced by MacIntyre Team Race Championships in 2000, 2001, 2005, and 2006.

JAYCers also continued to race competitively in big boats; Tyler Sandberg and Chris McGuire co-skippered Mutiny to victory in the Beach Point Overnight in 2000, and AYC teams on Annie O (2003) and Sundari (2009) won the Dorade. Jeff Wisner (2003) and Ryder Tobin (2008) both won the JSA Navigation Trophy. 

Next week: JAYC in the 2010s