In December I participated in the C420 Orange Bowl Regatta, held in Miami, Florida, with my skipper Piper Holthus. We had spent a few months training in Newport and up in Long Beach to prepare for the regatta.

We practiced for a couple days leading up to regatta with our team along with several other boats. During those practice days the wind was fairly light and the water was choppy, conditions we were used to from our practices back in Newport and sailed well in. Although, when the regatta started, the breeze began picking up. The wind increased each day of the regatta, starting at around 10 knots the first day and ending at about 25 knots the last day. Although our scores weren’t the most consistent, we learned so much about sailing in big fleets, using a compass, and adjusting to big breeze. By the end of the regatta, we had finished in 16th overall.

Thank you so much for your generous grant that helped me attend orange bowl. I’ve learned so much from this regatta and have already made many improvements in my sailing.