Age&Track have NO place in education, competition or music.
Sam White, 14 years old, racing a Hobie 16 with his able crew, is 1st to finish (by more than a mile). Sam wins the Everitt Trophy “first to finish of any hull type, with the lowest Elapsed Time” and the Gallina Trophy, “first Multihull to finish with the lowest corrected time.” Sam is the youngest sailor in its 63 year history to win Queen of the Bay.
Dylan Williams, 16 years old, racing an Aero 9, monohull defending champion, is the first monohull to finish by over a mile. Dylan wins the Growtage Bowl as the monohull with the lowest elapsed time and wins the Patchogue Advance Trophy as the first monohull to finish on corrected time. Last year Dylan was the youngest sailor to win Queen of The Bay in it’s then 62 year history.
Dylan dominates and wins the mono hull class by a mile edging out a much larger faster trimaran at the finish. That’s his little sail blocked from the photo, as he crosses the finish line. The finish line is from the ‘A’ Buoy to a mark on the clubhouse.
Dylan, has been competing internationally and is now has an impressive world ranking in his type of boat (no age restrictions). When he saw me at the finish line he sailed over to talk. He is an ethos friend (but he doesn’t know it yet). He told me that the international jury boats have been following him downwind because the professional sailors he’s competing against and the jury can’t figure out how he sails downwind so fast. They think he must be cheating somehow (some things never change when a 16 year old beats ALL of the professionals downwind, it must be nefarious!). I said: “i know why you sail downwind so fast”, and we both had a good belly laugh (along with Ed, this was Ed’s home club, i have successfully passed on his legacy to young sailors). To me the photograph below shows incredible intimacy. World ranked and he comes to visit with me first after winning a championship race.
I actually set foot on the club property and spoke with my old competitors. They haven’t changed.
I’m the only one without braces!
They helped me accomplish my goals years ahead of what i had planned.
My thesis has been proven: “Age and track have NO place in education, competition or music”
We are the “problem children” that the clubs shunned, ridiculed, and wanted nothing to do with.
Today, Sam & Dylan dominated the best adult sailors who were sailing faster boats and ‘took away their trophies’. They did it with hard work, grit, talent and excellent sportsmanship.
I couldn’t be more proud, or more satisfied.
EPILOGUE
Dylan has started a business for the summer of 2025. He has identified a need that has long existed among GSBYRA Clubs, Transporting Opti’s, Lasers, 420’s and other dinghy’s used in the GSBYA Junior Regattas to and from the clubs. It has been mentioned for decades that the difficulty in transporting boats between the clubs for competition has been a drag on participation. Dylan will transport boats to and from their respective yacht clubs and rig and derig them as a value add if you desire. It is my please to recommend him after years of experience. visit 1040boatworks.com
IKnowTheCow 