Kids sail on high-caliber vibe

The mood was one of excitement despite cloudy skies and mediocre breezes at the 44th annual Sabot II North Championship Monday at Lido Isle Yacht Club in Newport Beach.

Veteran level B sailor James Mather, 11, who has sailed in the regatta "two or three times," said the championship race is "fun and stressful at the exact same time, because you're out with all your friends, but you're also trying to place for the invitational."

Seventy-five kids competed in this year's regatta, which has been held annually at various yacht clubs in Newport Harbor and throughout Southern California since 1964. At the end of races Monday, the kids made ice cream sundaes and attended an awards ceremony in which the top 10 winners and the youngest participant received pewter plates.

Unlike most championship regattas, the Sabot II North Championship divides sailors into colored flights. On Monday that made for four teams — black, green, red and blue — with 18 to 19 sailors each. By design, each team contains sailors of varying experience and skill, from C3 (lowest sailing level) all the way up to A's (the highest).

The mixed skill level of each group emphasizes the race coordinators' desire that the regatta be both fun and competitive, never cut-throat. It's a vibe that 11-year-old level-A sailor Connor Kelter appreciates.

"It's just a lot of fun having all your friends here, and going against people your own age and not all the older kids, who are sometimes a lot more serious and competitive," Kelter said.

The top 10 winners of Monday's races will compete against the top 10 winners of the Sabot II South Championship, taking place today at Coronado Yacht Club in San Diego. The two groups of 10 will then battle it out at the Sabot II Invitational Championship on July 25 at Mission Bay Yacht Club, also in San Diego.

Peggy Lenhart, who retired last June after serving as secretary for the International Naples Sabot Assn. for 33 years, was on hand Monday on the race committee boat, helping to keep scores straight and correct boat mishaps.

In her many years helping with this and other regattas, Lenhart never ceases to be amazed by the caliber of kids who compete in the races.

"The racing rules are pretty complex …. These kids are still learning to read but they're expected to understand all the rules and regulations. And they're competitive, polite, and they have positive attitudes and great boat-handling skills."

Another thing that always impresses Lenhart is the kids' resiliency: "It's amazing, these kids are like 8, 9, 10, and the cold doesn't bother them, the competition doesn't bother them, and the girls don't mind racing the boys — they want to beat 'em!"

Pewter Plate winners

1. Robert Rice, Alamitos Bay Yacht Club (ABYC)

2. Charlie Welsh, Newport Harbor Yacht Club (NHYC)

3. Jimmy Madigan, NHYC

4. Connor Kelter, NHYC

5. Riley Gibbs, ABYC

6. Davis Hanscom, NHYC

7. Wil Crook, Lido Isle YC (LIYC)

8. James Mather, LIYC

9. Kevin Baumann, ABYC

10. Jacob Rosenberg, ABYC

Youngest sailor: Barron Banta, 8, LIYC