Erik Hou of NHYC wins INSA Sabot II Invitational

Erik Hou of NHYC wins INSA Sabot II Invitational

LONG BEACH – Erik Hou of Newport Harbor Yacht Club won the 2014 International Naples Sabot Association (INSA) Sabot II Invitational regatta against 25 other 6 to 11 year old junior sailors from Southern California yacht clubs.

In the regatta hosted by Long Beach YC, Hou dominated the races held in Long Beach’s Alamitos Bay Turning Basin winning four of the five scheduled races.

Bahia Corinthian YC’s Jake Mayol shadowed Hou around the course throughout the day and was able to get his first win of the day in the fifth race giving him a solid second place in the regatta.

Even though the Harbor Master’s Office had a small craft warning flag flying just yards away from the racing venue the wind never built to more than 10 knots, giving the young sailors good breeze without overpowering the sturdy 8-foot One-Design dingy sailboats.

Third place in the regatta was San Diego YC’s Piper Holthus who was consistent enough to hold off fourth place finisher Gray Hemans from Balboa YC.

“This platform for 11 year olds and younger,” said Long Beach YC’s Sailing Director Jess Gerry, who was also the regatta administrator, “is designed to glean the best sailors in that age bracket.”

The first Naples Sabot was designed and built more than 67 years ago by Roy McCullough and R. A. Violette who lived on Naples Island in Long Beach and were looking for a dingy sailboat that suited their desires. The small sailboats of the time didn’t quite fit the bill as Mr. McCullough wanted a dingy to launch from his large yacht when making trips to Santa Catalina Island.

Based on a design of the MacGregor Sabot the centerboard was changed to a leeboard to make launching and freeing yourself from shallow mud in Alamitos Bay back in the day.

The Naples Sabot has grown in popularity over the years and today is sailed competitively by both junior and adult sailors alike.

Final Results 
1. Erik Hou, NHYC, 1-1-1-1-2, 6 points
2. Jake Mayol, BCYC, 2-2-2-2-1, 9
3. Piper Holthus, SDYC, 4-7-3-7-3, 24
4. Gray Hemans, BYC, 5-5-4-6-5, 25
5. Peter Joslin, BYC, 10-3-8-8-6, 35

Complete results are available at lbyc.org.

One thought on “Erik Hou of NHYC wins INSA Sabot II Invitational

  • October 2, 2017 at 2:20 pm
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    That is my boy. Good job.

    Reply

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