Zillmann and SDYC team win major West Coast women’s regatta

LONG BEACH — Kris Zillmann and her San Diego Yacht Club team won the 25th annual Linda Elias Memorial Women’s One-Design (LEMWOD) Challenge. She defeated 10 other West Coast teams on a weekend that brought changeable wind conditions of anywhere between 5 and 16 knots.

This regatta was organized and sponsored by the Long Beach/Los Angeles Women’s Sailing Association and hosted by Long Beach Yacht Club, Oct. 15-16.

“This is my first time driving this boat,” Zillmann said, referring to the Long Beach Sailing Foundation’s fleet of Catalina 37s.

Day 1 of the regatta (Oct. 15) started with 5-7 knots, more from the south than Long Beach’s typical southwesterly. But the sailors didn’t have long to wait as by mid-afternoon it clocked hard right with gusts a bit over 16 knots. Winds on Oct. 16 were more typical with 7-14 knots throughout the day.

“My team was phenomenal in their work,” Zillmann said, “and we were able to keep the corners tight and adjusted as best as we could.”

Zillmann’s team consisted of Sandy Vissman, Alli Bell, Amy Lisewski, Alexa Cavalieri, Tiffany Billings, Julie Mitchell, Gigi Mitchell, Stacey Szabo, Kellin Chatfield and Kirsten Zillmann.

Finishing a close second on a tiebreaker were Kayla McComb and her Newport Harbor Yacht Club team. Both McComb and Zillmann were tied at 20 points each at the end of the regatta. A tiebreaker was applied by determining who had the most first-place finishes. Out of the first-place finishes, Zillmann came out on top.

“This regatta was well run,” McComb said. “We had great breeze and getting to work with my team on the water is great. This was my first regatta driving a keelboat, and we had a lot of fun. We’re looking forward to more women’s regattas in California.”

Third place went to Vicki Sodaro and her San Francisco Yacht Club team.

“We’re glad to have sailed it this year,” Sodaro said. “It’s fun to do and we try to race it as a yacht club. As a matter of fact, our club has already put this in the budget for next year!”

Thinking about the weekend’s racing, Zillmann added, “This is an excellent event and the race management was the best.”

Zillmann was awarded the perpetual LEMWOD Challenge trophy, donated by Al and Vicki Shultz and the Catalina 37 Women’s One-Design Challenge, LB/LA Women’s Sailing Association trophy.

She also received a $1,000 scholarship check from the Linda Elias Sailing Scholarship.

The Women’s One-Design event began 25 years ago and Linda Elias — the namesake for the current regatta — won the championship three out of the first five years. Elias passed away in 2003; the Long Beach/Los Angeles Women’s Sailing Association rededicated the event in her memory.

Final Results

  1. Kris Zillman, San Diego YC, 2-7-6-1-1-2-1, 20 points
  2. Kayla McComb, Newport Harbor YC, 3-2-3-3-2-1-6, 20 (on tiebreaker)
  3. Vicki Sodaro, San Francisco YC, 1-1-5-7-3-4-3, 24
  4. Shala Youngerman, Southwestern YC, 4-5-4-2-5-5-2, 27
  5. Liz Hjorth, Cal YC, 6-6-1-4-4-3-7, 31
  6. Karyn Jones, Women’s Sailing Association of Santa Monica, 5-3-2-8-6-7-5, 36
  7. Alexia Fischer, Gybe Ho, 7-4-7-5-7-6-10, 46
  8. Wendy Corzine/Lisa Meier, Long Beach YC, 9-8-9-6-9-8-4, 53
  9. Deb Kraemer, Long Beach Women’s Sailing Association, 8-9-8-9-11-9-8, 62
  10. Terri Manok, Women’s Sailing Association of Orange County, 10-10-10-12DNF-10-10-9, 71
  11. Jane Thomas, Channel Islands Women’s Sailing Association, 11-11-11-10-8-11-11, 73

Complete results are also available at lbyc.org.

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