A merciless sea didn’t stop budding sailors from raising their lines and taking to the ocean for Marblehead Junior Race week at the Pleon Yacht Club on Tuesday.
The races are scheduled to run through Thursday and include children under the age of 19 manning the sails of three classes: opti, laser, and 420.
Young racers hail from all over Massachusetts and as far as Maine said Pleon representative, Lianne Ivers. The Pleon is the first junior yacht club in the country run managed by sailors under the age of 21.
There are more than 300 sailors raising their sails at the second largest youth sailing event in the United States this week with 18 races scheduled, according to the events list.
Although weather hindered Monday’s challengers, the rest of this week’s races are back on schedule.
Many of the races will be located in Salem Sound just outside of Marblehead Harbor.
Juergen Horn watched his 10-year old son, Max Dressel, from the shores by the Marblehead Lighthouse with binoculars as the optis cruised violent waves and winds.
Dressel has taken part in three races after beginning with the Pleon this year.
“This is probably the most competitive race he’s been a part of,” said Horn. “They do a great job teaching the kids not only how to sail but to manage critical situations.”
The organizing authority for the race is the Pleon Yacht Club, in conjunction with the Boston, Corinthian, Eastern, and Manchester Yacht Clubs.
In Tuesday’s racing, in the day’s first race, Pleon’s Frankie Doyle topped the Laser Radials, followed by George Holt of Sail Maine. Also in the first race, in the Opti Champ category, Pleon had the first two spots, with Dylan Balunas in first and Pearse Dowd in second. In the Opti Green Even group, Henry Fenollosa of Annisquam YC (Gloucester) was first, and Aiven Lorenz of Sandy Bay (Rockport) second. In the Opti Green Odd group (fourth race), it was Oliver Lardner of Kollgewidgwok YC (Blue Hill, Maine), followed by Libby Rogers of Hingham YC.
In the next race, Doyle and Holt retained their top two spots in Laser Radials; Down was first in the Opti Champs, but Saugatuck’s Owen Bannasch jumped into second. Lorenz was first in the Evens, and Camden Harvey of Pleon moved into second.
In the Odds, Lardner and Rogers were one-two.
In the third race, Holt and Doyle switch spots in the Lasers, Pleon’s LaCerda Jones and Juan Carlos took first in the Champs, with Bannasch second; Dressel of Pleon was first in the Evens, with May Beatrice of Agamenticus YC (York, Maine) in second; and Oliver and Libby retained their spots in the Odds.
Doyle and Holt retained the top two Laser spots in the next race; Dowd and Bannsach were one-two in the Champs, Dressel and Lorenz the top two in the Evens; and Oliver and Lardner and Rogers holding steady in the Odds.
In the day’s final race, Sawyer Reed of Hingham finished ahead of Balunas in the Champs; Jack Weissenburger of Pleon was first in the Evens, followed by Dressel; and Lardner and Rogers held firm in the Odds.
Racing continues, and concludes, today.