District News D7 Championship
Report by Allan Freedman, Regatta Chair Sailboat club chatter often turns to the familiar lament that one-design sailing is slipping away. Along much of the U.S. East Coast, mooring fields sway with powerboats, dinghy sailors can count their competitors on one hand, and yacht clubs wrestle with aging and dwindling memberships. But that story doesn’t hold everywhere. At the ILCA District 7 Championship hosted by Cedar Point Yacht Club in Westport, Connecticut, the class showed what vitality looks like. Over the weekend of October 4–5, more than 50 sailors launched across three ILCA fleets, their enthusiasm cutting through the usual pessimism about the sport’s future. The starting line told the story better than any statistic. Grand masters trimmed in next to high school sailors. Parents and teenagers swapped tips on wind and current. Competitors from Canada mixed French and English over laughter between races. For many, it was proof that community and strong competition keep the sport alive. And the energy began even before the first warning signal, with a two-day intensive clinic led by coach Vaughn Harrison, followed by a focused starting clinic on Friday that drew sailors eager to sharpen their technique and share insights. In the ILCA 7 class, Kurt Stuebe, a university age sailor, took the overall win, just ahead of his former coach Andrew Scrivan. At the awards ceremony, Scrivan spoke with pride at seeing his onetime student at the top of the results. The wind was fickle, only four races sailed on Saturday, none on Sunday, but despite the light conditions the racing was competitive, the conversation easy, and the sense of belonging unmistakable. We imported an Aussie, Scott Sydney, to take third. (As testament to the fleet strength, Scott is a member of the Aussie team.) In the ILCA 6 class, Sebastain Sheppard took honors with a total of 8 points over 4 races. Gus van Berkle took second and Win Hudgson rounded out the podium.
Critical to our sport is the young and upcoming. We were delighted to have two ILCA 4 competitors: Anais Favret, who took honors, and Rupert Angelin.
The 2025 D7 Championship at Cedar Point was a reminder of why the ILCA endures. In a sport often divided by technology and cost, this fleet remains accessible, competitive, and connected across generations. From first-time juniors to lifelong racers, they share the same simple equation: one boat, one sail, one start line. That clarity, and the community around it, is what keeps them coming back.
 D7 Grand Prix wraps up at the D7 ChampionshipThis season 125 sailors competed across 7 events, one in every D7 State and an extra Connecticut event with the D7 Championship at Cedar Point YC. To win, you needed a combination of good performance and attendance at multiple regattas. Grayden Mott came in first and won the free tuition to an International Sailing Academy clinic in Mexico, a $2,600 value! Grayden attend four events and did well in all of them, accumulating 118 Grand Prix points. Sean Guinness came in second with 82 points after attending three events, and David Crawley took third with 72 points after attending three events. If you didn't come out to play in the Grand Prix this year, be sure to dust off the trailer next season. Final D7 Grand Prix Standings | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Rank | Last Name | First Name | Wickford ILCA 7 | Wickford ILCA 6 | Portland | Bentley | Malletts Bay | Lake Sunapee | Niantic | D7 Ch. ILCA 7 | D7 Ch. ILCA 6 | D& Ch ILCA 4 | Final Totals | | 1 | Mott | Grayden | 27 | | 33 | | | | 27 | 31 | | | 118 | | 2 | Guinness | Sean | 23 | | 32 | | | | | 27 | | | 82 | | 3 | Crawley | David | 24 | | 28 | 20 | | | | | | | 72 | | 4 | Jans | Stefan | 16 | | | | | | 25 | 24 | | | 65 | | 5 | Beckwith | Jeff | 18 | | 27 | | | | | 16 | | | 61 | | 6 | McFadden | Ledyard | | | | | 19 | 19 | | 22 | | | 60 | | 7 | Carter | Jamie | 28 | | 31 | | | | | | | | 59 | | 8 | Maya-LeFort | Antonio | 22 | | | | | | | 34 | | | 56 | | 9 | Myerson | Flip | | | | | | | 24 | 32 | | | 56 | | 10 | Craine | Paul | | | | 25 | | | | 28 | | | 53 | | 11 | Terry | Chip | 21 | | 29 | | | | | | | | 50 | | 12 | Bediaga | Frederico | | | | 26 | | | | 21 | | | 47 | | 13 | Dickey | Bill | | | | | | | 26 | 18 | | | 44 | | 14 | Heller | Eric | | | | | | | 22 | 20 | | | 42 | | 15 | Van Berkel | Gus | | 13 | | | | | | | 29 | | 42 | | 16 | Frazier | David | | | | | | 20 | 20 | | | | 40 | | 17 | Freedman | Allan | 15 | | | | | | | 25 | | | 40 | | 18 | Shore | Lynne | 19 | | | 21 | | | | | | | 40 | | 19 | Stuebe | Kurt | | | | | | | | 37 | | | 37 | | 20 | Scrivan | Andrew | | | | | | | | 36 | | | 36 | | 21 | Phipps | Tom | 12 | | 23 | | | | | | | | 35 | | 22 | Sydney | Scott | | | | | | | | 35 | | | 35 | | 23 | Anvari | Burke | | | | | | | | 33 | | | 33 | | 24 | Henel | Avery | | 10 | | | | 13 | 10 | | | | 33 | | 25 | Sheppard | Sebastian | | | | | | | | | 30 | | 30 | | 26 | Sitzmann | Thomas | | | 30 | | | | | | | | 30 | | 27 | Tremblay | Cyril | | | | | | | | 30 | | | 30 | | 28 | Braverman | Stephen | | | | | | | | 29 | | | 29 | | 29 | Hodgson | Win | | | | | | | | | 28 | | 28 | | 30 | Craine | Duncan | | | | 27 | | | | | | | 27 | | 31 | Satow | Venetia | | | | | | | | | 27 | | 27 | | 32 | Suitor | Doug | | | 12 | | | 15 | | | | | 27 | | 33 | Bateman | William | | | | | | | | | 26 | | 26 | | 34 | Coughlin | Will | | | 26 | | | | | | | | 26 | | 35 | McDermott | Mark | | | | 13 | | | | 13 | | | 26 | | 36 | McGrath | Lawrence | | | | | | | | 26 | | | 26 | | 37 | Parramore | Michael | 14 | | | 12 | | | | | | | 26 | | 38 | Vessella | Peter | 26 | | | | | | | | | | 26 | | 39 | Hughes | Britt | 25 | | | | | | | | | | 25 | | 40 | Sakai | Ryosuke | | | | | | | | | 25 | | 25 | | 41 | Thorburn | Howard | | | 25 | | | | | | | | 25 | | 42 | Penfield | Dave | | | | 24 | | | | | | | 24 | | 43 | Von der Wense | Finn | | | | | | | | | 24 | | 24 | | 44 | Whipple | Steven | | | 24 | | | | | | | | 24 | | 45 | Colantuono | Theresa | | | | | | | 23 | | | | 23 | | 46 | Dozier | Liam | | | | | | | | | 23 | | 23 | | 47 | Hagedorn | Charlie | | | | 23 | | | | | | | 23 | | 48 | Seidenberg | Peter | | 12 | | 11 | | | | | | | 23 | | 49 | Von der Wense | Nicholas | | | | | | | | 23 | | | 23 | | 50 | Coughlin | Nat | | | 22 | | | | | | | | 22 | | 51 | Fillon | Jean | | | | | | | | | 22 | | 22 | | 52 | Hart | Jeffrey | | | | 22 | | | | | | | 22 | | 53 | Moulthrop | Michael | | | | | | | 21 | | | | 21 | | 54 | Pearlson | Jack | | | 21 | | | | | | | | 21 | | 55 | Pellicer-Lavoie | Kiriam | | | | | | | | | 21 | | 21 | | 56 | Favret | Zakary | | | | | | | | | 20 | | 20 | | 57 | Van Doren | Alex | | | | | 20 | | | | | | 20 | | 58 | Weisman | Michael | | | 20 | | | | | | | | 20 | | 59 | Wheeler | Colley | 20 | | | | | | | | | | 20 | | 60 | Bauman | Roger | | | | | | | 19 | | | | 19 | | 61 | Nielan | Kerry | | | 19 | | | | | | | | 19 | | 62 | Radcliffe | MICHAEL | | | | | | | | 19 | | | 19 | | 63 | Sorensen | Betsy | | | | | | | | | 19 | | 19 | | 64 | Spinola | Demetry | | | | 19 | | | | | | | 19 | | 65 | Cook | Nat | | | | | | 18 | | | | | 18 | | 66 | Dakers | Christopher | | | 18 | | | | | | | | 18 | | 67 | Durant | Merle | | | | 18 | | | | | | | 18 | | 68 | Gavin | Michael | | | | | | | | | 18 | | 18 | | 69 | Lerner | Andrew | | | | | 18 | | | | | | 18 | | 70 | Russell | Benjamin | | | | | | | 18 | | | | 18 | | 71 | Boyd | William | | | | | 17 | | | | | | 17 | | 72 | Burgess | Aiden | | | | | | | | 17 | | | 17 | | 73 | Doherty | Matt | 17 | | | | | | | | | | 17 | | 74 | Keogh | Tom | | | | | | | 17 | | | | 17 | | 75 | Kosacz | Stephen | | | 17 | | | | | | | | 17 | | 76 | McCarthy | Jeremiah | | | | | | 17 | | | | | 17 | | 77 | Packard | Greg | | | | 17 | | | | | | | 17 | | 78 | Von Lehe | William | | | | | | | | | 17 | | 17 | | 79 | McKegney | Tim | | | | | 16 | | | | | | 16 | | 80 | Pollard | Justice | | | 16 | | | | | | | | 16 | | 81 | Sewall | Syd | | | | | <td sty |
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