US Sailing awards

Double whammy for new Melges 24 national champion Douglas Kessler

US SAILING has announced the winners of its prestigious national One-Design Awards. President Dave Rosekrans, assisted by one-design class council chair Patricia Lawrence, presented the awards on 15 March at US SAILING’s spring meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio. The awards are given annually for outstanding contributions to one-design class leadership and are given in four categories: club, leadership, service and creativity.

The Cedar Point Yacht Club in Westport, CT received the Club Award for administrative excellence, fleet growth, creative programming, regatta support, and member contribution. Jerelyn Biehl (San Diego, CA) received the Leadership Award in recognition of individual initiative, enthusiasm, organizing ability and leadership. Douglas Kessler received the John H. Gardiner, Jr. Trophy for distinguished service and exceptional leadership in the promotion of one-design sailing and class organisation.

Nathaniel Siddall (Chelsea, MI) received the Creativity Award for his outstanding individual creativity and contributions in one of the most innovative one-design event of national or international importance in 2002.

The Cedar Point Yacht Club is an old-fashioned one-design racing club with a 114-year tradition of providing top-quality racing at regional, national and international racing. They run a comprehensive program of club racing, frostbite races, and a variety of open and invitational regattas. In 2002, the 300-member club ran over 600 races as part of 54 different series.

Participation in racing and race management is at the core of Cedar Point’s culture. They set high standards for race administration for all races. All club members receive race management training. At major regattas they have 30 or more volunteers assisting on the water, which is 10% of their membership. While they have no dining rooms or swimming pools, they can manage a one-design championship regatta of over 100 boats. Cedar Point Yacht Club takes its mission as a one-design racing club seriously.

Rear Commodore Ed Rickard and Race & Regatta Committee Chair Nelson Stephenson accepted the award on the club’s behalf.

Jerelyn Biehl was recognised for her initiative, enthusiasm, organizing ability and leadership and received the Leadership Award. Biehl organised and ran the 2002 US Youth Championship regatta at the San Diego Yacht Club. Her outstanding dedication and hard work made the regatta a resounding success and raised the bar for future events.

Coordinating efforts between San Diego Yacht Club’s Junior Board, parents, members of the community, and other yacht clubs, Biehl ensured the clinic and regattas ran smoothly while earning the admiration of over 100 volunteers. On the water race management was up to San Diego’s high standards. Off the water Biehl made sure that participants had a great time -- she introduced social events like the bungee run, sumo wrestling and the Velcro wall. The scene in the boat park every day after racing featured
music and the snack tent.

Douglas Kessler’s dedication and service to one-design sailing made him a worthy recipient of the John H. Gardiner, Jr. Trophy. Kessler has spent the last three years the building Melges 24 fleets in the Southeast. Participation is up and new fleets are growing. He has served three years as Divisional Governor, added new events to the series, and organised the National Class schedule.

Kessler was unable to attend US SAILING’s award presentation because he was sailing in the Melges 24 Nationals in Pensacola, which he won. He received two national awards in one night: the National One-Design Service Award and he was crowned national Melges 24 champion.

Nathaniel Siddall received the Creativity Award for accomplishing two incredible feats. First, he helped to create a new One-Design Class of windsurfers called Prodigy. He then incorporated them into the new US Windsurfing National Tour. The Prodigy was always available for charter.

Siddall also headed up the 2002 US Windsurfing Tour: contacting sponsors, calling event organizers, setting dates, and advertising events in windsurfing magazines. His impressive skills are largely responsible for how smoothly the Tour ran. As a result of the 2002 success, the 2003 National Windsurfing Tour will be even larger.

The one-Design Award are given annually by US SAILING. The winners are selected by the one-design class council executive committee.