They may have battled the doldrums last summer, but sailors were treated to stiff winds and fast races as Middle Keys Sailing put on its annual Mixer in the Middle youth sailing regatta on July 19. Hosting skippers ages 7 to 17 from Key Largo to Key West in the bay waters off 33rd Street, the day featured six successful races across five eligible boat classes, supervised under the watchful eye of the U.S. Coast Guard.
The day included fresh opportunities for young Keys sailors, as Middle Keys Sailing co-chair Carol Shattuck told the Weekly a delivery of donated C420 sailboats arrived from Maine at 10 p.m. the night before the races. Less than 24 hours later, they were rigged and ready to splash with their new captains.
“They went from the farthest point north on U.S. 1 to the farthest south,” Shattuck said.
The Marathon Yacht Club Educational Foundation operates Middle Keys Sailing under co-chairs Carol Shattuck and Betsy Lefler, director Ellie Maus and coach Ben Bartels. To learn more about the foundation and other youth and adult sailing opportunities, visit mycef.education.
Photos by NATALIE DANKO/Keys Weekly
C420 Class:
1st: Wyatt Keaton & Reid Wallen
2nd: Sofia Figueredo & Christian Benade
3rd Place: David Vera & Haven Andrade
Opti Class:
1st: Piper Brehm
2nd: Luka Holtzermann
3rd: Jackson Snowden
Sunfish Class:
1st: Tanner Snowden
2nd: Heidi Gross
3rd: Sophia Rodriguez
