Junior Lipton’s

2010 Junior Lipton's Winning Team

In 1953, the Fairhope Yacht Club won the Junior Lipton Regatta for the third year in a row. In 2010, 57 years later, it was captured again by the Fairhope Junior Yacht Club sailors.

The Junior Lipton Regatta is the premier competition among kids 18 and younger in the Gulf Yachting Association. In 2010 16 yacht clubs from Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas competed for the trophy at the Gulfport Yacht Club in Mississippi.

Fairhope was an underdog going into the regatta but had been practicing for months in preparation for this event, according to the team’s coaches, Stuart Adams and Steve Odom. After the first race on Saturday it appeared that the practice was paying off. Robert Adams skippered the boat with crew Alex Donald and Eddie Adams to a second-place finish just behind defending champion Pensacola. Fairhope’s boat was over early at the start so after a restart the skipper was able to make a solid come-from-behind effort to finish second. The next race that was scheduled to be sailed Saturday as part of the three-race series was postponed due to lack of wind so the two remaining races were sailed on Sunday.

Sunday morning brought more light and shifty wind from the northeast, according to the coaches. Cassidy Wainwright was the skipper with crew John Pereira and Eddie Adams. After a disappointing start, Wainwright was able to work through the fleet to finish fourth. Pensacola finished seventh which put Fairhope in the lead going into the last race.

After a postponement for an hour and a half the third and final race was started. Eddie Adams skippered for Fairhope with his crew of Finn McCants and Tyler Patnaude. Fairhope rounded the first mark with a slight lead over third-place Buccaneer Yacht Club of Mobile.

On the first reaching leg of the Gold Cup course Houston YC was able to move into the lead with Fairhope and Buc fighting for second. At the bottom mark Houston had a 40-second lead over Fairhope but Adams and crew were able to sail a smart upwind leg to regain the lead. On the downwind leg to the finish, with spinnakers flying, they were able to extend the lead for the win.

The winning skipper of the last race is awarded the coveted “Uncle Roy Trophy,” which was won by Adams.