Posted on: Friday, July 16, 2004
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ATHLETES
Kane'ohe sailor wins national laser crown
| • | Addition means change of pace |
| • | Baseball clinic set for Kona |
| • | Yoshida enjoying retirement |
| • | Sports notices |
By Stanley Lee
Advertiser Staff Writer
Michael Scott, an 18-year-old from Kane'ohe, won the U.S. Youth Sailing Championship for laser boats in Charleston, S.C.
Scott, who recently graduated from Castle High School, won the four-day event on June 24.
"It was pretty tricky out there," said Scott, who has been sailing with Kane'ohe Yacht Club since he was 9.
Scott said it took him just one race in the 11-race tournament to get used to the conditions at Charleston.
"It was tricky with the different currents," he said. "There's so many factors there than here in Hawai'i (with) the currents and wind changes. The weather is nice here, not muggy (like) down there."
After the first day of competition, Scott felt confident he could win his first title in his fourth and final U.S. Youth Sailing Championship.
"I just felt I had a shot at this and I told myself I really want to go for this," he said. "One day to the next, I had a really good day and the next day everything was falling into place."
He said it also helped that some of the guys he needed to beat were having bad days. Scott, whose previous best showing was seventh last year, arrived two days early in Charleston to practice on shield and match racing boats that "helped me a lot with playing it smart."
The tournament field was determined by resumˇs detailing one's previous experience sent to the tournament committee. Thirty sailors were then picked for the event. Scott has been competing in national tournaments for the past five years.
"My goal was just to give it my best shot," Scott said. "I didn't think I was going to win it because I knew the competition is so hard out there. But I went out there and everything kind of happened."
After Scott won, he called his mother Tomoko in Hawai'i.
"She really wanted me to win," Scott said. "She really told me 'It's your last year and you better do it.' I pretty much called her after every day of racing. It was cool to tell her that."
Scott is coached by Jesse Andrews and has been helped by former Olympian John Myrdal and Andrew Lewis. Most of Scott's travel costs have been paid for by the Kane'ohe Yachting Foundation and Hawai'i Sailing Foundation.
Drew Robb, also of Kane'ohe Yacht Club, finished 13th in the same event.
Scott, his twin brother Kenith and Nick Andrewes of Kane'ohe Yacht Club have been invited to compete as one team at the Governor's Cup in Corona Del Mar, Calif., from July 19 to 24.
Based on his win at the U.S. Youth Sailing Championship, Scott will also compete in the U.S. Singlehanded Championship at Bay Shore, N.Y. from Aug. 11 to 15.
He has been invited to the singlehanded championship in the past but it conflicted with the U.S. Junior Singlehanded Championship. Scott competed in the junior championship three times with his best finish of third place last year.
Reach Stanley Lee at slee@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8533.
