By Clara Getty. Photos by Regattashot.com Gustav Schmiege
Conner Blouin of Charleston, SC, captured the 2024 ISCA Worlds’ title, ending an impressive two-time Sunfish World Championship winning streak by Jean Paul De Trazegnies of Peru.
Blouin won with 44 points saying, “I just had to focus on not getting first every time but staying in the top ten – keeping my eyes out of the boat and, of course, had luck on my side.” Blouin is the Head Coach for the College of Charleston’s sailing team and an accomplished Laser and Wasp sailor.
Luke Ramsay fought his way into second with 64 points commenting that “conditions were challenging, it was a mix of everything, I had to bring it my all-focusing only on the shifts and ignoring the competitors.” Ramsay, a 2012 and 2016 Olympic sailor, fought his way to second place from 17th. Jean Paul De Trazegnies placed third with 79 points.
Maria Cucalon of Ecuador scored 112 points, winning the Women’s title and placing 7th over a male and female field of competitors from 14 different countries. Cucalon weighs only 120 pounds demonstrating how versatile and still competitive the Sunfish sailboat is for sailors of all sizes and ages when racing in the Sunfish One-Design Class.
One hundred boats competed in the five-day, 12-race regatta. Each competitor was permitted two throw-out races. The Sunfish Class scores the same as Olympic sailing on a low point basis. First place receiving one point, second gets two points, third three points and so on. The first day of racing was a harbinger for the regatta’s conditions. On day one sailors raced in sunny hot weather with shifty winds with the day starting at 18 mph and slowing down to 6 mph. The wind barely cooperated on the second day of racing with only one race sailed before the wind shut down as a cold front skulked in overnight. Day three kept the race committee busy with large wind shifts of nearly 60 degrees, limiting the day to three races. On the two final days of racing, Southeast winds predominated, allowing five more races.
Regatta Statistics: 14 Countries represented, largest is USA with 48 sailors; 17 women; average age 41; 18 sailors under the age of 19; Under age 30 – 32; 9 sailors had a 1st place finish with Greg Gust from RCYC [sailing a boat he got in 1976 when he was 12] (Great Grand Master) with a 1st in Race 7.
