Conditions for the final day of the 50th Yachting Cup were, well…swell. After a smooth day of racing on the Pacific Ocean course the prior day, sailors were greeted by a bit more wind and notably choppier seas built by the all-night southerly wind. Such drastic changes in conditions forced sailors to adapt, mentally and tactically. The challenge for sailors would be pushing through the overnight chop in 10-14 knots. Besides the obvious goal of the Yachting Cup — winning — the regatta has always been about fostering the sport of sailing and getting as many people on the water as possible. Dave Vieregg, sailing J/105 Perseverance, is doing just that for our junior sailors. Junior sailor Cameron Schnoor played a crucial role to the team according to Vieregg. It’s easy to believe Yachting Cup’s original founder, John Driscoll III, would be proud. “We had to lose weight in order to add him to the crew. He was all over the boat from the bow to the stern and down below checking for kelp. He was terrific and super fun to sail with. He made sure to give us grief if we weren’t trimming correctly,” joked Vieregg. Perseverance won the final race, keeping them in second place in their class. Class winner was Rick Goebel’s Sanity. After racing, the weekend was concluded with an Awards Ceremony and party on SDYC’s Main Deck. Prizing for the 50th anniversary of the event was supplied by sponsors Rigworks and Helly Hansen. Complete event details are available at