news release

YSF Community Sailing hosted the Steve Martin Florida East Coast Series Regatta on Sunday, March 1, 2026. Sailed under beautiful blue skies with a steady 10-knot northeast breeze, thirty-three sailors had a blast competing in 420 and Opti racing dinghies. YSF welcomed sailors from the Melbourne Yacht Club and Palm Beach Sailing Club to their spectacular sailing venue on the Indian River Lagoon.

The highlight of the afternoon was YSF’s clean sweep of the very competitive 420 class.  A crewed (2-person) 14-foot dinghy, the 420 is the standard interscholastic and intercollegiate class sailed nationwide.   The boat requires skilled coordination between skippers and crew.  A lightweight racing machine, the 420 demands finely tuned sail trim and rudder control.  Weight and balance by the crew is critical to keep the boat on an even keel.  Lose focus and you are swimming rather than sailing.

After seven grueling mile long races, YSF’s Edee Steinkamp and Evan Wakefield took home first place among the thirteen competing boats.  Skipper Alex Delamarter and crew Nick LaRochelle raced to a 2nd place finish, with Ocean Free and Gregg Deaquair completing the clean sweep with a 3rd place finish.

Equally impressive, YSF swept the beginner Silver Class in the 8-foot Optimist dinghy sailed single handed by young 8–10-year-old sailors.  Delta Perinel, Conner McGuire, and Cole Murphy took 1st through 3rd respectively. Carson DeLisle and Garrett Tilton took first and third place respectively in the Opti Gold class for advance Opti sailors.

Sailing and succeeding in a regatta is the culmination of hours of training and dedication to honing one’s skills. YSF uses sailing as a medium to teach life skills. Lessons learned on the water – resilience, perseverance, and focus – are brought ashore to help children achieve their full potential. Sailing is challenging. With success, confidence soars. Children from across the socioeconomic spectrum leave their screens and anxieties on the beach as they concentrate on learning to sail. Sailing is impactful and can be transformative in a young person’s life.

A huge team of YSF volunteers served as the race committee, safety boat, and shoreside support.  YSF and visiting team parents helped their children launch and recover the sailboats and cheered them on while enjoying a leisurely afternoon on the waterfront.

Youth Sailing Foundation (YSF) of Indian River County, Inc. is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit that eliminates cultural and financial barriers to sailing. YSF was founded in 2009 to use sailing as a medium to help children achieve their full potential.  We operate under the banner “YSF Community Sailing” to reflect that we now serve the entire community.  We make it easy and affordable for children, adults, and families to enjoy the thrill of sailing.  For more information or to make a tax-deductible donation, please visit:  www.ysfirc.org  Contact: Email info@ysfirc.org  Phone 772 492-3243