A sophomore from Corona del Mar High School won the 2013 Junior Sabot Nationals Gold Fleet this week.
Derek Pickell, 15, is a junior sailor in Newport Beach's Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club's Junior Summer Sailing Program. According to a statement from BCYC, winning the Sabot Nationals is "a major accomplishment" only achieved by "elite" junior sailors.
"During the last race of nationals, I was still seven points out of first, so I spent the entire race in my bubble trying to sail rationally and intelligently," Pickell said. "It wasn't until the finish when I looked back and saw my competitors far behind in the fleet. At that moment, after seven years of competing in nationals, it felt like a large weight just got lifted off my shoulders, a feeling composed of relief and content."
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Other BCYC Junior Sailors also ranked well at the Sabot Nationals, according to BCYC. Guy Claus took second place in the Bronze Fleet and Joey Hertzberg placed fourth in the Iron Fleet.
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