Each year on the weekend before Thanksgiving, Corinthian Yacht Club of Seattle (CYC) invites the small-boat faithful to brave some November weather, have a bunch of competitive fun, and bask in the warm glow of a unique and wonderful community. The tradition is Turkey Bowl, and this year it hit high notes in each one of its goals.
Turkey Bowl is on a pretty short list of enthusiastically intergenerational regattas. For racers, organizers, and observers alike, it’s special to see the next generation of Pacific Northwest sailors sharing the water and interacting with the current generations. The youth contingent was well represented with 18 Optimist sailors, and a number of other young sailors throughout the ILCA fleets of various sizes, as well as some FJs and C420s. Over two days, a total of 80 boats were on the water—an extraordinary turnout, and a clear sign of the vibrance of this community and the joys of dinghy sailing.
The conditions certainly did their part. Hefty southerlies greeted the fleet, setting the table for some rip-roaring planing, white knuckle excitement, and a few epic wipeouts. Small boat sailors don’t love what a capsize does to their race results, but it always seems there’s a spirit of fun when one gets to test out the wetsuit and recovery skills. 
With varying conditions and holiday responsibilities, a few sailors only competed on one day instead of both, so the top of the leaderboards were occupied by those with consistent results and the ability to sail on Saturday and Sunday.
The hard-fought Opti podium went to Daniel Bonaci in first, Benjamin Kirby in second, and Calvin Agnetta third. Sebastian Samano took home top honors in the ILCA 4.7, ahead of Siri Biswas and Max Watson. In the ILCA Radials, it was Derek Stanger taking the win, with a close battle between Lydia Carscaddon in second and Max McCredy in third. Accomplished sailor Andrew Holdsworth took home the ILCA full rig trophy with consistent firsts or seconds in each race, ahead of Mark Ross and Frank Hart. The weekend’s top FJ was sailed by Odin Bjorklund and Eloise Herrera, who shared the podium with the teams of Lillian Ward and Mae Eberhard in second, and Benjamin Bird and Oliver Bak in third. Cove Vandervort and Phoebe Howe won the C420, besting Alan Timms and Sebastian LeRoy. A good number of RS Aeros were out, and David Brink’s final race bullet secured his victory, edging out Dan Falk in second and Keith Hammer in third. Derek DeCouteau and Jamie Stewart were top of the class in the venerable Star after a great battle with Dave Watt and Andrew de Andrade in second, and Bill Siemers and Keegan Na in third. And the highly decorated Tasar sailors were feeling that holiday spirit for sure, mixing it up with five different boats taking race wins in just eight races. Ultimately past Tasar World Champions Jay and Lisa Renehan stood atop the podium, with Michael and Molly Karas coming second and Jonathan and Libby McKee finishing third.
Since all boats come out of the water at a dinghy regatta, it’s customary to have a shoreside community debrief and celebration in the dry yard and parking lot. Turkey Bowl 2025 was no exception, and the dock, ramp, and yard were packed and buzzing with energy across the generations—a harbinger of very good things for the sailing scene in Seattle.
Turkey Bowl really is a great event. Tip of the cap to all the sailors, the committee, and the volunteers who make this such a great tradition.
Full results at www.cycseattle.org
Photos by Dennis Pearce
