Wayzata’s young sailors once again proved themselves on the national stage, claiming third place at the 2025 Chubb U.S. Youth Triplehanded Championship for the Sears Cup. The event, hosted August 8–10 by St. Francis Yacht Club, brought together 20 elite teams from across the country for three days of demanding racing on San Francisco Bay.
The Sears Cup, first awarded in 1921, holds special distinction as US Sailing’s oldest national championship and the oldest youth trophy in any American sport. Its list of past winners reads like a who’s who of sailing. From Lake Minnetonka, only two crews have ever etched their names on the cup—Tom Burton’s in 1974, and Wayzata’s own Dominik Moncur and team in 2024.
From Lake Minnetonka to the Golden Gate
Representing Wayzata Sailing and Wayzata Yacht Club were helm Dominik Moncur, Harper Lundeen-Hetland (main, traveler, backstay), Stonewall Anderson Vojtisek (jib and spinnaker trim), and Ella Bowers (bow). The same four sailors captured the Sears Cup last year in San Diego.
Before the first race, competitors attended a clinic led by John Pearce, Youth Racing Director for US Sailing, to get accustomed to the J/22 keelboats and notorious cityfront conditions. Four-time U.S. women’s match race champion Nicole Breault spoke on the challenges of sailing in current, while sailors traded introductions and—thanks to Team Waikiki—chocolates.
Racing Through Fog, Tide, and Heavy Air
The championship unfolded with the full range of San Francisco Bay conditions. Day one delivered 15–20 knots of breeze and an ebb tide, where Wayzata logged consistent scores of 2nd, 2nd, and 3rd to finish fifth overall.
Day two tested every crew’s tactical skill, with a morning flood tide flattening the water and afternoon ebb building steep chop under 20–25 knots of wind. Wayzata hit their stride, reeling off finishes of 1, 2, 1, 3, and 1 to jump into third.
On the final day, winds climbed from 12 up to 25 knots as tides flipped from flood to ebb. Racing was tight, with boats frequently trading places. Wayzata stumbled with a fourth in the opener but bounced back with back-to-back wins. In the end, San Francisco Yacht Club claimed first, Mission Bay Yacht Club second, and Wayzata tied with Mission Bay—losing the tiebreaker and settling for third.
Voices from the Crew
For the sailors, the experience was about more than results.
“The most challenging part of the event was sailing and taking into consideration the current,” said bow crew Ella Bowers. “The poles felt a lot harder to open and gybe with than what I was used to at home. But the most fun was meeting new teams, building connections, and learning conditions we’d never seen before.”
Stonewall Anderson Vojtisek, trimming jib and spinnaker, said the Bay pushed the team far beyond familiar inland-lake sailing. “There was strong current, stronger breeze, and larger waves than what we normally have on our little lake. I learned that we are able to adapt and sail at a very high level in more conditions than just at home. Our biggest advantage was mental—we reset after each race and didn’t get stuck in our heads.”
For Harper Lundeen-Hetland, the difference from last year’s victory was striking. “Last year, I remember feeling a little unsatisfied with our win. This year felt completely different. Every race felt like a win. We always worked well as a team, and the venue gave us new challenges—current, strong winds, and aggressive waves. It was by far the most fun and rewarding regatta I’ve ever attended.”
Helmsman Dominik Moncur, who now heads to Roger Williams University to pursue engineering and collegiate sailing, reflected on the learning curve. “It was one of the most strategically challenging venues I’ve ever sailed at. I went in thinking I was only strong in light air, but this regatta proved me wrong. The most important thing for us was that we made every moment fun. No matter how bad a race went, we moved on, kept spirits high, and raced the next.”
Looking Ahead
For Moncur and Anderson Vojtisek, the 2025 Sears Cup was their last at youth level. Bowers and Lundeen-Hetland will continue with their high school and summer programs at Wayzata Yacht Club, with hopes of building another keelboat team for future championships.
None of it, they emphasized, would have been possible without the “village” behind them—Wayzata Sailing, Wayzata Yacht Club, coaches, members, and families who donated boats, practice time, and travel support to prepare the team for the national stage.
Final Standings
🥇 San Francisco Yacht Club – Sears Cup Perpetual Trophy
🥈 Mission Bay Yacht Club – Judges Trophy Perpetual Trophy
🥉 Wayzata Yacht Club / Wayzata Sailing
🏆 Shipshape Trophy (seamanship): Mission Bay Yacht Club
🏆 Cox Sportsmanship Trophy: Waikiki Yacht Club
For a second straight year, Wayzata’s sailors proved they belong among the nation’s best—this time not only in the light-air finesse of home waters, but in the heavy chop, fog, and tide of the Pacific.
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