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Local Sports

Local sports in the Panhandle are not just a game, they are a lifestyle. Our community eats, sleeps and breathes cheering on our local athletes.
News13 is On Your “Sidelines” bringing you more than the score.
News13’s Stephen Gunter is committed to giving you stories of the Panhandle’s top athletes, intriguing match-ups and unusual sports you may not even know exist.
sgunter@wmbb.com

Friday, July 07, 2006

Sailing The World

PANAMA CITY, Fla. - How do you get from Panama City, Fla. to Weymouth, England?

For two Bay County teenagers, it’s as simple as sailing a boat.

Seven gold medals will be up for grabs in the Youth Sailing World Championships in Weymouth.

One of those medals could be coming back to Panama City as a team of sailors leave this on Sunday to race in the multi-hull open class.

“The wind is in your face,” 15-year-old sailor, Evan Miller said.  “When the holders go up, it feels like your flying through air.”

Miller (Bay High School) along with 14-year-old Kyler Hast (Mosley High) will be teaming up to race the Hobie 16 sail boat for the U.S. Youth World Team in the upcoming World Championships. 

“Our Dads sail together,” Hast said.  “When the nationals came up, Evan was looking for crew and since then we’re sailing together a lot.”

The tandem has been practicing four days a week for the past six months, learning the ways of the wind, water and each other.

“You have to watch for puffs, more wind or less wind,” Miller said.  “And know about the tide, if it’s in or out.”

“Like in every sport, it takes teamwork,” Hast said.  “A lot of talking in anything you do and watching each other’s back.”

The team will be competing against 12 other teams, all from different countries.

The Bay County boys will be one of the youngest teams out there in there first real test of competition in the Hobie 16.

“There’s only two hobie boats here,” Hast said.  “We have one of them that Sun Jammers lent us.”

The Hobie 16’s are catamaran vessels that stretch 16 ft. 7 inches and can seat one to four people.  For the purpose of this regatta, two member crews are required.

Miller and Hast will be leaving Sunday (June 9) and returning on July 21.

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