i420 Worlds Campaign

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We,  Micky Munns and Michael Fineman,  are youth athletes with dreams of competing in the Olympic games.  Before that is possible, we must compete in major international regattas in the International 420 (I-420) to qualify for the US Sailing Team. We have already represented the US once at the 2018 World Championship, and are training to qualify for 2019 Worlds and Jr Europeans in Portugal and Spain, respectively.

We have accomplished this lofty goal through a combination of our hard work, commitment, experience, and racing skill.  We are accomplished racing sailors, and we organize and manage everything ourselves. 

Thank you to everyone that helped us get to Miami -- we will keep you updated on what we are doing next. This school year, we plan to return to earn the point necessary to qualify for 2019 Worlds and Jr Europeans.

Sponsorship opportunities are available: we have advertising space on our boom and hull.  While larger donations are appreciated, any contribution helps.  We would also appreciate assistance including donations, hotel vouchers, and frequent flier miles.

Thank you in advance for considering making a donation, and for your help in sharing our story.  Reaching our goals will require a team effort. We would love to have you on our team.  Please contact us with questions and possiblities: donations, sponsorship, references...    

 Time is short (to help get the word out, share our link to your Facebook Timeline).  

Respectfully,
              Micky Munns & Michael Fineman

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                                                A little about us ...
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          Micky Munns   (Skipper)

Micky Munns was born in 2001 and raised in Redondo Beach, CA.  He began sailing US Sabots and Optimist Dinghies at age 7.  His passion for racing ignited when he joined the King Harbor Youth Foundation FJ Race Team at age 13.  Micky became the most hardworking member of his team, and racing success followed. At age 14, Micky decided to dedicate his life to an Olympic 470 campaign. Traveling across the state, Micky competed in every local and regional regatta.  Eventually, Micky became one of the premier sailors in southern California.  He ended the FJ-only portion of his career with a dominant 7-point victory at Area J Junior Olympics.  Later that summer, he competed in his first C420 regatta, Buzzards Bay.

Micky decided to compete in the Club and International 420, but struggled to find a boat.  Although he couldn’t afford to purchase a boat outright, he was able to join the Del Rey Yacht Club C420 team. Micky recruited his good friend and fellow KHYF skipper, Michael Fineman, to be his crew.  After only two months of training, the new team placed 4th at I-420 Pacific Coast Championships (PCCs) and 4th in the Southern California Youth Yacht Racing Association (SCYYRA) clinic regatta in C420s.  After proving they had the skill and work ethic to be competitive in both classes, they trained harder than ever.  They set their goal in the class for I-420 World Championships 2018 in Newport, Rhode Island. Both athletes believed they could achieve this goal, and they began a campaign to raise the necessary funds. 

Micky is a senior at Redondo Union High School and shoulders a challenging academic workload including three Advanced Placement courses.  An academic letterman at RUHS, Micky applies his characteristic work ethic to his schoolwork with hopes of attending Brown University and competing on their sailing team.  Academic success is important to Micky and he often completes homework on planes, car rides, and evenings to ensure that he maintains high marks while remaining one of the premier sailors in the country.

Micky primarily trains in the I420.  While some Tuesdays and Thursdays are dedicated to high school practice at KHYF, most are spent honing skills in the I420.  Weekends are spent either competing or training in the 420, and additional weekdays are also spent training or working out. However, Micky still attends every dinghy regatta he can, no matter how small, believing that any opportunity to start races can improve his sailing.  Micky has attained success because competitive sailing is his life’s passion.  His accomplishments thus far are nothing compared to those that lie ahead. 

          Michael Fineman   (Crew)

Michael Fineman was born in 2002 and raised in Hermosa Beach, CA.  He began sailing US Sabots and Optimist Dinghies when he was 7 years old, and competed in many Optimist regattas.  Michael learned how to successfully race a sailboat.  He grew his passion for the sport especially after joining the DRYC sailing program..

At 13, Michael joined the King Harbor Youth Foundation FJ race team.  As a talented 8th grader, Michael qualified to represent Redondo Union High School.  He practiced skippering and crewing throughout the season, becoming a versatile and valuable member of the team.  He sailed in every regatta and with every person possible. 

In his very first FJ Regatta, Michael finished in 8th place, however, by the end of the season, he had won the SoCal series!  Recognizing that improvement is made through hard work, Michael dedicated countless hours to mastering his craft. 

To continue his rapid improvement, Michael crewed on keelboats and spent the summer 2017 sailing on many classes of boats.  His hard work continued to pay off: in September 2017, Michael began his first year at Redondo Union High School.  As a freshman he became a full-time FJ skipper for his school.   Michael sails in talented fleets and multiple race series representing RUHS, DRYC and KHYC.  He achieves encouraging results, and constantly continues to improve his skills.

Michael’s drive to improve led him to join his good friend and teammate Micky Munns in C-420s and I-420s.  Months of training have yielded impressive results.  Both sailors believe they are ready to attend a major regatta, and are campaigning for I-420 Worlds in Newport, RI.

Michael is a hardworking student.  As a freshman, he participates in challenging honors courses and maintains a high GPA.  In his first year of high school, Michael has made large leaps in his sailing while still earning high marks.   Michael also recently received certification in CPR, First Aid, and the Automated External Defibrillator (AED).

Michael currently spends his free time competing in regattas, attending high school practice at KHYC, attending C-420 practice at DRYC, and training in i-420s at SDYC.  While this makes for a hectic and challenging schedule, Michael believes it will ultimately help him possess elite sailing talent.  Although only a freshman, he has already achieved more than many older sailors.  Continuing of this path, Michael will reach his goal: to become one of the best sailors in the country.

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