Sandy Adzick and team Nantucket earn top honors at 2025 Women's IOD Invitational

The second annual Women’s IOD Invitational concluded today with three light air races just outside Marblehead Harbor. Tight competition all weekend long between the six talented teams meant that final result was not certain until the final race was completed.

A team of seasoned Nantucket sailors, led by Sandy Adzick, and featuring Carolyn Grant, Susie Parkin, Posey Constable and Kathleen Tocke (Saturday) and Bridget Wiatrowski (Sunday) proved that they had the right stuff, winning the final two races to secure the 2025 bragging rights.

Their chief competition, from Chester, Nova Scotia — Emily Merry (skipper,) with Leslie Taylor, Jen Aftanas, Olivia Mason, and Elsie Gillis — finished the regatta three points back.

Third place was claimed by Bermuda’s Amelia Lewis sailing with Emily Davis, Nichole Stovell, Julia Lines, and Laura Hupman.

The first day of the regatta was eventful. With severe weather — 25+kt winds and thunderstorms — slated to arrive in the afternoon, the competitors on the 2025 Women’s IOD Invitational were served three great races in the open waters off Marblehead Neck (The Eastern Yacht Club Race Committee, led by Susie Schneider, sensibly shortened R3 when the storm front arrived)

The racing was spirited and close, with Adzick and her Nantucket team having the best of early sailing. Solid starts and smooth work up and down the course earned them two of the three bullets. Merry (Chester) and Turowski (Shields Fleet 9) shared third, tied just a few points behind the leaders.

Sunday morning delivered Marblehead’s typical late summer conditions… including a usual short delay for the sea breeze to develop. But when it did arrive, three races were managed to conclude the racing.

All of the teams had work to do on the second day of the event. Emily Merry (Chester) opened the final day of racing strong, winning the first race on Sunday, seemingly throwing the door wide open for anyone to claim the top prize. Sandy Adzick and her team restored order quickly in races five and six, claiming both race wins to secure their overall victory.

The two teams vying for the final podium finish put on a real show. Amelia Lewis and team Bermuda battled all weekend long with Lindsey Turowski’s quintet (Newport/Shields Fleet 9) who were having no trouble stepping up to the International from her smaller cousin. These two talented teams traded positions back and forth in almost every race. After all six races were scored, the two teams were tied not just on points, but on the numbers of 2nd place finishes, 3rd place finishes, and 4th place finishes. In that rare situation, the ultimate tie-breaker is who beats who in the final race – and on Sunday afternoon it was team BERMUDA. Exciting!

Jordan Hecht, Sophia Taczak, Anna De Cheke Qualls, Samantha Redles, and Beth Fincham, returning to the Invitational from the Downtown Sailing Center of Baltimore, and Yvonne Otterbeck‘s team of local Marblehead sailors – Sandra Nygren, Audrey Commerford, Julianne Mozzer, and Lilia Hutchins struggled to find the gears in the varied conditions, but were in contact with the leaders in many of the races.

The event was expertly managed by the Eastern Yacht Club, Alan McKinnon, Commodore, with Susie Schneider acting as the PRO. US Sailing National Judge Nancy Glover chaired the all-female jury, which included Charlyn Feeney, Alix Bartsch.

It was a terrific weekend of sailing. Thank you to everyone who made the 2025 Women’s IOD Invitational possible.

Next year’s Invitational is slated for September 12&13, 2026! We hope to see you there.

Meet the teams in the 2025 Women's IOD Invitational

*Jordan Hecht – Baltimore Downtown Sailing Center – 2025 IOD Women’s Invitational 3rd Place*

Jordan Hecht brings her team back to the Women’s Invitational. She and her teammates sail at the Baltimore Downtown Sailing Center, but have been training on Internationals on the Chesapeake Bay, at nearby Gibson Island. Recently, Jordan served at tactician and co-helmsperson aboard Allegiant, as part of the first all-female crew to compete in the prestigious Annapolis-to-Newport race.

*Amelia Lewis – Royal Bermuda Yacht Club – 2025 IOD Women’s Invitational 4th Place*

Amelia and her team of young, talented sailors from the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club in Hamilton, Bermuda return to the Women’s Invitational. They have been around IODs their entire life. To prepare for the 2025 IOD Women’s Invitational, they coopted Vrengen, the storied IOD #16 in the Bermuda Fleet. (It is unclear whether or not they have returned it.)

*Sandy Adzick – Nantucket Yacht Club*

Sandy and her team hope that their years of experience in IODs give them an advantage at the 2025 Invitational. This regatta marks the first time this quintet of sailors will travel to and compete in an IOD event as a team, but individually, they have competed in (and been on winning teams) at many IOD North American and World Championship regattas.

*Emily Merry – Chester Yacht Club*

Emily brings a team of Canadian sailors to Marblehead for the 2025 Women’s Invitational. She has competed in the Chester IOD Fleet for ten years, and is very familiar with how to make an IOD go. She has competed in IOD World Championships in Norway, Nantucket, Fishers Island, and Bermuda. This will her first regatta in Marblehead’s open ocean waters.

*Lindsey Turowski – Shields Fleet 9/J24 Fleet 50*

Lindsey’s extensive sailing resume shows her to be a terrific competitor in all kinds of boats. She is active in Shields Class and the J-24 Class racing near Newport, Rhode Island, as well as in handicap classes, team racing, and smaller dinghies. Her experience in a Shields should level up to the larger and heavier International.

*Yvonne Otterbeck – Marblehead*

Yvonne is a versatile sailor, active in the Star Class and the IOD Class. She grew up in a sailing family in Norway, not far from Fredrikstad (the birthplace of the International Class). She is a past Norwegian national champion in the Optimist Class, and a former member of the Norwegian National Sailing team. Now living in the United States, Yvonne has been a valuable crew member in the Marblehead Fleet. Yvonne sailed as a crew in last year’s Women’s Invitational, and is looking forward to leading a team in 2025.