center.com. Sailboat Lane off Palm Avenue in Key West. Non-members welcome. Small-boat Wednesday night racing during Daylight Savings season. Small-boat Sunday racing year around at 1 p.m. Boat ramp available. Race in the seaplane basin near the mooring field. Dinner and drinks after. Upper Keys Sailing Club (UKSC). www.upperkeyssailingclub.com. Go to the Club website for regular club racing open to all. JANUARY Go to club website for weekly club racing schedule. 12-13 Commodore’s Regatta 18-20 DDTW Regatta 26 Community Bank Regatta. Portsmouth 26 Community Bank Regatta. PHRF FEBRUARY 9-10 Buccaneer Blast. Youth Sailing Program Regatta 15-18 Cat Boat Rendezvous Regatta 21-23 Force 5 Midwinters
Race Reports
Sarasota Yacht Club Invitational, Sarasota, FL, Nov. 10, Gulf of Mexico Harmon Heed This long-running regatta is a Boat of the Year event for the Sarasota Bay Yachting Association, which consists of 12 yacht clubs, squadrons and clubs. The gorgeous day of bright, blue sky, light winds and calm water was further enhanced by the sight of Gregg and Alice Petrat’s 48’ Cherubini schooner, White Hawk, flying seldom-seen sails, a mule and gollywobbler. This year, 38 boats raced in seven classes. Spinnaker and E Scow boats raced four windward/leeward races in the bay and all others raced a single random leg course in the Gulf of Mexico. Sarasota PHRF racing is peculiar for using the “pursuit start” where the handicap is taken at the start. The boat with the highest rating starts first and the others follow, crossing the start line at a time according to their rating. Theoretically, if all boats raced a perfect race, they would all cross the finish line at the same time with the tactics, maneuvering, cramming, barging, yelling and excitement that are normal for normal starts. Unfortunately, the finishes take as long as the starts do. Protests were lodged against three boats for not rounding a mark that had been dragged by other boats, which had caught the long mark rode and moved the mark. The protests were denied because those boats made their turns where the mark should have been. Mauro Harto on MOJO may have been given a parking citation for parking overtime on the mark while he disentangled his boat from the rode. John Proctor on Baringa should have been rewarded (instead of having to DNF) for returning the mark to its original position News & Views for Southern Sailors
The Petrats’ 48-schooner, White Hawk, reaches with a “mule” up between the masts at the Sarasota Yacht Club Invitational on Nov. 10. Photo by Ben Wagner.
after he dragged it for a considerable distance. Results: Spinnaker (6 boats): 1, Rita B, David Hillmyer, Sarasota Sailing Squadron; 2, Indigo, Travis Yates, SSS; 3, Clair, Randy St. James, Davis Island YC. E Scows (4 boats): 1, E Ticket, Jim Barr, SSS; 2, Ego, Robert Blomquist, SSS; 3, Rev It Up, Doug Kresge, SSS. Non-Spin (6 boats): 1, Hot Tuna, Rudy Reinecke, SSS; 2, Solitude, David Wilson, SSS; 3, Raegan E, Rolf Hahn, Venice YC; Pocket Cruising (4 boats): 1, Green Flash, John Huber, SSS; 2, Skimmer, Mike Collins, SSS; 3, Galadriel, Lawsom Mitchell, NA. Cruising (11 boats): 1, Summertime, John Lynch, Venice Sailing Squadron; 2, Marguerite, John Hensley, SSS; 3, Impetuous, Lou Fusilli, Bird Key Yacht Club. Racer Cruiser (2 boats): 1, Mother Ocean, Mark Requa, Sarasota YC, (also awarded the SYC Perpetual Trophy for line honors in winning the pursuit race across all classes); 2, Windcaller, Joe McClash, Bradenton YC. Multihulls (3 boats): 1, Catabella, Dean Cleal, SYC; 2, Iguana, John Dowd, SSS; 3, Two Sexy, Bill Fisher, Bayshore Gardens YC.
Upcoming Regattas
Egmont Key Race, Davis Island to Egmont, Tampa Bay, FL, Jan. 5 This is the longest running regatta in the Tampa Bay area. Since 1935, this distance race from Davis Island Yacht Club to Egmont Key and back has attracted top sailors in the area and is now a DIYC and WFPHRF Boat-of-the-Year event. In keeping with long-standing tradition, chili will be served to competitors upon their return to the club—no matter how late! Classes include Spinnaker, Non-Spin, Cruising, and Racer-Cruiser. One-design categories are possible with sufficient participation. For the NOR and on-line registration, go to www.diyc.org, or call (813) 251-1158. Free docking for the week is available at DIYC for those racing in the Commodore’s Cup the following weekend.
4th Annual Charlotte Harbor Regatta and Laser Masters Midwinters, Jan. 31-Feb. 4 The 2013 Charlotte Harbor Regatta will feature more than 100 boats in possibly 11 classes. Expected classes are the Viper 640, S2 7.9, Hobie 16, Hobie Wave, Weta, F16, F18, Flying Scot, Laser, 2.4 mR Sunfish and Precision 15 classes. First time this year is the Charlotte Harbor Pusser’s Rum Beach Party at Port Charlotte Beach Park (which is the staging area for multihulls) on Feb. 2. For information about sponsorship and volunteer opportunities, contact Brian Gleason at (941) 206-1133 or gleason@charlotteharborregatta.com. www.charlotteharborregatta.com SOUTHWINDS
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