p.m. Boat ramp available. Race in the seaplane basin near the mooring field. Dinner and drinks afterward. Upper Keys Sailing Club (UKSC). www.upperkeyssailingclub.com. Go to the Club website for regular club racing open to all. MARCH 9 Race Over to Oceanside 16-17 Glander Cup Regatta. APRIL 7 President’s Cup Regatta. 20 Miami to Key Largo. Miami YC 20-21 Capital Bank Regatta.
Upcoming Regattas
SPYC Invitational Pusser’s Rum Cup (formerly Michelob/Evander Cup), March 1-2 This will be the 32nd anniversary of this regatta, which is hosted by the St. Petersburg Yacht Club. It is west Florida’s largest one-day sailboat race. All classes are invited and racing is in Tampa Bay. Courses will be around government marks. Pusser’s hats, great food and Pusser’s Rum parties. This is a Suncoast Boat of the Year and St. Petersburg Yacht Club’s Ocean Racing Challenge event. Notice of Race and Entry Forms can be found at www.spyc.org, and the West Coast Florida Yacht Racing Association’s website at www.wfyra.org. You can enter these three races for one combined, reduced rate: Pusser’s Rum Cup, Crown Cars, and Suncoast Race Week. See below for information on those race and the websites above for more information.
19th Annual Conquistador Cup, Charlotte Harbor, March 3-4 Historically the largest regatta in southwest Florida, this event is run by the Punta Gorda Sailing Club and the Royal Order of Ponce de Leon Conquistadors. This year the Royal Order is commemorating the 500th anniversary of the discovery of Florida and Charlotte Harbor in 1513 by Juan Ponce de Leon. This regatta is just one of 500 events scheduled throughout the state under the Viva Florida 500 program which commemorates this significant milestone. The regatta begins with registration on Friday evening, March 1, at the Punta Gorda Boat Club at 802 West Retta Esplanade. Two buoy-course races are planned for Saturday with Spinnaker, Non-Spinnaker, Cruising, and Multihull divisions. A get together is planned with a buffet dinner for Saturday evening at the adjacent YMCA Bayfront Center. News & Views for Southern Sailors
On Sunday, the reverse-start long distance Conquistador’s Cup will be held. In excess of 100 boats is expected for this event. The winner will be awarded the coveted Ponce de Leon Conquistador Helmet and gets his boat pictured on next year’s regatta T-shirt. An awards ceremony will follow the completion of Sunday’s race at the Punta Gorda Boat Club. For the NOR and entry forms, go to www.pgscweb.com.
Eighth Annual Around Egmont Key Regatta, Bradenton, FL, March 9 Bradenton Yacht Club’s eighth annual Around Egmont Key Regatta offers a unique twist on the typical yacht racing venue. In this event, competitors decide in which direction they will attack the racecourse. The decision to round Egmont Key clockwise or counterclockwise can make the difference between a first-place win or limping home at the back of the fleet. This is the eighth event in the 11 regattas of the Sarastoa Bay Yachting Association Boat of the Year series. This low cost ($22 entry fee) event offers no cap, no T shirt, no skipper bag, no free beer, but guarantees lots of fun—and free coffee on the morning of the race. Classes competing are Spinnaker, Non-Spin, Cruiser, Pocket Cruiser and Multihull. For dockage reservations, contact the BYC dockmaster at (941) 374-2310. For more information go to www. bradentonyachtclub.com. For social activities and sailing fleet info, contact John Izmirlian at (941) 587-7758, or fishermensheadquarters@yahoo.com
37th Southwest Florida Regatta, Melges 24 Florida Cup Regatta and the Porsche Cup of Naples, Naples, FL, March 15-17 Held by the Gulf Coast Sailing Club, the regatta will begin on Saturday, March 16, and conclude on March 17 with a party afterwards. The Porsche Cup of Naples will highlight the regatta and will be held at the new Hamilton Harbor Yacht Club in Naples. The 6th Annual Melges 24 Florida Cup Regatta will also be a part of this regatta. It will be one of six regattas in the southeast circuit of the US Melges 24 Class Association, southeast district. For more information and to register for the regatta, go to www.gulfcoastsailingclub.org, or call (239) 263-7254.
SPYC Distance Classic, St. Petersburg, FL, March 16-17 This is event is a fairly new regatta designed for the larger ocean racing vessels. It is hosted by the St. Petersburg Yacht Club at Pass-a-Grille. The course will be an overnight event between 110 to 140 nautical miles, depending on the prevailing winds and forecast at the time of the start. Start and finish will be in the same general vicinity. This is a great SOUTHWINDS
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