Monohull vs Catamaran

Dockominiums 101

Tunnel of Love

SOUTHWINDSNews & Views for Southern Sailors

December 2006For Sailors — Free…It’s Priceless

2 November 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com

News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS December 2006 3

4 December 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com

News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS December 2006 5

SOUTHWINDSNEWS & VIEWS FOR SOUTHERN SAILORS

From the Carolinas to Cuba…from Atlanta to the Abacos…SOUTHWINDS Covers Southern Sailing

Changes on the St. Petersburg Waterfront? Photo bySteve Morrell. Page 34

Sunfish Worlds. Photo by Dan Dickison. Page 51.

6 From the Helm: Strictly Sail St. PeteBy Steve Morrell

9 Letters

14 Bubba and the Nursing HomeBy Morgan Stinemetz

16 Books to Read

17 Southern Regional Monthly Weather & Water Temperatures

18 Short Tacks: Sailing News and Events Around the South

30 Our Waterways: DockominiumsPossible Changes in the St. Petersburg Waterfront

40 Monohull vs Catamaran for CruisingBy Capt. Ron Butler

44 The Love Tunnel: Gunkholing in Southwest FloridaBy Ina Moody

46 Travels With Angel: Shanghaied in EleutheraBy Rebecca Burg

48 The Home With A Rocketship Out Back: Stars & StripesBy Morgan Stinemetz

51 Sunfish WorldsBy Dan Dickison

54 Southern Racing: Southern Regional Racing Reports and Race Calendars

78 Ryan Finn: Cancer Treatments Help Develop aSouthern Single-Hander

By Troy Gilbert

38 Marine Market Place64 Regional Sailing Services Directory –

Local boat services in your area 76 Alphabetical Index of Advertisers77 Advertisers’ List by Category77 Subscription Form

COVER: Stars & Stripes sails in the Kickoff Regattain Bradenton, FL in September.

Photo by Gary Hufford. www.beachmaster.smugmug.com.

6 December 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com

The Strictly Sail St. PeteBoat Show

Richard Nelson of Bradenton, FL, on the left, accepts the West Marine Handheld VHF radio he won

at the SOUTHWINDS raffle at the boat show.

We had another great responsefrom visitors at our booth at the

St. Pete Strictly Sail Boat Show inNovember. This show is always enjoy-able. One friend of mine who goes toalmost every show in the United Statessays the St. Pete show has the best loca-tion of them all. For those who havebeen there, they know. For those whohaven’t, they need to come see it.

Taking place on a small peninsulaat the base of The Pier in St.Petersburg, the show is surroundedby water on three sides. A beach is onthe east side, and this year, oneexhibitor had demo rides on wind-surfers and small sailboats. On thenorth side is the entrance to the VinoyBasin, where visiting boaters anchorfor the show, and Discover Sailingtrips run all day long in and out of thebasin for a short sail. On the west sideare the temporary docks built for theshow, where dozens of in-water boatsare on display. The weather at theshow always seems to be perfect, andall this together makes for a beautiful

location. You have to seeit to believe it.

At the SOUTHWINDSbooth, we had severalthousand visitors stop by,of course, enticed by our annual raffle(and we shoved the current issue intheir hand). In exchange for enteringthe free raffle, one only has to fill outour reader survey, answering ques-tions like: Do you have a boat? Howmuch do you spend on it annually?How much do you make? What doyou like about SOUTHWINDS"?… Thelist goes on—for one page.

This year we found that most vis-itors do own a boat, or are thinking ofgetting one, make $50,000-$75,000 ayear, cruise and read the magazinemonthly. Winner of the answer forhow much do you spend on your boatgoes to the person who said, “All ofit.” We also found out that a lot of peo-ple still love Bubba, which shouldmake him feel good.

One thing, though, I receivedmore feedback on than any other sub-

ject was how much people appreciat-ed and want more coverage of theissues SOUTHWINDS has each monthin “Our Waterways” section, wherewe write about disappearing marinas,boatyards, anchorage restrictions,mooring fields and the slow evolutionof our waterfronts to domination bycondominiums. Ironic that the show isheld in St. Petersburg at the base ofThe Pier, as the city is currently dis-cussing major changes that could pos-sibly make St. Petersburg not only aboater-friendly mecca for boaters butalso one of the better waterfront citiesin the Southeast. See Page 34 for moreon this subject.

Thanks to all who stopped by andsupported the magazine. Come againnext year.

Steve MorrellEditor

FROM THE HELM

Articles and Photos WantedContact:

editor@southwindsmagazine.com

■ SAILING EXPERIENCES: Stories and photosabout experiences in places you’ve cruised,anchorages, marinas, or passages madethroughout the Southern cruising waters,including the Caribbean and the Bahamas.■ RACE REPORTING: Generally, we are alwayslooking for someone to send us race coveragethroughout the southern states, the Bahamasand the Caribbean. ■ CRUISING NOTES: Southern sailors cruisingon the high seas or cruising our waterways andcoasts: Send us word on where you’re at andwhat you’re doing. How the cruising life istreating you. ■ BAHAMAS: Trips, experiences, passages,anchorages, provisioning and other stories thatare of interest.■ HURRICANE STORIES: Hurricanes are a partof owning a boat in the Southern waters, andwe would like to hear how you and your boatmight have been affected by a storm or howyou prepare your boat for one, experiencesyou’ve had. Send us letters or articles.

■ OUR WATERWAYS: Information about thewaters we sail in: disappearing marinas, boat-yards and slips; mooring fields, anchoringrights, waterway access, etc.■ MAINTENANCE & TECHNICAL ARTICLES:How you maintain your boat, or rebuilt a boat,technical articles on maintenance, repairs, etc.■ INDIVIDUALS IN THE SAILING INDUSTRY:Interesting stories about the world of sailorsout there, young, old, and some that are nolonger with us but have contributed to thesport or were just true lovers of sailing.■ THE CARIBBEAN: Stories about the warmtropical waters farther south of us. ■ CHARTER STORIES: Have an interestingCharter story? In our Southern waters, or per-haps in the Bahamas, the Caribbean, or pointsbeyond in some far-off and far-out exotic place?■ FUN AND UNUSUAL STORIES: Got aninteresting story? Unusual, funny, tearjerkers,learning experiences and others wanted. Keepthem short for our last page, 700-1000 wordsroughly. Photos too, but not necessary.■ CUBA: Of course, there is always Cuba, andregardless of how our country’s elected officialstry to keep Americans out of the largest islandin the Caribbean, it will one day be open as acruising ground. Today American sailors canlegally go to Cuba and cruise if they follow theproper procedures. If you have a story aboutsuch a trip, let us look at it.

■ MISCELLANEOUS PHOTOS: Photographsare always enjoyable, whether for their beauty,their humor, or for many other reasons, andwe take them alone. We would like photoswith every story, if possible.■ COVER PHOTOS: SOUTHWINDS is alwayslooking for nice cover shots, which are alwayspaid for. They generally need to be a verticalshot, but we can sometimes crop horizontalphotos for a nice cover picture. They need tobe of a high resolution. If digital, they need tobe taken at a very high resolution (and manysmaller digital cameras are not capable of tak-ing a large, high-resolution photo as is on acover). If a photograph, then we need itscanned at high resolution, or if you send it tous, we can do so.■ LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: For those of youwho are not as ambitious to write stories, wealways want to hear from you about yourexperiences and opinions.

CONTACTeditor@southwindsmagazine.com

for more information and questions.

For more Technical guidelines about layout,grammar, etc., please visit our Web site,www.southwindsmagazine.com and go to“Writer/photographer Guidelines.”

SOUTHWINDSNews & Views For Southern Sailors

SOUTHWINDS Media, Inc.

P.O. Box 1175, Holmes Beach, Florida 34218-1175(941) 795-8704 (877) 372-7245 (941) 795-8705 Fax

www.southwindsmagazine.co

e-mail: editor@southwindsmagazine.com

Volume 14 Number 12 December 2006

Copyright 2006, Southwinds Media, Inc.

Founded in 1993 Doran Cushing, Publisher 1993-2002

Publisher/EditorSteve Morrell editor@southwindsmagazine.com (941) 795-8704

AdvertisingGo to www.southwindsmagazine.com for information about

the magazine, distribution and advertising rates.Steve Morrell editor@southwindsmagazine.com (941) 795-8704

Regional Editors

EAST FLORIDARoy Laughlin mhw1@earthlink.net (321) 690-0137\

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA RACINGArt Perez miamiyachtracing@bellsouth.net (305) 380-0106

Production Proofreading ArtworkHeather Nicoll Kathy Elliott Rebecca Burg

angel@artoffshore.com

Contributing Writers Letters from our readers David Billing Rebecca BurgCapt. Ron Butler Dan Dickison Troy GilbertKim Kaminski Roy Laughlin Walt McFarlaneRon Mitchellette Ina Moody Art PerezHone Scunook Morgan Stinemetz Jay TysonMartin Zonnenburg

Contributing Photographers/ArtBooth Studios Carlo Borlenghi /Rolex Rebecca Burg (and Artwork)Capt. Ron Butler Dan Dickison Amanda FlemingGary Hufford Kim Kaminski Roy LaughlinIna Moody Morgan Stinemetz

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS: ARTICLES & PHOTOGRAPHY:SOUTHWINDS encourages readers, writers, photographers, cartoonists, jok-ers, magicians, philosophers and whoever else is out there, includingsailors, to send in their material. Just make it about the water world andgenerally about sailing and about sailing in the South, the Bahamas or theCaribbean, or general sailing interest, or sailboats, or sailing in some far-off and far-out place.

SOUTHWINDS welcomes contributions in writing and photography, sto-ries about sailing, racing, cruising, maintenance and other technical arti-cles and other sailing-related topics. Please submit all articles electronical-ly by e-mail (mailed-in discs also accepted), and with photographs, if pos-sible. We also accept photographs alone, for cover shots, racing, cruisingand just funny entertaining shots. Please take them at a high resolution ifdigital, or scan at 300 dpi if photos, or mail them to us for scanning.Contact the editor with questions.

Subscriptions to SOUTHWINDS are available at $19.95/year, or $37/2years for third class, and $24/year for first class. Checks and credit card num-bers may be mailed with name and address to SOUTHWINDS Subscriptions,PO Box 1175, Holmes Beach FL, 34218-1175, or call (941) 795-8704.Subscriptions are also available with a credit card through a secure server onour Web site, www.southwindsmagazine.com. SOUTHWINDS is distributed toover 500 locations throughout 10 Southern states. If you would like to dis-tribute SOUTHWINDS at your location, please contact the editor.

Read SOUTHWINDS on our Web sitewww.southwindsmagazine.com.

News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS December 2006 7

It all started for me when I was sixyears old. I was bitten by the sailingbug. I grew up sailing and racing on theGreat Lakes. Aside from the four yearsI spent in the U.S. Coast Guard (’79-’83), my working life has been spent inthe sailing industry.

After leaving the USCG in October1983, I packed up my sailing gear andheaded for sunny St. Petersburg, FL,and the now “past history”-SouthernOcean Racing Conference (S.O.R.C.).For all those that remember the SORCin its heyday, it was the premier sailing

event in the world, and I wanted to bepart of it.

It was a time when the “who’swho” of sailing, worldwide, made thepilgrimage to the suncoast of Florida. Iwas fortunate to meet many of the peo-ple that I have come to be friends withover the years, both in and out of themarine industry.

Since then, I have sailed across theAtlantic to Europe, all through theCaribbean, visited Mexico, Cuba,Bermuda, and been to countless regat-tas and ports throughout the UnitedStates. I have raced most Key WestRace weeks and Miami Race weeks.During my time in Florida, I have hadthe great fortune and pleasure to sailwith, and drink with, some of the out-standing sailors and sailing icons whohave called Florida their home.

It has been my privilege to knowand sail with the likes of CharlieMorgan, Ted Irwin, Ed Baird, O.H.Rodgers, Jeff Linton, Mark Ploch andJohn Jennings, just to name a few. Thisarea has produced some great sailorswho have gone past the local club levelto win major regattas around theworld, and I have been lucky enough tomeet many of them.

The diverse backgrounds andexperiences of my racing and cruisingclients has enriched me—and evenhumbled me at times, teaching me tonever attempt to “tell a book by itscover.” I will always remember thegreat times I have had, the regattas Ihave raced, and the wonderful people Ihave met.

I have no regrets over the path Ihave traveled. However, I have been inthis port many years, and it is now timeto slip the lines and set sail on a newadventure.

My wife Marilyn and I are movingto Westcliffe, CO, and the RockyMountains, where we have had a housefor several years. Marilyn was offered awonderful position as the director ofadmissions and records at PuebloCommunity College. After some soul-searching and debate, we decided thatwe couldn’t pass up this fantastic oppor-tunity to live in the West and explorewhat the non-ocean-bordered stateshave to offer before we get too old.

As for me, I will continue to work

8 December 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com

LETTERS

“Freedom of the press is limited to those who own one.” H.L. Mencken

In its continuing endeavor to share its press, SOUTHWINDS invites readers to write in with experiences & opinions.

WELL-KNOWN LOCAL SAILMAKER TIM STODOLA MOVES ON

News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS December 2006 9

as a sail consultant for Doyle Ploch Sails. I will still handlesail consulting, and sales via e-mail (timstodola@doyle-plochsails.com). I will also be able to make myself availablefor some regattas and deliveries—if the conditions are right.

Contrary to popular belief, there is water—AND sail-ing—in Colorado and in the neighboring states, not to men-tion some great fishing and whitewater rafting.

The most difficult part of this move will be leaving all ofthe great friends we have made over the years. Thank you allfor your support, loyalty and friendship. Go Sailing, ENJOY!

In the words of a famous sailor: “ ’Tis not at sea, butrather in port, that men and ships rot.”

“Big Tim” StodolaSailor/Mountain Man,

St. Petersburg, FLTim,I am sure you will be missed by many in the Tampa Bay area.Having spent 12 years in Colorado, I know you are going to oneof the best spots on the planet. While there, I missed the ocean—and I also missed those mountains since the day I left , severalyears ago. Yes, there is sailing in Colorado, as I owned two boatswhile there (a Hobie 16 and a Catalina 22). It’s all lake (reservoir)sailing, which is gusty and often not there at all. It’s also cold. ButI loved every minute of it, and I am sure you will, too. Best of luck.

Editor

GREAT ARTICLE ON ASYMMETRICAL SPINNAKERSKudos to Mike Kirk on two very educational, and entertain-ing, articles on handling the asymmetric spinnaker. He’sobviously been there when the world disappears under apile of fabric! I wanted to add one suggestion for the wind-ward takedown: By adding a “takedown line” to the tack ofthe chute and securing the other end to the bow pulpit, thetakedown begins with the cockpit releasing the tack lineand the trimmer releasing the sheet. The foredecker uses thetakedown line to haul the tack past the forestay on thewindward side and hands it to the sewer person, who startscollecting the foot from tack to clew. The foredecker thenstarts pulling the luff around the forestay and down. As theluff is brought around the forestay, the cockpit eases the hal-yard. With any luck the head and clew reach the forwardhatch at about the same time as the boat hardens up comingaround the mark! This is much easier than trying to turn thespinnaker inside out by pulling the clew forward with thelazy sheet, especially if it is blowing. This technique alsominimizes the risk of shrimping since the foot is collectedearly and is kept under control by the sewer person. It’salmost as fast as the Mexican, and has become our favoritetakedown on the J/105.

Antony DaltonTampa, FL

Antony,Thanks for the comments. I forwarded your letter to Mike Kirk. Iam sure he will appreciate your comments and the suggestion onthe article.

Editor

FERNANDINA BEACH MUNICIPAL MARINA UPDATEThe much anticipated dredging of the Fernandina BeachMarina basin has been completed. According to the local

See LETTERS continued on page 10

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Life Safer Personal Retriever$129.00 (plus $7 shipping)The Personal Retriev-er is the onlyU.S. Coast Guard approved, buoyant,rapid response, multi-use, water and ice rescue disk,with 100-foot reach. The Personal Retriever out performs all throwable water-rescue devices. • Throws like a saucer with 100-foot line attached• Made of floating Polyethylene Foam, polypropylene

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BridgeNorth Bailer 5-foot $46.00 (shipping $6.50)8-foot bailer $56.00 (shipping $7.00)Boat hook, bailer, washer, squirtgun…and moreThe most versatile boat hook available.Stick the end in water, pull the handleback and it is a bailer. Push it back inand it will wash your boat down orsquirt your friends (50 feet easily). Many other usesincluding aerating fish buckets.

SOUTHWINDSMARINE STORE

To order, call (941) 795-8704, or (877) 372-7245 with a credit card (orconfirm to mail a check in), or e-mail

store@southwindsmagazine.com.

To all items and books shipped to Floridalocations, add applicable state and county sales tax. All items can also be picked up in Bradenton, Florida

TO ORDER CALL 877-372-7245

10 December 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com

LETTERS

newspaper, some controversy remains: The contract calledfor the minimum depth to be 6 feet MLW, and, evidently,there are some spots shallower (some spots are deeper).Also, the area under the restaurant was not dredged, andsome believe this will lead to premature silting. As of thiswriting, the water, electric, and fire suppression systems arenot yet installed, and there are no boats in the basin. Theface dock has no electricity yet. The dockmaster’s office andfuel pumps are powered by a portable generator. Prices forslips will go up to $15/foot/month. Many of the boats thatwere in the basin appear to be wet-stored at the anchoragebetween R10 and R12. The dockmaster says the city hasplans to install 20 moorings in this anchorage, 10 for tran-sients and 10 for monthly rentals. According to him, anchor-ing in the mooring field will be prohibited. He had no ideawhen this will be implemented.

In reference to the September letter on Coast Guardlicensing problems, I have had my USCG license issuedfrom New Orleans, Miami, Baltimore, Honolulu, and, mostrecently, Boston. By far, Miami was the slowest and leastefficient office. The Boston office, in contrast, was polite,accommodating, and processed my renewal by phone inless than three weeks! I did not need to be re-fingerprinted.It is easy to request having one’s file transferred. Just call thedistrict office and ask.

It is great to be back from an incredible summer on theChesapeake! Washington, D.C., by boat is fantastic!...nohassles anchoring in the shadow of the Washington monu-ment, three blocks from the national mall, one block fromthe Metro and reasonable, friendly dinghy access at theCapitol Yacht Club.

Joe CoreyS/V Calcutta, Cal 36

Joe,Thanks for the information—the update on Fernandina, licensingand anchoring in Washington, D.C. It’s nice to hear when boatersare treated courteously and efficiently and of anchorages that areconvenient and welcoming. Glad to hear some marinas andanchorages are being added and developed such as that atFernandina Beach.

We are always asking other boaters to send us updated infor-mation on marinas, mooring fields and anchorages.

Editor

CONDOS ALONG THE WATERI started to read an article in the Bradenton Herald recentlyone morning and only got so far as to the first article thatcaught my eye: “Historic Palmetto Home to Make Way forCondos.” Very well-written article, but that is not why I amwriting. I currently live in Regatta Pointe Marina on a sail-boat and drive by this beautiful historic home every time Ileave and return home. It is such a beautiful sight. However,when I heard about the move, I became devastated.

One reason we moved here to Palmetto was because itis “old Florida”—with beautiful views of the water and notthe condo-infested city that so many of our cities in SouthFlorida have become. These condos are enormous eyesores.One cannot even drive near the water and see a view any-more. All anyone sees is this giant roach that is infesting ourbeautiful state and taking away our easy access to ourunlimited views of the water.

See LETTERS continued on page 12

News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS December 2006 11

12 December 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com

LETTERS

If the state is worried about money, then they shouldhelp save our marinas and anchorages. As boaters, we bringin billions of dollars a year, which is greater than the citrusindustry. Here in Florida, we have the most registered boatsin the country whereas Michigan is second. As more andmore of these condos infest Florida, boaters are losing theirrights to the water. When these condo commandos are buy-ing near the water, they seem to think they own it when inreality they are just buying the land portion, not the water.We are limited to places we can sail to and anchor outbecause of them. For example, there are several places in St.Petersburg that have outlawed anchorages due to com-plaints from rich landowners/condos. When these condosare advertised, there are ALWAYS sailboats in the back-ground in anchorages and marinas. These people knewwhat they were buying into when they saw the advertise-ment, and now that they “own,” they feel they can changetheir view to suit their own self-importance. When didthey become more important than us? Just because theyare land-owners or condo commandos? I thought in theUnited States we were all created equal? Shouldn’t we ALLhave rights to the water?

Sarasota is another prime example. They have condoson the water already, and now they are advertising for somemore to be built. You can drive down Highway 41 right byMarina Jack’s and see these advertisements on the side ofthe road. In their pictures they have these ugly condo build-ings and sailboats in the background anchored out alongwith a marina. It won’t be too long before one will drivedown the same highway and not even see the water any-more. All they will see is this enormous ugly building block-ing any sort of view of the wondrous sight that has drawnso many to this state. Do you have to be rich to see this mag-nificent view of the water? Also what will happen to theliveaboard sailors and cruisers that currently utilize theMarina Jack’s anchorage? Will the rich condo commandosinfluence local politicians to affect changes in city ordinanceto kick them out, too?

These condo commandos should pick up a copy ofSouthwinds sailing magazine at Regatta Pointe Marina andsee how bad the condo problem is for us boaters and live-aboard sailors.

Nikki Hagely Palmetto, FL

Nikki,You got it right. Wall to wall condos. Take down the old and beauti-ful and put up the new and ugly. It is happening little by little—slow-ly we are blocking our waterfronts with tall square buildings that alllook the same. Our view of the water is reduced to what we can see inbetween the buildings. But don’t slow your car down as you lookbetween them. You might get arrested for looking suspicious.

It is an age-old story. Find a place that is beautiful and movethere and discover it, and it will no longer be the place you want-ed to move to. Unfortunately, people that develop these don’t carewhat is being destroyed, only what is making them wealthy.Oddly enough, it is the small, picturesque places that we all wantto visit and see, yet every day we destroy them. How many peoplecome to Florida to see how beautiful a community of condos is?All we can do is slow this process down as much as possible andhope the world will wake up before it destroys this dream world wehave, or had. I try to publicize it. Thankfully, you can’t build on

See LETTERS continued on page 75

News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS December 2006 13

The Great Classic Yacht RevivalBy Nic Compton. Foreword by Olin Stephens. Rizzoli International Publications. www.rizzoliusa.com. $45

This is a large-format book ofbeautiful photos of beautiful boats.You have to look hard to find a pagethat has no photo(s) on it. This bookcovers the classic yachts that are outthere sailing today, whether new,rebuilt or surviving after almost 200years. An example is the photo ofBodicea, possibly the oldest activesailing vessel today, built in 1808.

The book “traces the develop-ment of the traditional yacht move-ment, from its peak in the 1930s to itsdecline in the ’60s…” (from the jacket description). Theauthor notes that there has been a revival and interest in clas-sic yachts in recent decades, leading to many new ones builtalong traditional lines, like the 140-foot Zaca a te Moana, builtin 1992 by Ed Kastelein. Kastelein decided to build the clas-sic-looking yacht after rebuilding several older boats.

The photos show close-up shots of rigging, interiors, con-struction and all aspects of these boats to give the reader aview of what some of the more traditional sailing gear islike—totally restored. There are also shots of boats racing andcruising—or under restoration or new construction.

This not a book of just large yachts either—although theydominate the pages—but of all sizes, some so perfectly

restored or built it amazes the reader. Some combine the oldand the new. A newly built boat, for example, a small day sail-er named Seabird, was built “in cedar strip and sheathed withepoxy and her cream-colored sails are 100 percent synthetic.Her design, though, is over 100 years old.”

Once you open this book, it is hard to close it.

Knots, Bends, and Hitches for MarinersThe United States Power Squadrons. McGraw Hill. www.mcgraw-hill.com. $14.95

It is not surprising after the readergoes through this book that this was aproduction of the United States PowerSquadrons. This book is designed forboaters. It covers everything from howto properly cleat a line to decorativeknots like the bell rope sennit. (You’llhave to buy the book to see what that is.)

In between these two extremesthere is every knot a boater could use.The book starts with a general discus-sion of rope—cutting it, burning ends,rope construction, etc., etc., etc. Thebook covers all the knots boaters can think of, plus manymore. There is also a chapter on splicing, besides the usualchapters on knots, bends, hitches and hitches. There is even aknot showing one how to secure to a jug (jar sling).

What makes the book valuable, though, (besides its thor-oughness) is the simplicity and clarity of its drawings. Youcan easily see how to tie the knot described. The descriptionsalso tell uses for the knots. It was from this book that I decid-ed to change my main halyard line knots from the traditionalbowline to the lower profile buntline.

Seaworthy. Essential Lessons from BoatU.S.’s20-Year Case File of Things Gone WrongBy Robert A. Adriance, Jr. McGraw-Hill. www.mcgraw-hill.com. $14.95

For those who get BoatU.S.’saccident prevention magazine,Seaworthy, this will be familiarreading, but not useless, as it is acompilation of that magazine’sbest, or should I say, worst casesof boating mishaps, failures andaccidents, both sail and power.Seaworthy, the magazine, is thepublication put out by BoatU.S.insurance that discusses boatingmishaps and how to preventthem. If you don’t get it, then doso, as it is not only valuable, but entertaining (in a curiousmanner for those wanting to learn). It can be purchased at theBoatU.S. Web site, www.boatus.com on their insurance page.

Every issue of Seaworthy talks of accidents or break-downs, how and why they happened and what to do to pre-vent them in the future. This book is the best of those reportsfrom more than 20 years of writing on the subject. It includeseverything from lightning strikes to hurricanes to ground-ings, fires, sinkings, crew overboard—the list goes on. Over150 photos bring these stories alive.

Read this book and, by all rights, your insurance compa-ny should reduce your rates.

BOOKS TO READ

16 December 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com

News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS December 2006 17

NORTHERN GULF COAST Pensacola, FL 45º lo – 63º hiGulfport, MS 45º lo – 63º hiWater Temperature –58º

WEST FLORIDA St. Petersburg 56º lo – 71º hiNaples 56º lo – 77º hiWater TemperatureSt. Petersburg – 64ºNaples – 68º

FLORIDA KEYS Key West 67º lo – 77º hiWater Temperature Key West –72º

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA Miami Beach – 65º lo – 75º hiStuart – 58º lo – 75º hiWater TemperatureMiami Beach – 73ºStuart – 70ºGulfstream Current – 2.4 knots

EAST FLORIDA Daytona Beach - 50º lo – 71º hiJacksonville Beach - 49º lo – 65º hiWater Temperature Daytona Beach – 65ºJacksonville Beach – 60ºGulfstream Current – 2.3 knots

CAROLINAS AND GEORGIACape Hatteras, NC 44º lo – 57º hiSavannah, GA 40º lo – 63º hiWater Temperature Cape Hatteras, NC – 55ºSavannah Beach, GA – 54º

Southeastern U.S. Air & Water Temperaturesand Gulf Stream Currents – DecemberWeather Web Sites:Carolinas & Georgia www.ndbc.noaa.gov/Maps/Southeast.shtmlFlorida East Coast www.ndbc.noaa.gov/Maps/Florida.shtmlFlorida West Coast & Keys http://comps.marine.usf.eduNorthern Gulf Coast www.csc.noaa.gov/coos/

WIND ROSES: Each wind rose shows the strength and direc-tion of the prevailing winds in the area and month. Thesehave been recorded over a long period of time. In general,the lengths of the arrows indicate how often the winds camefrom that direction. The longer the arrow, the more often thewinds came from that direction. When the arrow is too longto be printed in a practical manner, a number is indicated.

The number in the center of the circle shows the percentageof the time that the winds were calm. The lengths of thearrows plus the calms number in the center add up to 100percent. The number of feathers on the arrow indicates thestrength of the wind on the Beaufort scale (one feather isForce 1, etc.). Wind Roses are taken from Pilot Charts.

18 December 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com

■ RACING EVENTS

For racing schedules, news and events see the racing section.

■ UPCOMING SOUTHERN EVENTS

EDUCATIONAL/TRAINING/SUMMER CAMPS

Ongoing – Boating Skills and Seamanship Programs.St. Petersburg, FLTuesday nights, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. Satisfies theFlorida boater safety education requirements. Eleven les-sons, every Tuesday. Boating Skills and SeamanshipPrograms, are presented by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary,Flotilla 72 each Tuesday night, 7:30-9:30pm, 1300 Beach Dr.SE, St. Petersburg. Lessons include: which boat for you,equipment, trailering, lines and knots, boat handling, signs,weather, rules, introduction to navigation, inland boatingand radio. (727) 823-3753. Don’t wait until next summer tohave your children qualify for a State of Florida boater safety ID,possibly lower your Boaters Insurance premium or justhone your safe boating skills.

Boating Safety Courses, St. Petersburg, FLSt. Petersburg Sail and Power Squadron. Six-week PublicBoating Course begins every Monday. Includes safety informa-

tion plus basic piloting; charts, course plotting, latitude/longi-tude and dead reckoning. Satisfies Florida’s under age 21boater requirements. (727) 867-3088. Other courses continu-osly offered. (727) 565-4453. www.boating-stpete.org.

Clearwater Coast Guard Auxiliary (Flotilla 11-1)Public Boating ProgramsAmericas Boating Course (2 lessons on a weekend).Jan. 6-7. Americas Boating Course (3 evening les-

sons). Jan. 6-7. Clearwater Sailing Center, 1001Gulf Blvd., Sand Key (Clearwater). Open to

adults and youths. Seven Lessons. EveningsFor more information on upcoming education programs

or to request a free vessel safety check call (727) 469-8895 orvisit http://a0701101.uscgaux.info/.

Ruskin , FL, Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 75 OffersHome Study Safe Boating CourseThe Ruskin flotilla each month offers a Boating Safetycourse in Ruskin, but has found that many boaters do nothave the time to attend the courses, so they are now alsooffering a home study course at $30. Additional familymembers will be charged $10 each for testing and certifi-cates. Tests will be held bi-monthly. Entry into the coursewill also allow participants to attend the classes. To apply,call (813) 677-2354.

North Carolina Maritime Museum, Beaufort, NCOn-going adults sailing programs. Family Sailing. 2-6 peo-ple; 2-6 hours. Traditional skiffs or 30’ keelboat. $50-$240.www.ncmm-friends.org, maritime@ncmail.net, (252) 728-7317. Reservations/information: call The Friends’ office(252) 728-1638

Standards Accreditation, Fort Lauderdale, FL. Nov. 29-Dec 1American Boat & Yacht Council. (410) 956-1050.www.abycinc.org.

EVENTS & NEWS OF INTEREST TO SOUTHERN SAILORSTo have your news or event in this section, contact editor@southwindsmagazine.com.

Send us information by the 5th of the month preceding publication. Contact us if later.

CONTRIBUTE TO SOUTHWINDSWRITERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS WANTED

Southwinds is always looking for articles and photos onvarious subjects about sailing, our Southern waters, theBahamas and the Caribbean. For more information, seepage 6.

News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS December 2006 19

Advanced Marina Management Course, West Palm Beach,FL Dec. 4-9International Marina Institute. Association of MarinaIndustries/International Marina Institute. (401) 247-0314.www.marinaassociation.com.

■ BOAT SHOWS

Austin Boat ShowJan. 11-14. Austin Convention Center. Bring the whole fam-

ily to the largest boating event of the year featuring over 200vendors and boat dealers. Thursday and Friday, 12 pm-9pm. Saturday, 10 am-9 pm. Sunday, 10 am-6 pm. $8 foradults, seniors over 65 and children 10 and under are $4.Children 6 and under are free. Please visit www.austinboat-show.com for more information.

Atlanta Boat ShowJan 10-14. Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, GA.NMMA. www.atalantaboatshow.com.

Stuart Boat Show.Jan. 12-14. Stuart, FL. www.miatc.com/calendars.htm.

San Antonio Boat ShowJanuary 25-28 at the Alamodome. Bring the whole family tothe largest boating event of the year featuring over 150 ven-dors and boat dealers. Thursday and Friday, 12 pm-9pm.Friday, 12 pm-10 pm. Saturday, 10 am-10 pm. Sunday, 10am-6 pm. $8 for adults, seniors over 65 and children 10 andunder are $4. Children 6 and under are free. Visitwww.sanantonioboatshow.com for more information.

■ OTHER EVENTS

Reef Relief Holiday Online Auction Nov 10–Dec. 15: Benefit to Coral ReefsReef Relief, the nonprofit grassroots organization dedicatedto protecting coral reefs, is holding its second annual ReefRelief Holiday Online Auction from Nov.10 through Dec.15, at www.reefrelief.org.

“We’ve already received many great items such as art-work, hotel stays, celebrity events, memorabilia, and tropi-cal merchandise and are adding new items continuously.The Reef Relief Holiday Online Auction will provide all ourmembers and supporters, no matter where you live, with anopportunity to do holiday shopping while helping save coralreefs at the same time,” notes Reef Relief’s Jeffrey Snipes, thisyear’s auction manager.

Reef Relief is celebrating its 20th year of nonprofitefforts from its headquarters in Key West to protect coral

Florida Maritime Museum Seeks Marine Artifacts and Volunteers

Florida Maritime Museum in Cortez, FL, is looking forartifacts to put in the maritime museum. Among some ofthe items sought are antique navigational charts, ships’logs, journals, fish house financial records, boat papers,vintage crab traps, net-mending needles, poling oars, netfloats and miscellaneous boating and fishing-relatedmemorabilia.

The museum is also looking for old school-relateditems like notebooks, map books, desks, etc, that will goin the museum’s location, which is the 1912 Cortezschoolhouse.

Volunteers are also needed, ages 13 and older, to helpscan old photographs into the museum’s computer files,and also to help put together newspaper clipping files.

To donate and/or volunteer, contact the museumcurator, Karen Geis, at (941) 708-6121.

20 December 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com

reefs and works year-round on environ-mental education programs, policyguidance and marine projects thatmake a difference for coral reefs.

“The auction sales help gen-erate funds and are a great wayto showcase our business supporters to a broad audi-ence of ocean lovers who are looking for holiday gifts.Auction items include special events, merchandise, travel,lodging, dining, artwork, water sports, and more, “ Snipesadded. So make a point of checking out www.reefrelief.orgto view all the great auction items and place your bids onyour favorites. And let your friends know, too!

For more info contact Reef Relief at www.reefrelief.org,or e-mail reef@bellsouth.net or call (305) 294-3100.

Nov. 30-Dec. 3, Pirates in ParadiseKey WestVarious locations throughout Key West, (305) 296-9694.More than 100 improvisational actors and combative stunt-men in pirate garb conduct the annual “invasion” of thesouthernmost city by a flotilla of pirate ships. Entertainmentincludes swashbuckling and sea chanteys, pirate costumecompetition, parties, exhibitions, daily sailing trips, nauticalexcursions and seafaring adventures, films, a tall ships seabattle, arts and crafts, music, re-enactments and more.Admission: Most are free, various charges for excursions,theatrical and party events. www.piratesinparadise.com.

2006 Wharram CatamaranRendezvous, Dec. 1-3, Hobe Sound, FLThe 2006 Florida Wharram Catamaran Rendezvous isscheduled for the first weekend in December (Dec.1, 2, 3) in

Hobe Sound, FL. Hobe Sound isnear Stuart on the Atlantic coastof Florida. We use a wonderfulprotected anchorage at PeckLake on the ICW that is only afew football fields away from asandy Atlantic beach. We expect

to have five to eight Wharrams there; a Tiki 46, a fewTangaroas, Tiki 26s and possibly others.

The rendezvous is always a fun event…nothing formal-ly planned. Just good people, nice chats, looking overboats, plans and pictures, telling good stories, horror storiesand just tall tales. We usually start early and go late…aslong as the conversation is interesting.

All Wharram catamaran owners are welcome as well aslovers of Wharram catamarans and others who would justlike to show up and see them and talk about them. Bringyour pictures if you can’t bring your boat. If you can’t bringa boat or pictures, then just bring yourself! We have evenbeen known to welcome “half boats” (monohulls).

Sailing in? We will be anchored in Peck Lake; DayMark 19, south of the St. Lucie Inlet on the ICW, latitudeN27.06.924, longitude W80.08.672. We meet east of the daymark with good depth and good holding. Coming by car?We run a dinghy shuttle to the boats from the launch rampof Jimmie Graham Park. For shuttle information and localinformation on the anchorage contact Gene Perry below.

For more information, call Gene Perry (Tiki 26) at homeat (772) 545-9312 or on his cell at (772) 214-4330, Dan Kunz(Tangaroa 36) at home at (305) 664-0190, or Ann and NevilleClements’ (Tiki 46) on their cell at (401) 261-7816. You canalso send a note to this e-mail: floridawharramren-dezvous@hotmail.com. We will monitor e-mails every fewdays. E-mails will not be monitored from approximatelyseven days just before the event…so please use the phonesat that point.

News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS December 2006 21

22 December 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com

Key West Race Week, Jan. 15-19The biggest sailboat regatta in North America.For a complete description of the regatta, seepage 54 in the racing section.

■ NEWS

Two Popular SailingSymposiums to be Held inNew Orleans in January 2007

US SAILING has announced that its two popular sympo-siums, the National Sailing Programs Symposium (NSPS)and the One-Design Sailing Symposium (ODSS), will beheld together over a five-day period in New Orleans, LA,Jan.17-21.

The National Sailing Programs Symposium, presentedby Vanguard Sailboats and geared toward sailing programorganizers, will kick off the events on Wednesday, Jan.17,and run through Sunday, Jan. 21. The One-DesignSymposium, created for one-design class organizers, willtake place Jan. 20-21 at the same hotel, the New OrleansMarriott at the Convention Center.

The joint location for the two symposiums enables par-ticipants to attend seminars from both symposiums at a dis-counted rate. Registration for the NSPS includes entry intothe ODSS. Registration for the NSPS is $150 through Dec.15and $175 after Dec.15. (US SAILING members receive $25off). Participants of the ODSS who arrive in New Orleans onJan.19 or 20 can attend any Saturday seminars of the NSPSat the ODSS rate. Registration for the ODSS is $105 throughDecember, $130 after that date. (US SAILING membersreceive $25 off).

First created in 1983 and held annually since, USSAILING’s National Sailing Programs Symposium has,over the years, brought together thousands of sailing pro-gram organizers. Presented by Vanguard Sailboats, thissymposium is an outstanding event for any sailing programorganizer, with numerous educational seminars and work-shops on the agenda. The purpose of this annual sympo-

Boy Scouts Looking for Charter Boats and CaptainsFlorida Sea Base, a high adventure camp serving the BoyScouts of America, is looking for sailboats to run our nextsummer season beginning the end of May 2007 throughthe end of August 2007. The ideal boats will either be aMorgan 41 Out Island or the CSY 44 or something similar(5.5-foot draft or less). Weekly trips include training, fuel(diesel and propane), dockage at Sea Base (located inIslamorada) and Key West. All provisions are included,food, ice and necessary dry goods.

With the Code of Federal Regulations for the BoyScouts of America, we are permitted to carry eight pas-sengers with a six-pack license. All vessels must pass theCoast Guard’s un-inspected/inspected vessel check, bedocumented for “coast-wise trade” and carry $1,000,000in liability insurance with Boy Scouts of America listed onthe policy.

You will be guaranteed 9 to 11 trips for the season(excluding acts of nature) at $2200 per trip. Charters usual-ly consist of six youths (Boy Scouts) ranging in age from14-20 and two adult leaders. You are in charge of your ves-sel but must run our charter program and schedule asdescribed. Boats run in groups of four from Islamorada toKey West and back (80 miles each way). The captain willtake the scouts fishing, sailing and snorkeling with fournights at anchor and one day and night in Key West. Allgear/tackle and bait are provided at no additional charge.

This is a fast-paced program so all boats and captainsmust be up for the demands. Being mechanically inclinedis a major plus. If you have a boat and would like a con-tract captain to run her, we have several very qualifiedcaptains to put you in contact with.

Contact Capt. Rich Beliveau at (305) 394-0365.

sium is for participants to network with otherorganizers and to share ideas on what it takes to

run a successful sailing program. For informa-tion, visit www.ussailing.org/training/nsps/

2007/index.htm.Created for sailors and one-design classes

who would like to learn more about one-design sailing, US SAILING first organized theOne-Design Symposium in 2004. The event hasbeen a success from the beginning. With over

200 active sailboat classes in the United States,topics at the symposium cover the full spectrum from

the nuts and bolts of building a fleet to the intricacies ofkeeping a successful class running smoothly. For informa-tion, visit www.ussailing.org/odcc/2007ODSShomepage.htm.

New U.S. Customs Program AllowsU.S. Boaters Easier Entry Back intothe CountryThe U.S. Customs and Border Protection office recently setup a new program that allows U.S. boaters an option to reg-

News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS December 2006 23

24 December 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com

ister in advance to make it easier to return to the UnitedStates after visiting a foreign port.

Currently U.S. boaters returning must call an 800 num-ber and inform the office they have returned, and then theymust show up in person at a nearby office within 24 hoursfor an in-person interview with a passport control officer.

Through the new program, boaters can pre-register,provide proof of citizenship or legal permanent residenceand give details about their boat. They are given a personalidentifying registration number. Upon returning, they callthe 800 number and give their registration number. Theywill, in most cases, not have to appear in person after fol-lowing this procedure. There can be instances where theywill still have to show up, but not if they are citizens whohave been leaving and reentering the country regularly andknown by the office. Every person on board must have aregistration number.

The customs office set this procedure up because theywere concerned about people not reporting back in at all,since it was often so difficult for many to show up in personwithin 24 hours.

To register in the program, called the Customs andBorder Protection’s Local Boater Option, call (800) 432-1216or (800) 451-0393.

Hurricane Season is Over BUT—El Nino is Coming—-Windy Winter ForecastBy Roy Laughlin

The unexpectedly but completely uneventful 2006 hurri-cane season is attributed to an El Nino event that developed

more quickly than expected. A warm pool of water about 1degree C above normal formed in the Pacific southwest ofHawaii and is moving east toward South America. Windsthat formed this oceanic feature and the heat in its waterwill affect weather in the Southern United States until atleast spring. One tradeoff for the weak 2006 hurricane sea-son will likely be a series of atypically strong winter storms.Passage of two strong cold fronts in October across theFlorida peninsula are likely harbingers of more to followduring the winter.

Extratropical low pressure systems and their trailingfronts infrequently produce winds as strong as those fromhurricanes. But what they lack in velocity, they often com-pensate for in duration and frequency. Three sailboat own-ers whose boats were anchored out off Pineda Causeway inBrevard County found out the hard way that winter stormsrequire preparation and vigilance. Unexpectedly strong andgusty winds from a storm that came through in mid-October blew these boats onto the causeway beach. Whilethe boats were not damaged significantly, owners will haveto get them afloat soon before the next storm arrives or riskdamage from pounding on the bottom. The emerging ElNino is not forecast to be as strong as the one in 1998-99.This winter, however, will likely have more frequent winterstorms, and probably they will be stronger than those of thepast three winters.

Brevard County has more boats anchored out of mari-nas and piers than at any time in the past 50 years becauseof marina conversions. Recent changes in state laws givelocal police authority to declare anchored boats derelict andremove them. Once a boat comes off anchor, the owner maynot have the chance to reclaim it so easily as was the case inthe past. Sailors with boats on a mooring should exercisedue vigilance to maintain the mooring. Prompt response todeveloping storm forecasts is also effective in keeping boatsoff the rocks. Finally, when all else is done, keep your fin-gers crossed for good luck.

Beached boats from a recent storm in Brevard County. Photo byRoy Laughlin.

News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS December 2006 25

26 December 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com

BoatU.S Money Available to EducateBoaters on Waterways EnvironmentThe BoatU.S. Foundation for Boating Safety and CleanWater is offering grants up to $4,000 for nonprofit groups toeducate boaters about clean-water issues and environmen-tal stewardship of waterways. The deadline to apply is Feb. 1.While projects involving the reduction of trash and othermarine debris in waterways will receive extra considerationthis year, applicants are encouraged to submit any proposalthat strives to improve the marine environment.

“Eighty percent of all marine debris—such as plasticbottles, cigarette butts, automobile tires and industrialwaste—starts out on land and ends up in the water,” saidSusan Shingledecker, environmental program manager forBoatU.S. Foundation, in a statement. “Not only is it un-pleasant to look at, but the trash can significantly harmmarine life as well as be a navigational hazard. The easiestway to reduce marine debris is to prevent it from reachingthe water in the first place.”

Last year’s Clean Water Grant program received 65proposals. Of these, 18 projects in 14 states were selected forfunding for a total of nearly $50,000 in grant funds.

For more information, go to www.boatus.com/founda-tion/cleanwater/grants.

Fort Pierce Opens New Youth Sailing FacilityThe City of Fort Pierce and the Treasure Coast Youth SailingFoundation (TCYSF) recently opened a new youth sailingtraining facility in Fort Pierce at Jaycee Park on SouthHutchinson Island.

TCYSF, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, wasorganized to provide an additional and much-needed sum-mer activity for the benefit of the youth ages 8-13 in FortPierce and surrounding communities, according to RoyWhitehead, TCYSF president.

The foundation’s sole activity will be to teach sailing toyoung people in the area, using small boats (called prams),which the Foundation provides. The program is designed toaccommodate up to 80 students, with a number of openingsavailable to underprivileged youth. TCYSF will expandopportunities for financially underprivileged studentsbased on demand and funding availability, Mr. Whiteheadsaid, “but the intent is to allow admission to any child,whether or not they have the ability to pay.”

This program is strongly supported by the city of FortPierce, which has provided a site for the training activities,as well as financial and material aid. It is sponsored andsupported by the Fort Pierce Yacht Club.

News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS December 2006 27

The foundation’s 2006-2007 board of directors includesFort Pierce Mayor Robert Benton; Troy Ingersoll, member-electof the St. Lucie County School Board, Norman Penner, execu-tive director of the St. Lucie County Boys & Girls Club; FortPierce Yacht Club members Candace Banack, Sharon Raphaeli,William Woollett; and Roy Whitehead.

Go to www.tcysf.homestead.com for information.

BoatU.S. Offers Online Tutorial onVHF Radios with DSC ServiceLast month SOUTHWINDS printed an article on VHF radiosthat have Digital Selective Service (DSC) enabled on them.This is also known as the Maritime Mobile Service Identity(MMSI) number, the number that enables DSC VHF radiosto work as emergency locators.

BoatU.S and the U.S. Coast Guard have teamed togetherto create an online tutorial—with sound—on the system. Butit goes beyond just the use of DSC. The tutorial is in sevenparts: (1) a discussion of emergency radio communicationshistory; (2) the Coast Guard’s national emergency radio sys-tem (Rescue 21); (3) VHF radios; (4) the digital selective-call-ing VHF radio; (5) equipping your boat with a DSC VHFradio; (6) installing a DSC VHF radio; and (7) emergency androuting DSC VHF radio operation.

The tutorial serves not only as an introduction for those

new to VHF radios but also as an excellent tutorial for vet-eran mariners who would like to know how the DSC radioworks—plus learn a little history and some interesting andimportant peripheral information on VHF radios and emer-gency communications.

For more information and to view the tutorial, go to www.boa-tus.com/mmsi. Southwinds will also make this link available on itshome page at www.southwindsmagazine.com.

Online NOAA Chart ViewerAvailable—FREEThe NOAA recently launched a Web site with over 1000NOAA raster charts available for public viewing. No specialsoftware is required, and the charts can be viewed with anystandard Web site browser. Panning and zooming in andout are available, and the charts will be updated weekly forall notices to mariners.

The NOAA released raster and vector charts availableto the public earlier this year for installing on computers,but they require special software dedicated to chart view-ing. With special navigation software, these charts can bedownloaded at www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/raster/download.htm. The NOAA recommends using the freeonline charts for planning and research only.

To see the charts, go to www.nauticalcharts.gov/viewer.

28 December 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com

U.S. Virgin Islands Mandates Life Jacket UseFrom BoatU.S.

The USVI Legislature recently passed a law requiring everyvessel operator in the area to ensure that everyone on boardwears a PFD. There is no distinction made in the lawbetween commercial, recreational or charter boats. Alsopassed was a requirement that all children under 17 wear aType I or II PFD. Previously, more comfortable Type III vest-style PFDs were required for youths. Mandatory boatereducation for motorboat operators 18 years and younger isalso part of the new law. The law allows youth to take a sim-ilar course in their home state and bring their card withthem when visiting the USVIs. Since the local governmentdoes not yet have a youth boater education law, this partwill not become mandatory until that is instated—estimat-ed to be within six months.

Since there is no clarification of the law as to when boatersmust wear life jackets—for example, whether they arerequired for boats at anchor or at the dock—USVI authoritiesstated they would clarify that in the near future. They will alsoclarify whether the new rule contains all charter vessels,whether bareboat or contained charter boats.

BoatU.S. stated its opposition to mandatory life jacketsto the authorities. For updates on this situation, go towww.boatus.com/gov/alert.htm.

Sailing to Cuba? U.S. GovernmentIncreases Enforcement of CommerceRestrictions At a recent meeting in South Florida, federal enforcementagencies reiterated their plans to enforce all commercerestrictions on trade with the Cuban government, statingthey plan to aggressively prosecute and pursue those whobreak trade laws, based on the Trading with the Enemy Act,through spending money on the island nation. Althoughthe laws have never been taken to court and tested thor-

oughly, the U.S. government has punished many sailorswho have gone to Cuba through just prosecuting them—dropping the charges before they make it to trial, but longafter those accused have suffered personally and financial-ly through the harassment process.

One FBI agent, as reported in the Florida Keys Keynoter,stated that “the federal government will use all its resourcesto ensure that the law is enforced.” It was not reported whatthe federal government will do next when all of itsresources are used up.

WindPath Sailing Inc. IntroducesFractional Use Sailing to the FortMyers Area in Southwest FloridaWindPath Sailing, a fractional sailing group out ofConnecticut, recently opened its first base operation inFlorida at Fort Myers. WindPath has four locations in thenortheast and one in San Francisco, CA.

All of WindPath’s boats are fully loaded Catalinas,which are typically outfitted with an in-mast furling system, electric anchor windlass, wheelsteering with auto pilot, GPS chart plotter, air-conditioning,separate shower stall, microwave, flat screen television withDVD player and CD player. Florida’s fleet is based on theCatalina line of 30-50 foot yachts. The first yacht, a 2007Catalina 350, will be christened Beam N Brooke, and becameavailable November 15. It is berthed at Burnt Store Marina,in Punta Gorda in Charlotte Harbor with easy access to theGulf, Fort Myers, and Naples. Plans to introduce WindPathto other Florida locations as well as around the UnitedStatesare also in the works.

WindPath of Florida is owned by Bob Johnson, an avid

News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS December 2006 29

sailor who has day-sailed for 25 years and chartered similaryachts in southwest Florida for several years. Looking foran opportunity to sail more and take visitors sailing, he dis-covered “Fractional Sailing” as an alternative. In October2006, Bob became the first WindPath Sailing base owner inFlorida. Bob plans to expand his base at Burnt Store Marinaand expand to other Florida locations in the coming years.

To contact Bob Johnson about WindPath in Florida, call(239) 694-1803, or e-mail rjohnson@Wind Path.com. Formore information on WindPath, go to www.WindPath.com.

Tim Stodola of Doyle Ploch Sailmakersin St. Petersburg Moves OnTim Stodola, the sales manager at Doyle Ploch Sailmakers inSt. Petersburg, is leaving his position, and the state ofFlorida, for the mountains of Colorado. Tim has been a sail

consultant with Doyle Ploch since 1993. Prior to taking theposition there, he was the sales representative for HoodSailmakers in St. Petersburg. Tim’s background in masts,rigging, sail furling, and sail-handling systems has beeninvaluable to customers. Tim has extensive sailing and rac-ing experience including one-design, Maxi race yachts, andcorporate and charter yachts. His offshore adventuresinclude several short-handed, transatlantic crossings.

Tim will continue to work for Doyle Ploch Sails, andwill handle sail consulting and sales via e-mail (tim-stodola@doyleplochsails.com). Tim will also be availablefor some regattas and deliveries, if the conditions are right.(See Tim’s farewell letter in the letters section.)

On board as Doyle Ploch’s new sail consultant, is DanDriscoll. Dan, a recent graduate of Eckerd College, was amember of the Eckerd sailing team. Dan grew up sailing inMassachusetts and is actively involved in sailing here in theSt. Petersburg area. Dan can be reached via e-maildan@doyleplochsails.com, or (800)717-1406.

A Pearson 39 designed by Bill Shaw. Photo by Steve Morrell.

Bill Shaw of Pearson Yacht Fame DiesBill Shaw, designer of many Pearson yachtsthat today are a mark of excellence to manysailors, died recently at the age of 80 at hishome in Bristol, RI. Shaw designed (CarlAlberg designed the earlier Pearsons) sail-boats that were traditional-looking, solidlybuilt cruisers, both attractive and well-priced, with many doing well on the race-course. Shaw-designed Pearson ownerstoday are diehard fans of their boats. Shawwas also co-founder of the MORC, theMidget Ocean Racing Club.

30 December 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com

OUR WATERWAYS

Florida Mayor in St. Lucie County Proposes Marine Industrial Zone

Fort Pierce Mayor Bob Benton, in attempts to stop the decline in boating-related water-front industries, recently proposed using land currently zoned residential for a futuremarine industrial zone for boatyards, marinas and other marine businesses. The St.

Lucie county commissioners supported his idea.Noting that counties south of him—Palm Beach, Dade and Broward—are already los-

ing waterfront land currently used for similar business, he said that St. Lucie and Martincounties (on their southern border) are starting to feel the pinch. He said that rising prop-erty values—increasing 100 percent this last year—are pressuring waterfront landownersto sell for residential development, and something must be done.

Benton said that the development could take 20 years, and a lot has to be done to makeit happen—including getting support to change the zoning from residential use. Althoughcommissioners supported the idea, some wonder if nearby residents will not. There arealso many engineering and planning hurdles to jump over to make the plan reality.

Fort Pierce has worked at developing its waterfront with new marinas in recentyears—becoming a more boater-friendly community—and this would be another step inthat direction.

Our Waterways SectionSOUTHWINDS has createdthis section to inform ourreaders about changes inour waterways. We are allin the midst of greatchange—through the con-version of many boatingproperties to condominiums,restrictions on anchorages,and other economic forcesat work.

Our coastal watersand our waterways belongto all of us, and all of ushave a right to use them.These waters are not justfor those who live on thewater, and it is up to usboaters and lovers of thesewaters to protect that right.We hope that by helping toinform you of these changes,we will contribute to doingjust that.

We are looking fornews and information onchanges, land sales, an-chorages, boaters’ rights,new marinas, anchoringrights, disappearing mari-nas, boatyards and boatramps, environmental con-cerns and other relatednews. Contact SteveMorrell at editor@south-windsmagazine.com, orcall (941) 795-8704

OLD FLORIDAOR

NEW FLORIDA?

Many believe that dockominiumsare the future of marinas inFlorida. They are definitely here

to stay. From a slip renter’s point ofview, the differences between them anda traditionally owned marina can besmall, and many transients might noteven know that their slip is owned as adockominium. From the owner’s pointof view, the differences are significant.Renting one from both points of view issimilar to that of a residential condorental in Florida or a ski rental condoelsewhere. One thing for sure:Dockominiums are a major part of thefuture marina industry in Florida.

In a dockominium, a person owns a boat slip or drystorage space (often called “rackominiums” in high anddry storage), and the common elements are owned andmaintained by the owners’ association, paid for with dues.Like residential condominiums, one owns a small part—aslip or an individual condo unit—and maintenance andupkeep costs of the common elements are shared by themembers of the condominium association.

This article will briefly survey the development andcurrent status of dockominiums in Florida. We use twoterms in this article, dockominium and equity marina slipownership, interchangeably to describe the combination ofprivate slip ownership combined with an association thatowns the common elements of the facility. These terms canhave specific meanings contractually, but both generallydescribe a purchase arrangement for the long-term use ofa boat slip in a marina. Although both wet- and dry-slippurchase agreements are available, we will discuss wetslips, as they are where sailboat owners typically keeptheir boats. Each purchase contract should be considered aunique document with options and restrictions that can besignificantly different from one marina to another. It willbe advantageous to look at the multiple offerings in yourown area and to seek independent legal and accountantadvice before deciding to purchase.

THE EVOLUTION OF DOCKOMINIUMS Dockominiums are not new to Florida. They have beenaround as part of residential condominium developmentsfor many years when the marina portion of a larger resi-dential condominium was spun off as a separate entity,creating dockominiums. Residents who wanted to keep aboat purchased the slip separately, and the association feesfor this amenity were separate from the residential fees forthe main condominium development. Typically, demandfor slips far exceeded supply, so restrictions were placedon ownership, limiting it to the residents of the associatedresidential condominium complex. In these cases, Florida

statutes governing condominiums generally apply to themarina associations as well. Because of ownership restric-tions, these are not considered “public marinas.”

As waterfront property became more expensive, itbecame apparent that it is cheaper for a developer to buyan existing marina than to build a new one.Consequently—in the last decade—many existing marinashave been bought up and residential condominium com-plexes built next to them, offering to buyers a condo unitand/or a dockominium. Developers who do this have anadvantage in costs, and therefore in sales price, over thosewho build new condos with new marinas. This has helpedlead to the decline of the number of public marinas, caus-ing many to believe this trend has pushed the less affluentboaters off the water for lack of affordable slips.

THE NEW MILLENNIUM: EVOLVING TO CONDO SLIPS ONLYIn the past few years, there has been a trend to developdockominiums separate from residential condominiums.Boat owners saw the opportunity to buy a slip that theycan’t be kicked out of. As slips became more in demand,these marinas that switched to dockominiums becamelucrative investment opportunities not only for boat own-ers but for non-boat owners as well. Many prices skyrock-eted in recent years, often giving returns of several hun-dred percent in just a few years.

Several other reasons have contributed to dockomini-um growth. Damaging hurricanes in the last two yearshave accelerated this trend. Many damaged or destroyedmarinas were sold at distressed prices to condo develop-ers. Some marina owners moved a level or two higher inthe economic food chain to share in the financial feast ofslip sales by becoming developers or partnering withthem. Finally, growth management is limiting condomini-um developments that might otherwise buy a marina andadjoining lands. Dockominium development is also moreimmediately permittable. Finally, some marina sites are

News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS December 2006 31

Introduction to DockominiumsPart 1 (of two parts)By Roy Laughlin

How many marinas will switch to dockominiums? Photo by Steve Morrell.

not suitable for residentialdevelopment but are easilyconvertible to dockomini-ums. Marina owners wishingto cash out or upgrade findequity ownership offerings avery profitable way to cashout of outright marina own-ership.

In the case of docko-miniums, a boat owner“buys” a boat slip (or boatstorage space) from the mari-na developer and a member-ship in the owners’ associa-tion. The association has respon-sibility to maintain docks thatprovide access to slips, sea walls,jetties, parking spaces and anyother facilities in the marina. Thisis the dockominium concept at itssimplest.

But, there is no standard planfor dockominiums. The develop-er/seller can structure a plan inalmost any way within the legalconventions of contract law.Independent marina “dockomini-ums” associations may resemblethe more familiar residentialcondo models in terms of man-agement and fees. They can havesimple rules with owners expect-ed to either make repairs them-selves or pay to have it done.Older dockominium projects havetraded individual initiative forlow annual costs. One older exam-ple is the marina at the Cove Innin Old Naples, which was built in1960. This dockominium was setup separately from the Cove Inn,which is a condominium hotel.Ownership of the slips was notlimited to the residential condo-minium owners. It has the ameni-ties of a marina including a laun-dry and bathhouses, but not anon-site manager. This leaves own-ers or their tenants responsible formaintenance. Newer projects des-ignate a management company tooversee routine management andgeneral marina operations. Use ofa management company will addmonthly fees to association duesand will often ensure that associa-tion rules are enforced to the let-ter. Sometimes, only a portion ofan existing marina is offered fordockominium ownership whileanother portion remains a marina.

The original marina owner isoften designated as the newfacility manager. In somecases, the marina managementhandles slip rental should theowner leave it vacant. They setrates, collect rent and deductfees prior to remitting the bal-ance after costs to the owner.

A CURRENT ABUNDANCEOF DOCKOMINIUMS INFLORIDAA Google search for docko-miniums in Florida yields

dozens of links to Web sites adver-tising them in all parts of the stateand the Caribbean. In many cases,the facilities do not presently existas dockominiums, but purchasecontracts are available. Many arealready marinas being convertedto slip-ownership programs. Theyhave or plan to build more facili-ties than a marina typically needsto service boats. These includepools, computer facilities withInternet access, restaurants andother amenities that give essentialshoreside services to boat ownerswho want to use their boats for“extended stays.” Ads for thesedockominiums avoid the term“liveaboards,” perhaps to escapeinvoking local restrictions on thislifestyle. Transient cruisers wouldclearly recognize, however, theopportunity to spend the winter insuch a slip on an “extendedstay”—and would find the ameni-ties most inviting.

Dockominiums are not real dif-ferent from a traditional marinaeither in terms of size or amenities.There can be a different ambience,especially for liveaboards andextended-stay residents in the dock-ominium (see sidebar for a personalaccount). But often, boaters stayingin a dockominium that offers short-term slip availability during theowner’s absence have no idea of thefacilities’ ownership plan. It appearsto the public and operates under amanagement company just as anyother marina does.

Next month, in part II, we will discussdockominiums on state-leased sub-merged land as compared to marinasover privately owned land, taxes, andthe investment value of dockominiums.

One Boater’s DockominiumExperienceBy Barbara Pierce

The Cove Inn in Naples, FL, was our homefor over two years in 2003-5. We rented

from the owner of the slip, who had purchased itwhen the Cove Inn, a condominium hotel, wasbuilt in the 1960s. It was a dockominium longbefore the word was created.

As live-aboards for 12 years, we lived inmany marinas across the United States andMexico.

While we loved it at the Cove—and leftreluctantly—there were pros and cons.

PROS: The heated pool, bathrooms stepsaway (we rarely used our own head), laun-dry facilities, a book exchange, the locationon Naples Bay in Old Naples. Our rent wasvery reasonable. We paid it directly to theowner. Other renters paid considerablymore. Each boater made his own arrange-ment with the slip owner.

CONS: We missed the sense of communitythat we’ve experienced in all other marinasin which we’ve stayed. We didn’t get toknow many other boaters at the Cove, andthat was a real minus to us. And we missedon-site management (but lack of a dockmas-ter is not necessarily typical of dockomini-ums). We dealt directly with our landlord byphone. (He resided out of state). When theslip needed dredging, when the dock deteri-orated—any issues were ours to handle withhim over the phone. Also, there was nostructure or rules. We didn’t know we werebreaking rules until we did. Though wedon’t like rules, structure is important.

Barbara Pierce’s ketch, Crossroads, at the dockominium docks at the Cove Inn in Naples. Photo by Barbara Pierce.

OUR WATERWAYS

32 December 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com

News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS December 2006 33

34 December 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com

OUR WATERWAYS

The issues discussed at the community summit onwaterfront and boating access issues held in St.Petersburg in October are typical of what many of

Florida’s waterfront communities face today in changingtimes.

In recent years, there has been a backlash against cer-tain kinds of boaters; transients and cruisers. At the sametime, waterfront development by local governments andboating-related businesses has been almost at a standstill.Development and change in Florida’s waterfronts in the last10 to 20 years has been almost totally private and residen-tial; condominium development, the increase in luxurywaterfront homes and the meteoric rise in property values

of all property on or near the water. There has been littledevelopment of government-financed facilities, like marinas,piers, breakwaters, public docks for transients, mooringfields, and other waterfront public-use developments.Public-use areas might be waterfront tourist attractions, suchas maritime museums, waterfront shopping and restaurantareas, aquariums, tall ships, piers, boardwalks, municipalmarinas, etc. Odd that there is only one maritime museum inFlorida, and it is in its infant stages and was only recently cre-ated (Florida Maritime Museum in Cortez, FL).

For visitors to St. Petersburg, all the activity is down-town—just blocks from the waterfront—except at The Pier,the city marina and the waterfront boardwalks, which arealways lively with people both day and night. But The Pier,and all of the St. Petersburg waterfront, could be, in the eyesof some, a much more attractive, lively and entertainingarea. The Pier was built in 1973, and not much has hap-pened to the St. Petersburg waterfront since. With someexceptions, this is typical of much of Florida. Most of themarinas, piers and other waterfront attractions in Floridawere built decades ago, and few communities have builtmuch since then. That is possibly beginning to change.

BACKLASH AGAINST BOATERSWithin the last 5 to 10 years, there has been a backlashagainst boaters. The incredible increase in Florida’s popula-tion living near the water has increased the number ofboaters dramatically, yet few new boat ramps or marinashave been built. In fact, the number of marinas has declinedconsiderably.

Even though the majority of boaters on the water dailyare people who have small powerboats and don’t live on orclose to the water, it seems that the minority, which is thewaterfront landowners and waterfront condominium resi-dents, are the ones who have the loudest and most influen-tial voice. Few of those daily boaters who launch their boatsvia trailer or from high and dry storage have much say.

Waterfront residents (and those who live real close tothe water) complain of parking and traffic at boat ramps,cruisers who anchor off their private waterfronts, andmarinas and boatyards that they want to be sold for condodevelopment (with nice, quiet condo residents).Consequently, we now have a shortage of boat ramps,marinas, boatyards and other waterfront facilities allaround Florida. But there is an abundance of waterfrontluxury homes and condominiums.

St. Petersburg Waterfrontand Boating AccessSummit ExemplifiesMany WaterfrontCommunities’ ConcernsBy Steve Morrell The Pier from Spa Beach on a windy day. Will a breakwater help

preserve The Pier and make it more desirable?

Along with this, many downtowns, like St. Petersburghave condominium waterfronts, although St. Petersburgwas smart enough to buy up all the waterfront propertydowntown long ago. Yet condos exist—or are being built—all over downtown as close as they can get to the water—within blocks while waterfront development in downtownSt. Petersburg has been at a standstill for a long time. Thecitizens behind the Waterfront and Boating Access Summitheld in October are hoping to change that.

THE WATERFRONT SUMMITThe summit was sponsored by Jopie Helsen of Sailor’sWharf (brokerage and boatyard), Page Obenshain of St.Petersburg Yacht Charter and Sales and the St. PetersburgDowntown Partnership (a group of concerned citizens andbusiness people). The summit was originally promoted bythe mayor’s office in seeking citizen input on waterfrontissues concerning boats and boating access. But it’s thesponsors of this event who have been promoting ambitiouswaterfront changes for some time.

Approximately 130 people attended from various back-grounds—private citizens, business people and city repre-sentatives. After a morning general discussion of the issues,

in the afternoon, the attendees broke up into seven groupsto discuss concerns, suggestions and ideas that were latersubmitted to the city and the public.

Among the many ideas discussed, the main ones were:(1) water access through boat ramps and boat ramp mainte-nance; (2) canal dredging; (3) derelict vessels; (4) a breakwa-ter across the city’s waterfront; (5) mooring fields; and (6)development of a marina at the Port of St. Petersburg.

BOAT RAMPS AND CANAL DREDGINGThe boat ramps issue was more concerned with maintainingand improving them—the docks and the paved ramps andparking areas—as many have deteriorated. More boatramps were also supported.

The issue of canal dredging was another issue of con-cern, voiced mainly by waterfront landowners—but also byother boaters who saw the issue affecting dockage in gener-al. The city used to maintain the canals at the original con-trolling depths, even owning its own dredge. It did so asthese owners paid the highest taxes, and the city maintainedthem as they would city streets. These canals, though, likethe boat ramps, have deteriorated in recent years, anddredging is never done anymore. Many waterfrontlandowners can no longer keep deep-draft boats in slips attheir homes as the canals have filled in. Some complainabout the difficulty of being able to dredge because of envi-ronmental permits, but these canals, being navigable chan-nels, are exempt and can be regularly dredged.

DERELICT VESSELSAnother issue discussed—and the most emotionallycharged—was derelict vessels. Derelict vessels can becomeeyesores and navigational hazards, and people have basical-ly become sick and tired of them. The marine patrol com-plains that it is limited by laws that do not clearly definewhat can be hauled ashore and destroyed—that just becausea boat looks like a derelict doesn’t mean it has a right todeclare it junk and authorize it to be condemned. Other cit-izens stated that the marine patrol is just not doing its job,

The anchorage in the Vinoy Basin. A transient mooring fieldcould be developed here—if protected by a breakwater.

News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS December 2006 35

that the laws on the booksdo delineate what can becondemned. Al Davis ofGulfport expressed thisview. Al and his wife Cindyare sailors, owning a boatand a waterfront home inGulfport. They have severaltimes done the research onderelict vessels off theshoreline of Gulfport,given the information tomembers of the marinepatrol and shown them thelaws that will allow themto remove them. Still themarine patrol refused toact. Davis says the marine patrol just doesn’t take the timeto look into it and if it did, many of these vessels could belegally hauled away.

A BREAKWATER AND MOORING FIELDSThe biggest and most ambitious ideas centered around aproposed breakwater, mooring fields and a marina at Portof St. Petersburg.

The breakwater was the largest of these three ideas dis-cussed. It is also pivotal to the development of so manyother projects associated with it. Jopie Helsen and othershave been promoting this idea for many years, envisioninga downtown St. Pete waterfront that would benefit greatlyfrom a breakwater. The breakwater would protect thewaterfront along the entire downtown area from theBayboro inlet at the Port of St. Pete north to the Vinoy Basin.In the past, east winds creating waves have done seriousdamage along the waterfront. In 2005, a tropical storm—with winds never stronger than 35 mph—completelydestroyed the Vinoy Resort docks in the Vinoy basin. Tallships (and other large vessels) that have docked at the portor at The Pier have always suffered damage from strongeast winds and waves. This has kept many away or fromvisiting regularly—or from staying longer—or from possi-bly being permanently docked as tourist attractions.Hurricane-force winds would be devastating to the water-front today.

Helsen envisions a city with a lively waterfront. He

knows that all tourists in allwaterfront communitiesmigrate to the waterfrontareas—boardwalks, docks,piers, museums, restau-rants, shops, attractions,etc. Waterfront develop-ment in St. Petersburg hasbeen dead for many years.A breakwater—accompa-nied with other projectsthat it would enable—would completely changethis. Plus it can be financedfederally—without localfunds. Helsen says thatalmost every breakwater in

the United States has been funded—and can be funded inthe future—by the federal government in protecting citiesand harbors.

A breakwater would also allow a mooring field to beestablished off the city’s shoreline, along with a transientmooring field inside the Vinoy basin. East winds and waveshave prohibited this in the past. A taxi service for thosemoored in the mooring field farther out could come toshoreside facilities and docks in the Vinoy basin. Dinghydocks could be established for the transient mooring fieldand for those using the larger field farther out. Transientdocks built on the basin’s southeastern shore at the base ofthe pier could be an area where visiting boaters could comeashore for a few hours or a day to shop, visit restaurantsand other attractions. These docks could also be used forboat shows—providing income for the city. (The annualStrictly Sail boat show now spends money to build tempo-rary docks for its boat show at this location.) The entire areawould become alive with activity—and still be protectedfrom strong winds that build up coming across Tampa Bay.St. Petersburg could become a major lively waterfront com-munity.

The advantages of a mooring field are many. It wouldhelp alleviate the shortage of slips which has been growingin recent years—not only because of the diminishing num-ber of slips but because of an increasing number of boats.Mooring fields are cheaper and easier to design, build andmaintain. They are also safer and more able to withstandhurricanes. Boats are better able to survive a storm at amooring than at a dock. Many Florida communities havebeen building and running successful mooring fields inrecent years—Vero Beach, Marathon, Fort Myers Beach.Many allow liveaboards, wet storage and transients.

A MARINA AT THE PORT OF ST. PETERSBURGThe city of St. Petersburg has made several attempts inrecent years to develop the port, but nothing has been realsuccessful. Cruise ships will not use it as they go to Tampa,and the possible use of the port for offshore gambling shipswas tried, but it failed. Helsen and others believe a marinashould be developed there. The area is perfect for a marina,and the development of a breakwater will help protect thearea even more. Helsen believes it would be well-suited fora megayacht marina, as the existing docks and controlling

36 December 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com

The Port of St. Petersburg. Fishermen’s Wharf, marina, tall ships,megayachts?

OUR WATERWAYS

depth are already there andwould be ideal for largerboats, including tall shipspermanently docked asattractions. The city of St.Petersburg is consideringdeveloping the entire portand surrounding land asboth a port for fishing boatsand as a tourist attractionwith shops, restaurants,and other attractions. Theyenvision a “Fishermen’s’Wharf” similar to the one inSan Francisco. Addition of amarina to this conceptwould be ideal for the area,as would another location for transient docks for visitingboaters, both for overnight stays as well as shorter visits.

Helsen and others who sponsored this summit have avision of St. Petersburg that includes a well-developedwaterfront that could be lively and a major central attrac-tion for boaters and cruisers visiting and living in westFlorida. This could help reverse the backlash in recent yearsagainst boaters, take on the issue aggressively and make St.Petersburg a mecca for boaters. The city and the Tampa Bayarea have also been for many decades a center of industryfor boat manufacturing and boating supplies, both powerand sail. Development of the ideas presented at the summit

News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS December 2006 37

could further help thesebusinesses, besides the gen-eral economy of the area.

OTHER FLORIDACOMMUNITIES AREDEVELOPINGWATERFRONTS ANDBECOMING BOATER-FRIENDLYMany other communitiesare working toward devel-oping their waterfronts andmaking their communitiesboater-friendly, knowingthat boaters can be goodfor their economies. Places

like Vero Beach, Fort Pierce, Clearwater, Punta Gorda, andPort Charlotte are developing marinas, mooring fieldsand waterfront tourist areas. They have already made thedecision that they are going to become boater-friendlycommunities.

Gulfport, a small community just minutes away fromSt. Petersburg—traditionally a very active boater-friendlycommunity—has experienced an extreme anti-boater back-lash in recent years, mainly because of derelict vessels off itsshoreline. Becoming extremely prejudiced, many inGulfport now think all boaters are bad. This issue hascaused them to not want boaters at all, but they have recent-ly begun to see—with the support of local businesses andthe Gulfport boating community—that boaters can be goodfor their whole community. Some are working at solving thederelict boat issue and are now considering a mooring fieldand other attractions that would bring boaters to their city,which would invigorate businesses and become a boatingattraction instead of a place boaters currently denigrate.

Perhaps this recent summit can become a major mile-stone toward creating a boater-friendly, lively waterfrontcommunity in one of the most well-known and beautifulboating areas in the Southeast—St. Petersburg. The ideamight even spread.

For a more complete report on the opinions expressed andresults of the summit, go to www.stpete.org/pdf/boatingsum-mitresults.pdf.

The downtown St. Petersburg boat ramp: Do St. Pete boat rampsneed repair and ugrading?

38 December 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com

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I ’ll try to explain some of the differences we’ve found overthe years and the rationale that we went through whenwe decided to sell our Edel 35 Cat and buy the Ericson 38,

Kismet. Keep in mind, that before the Edel Cat, we hadowned a Tartan 34, a Stiletto 27 catamaran, a Kelly 24+2 anda Catalina 25. I have also raced an F28R trimaran for a cou-ple of seasons and even cruised it for a week once. I’m aUSCG licensed captain and US Sailing Small BoatInstructor, and I’ve been messing about in boats my wholelife. Back in the ’70s, my wife and I were pretty goodWindmill Class racers.

After we cruised the Bahamas twice in our Edel 35 anddecided that we wanted to do more extended cruising, wefelt that we needed a bigger boat. While we really enjoyedthe Edel 35, it just couldn’t carry all the stuff we thought weneeded to go cruising. I guess what it comes down to is per-sonal preferences for convenience. You only really need acertain level of seaworthiness, shelter from the elements, alittle water, food, etc., and you can go cruising. The rest of itinvolves the comforts of home that you want to take with you.

40 December 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com

CRUISING

Catamaran Cruiservs. Monohull Cruiser:

A Veteran of Both Looks at Pros and Cons of EachBy Capt. Ron Butler

We really liked certain features of the Edel Cat. Herspeed for one thing. As the wind came up, she just wentfaster and faster. Oh—she heeled (just a little) as one hullbecame depressed and the other lifted a bit, but we havecarried full main and jib up to about 35 knots of wind on afair reach without lifting a hull clear of the water. Mighthave been close, but we never flew the windward hull. Thebest boat speed we ever saw was about 13 knots on a broadreach in about 30 knots of breeze with just main and jib. Butspeed is a relative thing. We’d sailed our Stiletto cat up to 18knots, so 13 k in a cruising cat is not very impressive.Typically though, we cruised the Edel at about seven knotsand speeds of nine and 10 knots were quite common. That’sfast for cruising boats. For contrast, our Ericson 38 has seennine knots—surfing on a wave—but only momentarily.Normally, I plan our cruises on the Ericson based on anaverage of five knots.

I don’t mean to imply that the Edel Cat is a faster boatthan the Ericson 38. It’s not. In order for the Edel to go 12 or13 knots, conditions have to be perfect. She must havebeam-reaching winds of 20 knots plus and flat seas. If wewere to race the Edel and the Ericson boat-for-boat, in, say,10-12 knots of wind with equal amounts of windward workand reaching, the Ericson will beat the Edel, and it won’teven be close. If the race were held in 25 knots of wind andwas mainly reaching, the Edel would do the horizon job onthe Ericson. This is because the Ericson really goes wellupwind. With its big masthead Genoa, it points high andgoes fast. The Edel, with its stubby, low-aspect ratio keels,fractional rig and small jib, won’t point unless the boat canget moving at 6.5 knots or better and even then, it won’ttack through 100 degrees.

In cruising terms, both boats cover about the same ter-ritory in a day. With either boat, our typical cruising day is40 or 50 miles in daylight, then anchoring overnight. Bothboats have logged 70 plus miles sunup to sundown, and wehave run overnight and logged 130 plus-mile days.

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Capt. Ron Butler with his Ericson, Kismet, in the background.

We are often asked why we went back to owning a monohull after having owned andcruised a catamaran. The question is asked as if, once you get to the Promised Land,why come back? ummm...apples or oranges?

One thing we’ve discovered about cruising is that wetend to motor-sail a lot. This was true for both the Edel andthe Ericson. While cruising on both boats, we run 12-voltelectrical power deficits that have to be made up by runningan engine. On the Edel we carried a small Honda Genset,but on the Ericson we run the main engine. Typically, ifwe’re going somewhere that day, it’s no big deal, just motor-sail for a while. Also consider that while we’re cruising, werun the autopilot, radar, refrigeration, instruments, comput-er, lights, etc., which all demand power. If the sun isn’t shin-ing that means running the engine. In addition, it seems thatno matter how well we plan, we seem to mostly follow thelittle pointy thingy on top of the mast. Often it’s the windthat dies to something less than ideal and so we motor ormotor-sail.

Motor-sailing was no big deal on either boat, but theEdel suffered from minor drawbacks. In spite of the rela-tively quiet Honda 4-stroke outboard and the little HondaGenset, the noise is distracting. You can’t talk over theengine noise. Also, the Edel’s outboard prop could venti-late in steep, short chop. It didn’t happen often, but itwould do it. While the diesel is noisy on the Ericson, it’squieter than the Honda was on the Edel Cat. We can atleast hold a conversation in the Ericson’s cockpit. Bothboats drive in reverse well; our Ericson’s three-blade feath-ering prop backs straight and the Edel’s Honda steers withthe rudders.

Depending on the weather windows we typically choose,the Edel likely will arrive at the next anchorage a bit earlierand be able to anchor in closer to shore. We don’t oftenchoose to cruise to windward.

So here’s a contrast in styles for you. The Edel is shal-low draft (2.5 feet unloaded, maybe three feet loaded fora two-week cruise) and can’t point. The Ericson’s draft istwice that and can’t get in some shallow anchorages. Youpick. There are advantages to both. In the Bahamas, forexample, there are many nice shallow anchorages where ifyou draw one meter or less, you can get in, but theanchorages where we go for the most part, have eight to10 feet of water and sometimes 15 or 20 feet, so draft isreally not an issue.

I would also caution you about the Edel’s performancein racing trim versus performance in cruising trim. Fifteenhundred pounds of cruising gear and supplies will lowerthe Edel a good six inches plus in the water. Twenty-fivehundred pounds of stuff on the Ericson lowers her water-line an inch. The impact of this loading on performance isdramatic as well. The Edel goes from a sprightly, nimblesailor, to a slow, lugging barge. The Ericson might be affect-ed some, but it’s hard to tell. When we had the Edel, everydecision about gear or supplies was governed by how muchit weighed. We bought the lightest hard-bottom dinghy wecould find. We had a 3-hp outboard because it weighed less.We bought solar panels based on output per pound ratherthan output per square inch. (By the way, the Uni-solar flex-ible panels generate the most wattage per pound and alsooffer the lowest windage profile). The Edel only carried 60gallons of water and 24 gallons of gasoline in six-gallonportable outboard tanks. By contrast, Kismet carries a Caribe10.5-foot dinghy with a 15-hp Yamaha on davits, has a 120-watt solar panel, carries 60 gallons of diesel and 125 gallonsof potable water plus two five-gallon cans of dinghy fuel.

Under motor, the Edel would do 7.5 knots, flat-out,with her Honda 25-hp four-stroke, cruising at about 6.5 kthrottled back a bit. The Ericson does six knots, typically, atabout 2000 rpm, and we can push the Universal 5432 engineto 2600 or so with the prop settings we currently use.Interestingly, fuel consumption is about the same, some-what less than a gallon per hour, the Edel on gasoline andthe Ericson on diesel.

Esprita, the Edel 35 catamaran.

News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS December 2006 41

Another drawbackto motoring into thewind and seas on theEdel was slamming.Waves would hit theunderside of the bridgedeck, and it soundedlike cannon fire. Youthought the boat wascoming apart, which itprobably was, onewave at a time. This is aproblem with mostcruising cats wherebridge deck clearancehas been compromisedfor saloon headroom.

Cruising comfort isanother point worthmentioning. I’m aboutsix feet tall—probablyshrunk a little in my old age—but I did not have standingheadroom on the Edel except under the Bimini. The berthswere also short—must have been designed for a smallishFrenchman.

On the plus side, the Edel hulls provided two separateand relatively private accommodations including a headand shower in each side. Another plus for the Edel is that itdoesn’t rock side-to-side much at anchor. It still pitches, butit doesn’t roll, although I’m used to the motion of theEricson so it doesn’t bother me. The only time the Ericsonrolls is when the surge and wind are in different directions.The V-berth is comfortable on the Ericson, too, with plentyof room for two to roll around in. Another point aboutanchored comfort. There have been times in the Ericsonwhere the V-berth becomes uncomfortable because thewave action causes the boat to pitch considerably. In thatcase, we move aft to the saloon settees, which, being nearthe pitch axis, are moving considerably less. Anchored inthe same place with the Edel in those conditions, sleepwould have been impossible because waves slamming intothe bridgedeck would have been thunderous. Of course,you could argue that you wouldn’t anchor there in the Edelsince with its shallower draft, a calmer, more sheltered spot

could have beenfound…well, maybe,maybe not.

The Ericson alsohas a hot water tank.With the Ericson’sinboard engine, we canroute coolant throughthe tank to heat upwater. A hot shower atthe end of a cold, wetday is wonderful. Onthe Edel we used sun-showers. They onlywork if the sun is shin-ing. We also have air-conditioning on theEricson, which is reallynice when we have totie up at a marina in thehot months.

Sailing comfort is an issue, too. The Edel’s motion isquicker and choppier—corkscrewy almost, the Ericsonmore tilted and sedate. Both take getting used to if you’recomfortable with the other. The Ericson also seems a littledrier. We seldom get splashed in the Ericson cockpit wherespray and waves were frequent on the Edel, although thedodger kept the spray out of the cockpit. While the Edelwas built in France and sailed to the Caribbean for charterservice on her own bottom, I’m not convinced that it’s agood ocean-going boat. The Ericson, with a few tweaks issolid enough for serious offshore work.

So, given all that, what’s the bottom line? We decidedto sell the Edel Cat because we weren’t able to carry all thestuff we wanted to carry for extended cruising on the boat.We wanted a bigger, faster dinghy, for example, more waterstorage and more fuel. I wanted more headroom and off-shore capability. The commodore wanted a better galley,and a bigger fridge. We weren’t happy with the fact that theEdel’s performance suffered so much with the addition ofcruising supplies and gear.

Then comes the buying part. Which boat to buy. Allthings considered, we would have liked a bigger catamaran.Something about 42 feet seemed about right to us in termsof cruising capability, load-carrying, seaworthiness, etc. butwe simply couldn’t afford one. Even used 40-foot cats sell inthe $200 thousand-plus range, which was more than doublewhat we thought we could afford. So we searched for whatwe could afford; a monohull in the 40-foot class. We chosethe Ericson for a lot of reasons, not the least of which wasprice, but sailing performance and seaworthiness were atthe top of the list. We compromised on draft and the enginesize: We would have preferred less draft and more engine,but nearly everything else fit our desires and we’re happywith our choice.

If I won the lottery next week, I’d probably changeboats again. Maybe an Outremer 50 would work...or some-thing custom from the drawing board of a hot designer likePeter Wormwood, Chris White, or John Shuttleworth.Dream on...I think you have to play to win.

CRUISING

Kismet, loaded and cruising.

42 December 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com

News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS December 2006 43

Managing the WaterwayHampton Roads, VA to Biscayne Bay, FLBy Mark and Diana Doyle. Alongwith the Keys guide below, theseguides are very well put-together andeasy guides for following the ICW.$24.95

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Southern Cruising Guides byClaiborne YoungCruising Guides by Claiborne Young(and the Keys guide with MorganStinemetz) are not just cruising guides.They are also filled with miscella-neous facts and reviews of places tovisit like restaurants, attractions andother unique finds along the way. Abit of history is added to areas along the way to give thecruiser some local knowledge—beyond the local knowl-edge of boaters visiting the area.

All prices add shipping and handling of $3.50 (chart-books add $5.50) to anywhere in the Continental U.S. Booksusually ship (USPS) within 24-48 hours of ordering.

Cruising Guide to Eastern Florida (5th edition) $29.95Cruising Guide to Western Florida (6th edtion) $29.95Cruising Guide to the Northern Gulf Coast $29.95Cruising Guide to North Carolina (6th edition) $26.95Cruising Guide to South Carolina and Georgia $26.95

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NOAA Chartbooks for above guides:North Carolina $55.00The Florida Keys $55.00Western Florida $47.50

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Cruising Guide to the Florida KeysBy Capt. Frank Papy. 12th edition. $19.95For over 20 years Papy has been puttingtogether this famous Keys guide. Fewpeople know the Keys as well as Capt.Frank Papy.

A Gunkholer’s Cruising Guide to Florida’s West CoastBy Tom Lenfestey 12th edition $17.95Born in Tampa Bay, Tom Lenfestey hasbeen putting this guide together for along time and there is a lot of informa-tion in it that is difficult to find else-where. He knows this coast from thePanhandle to the Dry Tortugas likefew others.

Exploring Coastal Mississippi By Scott Williams. $22.00The only guide dedicated to cruising theMississippi coast.

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W hether on the hook at Useppe anchorage, or visit-ing Cabbage Key off ICW marker 60, a tripthrough the Tunnel of Love is a must. It is shown

on the Boca Grande chart as a line running from MurdockBayou and ending in a needle-eyed lagoon on the back sideof Cayo Costa.

Another must for this excursion is a dinghy for gettingto the entrance of the Tunnel of Love takes you across somevery shallow water. In fact, depending on the tide, you mayhave to get out and walk now and then, pulling the dinghybehind you, so wear appropriate shoes.

Plan on spending the day. Pack a lunch, bring a bathingsuit and sunscreen, and board your dinghy in the morning.Go due west into Murdock Bayou. Once there, you mayhave to do some hunting to find the entrance to the tunnel,but you will feel like a treasure hunter as you plod alongwith map in hand. Then suddenly... there it is! An openinginto the mangrove itself.

The mangroves in this area are of the red variety, also

referred to as “walking trees” because their roots are visi-ble above the water like thousands of spindly legs. Theseroots act as an under-carriage on which the trees sit. Theroots are also called prop roots as they help prop, or sup-port, the trees against the oceans’ strong waves and tides,while at the same time trapping silt and dirt, thus build-ing new land as they walk along.

Once inside the tunnel, the water will be deep enoughfor you to get back into the dinghy. When we went, thetide was incoming; it picked us up and carried us throughthe tunnel in a manner similar to any amusement park’stunnel of love, and we were in for a magical ride.

With the branches closed overhead, we were in a twi-light zone. The filtered sunlight added a cool, greenishhue to everything. Here and there a direct ray of lightcame through, putting glints of diamonds on the water,which in turn were reflected back to the green canopy.Golden leaves had dropped off the trees, and they nowtook on a luminescence of amber stained glass.

The silence was complete except for thegurgling of the water and an occasionalbird chirp. Here, in the womb of MotherNature, the tangled roots of the man-groves are the nursery of life. Decayingplant matter is broken down by microbesand, in this form, digested by pink shrimpand worms, which are then eaten by smallfish. These in turn are eaten by larger fish,and so on, up the food chain.

We couldn’t help but wonder if therewere any alligators around. After all, wedidn’t want to become part of this foodchain. But there wasn’t any danger, for innature alligators shun man.

We were carried along at a prettygood clip, steering only occasionally tostay clear of underwater stumps and

The roots of the “walking trees” line the tunnel, and sunlight dapples the water.

Left to right: Richard, Newell, and Ina (author).

Gunkholing inBoca Grande,Southwest Florida: The Tunnel of LoveBy Ina Moody

44 December 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com

News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS December 2006 45

ed the blue-green Gulf to be magnificent in itself. We knowhow, on clear days, it shimmers in the sun and dances in thebreeze. But we were coming from behind the dunes, and toour amazement, the splendid panoramic Gulf viewappeared in a frame of weathered driftwood!

Scattered along the beach, as a silent witness againstthe treachery of the benign-looking Gulf, were gnarled,sun-bleached mangrove limbs reaching toward the sky asif saying, “Look what this gentle Gulf has done to us!” Ofcourse, as sailors we know how quickly the Gulf can changeits mood.

We unpacked our lunch and had our picnic. Afterwards,we went shelling and swimming, and did all the things youdo when at the beach, but even so...everything had a peculiaranti-climatic flavor to it. It is almost as if the mind can absorbonly so much splendor in any one day.

That night, as I lay in the V-berth on Eclipse, I wasrethinking our trip through the Tunnel of Love, and thebeauty of the beach. Indeed, the best things in life are free!Beautiful sunsets, children’s laughter, a well-executed sail-ing maneuver, all are expressions of nature’s perfection.Descriptive words and phrases are inadequate, and we areleft with a sense of awe, and it brings to mind the words ofJoyce Kilmer who so eloquently wrote, “Poems are made byfools like me, but only God can make a tree.”

overhanging branches. At one point, we saw bright sunlightahead, and the rivulet carried us around a curve and into anopen space, where the brilliant blueness of the sky silhouet-ted the dark green color of the mangroves and then, just asquickly, the tunnel swallowed us up again.

All too soon, the ride came to an end. The currentbrought us out of the mangroves and dumped us in the lit-tle lagoon we had seen on the chart. The ride was over, butwhat a trip it had been into a world of natural wonders thatonly a few people are lucky enough to see.

The lagoon ahead of us was like a black, still mirror, a cou-ple of hundred feet in diameter. On the far side we could see thesand dunes that separated us from the Gulf beach. Since thecurrent had lost its grip on us, we lowered the engine back inthe water and cranked up. The monotone drone of our enginewafted over the still lagoon as we crossed.

We didn’t know it at the time, but we were in for a sec-ond visual wonder. After we beached the dinghy securelyand loaded ourselves with picnic coolers and other beachparaphernalia, we climbed the dunes that separated usfrom the Gulf. And here it happened! Once again MotherNature rendered us speechless by her grandeur. We expect-

Ina (author) and husband on Cayo Costa beach.

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46 December 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com

TRAVELS WITH ANGEL

T he captain had asked if we’d like to ride along. Spenda few days on a plushy 60-foot motor yacht? Why not?However, this innocent joyride over the Atlantic had

taken a turn for the worst. Now I was bobbing in over14,500 feet of water with 8- to 10-foot waves, and there wasa sailboat whizzing towards my head. Howling like a lostbeagle, I lurched away.

This bizarre turn of events had started after I anchoredAngel near a motor yacht in the Bahamas. Bill, my fellowtraveler sailing his ketch, Defiant, settled nearby. The motoryacht’s captain was a mutual friend, and he invited us toride along on one of his delivery trips. He needed to towfour small vessels behind his yacht from Eleuthera andacross the Northeast Providence Channel to Great Abaco,Bahamas. The motley train of vessels included a rudderless29-foot wooden sailboat, a 21-foot power cruiser and twocenter console skiffs. Bill and I tucked our sailboats in a safespot and joined our captain friend. With a favorable weath-er forecast, the yacht was in motion before sunrise. In thepastel glow of dawn, I watched the four boats being towed,in single file from largest to smallest, behind us as weslipped away from Eleuthera and into the open Atlantic.The ocean swells, remnants of a cold front, were too large.

Soon, a new wind ruffled the seas, adding to thealready swollen ocean. Pitching and rolling about, the yachtwas mussed up despite her solid toughness. Rattlingaround down below, I tied the refrigerator door shut, addedtape to the banging cabinet doors and rescued a wine bottleas it skid across the floor. Today’s weather forecast had beenfar off base. Not knowing that the winds had piped up to 25knots, I raided the captain’s cookie supply, found a book onthe floor and wedged into a corner. The book was aboutfamous disasters at sea. Unnerved, I got up to find a differ-ent read and heard Bill’s alarmed voice in the wheelhouse.“They’re drifting away!” I looked outside. Only the sailboatwas attached to us. Towline broken, the three powerboatswere floating away, but they were still tied to each other.

The captain had an idea. With the 8- to 10-foot seas, wecouldn’t bring the yacht alongside the drifting vessels, but

we could get close enough for a confident swimmer to jumpoverboard, climb up the swim ladder of the largest boat,Osprey, and start its engine. The captain and I looked at Bill,who had special Navy training. “Oh, crap,” Bill said.Wearing an orange life vest, he grimaced as he jumped intothe Atlantic. Alone in a vast, cobalt blue sea, Bill looked likea doll clinging to a toy boat. He cleared the broken lines andhad Osprey in motion; the two skiffs pulled along in linebehind him. In contact via VHF, Bill struggled over the seas,following us in a tense retreat to safe harbor. Osprey could-n’t be reattached to the yacht, but at least the rolling waveswere far apart and not dangerously steep. After a shortwhile, Bill radioed. “We’ve lost Froggy.” The towlinebetween Osprey and the next boat, Froggy, had snapped. Stilltied to each other, Froggy and the smallest skiff were nowhelplessly drifting away into the big, blue empty.

“Oh,crap,” I said. Despite lifelong experience withwaves, boats and surf, I had nothing like Bill’s rugged mili-tary background. Never would I attempt such madnessunless I was sure that it could be done without real damageto my non-thrill-seeking hide. A decision was made. Theyacht slowly passed Froggy, and I plunged into the unwel-coming sea. I hadn’t jumped far enough, and the sailboattowed behind the retreating yacht was pushed by a rearingwave. The rudderless vessel swerved toward me. Howling,I swam away. The sailboat swished past and, fortunately,her narrow path was easily dodged. I levered over Froggy’sstern only to find that the boat was out of fuel and the skiff

Shanghaied in EleutheraBy Rebecca Burg

Angel

find ticks earlier?” Bill won-dered out loud. “Maybethey’re brand-new ticklets,just hatching after their par-ents ate the dog and laideggs in the carpet,” I saidtestily, still dancing. “Therecould be zillions of them!”

Bill shrugged, unfazed. Grabbing clean bedding, I slept onthe sailboat that night. She was a damp, stinky woodencargo vessel with no bed, toilet or living facilities. Also, shehad no blood-thirsty, skin-burrowing bugs. I slept just fine,relatively speaking. The next day, a better weather windowopened, and the captain’s charges, including us, were deliv-ered unharmed. Eventually reunited with my sailboat, Igladly resumed a slow-paced cruiser’s agenda. Bill and Iplayed tourist in Eleuthera where a mysterious festival wasin the works. Curious, we wandered through the cheerfulcrowd and unwittingly stumbled into a strange new adven-ture with a fleet of wild Bahamian racing sloops. But that’sa whole new story...

News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS December 2006 47

tied behind it had a brokensteering system. Ospreybounced past and, quick-thinking, Bill tossed methe end of a long line. Thethree powerboats unitedagain, Bill resumed towingthem to safety. I was stuckon Froggy, the boat surfing crazily in a wet, suspensefulroller coaster ride. After searching the skiff’s cooler in vainfor a beer, or anything, I curled up into a ball on the saltyfloor. Ten long, soggy miles later, all boats were in safe har-bor and reattached to the anchored yacht. Dazed and prob-ably unsure what planet we were on, Bill and I showeredand plundered the yacht’s bar.

“Look, another beetle!” I said that evening, flinging theintruder overboard. “That’s a tick,” Bill said matter-of-fact-ly. Moments later, a third tick was found racing toward myleg. Whining, I jumped up, slapping my clothing and danc-ing a jig. The captain said that a dog was aboard two weeksago, and ticks were found in its fur. “How come we didn’t

Bill and Rebecca, still recovering.

48 December 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com

Stars & Stripes, the catama-ran that sailing legendDennis Conner sailed

against New Zealand mer-chant banker Michael Fay’sgigantic monohull in a farci-cal 1988 America’s Cup—theparticipants spent more timein court than they did rac-ing—sits on a lift behindSteve Liebel’s house on theManatee River in Bradenton.Liebel says that it could be thefastest sailboat in the world.

It’s big enough. The hulls,with an entry that is knife-edge sharp, are 60 feet long.The carbon fiber mast towers90 feet in the air. Stars &Stripes looks dangerous sit-ting still. Its centerline spritcould have been designed bya special effects guru firedfrom the movie Mad Max fortoo vivid an imagination.Under way, it requires sixgood sailors and a couple ofless skilled hands to sail it,making it the definitivehands-on experience. Sailinga boat with so much power islike driving a truckload ofnitroglycerine over a washboard road;if something goes wrong, the resultswill be absolutely spectacular.

Liebel, 37, purchased the boatearly in 2005. It had been in Naples.The people who originally brought theboat to Naples must have chokedwhen the shipping container arrivedwith the boat in it. Stars & Stripes wasdisassembled. All the parts were there,but it was like Christmas morning inhell: Some Assembly Required.

Speaking of the people he boughtit from, Liebel said, “They apparentlydecided they couldn’t sail it. I know

they broke any number of things.”Breaking stuff on a high-tech catama-ran of the size of Stars & Stripes has away of eating up money in hugechunks and making league bowlingseem like a viable alterative.

Steve Liebel again: “We sailed ita couple of times, and the main splitin half on us, so we decided to pull itout of the water. Doug Fisher ofUllman Sails in Sarasota oversaw atotal refit. The boat’s hulls werefaired, some of the rigging wasreplaced and the tramp (trampoline)was replaced.”

The boat is certainly fit forduty now. It sailed fromClearwater to Key West inMay in just over 13 hours.That’s just four hours longerthan it takes to drive to KeyWest from Clearwater. In fact,there was a question as towhether the guys who wererunning Liebel’s chase boat, aBoston Whaler, could get thechase boat back to Bradentonfrom Clearwater, put it on atrailer and get to Key Westbefore the cat got there, so thechase boat only towed Stars &Stripes part way to Clearwaterand then headed back to geton the road south. They bare-ly made it in time.

“Everyone was up thewhole way,” Liebel said.“And we were there beforethe bars closed.” He didn’tmention if he handed outmedals to guys willing to sailboth that far and that fast onwhat is, essentially, a beachcat that does not lend itself torelaxing in the slightest.

Currently, Stars & Stripeshas no engine, though an out-

board appendage is in the works. As aresult, a chase boat is mandatory. Ifone judges cool toys by how totallyhard they are to use effectively, Stars &Stripes—requiring a crew of eight andat least a couple of more guys on achase boat—has to rank right up therenear the very top; the Mount Everestof complications.

Stars & Stripes has no room forpleasantries. The hulls are so narrowthat if you wanted to sleep in one andwere not subject to fits of lunacy inconstricted spaces, you’d have to sleepon your side. Rolling over would

The Home With ARocketship Out Back

(Cover: Stars and Stripes racing in the Bradenton Kick-Off Regatta in September)

By Morgan Stinemetz

Stars & Stripes at its home on the Manatee River.

News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS December 2006 49

require major work. I looked in theport hull, through an opened alu-minum-framed hatch whose lid wascarbon fiber, and what took up most ofthe room in the opening was a dehu-midifying unit. There’s a similar appli-ance in the starboard hull. Somewheredown there, too, are a storage batteryor two to run the lights, an anchor,anchor line and life jackets. There arerules, you know. If it doesn’t weightoo much, a cooler with cold drinksand sandwiches will work, too.

Liebel said the refit overseen byFisher lightened Stars & Stripes by 900pounds from what the boat weighedwhen Dennis Conner raced it off SanDiego. Then he said that replacing thetwo aluminum cross members and thealuminum boom with carbon fibermembers would lighten the boat by anadditional 900 pounds. As she sitsnow, Stars & Stripes weighs 6,000pounds, which is approximately what27-foot monohulls weigh before theirowners start putting things like spareparts, fuel, bedding, books, water,

extra sails, pots, pans and food onboard.

Liebel has to be a speed junkie. Heprobably lies awake at night thinkingof ways to pare the weight down onhis catamaran. You never know. Anounce here and an ounce there andpretty soon you are talking about

some real serious weight. This kind ofobsession doesn’t just adhere to Liebelalone. Ocean racers and backpackershave been known to cut down handlesof toothbrushes to save weight. Whichbegs the question: Do they carry den-tal floss?

Is Stars & Stripes fast? Passablyso. In eight knots of true wind, Liebelsaid, the boat will do 20 knots and flyone hull. Top speed? Oh, 28 knots orsomething like that. The boat isequipped with a “screacher,” a lightjib used in reaching, several otherjibs—none that overlap the mast—and no spinnaker. The boat’s inher-ent quickness moves the apparentwind forward so a spinnaker isimpossible to fly.

One of these days, when the windsare right and willing souls are ready,Liebel is going to take Stars & Stripesout in the Gulf of Mexico and go fora world speed record. It’s a headyconcept for a catamaran you keepbehind your house.

Stay tuned.

There is no going down below in the narrow hulls of this 60-foot boat.

50 December 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com

News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS December 2006 51

When David Loring, a native of Charleston, SC,crossed the finish line in race seven of the recent2006 Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina Sunfish

World Championship to clinch the title, he looked equallyelated and spent. It wasn’t simply the regatta’s seven, five-leg, windward-leeward races over four days—with 98 com-petitors from 16 countries vying for clear air and boatspeed—that had drained his energies. The 33-year-old soft-ware sales executive also served as the event’s chairmanand a self-appointed goodwill ambassador for his home-town. On top of that, Loring is a family man with wife andthree children at home. Talk about busy.

He led the event wire-to-wire by acing the first tworaces in convincing fashion, and then never finishing worse

than sixth, culminating the event with a cumulative 19points. (Rules allowed for one discard, so Loring actuallyfinished with 13 points.) Every other racer except Loringhad at least one double-digit finish. His closest rival in theevent—David Mendelblatt, a 35-year-old racer from St.Petersburg, FL—sailed a brilliant regatta as well, but he fal-tered slightly in two races, posting scores in the mid-teens,and that was what kept him astern of Loring in the overallstandings, ultimately by a 14-point margin.

Some observers might point out that Loring held a dis-tinct advantage because he’d sailed here all his life.Charleston Harbor, which is renowned for its strong andoccasionally tricky tidal currents, certainly offered difficul-ties for many visiting competitors. And though he agreed

RACING

Charlestonian Wallops Fleet in 2006 Sunfish WorldChampionship, Charleston, SC, Sept. 30-Oct. 6By Dan Dickison

that knowing the waterwell gave him an edge,Loring said there wasmore to the regatta thanthat. “Current definite-ly was an important fac-tor, but it wasn’t thewhole game.”

Adding complexityto the situation was thefact that the prevailingwinds during the fourdays of competition wereunusual for Charlestonat this time of year whensailors customarily seefrontal-borne windsfrom the northeast or thecustomary southwest seabreeze. Each of the event’s seven races was staged withwinds out of the southeast. On Day 1, the breeze was asstrong as it would get for the entire regatta—10 to14 knots,flowing over a fast-moving flood tide. On Day 2, the windsmoderated into the 8- to 10-knot range. Day 3 was similar,but racing started earlier in the day, meaning an entirelydifferent current scenario for the racers to navigate. Andon Day 4, it took the breeze three hours to materialize afterthe scheduled start time, which presented yet another cur-

rent curveball. For the initial race

on Day 1, which beganat 2:00 in the after-noon, a dramatic tideline stretched downthe 1.25-mile windwardleg, nearly bisectingthe racecourse. SeveralCharleston sailors—Kenny Krawcheck, RyanHamm, and BrianSwan—huddled at oneend of the line, tryingto assess the best routeupwind in the finalminutes before the warn-ing signal sounded.

When the startinggun went off, 98 racers lined up along the massively longstarting line, their blue, yellow, and white sails momentari-ly framing the majestic backdrop dominated byCharleston’s new suspension bridge. Almost immediately, agroup of five sailors began to punch ahead of the fleet, abouttwo-thirds of the way down the line from the committeeboat. Out in front was Jim Koehler of Long Island, NY, fol-lowed by Chip Clifton from Palm Beach Gardens, FL, andthen Loring, Mendelblatt, and David Hartman of VeroBeach, FL.

Those five sailors worked the middle left-hand side ofthe beat and built a considerable lead over the rest of thefleet, which became stretched out across the entire race-course. It was a scenario that would repeat itself in thecoming days, as the broad range of sailing talent in thisfleet became apparent. And though several of the faces inthis lead group would change, Loring and Mendelblattwere among the top five in almost every race. In that firstcontest, they finished 1-3, respectively, with Clifton takingsecond place.

To get under way in the second race, the fleet had toendure a general recall, which was particularly fortuitousfor Loring. He got behind at the start, and said later that heprobably would have been in 60th place had the fleet actu-ally started. His comments touched on an important mat-ter—the extreme difficulty of getting started in clear air withso many boats jockeying for position. Many sailors wouldremark on that issue throughout the event. “The starts arereally tough,” said Sunfish veteran Tom Whitehurst ofPensacola, FL, after winning Race 4. “The boat end of theline has been heavily favored for the first couple of days, soeveryone is crowding up there and consequently almosteveryone is having a tough time getting off the line clean,and that’s key.” Jamie Ewing, a young Charlestonian wholives in New York, echoed that sentiment: “The start iseverything. If you’re in the second row or worse in this bigfleet, you really don’t have a chance, and that pretty muchseals your fate for the race.”

Those starting line dynamics definitely influencedLoring’s overall strategy. “That general recall was a knockon the head for me. It woke me up. I realized quickly that Idon’t need to be in a crowd. I just need to find a spot with

RACING

Race central at the Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina.

52 December 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com

News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS December 2006 53

clear air and let my speed do thework.” And that’s exactly what he didwhen the second race got under way.Loring and several other sailors,including Hank Saurage of BatonRouge, LA, and Sebastian MeraCabral of the Dominican Republic,jumped ahead of the fleet. At the finalleeward rounding in the five-leg race,Mera Cabral held a small lead overLoring, but his boat hit the mark whilerounding, and as he performed hispenalty turns to exonerate himself,Loring sped away upwind and gar-nered the win, followed by Saurageand then Whitehurst.

The start of the first race on Day 2was marred by tragedy. DavidThompson, 55-year-old sailor fromBridgton, ME, suffered a massiveheart attack shortly after the startinggun went off, and he slumped over backward into the water.Despite the heroic efforts of a young Peruvian racer, AndresCano-Alva, who immediately jumped into the water toassist Thompson—as did a volunteer from a nearby judges’boat—neither the U.S. Coast Guard nor the emergency med-ical technicians on shore were able to resuscitate the sailor.His close friend Dave Stewart, who had traveled fromMaine with Thompson, was stunned, as were all the racers.Still, Stewart managed to compose himself afterward andoffered a brief eulogy that evening when all the sailors gath-ered on shore. Then, everyone observed a moment of silencein Thompson’s honor.

As the event wore on, the conditions on the racecoursebecame increasingly trying. The southeast winds weresteady when they finally materialized, but they rarelyexceeded 10 knots for the final two days of competition,while the strength of the tides was ever-increasing with a

waxing moon. That scenario seemed perfectly

suited to the 145-pound Mendelblatt.He won both races on Day 3 in con-vincing fashion, occasionally havingto hike his boat down while heaviersailors like Paul-Jon Patin (a formerworld champion who scales in some-where around 200 pounds) wereforced to sit well inside their boatsexcept for the occasional puffs.

Going into the final day,Mendelblatt trailed Loring by 24points, effectively meaning that if therace committee chose to stage onlyone race, the young Charlestonian hadthe overall victory sewn up.Consequently, the real contest was forsecond place. Mendelblatt, who had acumulative 43 points before that lastrace, was only two points ahead of

Whitehurst, and three points ahead of Peter Stanton of theU. S. Virgin Islands. Both Greg Gust of Dallas, TX, and JuanJose Delgado of Guatemala City, Guatemala, had long-shotchances of breaking into second or third place (with 55 and70 points respectively), but only if Mendelblatt, Whitehurst.and Stanton somehow had particularly poor finishes in thatrace. It didn’t play out that way.

Out on the harbor that final morning, mere zephyrsgreeted the fleet. The minutes ticked by as the October sunseared down, its heat undisturbed by wind. A majority ofthe sailors made their way over to the shallows surroundingCastle Pinckney, a small island in the center of the water-way, and waited for the postponement flag to come down.It was almost three hours later when the committee finallydropped the flag, and promptly signaled a starting sequence

David Loring,winner of the Sunfish World Championship.

See SUNFISH WORLDS continued on page 76

54 December 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com

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SOUTHERN RACINGNEWS & UPCOMING EVENTS

Two Popular Sailing SymposiumsTo Be Held In New Orleans InJanuary 2007US SAILING has announced that its two popular sympo-siums, the National Sailing Programs Symposium (NSPS)and the One-Design Sailing Symposium (ODSS), will beheld together over a five-day period in New Orleans, LA,Jan.17-21. Go to page Short Tacks, page 22, for a completedescription and information.

Acura Key West 2007 Gears up for20th Annual Week of Racing,January 15-19From Premiere Racing

Acura Key West 2007, presented by Nautica, will once againwelcome a gathering of international grand prix boats, highprofile classes, and sailing greats. The entry list has beengrowing daily, and the marquee line-up of programs and

athletes is as impressive as any in the previous 19 years.The competition in the IRC “big boat class” will present

some of the most rivalrous racing in Key West. Jim Swartz’sMoneypenny’s tie-breaking, final race Rolex Swan Cup winover Torbjorn Tornquist’s Artemis in Porto Cervo sets a dra-matic stage for next month’s rematch of the Swan 601s.

Boats making their debut at Key West will include theAnnapolis 30, Beneteau 10R, NYYC Swan 42, Columbia 30,GP42, and the J/92S. A design that will certainly represent afuture one- design class in Key West is the NYYC 42.Makoto Uematsu’s latest, Esmeralda (Hull #2), will be racingunder IRC.

January marks the 20th edition of race week—a bigmilestone for this regatta founded by Yachting magazineback in 1988. The first year’s 59-boat fleet featured handicapracing only with one race each day. Six PHRF, IOR and IMSclasses raced in one division on an Olympic triangle course.Key West Race Week has evolved into a nine-race series ofwindward/leeward racing for nearly 300 boats in 18 to 20classes in four divisions.

The inaugural PHRF National Championship will takeplace as part of the regatta. US SAILING’s PHRF CommitteeChairman Paul Ansfield and Vice Chairman Bruce Bingmanare finalizing the scoring details. “We’ll have very differentboats racing on different courses, with professional andstrictly Corinthian crews. The challenge is to create a mean-ingful, logical scoring system that will crown a deservingPHRF champion,” said Ansfield.

PHRF racing has always been an important part of raceweek with the last 5 years featuring an average of 9 classesand 92 boats (representing 30 percent of the fleet), hailingfrom 26 different states.

Early Farr 40 entries from Australia, Italy, Norway andBrazil speak to the worldwide appeal of this 10-year-old class.

Fifteen to 20 Melges 32s plan to be in Key West, a sub-stantial gain over their eight-boat presence last year. TheJ/105s are also projecting class gains with up to 35 boatsvying for their Mid Winter championship. The Corsair 28RNational Championship is on the line this January. This is thefifth year at Key West for these high performance multihulls.

Mid-Winter Championship titles are on the line for fiveone-design classes; J/109, J/105, J/80 and the Melges 24sand Melges 32s.

For more information, go to the event Web site atwww.premiere-racing.com.

New Predicted Log Contest Race inPensacola Bay Coming UpBy Kim Kaminski

The Navy Yacht Club of Pensacola (NYCP) has announcedthe introduction of a new racing format for sailors of thePensacola Bay area. On December 16, sailors can enter ahead-to-head race to see who is the best mariner by enteringthe Predicted Log Contest Race. The idea is to utilize nauti-cal skills and basic instruments to determine a predicted fin-ish time when the competitor’s vessel might complete anentire pre-determined racecourse. No navigational aids maybe used for plotting the course or determining positionother than a compass and engine tachometer. In addition tothese requirements, no timepieces or auto-pilots will beallowed, and all other boat instruments will be covered dur-ing the duration of the contest.

The contestant will be given a designated racecourse

two weeks in advance and asked to prepare a predicted log.In the boat’s log it will state a starting time, which will beestablished by the skipper of the boat. Based on thePredicted Log Contest’s handicap formula, the skipper will

News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS December 2006 55

Paige Railey Wins Female ISAF Rolex WorldSailor of the Year Award for 2006Laser Radial champion Paige Railey of Clearwater, FL, was recently namedthe female ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year for 2006. At an awards cer-emony in Helsinki, Railey was honored with the award along with MikeSanderson of New Zealand who won the male award for the sailor of the year.

The award was given to those two sailors, one male and one female,who made the most outstanding sailing achievements from Sept. 1, 2005,through August 31, 2006. At the end of 2005, Railey won the Volvo YouthSailing ISAF World Championship in Korea, followed by the Laser RadialWorld Championships in Brazil a few weeks later.

In 2006, she began the year with wins at the French Olympic SailingWeek and the ISAF World Sailing Games in Austria. Later in the year, shewon the Olympic Test Regatta in Qingdao, the venue for the OlympicSailing Competition in 2008.

Railey was also nominated for the title in 2005-6, but the title last yearwas given to Ellen MacArthur.

Paige Railey, USA, female winner and HM King Constantine of Greece at theawards ceremony for the ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year 2006. Photo byCarlo Borlenghi / Rolex.

56 December 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com

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determine how fast it would take his boat to reach eachmark of the designated course and finally at what time theboat would finish the race. The winner will be determinedby the vessel with the lowest corrected error percent. (In thecase of a tie, the boat which finishes closest to its scheduledfinish time would win.)

This contest will be open to all boaters; power, sail, one-design or any vessel at least 15 feet in length. As part of thecontest, each vessel will carry an official observer whose jobentails recording in the actual log the predicted and actualstart times, tracking the official time for mark roundings,recording this time in the log and calculating the actualelapsed time for the leg. Each skipper will be required toprovide a qualified observer (someone who has had previ-ous experience or instruction at the official skipper’s brief-ing). The names of all observers will be place in a hat andrandomly selected by each boat in the contest.

The boat’s observer will also take note of any failures topass various checkpoints at the required distance. All check-points must be passed within 100 yards and on the correct side.The official log will be maintained only by the observer and noother person on board may become aware of its contents.

Once the contestant’s vessel returns to shore, theobserver will immediately secure from the race committeethe predicted log that the contestant prepared and turned inprior to the race start. The observer will then complete theactual log, which is to be signed by both the contestant andthe observer who will then deliver the log back to the racecommittee for official processing and confirmation.Trophies will be provided to top finishers in each class.

An observers and skippers meeting will be held at 11:00a.m. at the Navy Yacht Club, located on the Pensacola NavalAir Station Bayou Grande Marina. It is important that allskippers and observers be present at this meeting. Entry feefor the race is $10.

For more information go to the Navy Yacht Club Website at www.navypnsyc.org, or contact Fleet Captain StuHamlin at (850) 934-3206.

RACE REPORTS

West Florida Ocean Racing Circuit(WFORC), Pensacola Yacht Club,Oct. 13-15By Kim Kaminski

The Pensacola Yacht Club’s 32nd Annual West FloridaOcean Racing Circuit (WFORC) was held this year Oct. 13-15 on Pensacola Bay. The WFORC competition is consideredone of the year’s best events and a racing opportunity not tobe missed. This year, 180 sailors sailed on 38 boats.

Fleet Captain John Matthews and Race CommitteeChair Betsy Moraski from the Pensacola Yacht Club wel-comed 30 Performance Handicap Racing Formula (PHRF)sailboats and eight Melges 24s to the regatta. Top officialsincluding Chip MacMillan, William Paden and racingjudges Frank Valiant, Pete Morrill and Cal Jones along withnumerous race committee volunteers in committee boats,pin set boats, mark set boats, judge’s boat and press boats

helped to set the stage for the competition.The PHRF fleet sailed in two races on Friday, two races

on Saturday and two races on Sunday for a total of five racesallowing one throw-out. The Melges 24 class raced four raceson Saturday and four on Sunday allowing one throw-out.The challenging weather conditions along with stiff competi-tion came to a head on the final day, providing for some closefinishes and several tied positions in the line-up.

Strong north winds blowing at 15 to 25 knots during thefirst day helped to create some intense action out on the race-course. There were some close finish times for several whofinished within seconds of their competition and various rac-ing teams who experienced alternating first-place finishes,making for an interesting turn of events throughout the series.After the first day, Principal Race Officer Chip MacMillan pre-sented the PHRF fleet results, showing a very close contestbetween some skilled sailors. For instance, in the Spinnakerclass B, there was a three-way tie for second place between JoeCool, Tripp Nautic and Hot Toddy and in the remaining classesonly one or two points separated the leaders.

While the PHRF classes raced in the southern part ofPensacola Bay, the Melges fleet, set up by Principal RaceOfficer William Paden, raced off the shoreline of downtownPensacola in the northern part of the Bay.

Strong north winds blew throughout the weekend, onlyoccasionally weakening in strength when the sea breezefrom the south would try to come in. On day one, freezingrain covered the course during the second race. As the coldrains met the warm Bay waters, steam rose up, creating aninteresting atmosphere for the racers.

Another unexpected moment happened on the race-course just before the countdown to the start of the last race.Race Officer Chip MacMillan hailed the Coast Guard tostand by for a medical emergency as the racers anxiouslyawaited any information on what medical situation hadoccurred. Support boats and several race crews offered theirassistance. Thankfully, everything ended well when theaffected race committee member was taken to shore safelyby one of the support boats, and the last race finally began.Competitors found out later that it was their own RaceCommittee Chair Betsy Moraski who had the close call, asshe explained during the awards presentations. But theclose call did not stop her from handing out the trophies forthe infamous Riddle Cup.

John Guy Jr. and his talented crew show off their silver trophiesearned at the 32nd WFORC on Guy’s J/92, Hot Toddy. John’steam efforts helped them to win the coveted Riddle CupTrophy, an honor he has won five times before making thisyear’s win lucky number six. Photo by Kim Kaminski.

The Riddle Cup Trophy is given to the most competi-tive class, which is determined by finish times between firstplace and third place in each of the classes. This year’scompetition had close battles in each of the four classes,which created a difficult task for the race committee todetermine the lucky recipient. Zane Yoder and his team onWild Cherry, a Soverel 30, journeyed from their home yachtclub in Fairhope, AL, to defend his Riddle Cup Trophy titlefrom the 2005 event. However, as close as this competitionwas in the C class (Wild Cherry finished in first with a totalof six points with a two-way tie for second place and atotal of 11 points between The Bear and Antares), it wasJohn Guy, Jr. and his team on Hot Toddy in the B class thatcaptured the coveted trophy. John took his team on animpressive three first-place finishes with one second placeand one third-place win, earning a total of eight points inthe series over the 2003 Riddle Cup Winner Roy Hardenon Shameless (who finished with a total of 11 points). Johnhad won the Riddle Cup a total of five times prior to the2006 event and wanted to win just one more time on hisJ/92 from St. Andrews Bay Yacht Club. He is having a newboat manufactured this year and planned to sell his win-ning J/92 boat prior to next year’s event. His efforts tocapture the cup one more time on Hot Toddy were wellworth it, and the sailing team he assembled made thisyear’s event a great success.

Other top winners in the 2006 WFORC Regatta: TomBeery from Singing River Yacht Club on Man-O-War in classA finished with 11.5 points over second-place winner Juniorwith 14 points and the two-way tie for third-place winners,Liberty 4 and Wicked Woman; Thomas Stokes from LongBeach Yacht Club won first place in class D on Free Spirit,finishing in a two-way tie for first with a total of sevenpoints over Pensacola Yacht Club’s Hunter Riddle on MudFlap Girl.

The Melges 24 class winner was Reid Collins onDesperate Measures finishing the regatta with a total of 17points, overtaking the second-place finishers USA 544, TeamSatisfaction (2005 Overall Winner) and Beer Googles whowere in a three-way tie finish with a total of 21 points.

It was a weekend filled with racing at its finest.And…the excitement will continue with plans already inplace for next year’s 33rd Annual WFORC Regatta to beheld in October 2007.

Alison Wins Osprey Cup,St. Petersburg Yacht Club,Tampa Bay, FL, Oct. 18-22By Morgan Stinemetz

Betsy Alison and crew crossing the finish line inthe Osprey Cup in St. Petersburg. Photo byMorgan Stinemetz.

Betsy Alison of Newport, RI, won the RolexOsprey Cup finals Sunday, Oct. 22, by defeat-ing Anna Tunnicliffe of Fort Lauderdale, 3-0,in the “first to three” match-up. Alison andher crew of three were never defeated evenonce in the four-day match racing regattasailed in Sonars in Tampa Bay just off the St.

Petersburg Municipal Pier.To get to the finals, Tunnicliffe surprised the top woman

match racer in the world, Claire Leroy of France. Leroy, seed-ed second after the round robin sailing of Thursday, Fridayand Saturday, was pitted against the third seed, Tunnicliffe,in the semifinal. Alison was matched against Liz Baylis, thefourth seed, of San Rafael, CA. Alison knocked off Baylis intwo straight races. In the other semifinal flight, Leroy wonthe first race against Tunnicliffe and then lost two in a row,relegating her to sailing in the petit final.

The day’s racing started early, about 9 a.m., so that

News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS December 2006 57

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58 December 2006 SOUTHWINDS

dying breezes wouldn’t hamper the semifinal, petit final andthe main event final. The breezes didn’t die completely, but itwas a bit scary in the last race of the semi. That was whenTunnicliffe eliminated Leroy. The race committee shortenedthe course because of the lack of wind, and when Tunnicliffecrossed the new finish line, she had a lead of 2:05 on Leroy.

Leroy protested the shortened course, but the protestwas disallowed. The protest hearing was held in a couple ofmark boats right out on the bay, a novel way to solve athorny issue with on-the-spot officiating.

At 11:30 a.m. the wind had died to three knots beforecoming back to six knots with a slight clocking factor.

The petit final—Leroy vs. Baylis, and the final—Alisonvs. Tunnicliffe, went three races each. In the petit final forthird and fourth spot, Leroy won the first race, lost the sec-ond to Baylis and then won the third and final race.

Alison was unstoppable. She is unflappable underpressure. In fact, when she and her crew won the last raceand knew they were the champions, Alison initially hardlyreacted to the win. It could be because she has won so often.Five seconds later, though, an observer could tell she washappy. She high-fived the nearest member of her crew.

One final note: Alison was unique among the racers inthat she was the only skipper walking with a crutch and awalking cast. Alison had foot surgery recently. It seemedthat nothing could keep her down. That’s why she has beenthe Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year five times.

Florida Inland Lake YouthChampionship Regatta, Lake Eustis, FL, Oct. 21-22By Martin Zonnenburg

The Lake Eustis Sailing Club and its Youth SailingFoundation are pleased to report the results of the annualFlorida Inland Lake Youth Championship Regatta for juniorsailors, sailed on Oct. 21-22. Forty-one sailors competed inthree different classes in seven races. There was a light breezeon Saturday, but on Sunday a real breeze kicked in alreadyearly in the morning and sailing wasgreat and exciting!

Additionally, a junior sailingfestival was hosted in which agroup of young local sailors hadtheir first-ever experience skipper-ing a junior sailboat and finding outwhat a great sport and lifelonghobby sailing is.

Participants in the regattacame from all over Florida as wellas from several Southeasternstates, including junior sail racingteams from Davis Island YachtClub in Tampa, U.S. Sailing Centerin Jensen Beach, FL, Palm BeachSailing Club, Halifax SailingAssociation (Daytona Beach/ NewSmyrna area), Jacksonville, Orlando,Atlanta and Lake Eustis Junior SailRacing Team.

The regatta activity started early on Saturday morningwith a Junior Sail Racing Clinic for all participants led byMelges Performance Boats representative, National Inter-Collegiate Club 420 Champion and MC Scow Championsailor Jamie Kimball. Jamie got a full house and deserved“the big hand” he got from all participants after his on andoff the water sail/race training session.

The Regatta was won by Hayden Grant, fromClearwater Sailing Team, Florida.

For more information about the Lake Eustis SailingClub, its sailing programs for juniors and adults, summersailing camps, etc., check out the LESC Web site atwww.lakeeustissailingclub.org.

Results (first 3. All Florida teams except the Atlanta team): Opti Green Fleet; 1st: David Reed, Davis Island Sailing Team; 2nd: NicMuller, Jensen Beach sailing Team; 3rd: Conner Kechriotis, Lake EustisSailing Team; Opti White Fleet; 1st: Luke Muller, Jensen Beach SailingTeam; 2nd: Nick Haile, Atlanta Sailing Team, GA; 3rd: Max Barten, LakeEustis Sailing Team; Opti Blue Fleet; 1st: Hayden Grant, ClearwaterSailing Team Club; 2nd: Toni Mastrota, Clearwater Sailing Team; 3rd:Ben Getchell, Lake Eustis Sailing Team; Club 420 Class; 1st: TaylorArnold and Steven Broadway, Lake Eustis Sailing Team; 2nd: SamBroadway and Christopher Dorn, Lake Eustis Sailing Team; 3rd: JohnHinchee and Jonathan Reischmann, Lake Eustis sailing Team; LaserRadial Class; 1st: Andrew Morgan, Palm Beach Sailing Team; 2nd:Orion Taylor, Lake Eustis Sailing Team.

Hirams Haul: Halloween DistanceRegatta, Pineda, FL, Oct. 28-29By Roy Laughlin

Hirams Haul, now in its ninth year, has become a moveablefeast for sailors who can’t decide between sailing and cele-brating Halloween. The two-day race began on Saturday inPineda (north of Melbourne). The first leg ended atSebastian. The second day was the return trip. CaptainHirams Resort in Sebastian hosted a party at the end of theday, and a barbecue in Pineda on Sunday afternoon preced-

Mark Herendeen and Jay Roth finishing four hours of sailing inHiram’s Haul. Photo by Roy Laughlin

News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS December 2006 59

ed the awards ceremony. Either leg required a long day onthe water, but with the other activities going on, there wassomething for the shore crew while the sailors plied theIndian River.

A strong cold front arrived Friday evening, along withrain and the promise of very strong winds. The forecast wasalmost perfectly correct. Drizzle greeted the dawn, but by10:30, when the slower beach cats started, the skies wereclearing and the wind began to pipe up. The first start wasfor high Portsmouth catamarans, which this year includedHobie 16s, 17s and NS 18s. The second fleet started about 40minutes later, just as the frontal winds were blowing at fullstrength. The intent of the dual start is to allow all sailors achance to get to the party, er, finish line at about the sametime so as to laissez le bon temps roulez! without exclusion.

Team Tybee, John Casey and Ken Pierce, the defendingwinners from several past races, took an immediate leadand never gave it up. As the winds turned to the northwest,some of the teams used spinnakers if their catamarans wereso equipped. Brian Karr and Aaron Hayson found the spin-naker increased the speed of turning over much more effec-tively than it brought the finish line into view and so, alongwith several other lighter teams, decided to continue, stillrapidly, under two sails. Another team, Scott Hubel andKent Cooper, demonstrated that in strong autumn winds,old yellow spinnakers on masts, like old yellow leaves ontrees, may be shredded and torn loose. High winds like thisare a boon to small-boat teams and their corrected time. Thesecond-place team on Saturday was Jim McEwan, sailing aHobie 16. Several teams raced Blades, a 16-foot high techcatamaran, and earned noticeably high standings on thebasis of corrected times. All teams sailed the 30-mile courseto Sebastian in under three hours. Considering that thewind was gusting to nearly 30 knots, it was gratifying thatequipment failure prevented only one team from complet-ing the cruise to Sebastian.

Sunday’s return leg was tempered by lower, but ade-quate winds blowing directly on the nose for returningteams. The fastest return, by Team Tybee, sailed more thanfour hours, longer than even the slowest team’s trip downthe previous day. The latest return, Jim McEwan, on a Hobie16, was on the water for over seven hours. Mike was beat,but clearly enjoyed the day on the water.

In the corrected standings, John Casey and Ken Piercescored first-place overall and with this win, extended JohnCasey’s hold on the first-place finish to four wins in the past5 years. But it’s not necessary to sail a “big cat” to win thisrace. Matt and Gina McDonald, sailing a Blade, finished sec-ond after an intense focus on sailing during the two-dayevent. In its ninth year, Hirams Haul is an established eastcoast beach cat regatta. It has established itself in a uniqueniche characterized by great sailing during the day withmost enjoyable after-sail social events both days.

For more photos: www.floridacatamaransailor.com

Davis Island Yacht Club Classic,Tampa, FL, Oct 21By Jay TysonCreated five years ago, the DIYC Classic was developed onthe basis of our club’s principle of “maintaining active rela-

tionships with other sailing organizations.” Conceived byClearwater YC as a way to build participation in its long-standing fall regatta, the Clearwater Challenge (see racereport below), this was just one of several moves it made tostrengthen that event. It is also allowed for boaters to race toClearwater, and then leave the boats there for the followingweekend’s Challenge. For DIYC it meant hosting a secondregional BOTY event and having another club provide a fin-ish line boat and people for an event where the first finish-er crossed the line a little after 2200 hours and the lastroughly seven hours later.

Attendance increased this year, as the nine boats in thenew Racer-Cruiser class joined 14 Spinnaker class boats inthe 57 nm race. With the new division allowing the olderboats to compete with spinnakers, the weather on Saturdaymorning (8 knot NE) provided a picture-perfect start with abroad reach down Hillsboro Bay. After a relatively shorttransition in the middle of Tampa Bay, a light southerlyfilled in, which, combined with the beginnings of the ebbtide, provided a reasonable—if some what nerve-racking—trip through the Skyway Bridge. The breeze continued tostrengthen and clock, which resulted in a tight fetch to buoySW#1 and a beat to Clearwater that favored those boats thatwent to the beach.

Doug Fisher’s big yellow custom Robinson 41, XS, fromSarasota was first to finish, and despite owning over aminute a mile to the next boats, held onto first overall hon-ors in both class and fleet. As the lone symmetrical spin-naker boat in Spin A, George Haynie’s J/35 Time Bandit

60 December 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com

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crossed the line next and covered the handicap on Georgeand Annie Cussins’ J/105 Fire & Ice.

In Spinnaker B, the M,D&G Syndicate with its Carerra290, Renegade, also crossed the line first and held onto thatposition with corrected time over that seven-boat division.Ed Peters’ Abbott 33, Tigress, resurfaced after a year’sabsence and took a strong second place over Bob Glaser’sOrangutan.

As the biggest boat in the fleet, Hall Palmer’sBeneteau First 53, Relativity, out of SPYC was well-posi-tioned with the Racer-Cruiser fleet until the mid-bay lullwhen Bill Senske’s Nelson Merick-designed Morgan 45,Hallelujah, and team Russo’s J/40, Intrepid, played the east-ern side of the bay to perfection and took a significant leadthrough the Skyway. Relativity, fresh from a lesson learnedin last week’s SPYC to Venice race, was headed to thebeach. The 12 knots of breeze and persistent clocking ofthe breeze made for an enjoyable upwind ride at 7.5 knotsin a 30,000-pound boat. Surprised by the traditional shot-gun signal reserved for line honors, it was soon learnedthe lead boats had stayed offshore. Second across the linewas Intrepid. However, Hallelujah was just four minutesback, which was good enough for second place in correct-ed time.

Clearwater Challenge 2006,Clearwater Yacht Club, Oct. 28-29By David Billing

Rounding the mark in the Clearwater Challenge. Photo byAmanda Fleming.

The Clearwater Yacht Club hosted the Clearwater Challengeover the weekend of Oct. 28-29. Thirty-five boats competedin this WFPHRF Suncoast Boat of the Year event. The princi-pal race officer was CYC Past Commodore David Billing whoran the windward/leeward course for the spinnaker andnon-spinnaker classes. The senior race officer for the racer-cruiser and true cruising classes was CYC Past CommodoreDick Boblenz. Anne Newton was the chief judge.

Saturday’s conditions were very exciting with a north-west wind averaging 20-plus knots with four- to five-footwaves in the Gulf of Mexico. The waves in Clearwater Passwere much bigger, and some boats decided to return to har-bor when they encountered the breaking waves at themouth of the pass.

Once out on the racecourse, the wind was relativelysteady, and the races could be run with no course changes

being necessary. Despite substantial ground tackle on therace marks, keeping the marks in place was a challenge, andthe “M” (mark missing) flag had to be used on both race-courses. Several boats were forced to retire with minor gearfailures. Unfortunately, George Cussins’ J/105, Fire & Ice,was dismasted during the first race, which put him out ofthe regatta. George and his crew did a great job of recover-ing the broken rig and were able to return to the harborwithout assistance, no easy task in the big waves.

Sunday’s conditions were much more moderate with apleasant 8-10 knot northeasterly breeze with a light chop.The competitors and race committee had a much easiertime, and the racing was very close. On the windward/lee-ward course many of the spinnaker boats were overlappedat mark roundings.

Only one protest was filed, but that was withdrawnbefore being heard.

Results:Spinnaker A; Pippin (J-105), David Owen, St Francis YC; Wassabi (J-105), Jeff Marks, Clearwater YC; Orangutan (J-105), Bob Glasser, DavisIsland YC; Spinnaker B; Semper Fi (J-29), Ray Mannix, Dunedin BoatClub; Renegade (Carrera 290), Jamie Myers, Davis Island YC; AirHammer (Wavelength 24), Donald Fretz, St Pete Sailing Association;Non-Spinnaker; Mystic (Morgan 27), Jay Myers, Clearwater YC; TangoIII (Hunter 28.5), Rafael Paris, Treasure Island YC; Pneumatic Pleasure(Irwin 24), Clement Rambeau, Tampa, FL; Racer Cruiser; Prime Plus(Beneteau 440), Frank Hanna, Crawfordville, FL; Relativity (Beneteau53), Hall Palmer, St Petersburg YC; Hallelujah (Morgan 45), WilliamSenske, St Petersburg YC; True Cruiser; Chances ‘R’ (Endeavour 35),Tim Roberts, Clearwater YC; Sonja Cate (Catalina 400 mkII), DonaldMiller, St Pete Sailing Association; Providence (Soveral 48), WarwickCahill, Davis Island YC.

Sarasota Yacht Club InvitationalBreezy Success, Sarasota, FL, Nov. 2By Morgan Stinemetz

More wind showed up for the Sarasota Yacht ClubInvitational Regatta on November 7 than the race organiz-ers had counted on, and the race for 32 boats entered wasswitched from the Gulf of Mexico to Sarasota Bay. Racechairman Mariella Doyle had a contingency plan ready forsuch an eventuality and when the low tides made gettinginto the Gulf dicey through Big Sarasota Pass, the race com-mittee fell back on Plan B.

The 12-mile race (twice around a six-mile course) hadall the wind the sailors could stand and more wind thansome of the smaller boats wanted. The breezy conditionsmade it a “big boat day” with what turned out to be threereaching legs.

The only boat that found some genuine heartache wasDoug Fisher’s XS, a custom sloop that looks fast sitting still.The fastest boat in the regatta by a large margin, XS lost thetop 25 percent of its high tech mast when something wentwrong and a supporting piece broke. Fisher had only com-pleted one leg of the six and was partway down the secondleg when tragedy struck.

Sarasota Bay was by no means calm, with windsapproaching 20 knots from the ENE. However, the waves inthe bay were not difficult, and most boats sailed near hullspeed all day.

Doyle and a stellar race committee crew put together a

News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS December 2006 61

reverse handicap race, with the slowest rated boats startingfirst and each getting an individualized start time predicat-ed on handicap.

There were seven classes total, four of which broke outas True Cruising classes. The Multihull class had just oneentry. There were three boats in Non-Spinnaker and five inthe Spinnaker class.

In the Spinnaker class, it was Charlie Clifton in his oldboat with a new name, Mi Mejor Cancion, in first place. TimMiller took second in Elixir and Richard Gress was third inFat Bottom Girl.

The Non-Spinnaker class saw Rudy Reinecke’s Olson 30,Ohh Zone, in first. In second place was Susan Tibbits’ GrandIllusion and third was Neppy Gail, John Dumbaugh’s sloop.

The only multihull racing was Valdeck Kwasniewski’strimaran, which screamed by a host of slower boats.

John and Rita Steele won True Cruising A in Adelie. JayMeyer’s J/40, Joy Ride, took second in class, and ErnieSchulz piloted Der Poltergeist II to third in class. TrueCruising B was won by Don Mattran in Overtime. Secondwent to Peter van Roekens in Ananda, and Gerry Breytonwon third in Caladon. It was all Sarasota Yacht Club mem-bers in this class.

Hope and Glory, Joe Barnette’s Island Packet, went by anumber of boats like it on rails. The boat was in its elementand beautifully sailed. George Mining brought CAVU in sec-ond in True Cruising C, and Chan and Sue Sweetser keptSeahawk in the game to pull off third in class.

In True Cruising D, it was Chuck Margetta’s Morgana infirst, Bill Bruner’s Skin Dock in second and Bob Holsbeke’sLL, Windancer, in third.

Area D South Qualifiers for theAlter Cup, Gulfport Yacht Club,Tampa Bay, FL, Nov. 4-5AHHH . . . Bow Sizzle!By Roy Laughlin

Beach cat sailors enjoyed one of the year’s most vigorousregattas during the Nov. 4-5 weekend in Gulfport, FL. Theevent was the Area D south qualifiers for the US MultihullChampionship for the Hobie Alter Cup. The winner of eachdistrict’s qualifier is automatically entered into the annualcompetition for the Alter Cup, a prestigious award spon-sored by US Sailing. Area D south includes Florida andparts of adjacent states. The Gulfport Yacht Club was thelocal sponsor for this regatta.

Winds both days were 15 knots or better with, at times,strong gusts. These are conditions under which beach catjocks thrive. The list of competitors was no less impressivethan the wind. It included some of the best beach cat sailorsin Florida. The qualifying race in each area is open to any-one wishing to participate. Sailors “race what they brung,”In this regatta, entrants sailed the full gamut of 16- to 20-footbeach cats, from a Hobie 16 to a Marstrom 20. Recent hightech models such as carbon fiber A cats and Blades (hightech 16-foot cats) were represented; production Formula 18and 20 models predominated.

Saturday, during the skippers meeting, PRO Dave Ellis ofGulfport Yacht Club, commenting on the strong winds, saidthat the race committee had three chase boats and a commit-tee boat capable of rendering aid to sailors with problems. Ifthe wind, as forecast, became so strong that ability to giveassistance to racers exceeded the number of aid boats avail-able, the racers would return to shore to regroup. The windgods must have enjoyed the sailing spectacle because windsrose to the measure of the sailors’ ability but did not exceedit. There were four races on Saturday afternoon and three onSunday. They went off perfectly on schedule.

These races were thrilling both for sailors and for spec-tators. Just a few seconds late on a tack led to finishing-placechanges during each race. Ollie and Kelly Jason, racing a

Valdeck Kwasniewski’s trimaran sails in the Sarasota Yacht ClubInvitational Regatta. Photo by Booth Studios.

Mark Smith and Jeff Zern round the windward mark in the AreaD Qualifiers. Photo by Roy Laughlin.

RACE CALENDAR

DECEMBERLake Lanier, GA. www.lakeniersailing.com3 Whitecapper Regatta – Lake Lanier Sailing Club,

Lake Lanier, GA.Neuse Yacht Racing Association www.nyra.org

2,16 Winter Series – PHRF, NYRA boty – NYRA, New Bern, NC.

JANUARY 2007Long Bay Sailing Association www.longbaysailing.org1 Hangover Regatta, Little River Inlet, SC.

Neuse Yacht Racing Association www.nyra.org1 Fred Latham Regatta, SJ21, New Bern, NC.13,27 Winter Series, PHRF – NYRA boty, New Bern, NC.

RACE CALENDAR

Melbourne Yacht Club adjusts Rum Race ScheduleWith the change from Daylight Savings Time, the Melbourne YachtClub moved the start time of its Sunday Rum Race. It now beginsat 2 pm. In addition, the club is, during the winter series, experi-menting with a spinnaker class and rules addressing use of thissail. The club uses staggered start times corresponding to the rat-ing for the spinnaker. The start times are summarized athttp://www.sailrace.com/myc/rumracestarttimes.htm

DECEMBER – Central and NE Florida2 First Saturday at Sebastian Inlet. Indian River

Catamaran Association2-3 Kettle Cup Regatta. Lake Monroe Sailing Association2-3 Gator Bowl Regatta. Rudder Club8 Howl at the Moon. Halifax Sailing Association.9 Race of Champions. Indian River Yacht Club.9 One Design Series. Florida Yacht Club9-10 Junior Olympic Sailing Festival, US Sailing Center. 10 Winter Rum Race. Melbourne Yacht Club16 Club Races. Lake Monroe Sailing Association.

JANUARY 1 New Year’s Day Fun Regatta. Titusville Sailing Club1 Hangover Regatta. Rudder Club6 First Saturday at Sebastian Inlet. Indian River

Catamaran Association7,21 Rum Race. Melbourne Yacht Club27 Women’s Race. ECSA-Women’s. Melbourne Yacht Club

Formula 18 Capricorn, had more first-place finishes than anyother team during the seven races. On the basis of correctedtime, Matt and Gina McDonald (Formula 16 Blade) tradedplaces with Ken Pierce and John Casey (Inter 20) in secondand third places during many of the races. There were sev-eral other standout performances in individual races. Daveand Kathy Ingram (NACRA F18) earned a first-place finishin Saturday’s first race. Woody Cope, sailing an A cat,seemed to make the windward mark ahead of larger cats onmany of the first legs. Because the 14-foot single-handed Acat has only a main, spinnaker cats took and retained thelead after rounding the first mark because three sails arefaster downwind than one sail. But on that first upwind leg,Woody’s lead on that small catamaran was a commendableexample of masterful, assertive sailing.

In the final tally, Olli and Kelly Jason came in first with10 points (four firsts, two thirds). They will represent AreaD south in the Alter Cup races in April 2007. Notably, this isthe second team from the Tampa-St. Pete area since 2004 towin the Area D contest and compete at the national event.In 2004, Jennifer Lindsay and Kelly Gray, also from GulfportYacht Club, was the winning team. Ken Pierce and JohnCasey were second with 12 points, and Matt and GinaMcDonald placed third with 15 points. As one might expectof competition among sailors of this caliber, no team com-pletely dominated the contest both days. It was just a greatopportunity to see a group of exceptional beach cat sailorsexhibiting their best skills.

The bow sizzle: It was for everyone to enjoy.The US Multihull Championship for the Hobie Alter

Cup, hosted by the Melbourne Yacht Club (Melbourne, FL)will be April 27-29, 2007. For more pictures of the Area Dsouth qualifiers, please see www.floridamultihullsailor.com.

Results:1. Olli and Kelly Jason; 2. Ken Pierce and John Casey; 3. Matt and GinaMcDonald; 4. Woody Cope; 5. Jennifer Lindsay and Fred Metcalf; 6.David and Kathy Ingram; 7. Sarah Newberry and Jamie Livingston; 8.Kirk Newkirk and Glen Holmes; 9. John Williams and Kevin Rejda; 10.Rush Bird.

REGIONAL RACING CALENDARS

Regattas and Club Racing—Open to Everyone Wanting to Race The races listed here are open to those who want to sail. Noindividual club membership is required, although a region-al PHRF rating, or membership in US SAILING or member-ship in a regional sailing association is often required. (Ifindividual club membership is required, please contact usand we will not list their races in the future.)

For publishing of your event, questions and informa-tion, send us your race schedule by the 5th of the month toeditor@southwindsmagazine.com. Send in the name of theevent, date, location, contacts (Web site, e-mail and/orphone), and, if you want a short description. Do not justsend a link in to this information.

Since race schedules and venues change, contact thesponsoring organization to confirm. For changes to be pub-lished, contact the editor. Changes can be put on our Website, if possible.

62 December 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com

REGIONAL RACE CALENDARS

RACE CALENDAR

DECEMBER1 Wirth Munroe Palm Beach Race. SFC/CCA. The 50th

annual ocean race starting off government Cut and ending at Palm Beach.

2-3 Stars Commodore’s Cup. CRYC. One-Design regatta forregistered classes.

2 BBYRA One Design #12. BBYC. One-Design regatta for reg-istered class.

3 BBYRA PHRF #12. KBYC. PHRF regatta for registeredboats.

9-10 Piana Cup. Etchells. BBYC. First regatta part of the JaguarCup series. The 10th annual regatta hosted by Fleet 20 tocelebrate the lifetime achievement of Louis Piana.

9 Fall #4. Flat Earth Racing. J/24 One-Design regatta.25-29 Orange Bowl Regatta. CRYC/CGSC. The 27th annual

regatta for 420 & 470, Collegiate 420 & Eurodinghy (forwomen) Mid Winters. Youth Regatta (IODA) andInternational Youth Regatta (Laser, Laser Radial, Club 420and 29ers).

JANUARY5 BBYRA Annual Registration MYC.6-7 Stars Bob Levin Memorial. CRYC – The 17th annual two-

day regatta for Star class.6-7 Etchells Sid Doren Memorial. BBYC – The 7th annual two

day regatta. One of four events of the Jaguar Cup Series.6 J/24 - #1. Flat Earth – First race of the J24 One Design

series.10-12 Ft Lauderdale to Key West. LYC – Feeder race for the Key

West Race Week.12-14 Alex Cavigilia Bluewater Classic. Shake-A-Leg & Flat Earth13 BBYRA OD#1. MYC First race of the Series for one-design

fleet.14 BBYRA PHRF #1. CGSC – First race of the Series for PHRF

class boats.14-16 470 NA-USSC.15-19 Key West Race Week – Premiere Racing. The 20th Edition

of KWRW of day races held off Key West.18-21 2.4 Midwinters. Flat Earth20-21 Star’s Biscayne Trophy. CRYC – Annual two day race for

Star class.22-27 Olympic Class Regatta.27-28 Etchells FSA Championship.

BBYC – The 14th annual two day regatta for Etchells. Thirdof four events in the Jaguar Cup series.

Legend

BBYRA Biscayne Bay Yacht Racing Association. www.bbyra.net

BBYC Biscayne Bay Yacht Club. www.bbyra.net

CGSC Coconut Grove Sailing Club. www.cgsc.org

CRYC Coral Reef Yacht ClubMYC Miami Yacht Club.

www.miamiyachtclub.net.

RACE CALENDAR

(Since Rebecca Burg took off for the good life and is cruisingaround, SOUTHWINDS is looking for someone to send us articleson sailing in the Keys; Racing, cruising, waterways and anchoringarticles, etc. editor@southwindsmagazine.com)

Key West Sailing Club. Every Saturday – Open House at the Key West Sailing Club. 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (305) 292-5993. www.keywestsailingclub.org.

Sailboat Lane off Palm Avenue in Key West. Come by the club tosail. Non-members and members welcome. Wednesday night rac-ing has begun for the summer season. Skippers meet at the club-house by 5:00 p.m. and boats start racing at 6:00 p.m. in the sea-plane basin near the mooring field. Dinner and drinks afterward.

Upper Keys Sailing Club. www.upperkeyssailingclub.com.

RACE CALENDARThe 0nline West Florida Race Calendar, which goes from Sept.1,2006 thru August 31, 2007, is available on the SOUTHWINDS Website with hyperlinks to sponsoring clubs. It covers racing in WestFlorida from Marco Island in southwest Florida north, up to andincluding Clearwater. www.southwindsmagazine.com. Accessedon the racing pages from the home page.

Club Racing Bradenton YC. Winter Races starting in October till Daylight sav-

ings starts.. Races at 12:30 p.m. PHRF racing on ManateeRiver. For info call Larry Lecuyer, (941) 729-5401.

Edison Sailing Center, Fort Myers. Sunfish and dinghy racingonce a month, year-round john@johnkremski.com

Port Charlotte. Third Saturday of month, year-round.pbgvtrax@aol.com

Venice Sailing Squadron. Saturdays. First Saturday of eachmonth, PHRF racing. Start at mouth of Venice Inlet.www.venice-sailing-squadron.org

DECEMBERNov. 30-3 St. Petersburg YC. America’s Disabled Open Regatta2-3 Davis Island YC. One Design Regatta.

News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS December 2006 63

See WEST FLORIDA RACING CALENDAR continued on page 75

64 December 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com

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■ SAILING EXPERIENCES: Stories and photosabout experiences in places you’ve cruised,anchorages, marinas, or passages madethroughout the Southern cruising waters,including the Caribbean and the Bahamas.■ RACE REPORTING: Generally, we are alwayslooking for someone to send us race coveragethroughout the southern states, the Bahamasand the Caribbean.

■ CRUISING NOTES: Southern sailors cruisingon the high seas or cruising our waterways andcoasts: Send us word on where you’re at andwhat you’re doing. How the cruising life istreating you. ■ BAHAMAS: Trips, experiences, passages,anchorages, provisioning and other stories thatare of interest.■ HURRICANE STORIES: Hurricanes are a partof owning a boat in the Southern waters, andwe would like to hear how you and your boatmight have been affected by a storm or howyou prepare your boat for one, experiencesyou’ve had. Send us letters or articles.

■ OUR WATERWAYS: Information about thewaters we sail in: disappearing marinas, boat-yards and slips; mooring fields, anchoringrights, waterway access, etc.■ MAINTENANCE & TECHNICAL ARTICLES:How you maintain your boat, or rebuilt a boat,technical articles on maintenance, repairs, etc.■ INDIVIDUALS IN THE SAILING INDUSTRY:Interesting stories about the world of sailorsout there, young, old, and some that are nolonger with us but have contributed to thesport or were just true lovers of sailing.■ THE CARIBBEAN: Stories about the warmtropical waters farther south of us.

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■ CHARTER STORIES: Have an interestingCharter story? In our Southern waters, or per-haps in the Bahamas, the Caribbean, or pointsbeyond in some far-off and far-out exotic place?■ FUN AND UNUSUAL STORIES: Got aninteresting story? Unusual, funny, tearjerkers,learning experiences and others wanted. Keepthem short for our last page, 700-1000 wordsroughly. Photos too, but not necessary.■ CUBA: Of course, there is always Cuba, andregardless of how our country’s elected offi-cials try to keep Americans out of the largestisland in the Caribbean, it will one day be openas a cruising ground. Today American sailors

can legally go to Cuba and cruise if they followthe proper procedures. If you have a storyabout such a trip, let us look at it.■ MISCELLANEOUS PHOTOS: Photographsare always enjoyable, whether for their beauty,their humor, or for many other reasons, andwe take them alone. We would like photoswith every story, if possible.■ COVER PHOTOS: SOUTHWINDS is alwayslooking for nice cover shots, which are alwayspaid for. They generally need to be a verticalshot, but we can sometimes crop horizontalphotos for a nice cover picture. They need tobe of a high resolution. If digital, they need to

be taken at a very high resolution (and manysmaller digital cameras are not capable of tak-ing a large, high-resolution photo as is on acover). If a photograph, then we need itscanned at high resolution, or if you send it tous, we can do so.■ LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: For those of youwho are not as ambitious to write stories, wealways want to hear from you about yourexperiences and opinions.

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News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS December 2006 67

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News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS December 2006 69

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1971 O’Day Rhodes 19 Sailboat, 3’3” keel,battery, sails, new bottom paint, new cush-ions, cockpit Sunbrella cover, electrical, 2-anchors, many accessories, Very good condi-tion, restored. $1500 OBO. (813) 831-8585.www.RedMcKenna.com. (1/07)

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28-foot Morgan Out Island 1974 Cruiseready, Autohelm, two GPSs, depth finder,radio, compass, Yanmar diesel, sleeps six, 3-foot draft, docked at Shell Pt, FL. Selling forhealth reasons. $9000/best offer. (850) 539-9044. (2/07)

J29 Hull # 225 MHOB. For Sale. Fat Bottom Girl.All new rigging and running gear. Professionallyfared bottom and keel, new interlux whiteepoxy bottom. One-year-old racing #1, .60Quantum spinnaker, #3 and racing main. Also,heavy #1, 2 mains and .75 spinnaker. Boat hashad a refit in the last couple years, great condi-tion. Two spinnaker poles, (one carbon fiber), –much more. Trailer included. $26,500. Pleasecontact mogress@aol.com. (941) 376-9929.Rick. (1/07)

Nonsuch 30 1984 Ultra Excellent condition.Recent upgrades include rebuilt Westerbeke33. North sail. Extensive refit in 2005.Currently in Florida Keys. Bahamas cruise-ready. $69,900. (305) 849-1929. (1/07)

• Classified ads with text only for boats are $25 fora three-month ad for up to 30 words. $50 for adwith horizontal photo ($65 if vertical photo). Checkor Credit cards accepted. Must be for sale by owner– no business ads. Boats wanted ads included.• Free ads for boats under $500 (sail and dinghiesonly), all gear under $500, and windsurfingequipment. For sale by owner ads only.• All other ads (including business ads) are $20 amonth for up to 20 words, add $5 a month foreach additional 10 words. $10 a month for a hor-izontal photo. Frequency discounts available.Contact editor.• All ads go on the SOUTHWINDS Web site. For aone-time $10 fee, we will place your ad on theInternet before going to press on the next issue. • No Refunds • The last month your ad runs will be in parenthe-ses, e.g., (10/06) is December 2006.

• Ad must be received by the 10th of the month.

TO PLACE AN AD:1. On the Internet www.southwindsmagazine.comThis applies only to the $25 and $50 ads above withand without photo. Pay with Paypal and put yourad in the subject line. If a photo, then e-mail toeditor@southwindsmagazine.com as a separate jpegattachment.2. Via E-mail and Credit Card. E-mail your ad toeditor@southwindsmagazine.com. Text can be put inthe e-mail. Send photos as a separate jpeg attach-ment to the e-mail. Pay by mail (see below) or creditcard. You can call us with a credit card number. Giveus the credit card number, expiration, billing addressand name on card. Call (941) 795-8704.3. Mail your ad in. Mail to SOUTHWINDS, PO Box1175, Holmes Beach, FL 34218-1175. Send a checkor credit card number with information as listed in #2

CLASSIFIED ADS — 3 Months for $25Place your ad early on the Internet for $10

above. Mail the photo in (35mm best). If you wantthe photo back, enclose a SASE. Add $5 for a typingcharge.4. Telephone or fax your ad in. Call (941) 795-8704 and give us your ad over the phone. There isan additional $5 typing charge. If you have a photo,you can mail it in. We can take your credit card num-ber, or you can mail a check. Fax: (941) 795-8705.

DISPLAY CLASSIFIEDSAdvertise your business in a display

ad in the classifieds section.1” $25/month . . . .12-month minimum 2” $38/month . . . . . . . . . . . .12 months2” $44/month . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 months3” $57/month . . . . . . . . . . . .12 months3” $66/month . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 months

70 December 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com

ADVERTISEYOUR BOAT

Starting at$25 for 3 months

C L A S S I F I E D A D S

Boat classifieds start at $25/3mo.

C L A S S I F I E D A D S

Catalina 30, 1988 Tall rig, wing keel, draft3’10”. New full canvas, new fridge, genoa,battery charger, auto pilot, windless. Toomany upgrades to list. Must see. $34,900.(352) 597-4912. (2/07)

Catalina 30 1991 MK II Ultimate CruiserStd rig, wing keel, full bimini/dodger, newspinnaker, 3.5kw Genset, A/C, Electric fridge,watermaker, icemaker, microwave, inverter, 2battery chargers, Link 2000, Raymarine SL 70Radar, 425 Chartplotter, Tri-data, 4000STAutopilot with remote, Garmin 128 GPS,Loran, JVC CD/Stereo, 8.6’ dink with Nissan2.5OB, $49,900. Niceville, Florida (850) 699-2717. (2/07)

Hunter 30 1980 Sail Yanmar 18hp diesel,sleeps 6, very clean, GPS, VHS, AM/FM, 4 ft.modified wing keel, PDFs, bottom paint one-year old, need to sell, “moving.” (941) 697-6995. (2/07)

30’ Pearson, Racer/Cruiser Sloop, 1976 Red,Excellent cond., 2 mains, 3 jibs, 3 spinnakers,spinnaker pole. Tiller, marine radio, stove,new pot, sleeps 6, $12,900. Madeira Beach,FL terrycshan@aol.com. (727) 581-4708 or(727) 244-4708. (2/07)

1981 Cape Dory Cutter 30 Well-equippedcruising boat. Surveyed 2002 at $35K. Toughboat, no damages in Katrina. Volvo Diesel.New head and sailcovers in 2005. $32,000.John (228) 343-9546. (2/07)

Columbia 31. 1966. 3-foot draft. Atomic 4inboard. 150 jib. Harken Roller furling.Lewmar 2-speed winches. Much restoration ofinterior and exterior. Many Extras. 10-footdinghy – Must See! (727) 938-5453. (1/07)

32’ Westsail (1977) Perkins 4-107 diesel,Aires vane, Harken roller furling, S-L windlass,35CQR, 33 Bruce, cold plate refrigeration, airconditioning, Garmin chartplotter. Dodger &Bimini. Exceptional condition, little used.$55,000/OBO. Call (954) 560-3919. (2/07)

33’ Glander Tavana 1985 Center board masthead sloop. Newly painted bottom, hull, top-sides and non-skid. New rub rail, teak hatch-es. New jib sail. 30 HP Vetus diesel. GreatFlorida and Bahamas boat, draws 3’ board up.A no-nonsense boat offered below market at$7,500/OBO. Needs TLC. Call Major Carter(941) 792-9100.

Irwin 33, 1974 Extremely well-maintainedcruiser ready to go! Improvements includeAC, autopilot, new rigging, new upholstery -much more. $13,600. Call (321) 662-4085 -details at: www.zedpm.com/~74irwin33(12/06)

Rodgers 33, 1981 2’8” draft, GreatFlorida/Bahamas boat, bimini, ti l lerw/auto-pilot, 2GM Yanmar, new interior,propane stove, pressure water, 16K A/C,microwave, stereo, VHF, $27,000, (941)722-3126. (2/07)

1985 Hunter 34 Sacrifice. $26k. New sails,bottom paint September ‘05. Located at LakeMartin, Dadeville, Alabama. Great condition.Photos and inventory list available.nddavis@charter.net. (1/07)

1993 Gemini 3400 Catamaran. 14’ beam.18” board up. 5’ board down. In Sarasota.Cruise ready, Air, solar, davits, contact Alan(970) 690-3758 or alanm@frii.com for inven-tory list. Asking $65,000. (12/06)

1995 Hunter 35.5 Only 615 hrs on Yanmar27. New canvas, Navico autopilot, ST 60depth, ST 60 speed, Furuno GPS, SGC SSBradio, Apelco VHF, dinghy w/OB engine, rollerfurling, full batten main w/dutchman, solarpanel, S&L windlass, holding plate refrigera-tion, SS propane stove, 12000 BTU marine air,TV, stereo. Ready to sail with performance andpleasure. $59,900. www.cortezyachts.com.

Gozzard 36, 1987 Paradise had refit in 06 atGozzard factory which included partialAwlgrip, new sails. Also, the bottom and theexterior wood stripped and redid 06. Bob(314) 487-4543, rgruener@earthlink.net. _________________________________________37’ Irwin 1976 Brand new Mainsail/cover,refrig., VHF, stereo. New central AC. 6 batter-ies/cables/switch/charger. 14 ports. Solarpanel, Water pump/heater, etc. $89,000.(305) 240-0303. Key West, FL. (2/07)(941) 792-9100.

News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS December 2006 71

SEE CLASSIFIED INFO ON PAGE 70

TransWorld CT 41,1979 Proven full-keel bluewater cruiser. Perkins 4-108 diesel. 46’ LOAwith bowsprit. Ketch-rigged Center Cockpitwith walk thru to aft cabin. Complete Awlgrippaint 2002. Custom stainless steel rails anddavits. 10’ 6” Caribe RIB with 15hp OB. Fullgalley. Beautiful teak interior with lots of stor-age. Maxwell electric windlass. Much more.Asking $99,000. (941) 792-9100www.cortezyachts.com

Bayfield 40 Hull # 34 full keel 5’ draft, cutterketch designed by H.T.Gozzard built in 1984.Exceptional condition with lots of new gear.Harken roller furling on all sails. Marine air,WS, WD, depth, VHF w/remote, SSB,cd/radio, autopilot, chartplotter, Radar,dinghy, life raft $99,000 Call Major Carter orvisit www.Cortezyachts.com

Manta 42 Catamaran, 2000 Immaculate,ocean outfitted. SSB/modem, watermaker,solar panels, wind generator, genset, AC, RIBdinghy and 9hpOB, sea anchor, liferaft, EPIRB,much more. Ask $318K. (941) 505-5053.amchateau@comcast.net. (12/06)

Beneteau 473 $350,000. Canadian regis-tered located on Grand Bahama. Extensivecustomization, latest equipment, well-main-tained vessel, equipped for long distancecruising. Generator, dinghy, outboard.Excellent condition. Showboat original.Seaswan@cogeco.ca. (1/07)

BOAT GEAR & SUPPLIES_________________________________________

Two Montague folding, full-size bicycles;perfect for cruising. Like new, with manyextras, including soft carrying cases. “A bicyclethat folds, not a folding bicycle.” $350 each.(941)743-7156 or (941)504-3302. (12/06)_________________________________________

RADAR SCANNER WANTED. Raytheon 2D18” Radome 2KW. Or one compatible withthe HSB Series Pathfinder Radar. Must beoperational. I have an intact plastic housingand mounting bracket for mast. Would alsolike new wiring, but not necessary. (941) 795-8704. editor@southwindsmagazine.com. _________________________________________

Radar Scanner Part Wanted for 18”Raytheon/Raymarine scanner. I only needthe rectangular array that spins around insidethe dome, as mine is bent. Any 18” part willdo of Raytheon/Raymarine 18” scanner fromthe late 90s on. (941) 795-8704.editor@southwindsmagazine.com. _________________________________________

8’ Sailing Dinghy “Trinka.” Perfect condition,all factory options, like new sails. Cost $4,000new, sacrifice $1,125. (352) 597-4912.(2/07)_________________________________________

Whisker Pole Wanted Telescoping, line con-trol, 8-14 ft. or 10-18 ft. West Florida, GreaterTampa Bay area or south. (941) 795-8704.editor@southwindsmagazine.com.

C L A S S I F I E D A D S

72 December 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com

Sails Wanted for Catalina 28, MK II, but MKImight work. Tall rig. (941) 795-8704. edi-tor@southwindsmagazine.com._________________________________________

Used Boat Gear for Sale Paratech 15 & 18—both with line and chain, stainless propanestoves, 10’ Dyer sailing dinghy, 8’ Walker BaySailing Dinghy with Inflatable Tube, Offshorelife vests, 6-man coastal life raft, 36’, 26’, 30’masts & booms, some with rigging. NauticalTrader, 110 E. Colonia Lane, Nokomis, FL,(941) 488-0766. Shop online at www.nauti-caltrader.net.

85 LB Anchor. Danforth High Tensile.Unused, still in shipping crate. Only $450.(407) 967-2009. (2/07)_________________________________________

Backstay Adjuster Wheel type, 13.5 to 19.5inch adjustment, 1/2” pins, $125. BonitaSprings (239) 281-5051. (2/07)_________________________________________

Aluminum Whisker Pole Adjustable from 10to 18 feet, 2-3/8 inch dia. Latching ends.$125 Bonita Springs. (239) 281-5051. (2/07)_________________________________________

Roll-Up Dinghy 8.4 Ft West MarineSportboat, Grey. $125 Bonita Springs.(239) 281-5051. (2/07)_________________________________________

Dinghy Package Yankee Boatworks 9’3”fiberglass with cover $950, Kato heavy dutydavits $850, Solarex 42W solar panels onpivot base $500, all for $2000 OBO. photoavailable (321) 431-4380. (12/06)_________________________________________

Outboard Motors for Sale JohnsonSailmaster 6 hp, overhauled recently,$750/OBO. Tohatsu-3.5hp 2001. $300. (813)831-8585. _________________________________________

Zodiac Dinghy 10 ft., 2001, good condition.$800/OBO. (1/07)_________________________________________

Old Divers Helmet Copper and brass. Nodents, excellent shape. Only $495. (941) 493-2085. _________________________________________

Martec Folding Prop 18x14x1-1/4 shaft$125. 22 lb. danforth $35. Yaesu all bandreciever $25. Sealab SSB 7 crystals $25.Plastic holding tank “V” 24 gal. $20. Plasticwater tank 36 gal.$20. Located Melbourne,FL. Take it all for $175! (321) 431-4380.(12/06)

BOAT REGISTRATION_________________________________________

EASIEST, FASTEST MONTANA BOAT REGIS-TRATION Pay No Sales Tax - No AttorneyNecessary. $$ Save Thousands on Boat regis-tration $$. 12 yrs experience-REGISTRATIONIN 5 DAYS! 877.913.5100www.mtvehicles.com. (1/07)

BUSINESSES FOR SALE/INVESTMENTS

_________________________________________

FOR SALE: Florida East Coast Sail LoftEstablished 10 years. Well-equipped, extensiveinventory and client list. Walking distance toseveral marinas. New sail design, constructionand repairs. Custom canvas work, exterior/interior, and cushions. Strong used sail invento-ry. Respond to LOFT220@hotmail.com. (12/06)_________________________________________Commercial Cleaning Business For sale orworking partnership desired. Nationalaccounts, Great income! Ft Myers/Naples orPensacola areas ready! 40k to 95k Call (321)246-8276. (12/06)

CHARTS & BOOKS_________________________________________

Discount NOAA, NGA, Maptech nauticalcharts and software. NOAA chart sale$15.50 each! Visit authorized chart agentwww.DiscountNautical.com. (12/06)_________________________________________

Ocean Routing Jenifer Clark’s Gulf StreamBoat Routing/Ocean Charts by the “best inthe business.” (301) 952-0930, fax (301)574-0289 or www.erols.com/gulfstrm

CREW AVAILABLE/WANTED_________________________________________

Visit SOUTHWINDS “NEW” boat and crewlisting service at southwindsmagazine.com

HELP WANTED_________________________________________

Looking for Marine Parts Counter Person.Experience with marine industry beneficial.Full time with great insurance benefits andpaid holidays. Parts dept. Not computerized.Snead island Boat Works – Attn: Gary (941)722-2400. (2/07)_________________________________________

Massey Yacht Sales Mobile Broker Do youprefer to sell yachts from your home office? Ifyou do and you are a proven, successful yachtsales professional, we have positions open forFlorida west and east coast. Take advantage ofthe Massey sales and marketing support, salesmanagement and administration while work-ing from your home selling brokerage sail andpower boats. Call Frank Hamilton at (941)723-1610 for interview appointment andposition details._________________________________________

Sailboat Captain wanted and Crew wantedfor exciting boat charter company located inSouth Florida. 5 star luxury resort. Captain: 100ton, sail aux. $70,000 - $100,000. Crew:$30,000 - $50,000. For interview, please call(561) 368-3566 or Fax or E-mail Resume to (561)368-0267 or kkeller@airandsea.com. (1/07)_________________________________________

SAILMAKER St. Petersburg Industrial SewingMachine and Hand sewing experience fornew sails and repairs. Must be capable of lift-ing 40 lbs. Benefits available for full-timework. Must have valid FL Drivers license. EOE.Contact: Peter O. (727) 471-2040, DoylePloch Sailmakers. _________________________________________

Articles and Race Reports in the Carolinas &Georgia. editor@southwindsmagazine.com._________________________________________Writers, Reporters, Articles, Photos Wanted.SOUTHWINDS is looking for articles on boating,racing, sailing in the Southern waters, theCaribbean and the Bahamas, and other articleson the following subjects: marinas, anchorages,mooring fields, disappearing marinas/boat-yards, marinas/boatyards sold for condos,anchoring rights, sailing human interest stories,boat reviews, charter stories, waste disposal—and more. Photos wanted, plus we want coverphotos (pay $65) of both race and non-racesubjects, but about sailing. Cover photos mustbe very high resolution and vertical format.

C L A S S I F I E D A D S

SEE CLASSIFIED INFO ON PG 70News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS December 2006 73

Writers and Ideas Wanted on WaterwaysIssues. SOUTHWINDS is looking for writers, actingas independent subcontractors to research andwrite articles on subjects discussed in the OurWaterways section. Must be familiar with boat-ing, good at research, have computer skills,high-speed Internet access and work for littlepay. Most important, must have a passion forthe subject and want to bring about change andimprovement of boaters rights, waterwaysaccess, and disappearing marinas and boat-yards—with lots of ideas and energy to helpbring about improvements through variousmeans. We would also like to get an organiza-tion going to promote these interests if you canhelp. Writers, photographers, cartoonists, jokers,magicians, philosophers and others of question-able professions may apply. Send info to: edi-tor@southwindsmagazine.com.

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE OR RENT_________________________________________

Sarasota, FL Waterfront Townhouse w/Deepwater boat slip for rent. 3br/3ba, 3 floors, 2 fire-places, gated, pool, tennis. Protected boat slipaccommodates up to 70-foot boat. Directaccess to Gulf. Walk to restaurants and shop-ping. For info call (561) 213-2390. (12/06)

Deepwater Boat Slip Included! 3 bedroom,2 bath, 2-car garage townhome. MarinersPass, St. Petersburg, FL. $299k. Loads ofupdates. Call Bob Sackett, Realtor (727) 527-7373 ext. 112. (1/07)

GULF SHORES, AL - Gated waterfront condoon ICW, view of Mobile Bay. Boat slip.First level, end unit, 3br/2ba furnished withwraparound deck, covered 2 car parking.Elevator, 2 pools, 2 tennis courts, clubhousew/party room, weight room, hot tub. LEASEOR PURCHASE. $1,500 mo or $515,000.(251) 968-6265. (2/07)_________________________________________

Waterfront Home for Rent with DeepwaterSlip. 2 bedroom 1 bath, with office. CentralAC, Gulf Harbors, New Port Richey.Remodeled, excellent condition, new carpetand paint. $1150/month. 1 year lease. (352)795-9276. (1/07)

Waterfront Homes For Sale. Madeira Beach,FL. Easy Gulf access via John’s Pass. ProtectedDEEP water. 100-ft new seawall. Wide openviews. 3/2 and 2/2 available. (727) 744-2957kfryfla@verizon.net. (1/07)

Office/Shop Space for rent. Marine relatedpreferred. Phone/Internet included. Flexiblesize space. Short term or month to month ok.JSI 3000 Gandy Blvd, St. Pete (727) 577-3220.(1/07)_________________________________________

Waterfront Lot for Sale with deeded, deep-water dock on Little Gasparilla Island,Charlotte Harbor, FL. Power and water includ-ed. Walk on the beach and watch the sunseton a private island. By owner (305) 613-8425. (12/06)

LODGING FOR SAILORS_________________________________________

Ponce de Leon HotelHistoric downtown hotel at the bay, acrossfrom St. Petersburg YC. 95 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, FL 33701 (727) 550-9300 FAX (727) 896-2287www.poncedeleonhotel.com

SAILING INSTRUCTION_________________________________________

SAILS & CANVAS_________________________________________

Racing Spinnaker. Neil Pryde Tri-radialSpinnaker. Nearly new. No patches or stains.Approximate dimensions: Foot 32’4”, Leech55’8”, Luff 64’. White, medium blue and lightblue. $1800 or best offer. (813) 695-8737.(1/07)

WINDSURFING GEAR_________________________________________

Wanted: Used Prodigy (standard or race),other boards, miscellaneous windsurfingequipment. Steve (941) 795-8704,editor@southwindsmagazine.comw

C L A S S I F I E D A D S

74 December 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com

See All Classifieds @ www.southwindsmagazine.com

2-3 Edison Sailing Center. Sunfish Challenge Cup Regatta.9 Sarasota Sailing Squadron. Commodore’s Cup9 St. Petersburg Sailing Association. Races #4 and #5. PHRF.10 Caloosahatchee Marching & Chowder Society.

Commodore’s Cup, PHRF.9-10 Sarasota Sailing Squadron. Clearwater Junior

Championships Laser District 13 championship.

JANUARY1 Sarasota Sailing Squadron. Hangover Race. 1 Tampa Bay Catamaran Society. Hangover Race, Dunedin

Causeway, Catamarans. 6 Venice Sailing Squadron. Venice Yacht Club. Buoy Race,

PHRF 6-7 Davis Island YC. Commodore’s Cup, PHRF. (SBOTY)6-7 Platinum Point YC. Golden Conch Regatta, PHRF. (CHBO-

TY)9 St. Petersburg Sailing Association. Races #6 and #7. PHRF13 Sarasota Sailing Squadron. Snowbird Regatta. (SBBOTY)14 Caloosahatchee Marching & Chowder Society. Winter

Races, PHRF 15-19 Key West Race Week. www.premiere-racing.com. 20-21 St. Petersburg YC. Junior SE Team Racing. Optimists. 26-28 St. Petersburg YC. Multi-class Invitational. (Windmill

moved to DIYC March 2-4), Snipe, Moth, Jet 14, FlyingDutchman, Martin 16, 2.4 Meter, Ultimate 20, SR Max, with6 boats registered in advance.

27-28 Port of Tampa. Gasparilla Invasion. Booze, bikinis, boda-cious behaviour

RACE CALENDAR

DECEMBER2 Double-Handed Regatta. Houston Yacht Club. Houston,

TX2,16 Frostbite #2,3. St. Andrews Bay Yacht Club. Panama City,

FL3 Fall #3. Corinthian Sailing Association. New Orleans, LA3 GMAC Bowl Regatta. Fairhope Yacht Club. Fairhope, AL9 Santa Claus Regatta. Pensacola Yacht Club. Pensacola, FL9-10 Sugar Bowl Regatta. Southern Yacht Club and New

Orleans Yacht Club. New Orleans, LA16 Predicted Log Contest Race. Navy Yacht Club. Pensacola,

FL16-17 2006 Race of Champions. Southern Yacht Club - New

Orleans, LA16-17 Sugar Bowl Regatta (One Design). Southern Yacht Club

and New Orleans Yacht Club. New Orleans, LA

JANUARY13 Frostbite Regatta. Pensacola Beach Yacht Club, Pensacola

Beach, FL19-21 US SAILING Symposiums. New Orleans Marriott, New

Orleans, LA20 Food World Senior Bowl Regatta. Mobile Yacht Club,

Mobile, AL27 SuperBowl Regatta. Pensacola Yacht Club, Pensacola, FL

WEST COAST RACING CALENDAR continued from page 63

top of the water and fill in bays anymore with landfill, although Iguarantee many want to.

By the way, I photographed that house that was moved tomake way for condos in Palmetto. It was printed on the last pagein our November issue. It moved on to another spot, saved insome small way. That house also has historic significance, beingthe home of one of Palmetto’s founders.

It was a killing of two birds with one stone; history andbeauty.

Editor

E-mail your letters to the Editor: editor@southwindsmagazine.com

LETTERScontinued from page 12

News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS December 2006 75

76 December 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com

RYAN FINN continued from page 78

AMERICAN MARINE & SUPPLY . . . . . . . . . . .11,27ANNAPOLIS PERFORMANCE SAILING . . . . . . . .49AQUA GRAPHICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64ATLANTIC SAIL TRADERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46BANKS SAILS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65BEACHMASTER PHOTOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . .38BENETEAU SAILBOATS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BCBETA MARINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30BLUEWATER BAY YACHTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20,21BOATERS EXCHANGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26,27BO’SUN SUPPLIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22CATALINA YACHTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11,27CORAL REEF SAILING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54CORTEZ YACHT BROKERAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72CROW’S NEST RESTAURANT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16CRUISING DIRECT SAILS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4DEFENDER INDUSTRIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4,37,39DOCKSIDE RADIO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15DUNBAR SALES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11DWYER MAST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39EASTERN YACHTS/BENETEAU . . . . . . . . .11,68,BCEDWARDS YACHT SALES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67E-MARINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72,73FLYING SCOT SAILBOATS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72FUJINON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7GARHAUER HARDWARE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33GLACIER BAY REFRIGERATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29GULF COAST YACHT SALES . . . . . . . . . . .69,70,71GULF ISLAND SAILS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21,27HOBIE CATS/TACKLE SHACK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

HOTWIRE/FANS & OTHER PRODUCTS . . . .39,73HURRICANE HOOPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24J/BOATS - MURRAY YACHT SALES . . . . . . . . . . .66JR OVERSEAS/MOISTURE METER . . . . . . . . . . . .45JSI - NEW JSI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35LAKE FAIRVIEW MARINA, PRECISION . . . . . . . . .21LEATHER WHEEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64LEX-SEA CHARTERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38LIFE CAPTIONS VIDEO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28MANTON MARINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64MASSEY YACHT SALES . . . . . . . .10,11,12,IFC,IBCMASTHEAD ENTERPRISES . . . . . . . . . . .4,27,69,74MASTMATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18MIKE CHAN BOAT REPAIR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36MURRAY YACHT SALES/BENETEAU . . . . . . . .66,BCNATIONAL SAIL SUPPLY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42NAUTICAL TRADER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19NEW JSI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35NOBLE AWARDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38NORTH SAILS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59,74OFFSHORE SAILING SCHOOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55PATRICIA KNOLL REALTOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15PORPOISE USED SAILS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38PRECISION YACHTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21QUANTUM SARASOTA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3RB GROVE/UNIVERSAL AND WESTERBEKE . . . . .34REGATTA DEL SOL AL SOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50REGATTA POINTE MARINA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25RPARTS REFRIGERATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40SAILAMERICA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

SAILORS WHARF BOATYARD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37SAILTIME . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13SARASOTA YC REGATTA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53SARASOTA YOUTH SAILING PROGRAM DONATEDBOATS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68SCHURR SAILS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52SCURVY DOG MARINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29SEA SCHOOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28SEA TECH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18,72SNUG HARBOR BOATS, PRECISION . . . . . . . . . .21SSMR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10ST. AUGUSTINE SAILING SCHOOL . . . . . . . .39,74ST. BARTS/BENETEAU . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BCSTRICTLY SAILING.COM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71SUNCOAST INFLATABLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17SUNRISE SAILING SERVICES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65SUNSAIL FLORIDA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39SUNSET REALTY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26TACKLE SHACK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21,51TAMPA SAILING SQUADRON YOUTH PROGRAM19TURNER MARINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11UK HALSEY SAILS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8ULLMAN SAILS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57WATERSPORTS WEST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38WEATHERMARK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27WINDPATH FRACTIONAL SAILING . . . . . . . . . .14ZARCOR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73YACHTING VACATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

SUNFISH WORLDS continued from page 53

INDEX OF ADVERTISERSTELL THEM YOU SAW IT IN SOUTHWINDS! SOUTHWINDS providesthis list as a courtesy and asks our readers to support our advertisers. Thislist includes all display advertising.

for the final race.In that final contest, Mendelblatt

dueled it out with Ned Jones ofNewport, RI, at the front of the fleet,while Loring, Whitehurst, Delgado,Dan Norton of Detroit, MI, andDonnie Martinborough of theBahamas chased them around thefive-leg course. On the final beat, theracers inched their way to weather asthe breeze began to dissipate and thecurrent intensified. Jones ultimatelysqueezed his bow around the com-mittee boat’s anchor line and tookthe gun, followed moments later byMendelblatt, Whitehurst, and then

Loring. After he crossed the line, thenew world champ pumped his sail intriumph, rocked his boat to weather,and then rolled off the rail backwardand into the water in a fitting cele-bration.

At the awards ceremony the fol-lowing evening, Loring exulted byhoisting the two-foot mahogany andbrass International Sunfish ClassWorld Championship trophy over hishead. He was joined in the festivitiesby Dick Tillman, the outgoing presi-dent of the International SunfishClass Association, who also served asmaster of ceremonies. Tillman

claimed the award for top GrandMaster at this event (ages 55 andover), and then doled out trophies toTom Whitehurst as the top Master(ages 40-54), Stefano Capelletti ofPeru as the top Junior (17 and under),Lee Parks as the top female sailor, andFoster Marshall as the youngest sailor(13). And by nearly a unanimousvote, the competitors selected AndresCano-Alva to receive the SportsmanshipAward for his heroic efforts to aidDavid Thompson.

For full scores, log on to www.sunfishworlds-2006.com/SCORES.htm.

long period of time, so get the restwhen you can.” As for hallucinationsfrom lack of sleep and stress, Finnsays, “There’s just the usual voices andshadows.”

Finn’s team, Ryan Finn OceanRacing, is headquartered in NewOrleans, and he is collaborating withJeffrey Dingle of Marblehead, MA,who is actively working to bring the

first production series of the MINI6.5, an Owen Clarke design, toAmerica. Construction of the boats,which have a tentative start date oflate fall ’06, will be undertaken inNew Orleans by Clarke Thompson ofCat 5 Composites.

Trying to describe the overall sin-gle-handed racing experience, Finnexplains that “after watching the

movie Lawrence of Arabia, I had thefeeling that it was the best film ever setin the ocean. It’s dryer in the desert,not necessarily hotter, and sailors wearequally silly-looking apparel. Butcrossing an ocean alone challengesevery aspect of being alive and in away that also helps define it. Racingjust adds to the problem. It’s a veryfulfilling process.”

Anyone who is interested in following Ryan Finn’s racing challenges, or if you care to make a contribution or seek information regarding sponsorship, please visit his Web site, www.ryanfinnoceanracing.com.

Information on the MINIs can be found at www.minisinamerica.com.

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News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS December 2006 77

ADVERTISERS INDEX BY CATEGORYTELL THEM YOU SAW IT IN SOUTHWINDS! SOUTHWINDS providesthis list as a courtesy and asks our readers to support our advertisers. Thislist includes all display advertising.

JSI - New JSI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35Quantum Sails and Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3■ USED SAILING/BOATING SUPPLIESNautical Trader/buy/sell/consign, West Florida . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19Scurvy Dog Marine/Used, Consign, Pensacola FL . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29■ SAILING SCHOOLSSea School/Captain’s License . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28St. Augustine Sailing School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39,74■ MARINE ENGINES AND ACCESSORIESBeta Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30RB Grove/Universal and Westerbeke . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34■ REAL ESTATEPat Knoll, Sunstate Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Sunset Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26■ RESORTS, MARINAS, RESTAURANTS, BOAT YARDSCrow’s Nest Restaurant & Marina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16Regatta Pointe Marina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25Sailors Wharf Boatyard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37■ Fractional Sailing/Charter CompaniesLex-Sea Charters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38Sunsail Florida charters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39Windpath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Yachting Vacations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41■ MARINE SERVICES, SURVEYORS, INSURANCE, TOWING,

BOAT LETTERING, ETC.Aqua Graphics/Boat Names/Tampa Bay or buy online . . . . . . . . . .64Beachmaster Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38Manton Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64Mike Chan Boat Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36■ MARINE ELECTRONICSDockside Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15JR Overseas/Moisture Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45Sea Tech/Navigation/Communication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18,72■ BOOKS/CHARTS/VIDEOS/AWARDSNoble Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38Life Captions Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28■ REGATTA ADVERTISEMENTS, BOAT SHOWSRegata del Sol al Sol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50SailAmerica Strictly Sail Miami . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23Sarasota YC Regatta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Alphabetical Advertisers’ List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76Marine Marketplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38-39Regional Sailing Services Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64-65Subscription Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77

E ight years ago Ryan Finn,a 28-year-old New Orleansnative, was diagnosed

with Hodgkin’s lymphoma.Because of this, he had a lot ofdowntime during the varioustreatments he received over thecourse of that year. Growingup sailing and racing with hisparents—and being an avidfollower of the single-handedAround Alone Challenge,which circumnavigates theplanet, the idea of spendingdays and nights on open waterwith only himself and his boatto rely on grew during thistime. He started schooling him-self on single-handed racingduring the treatments as ameans to help him focus ongetting better.

After he successfully over-came cancer, his dream finallycame true. He soloed a 21-footsailboat from Savannah, GA toNew Orleans, stopping onlyonce during the trip, because herealized he “was really happyoffshore and didn’t want to bedistracted from that.”

Some of his preparationsfor what was to eventuallybecome his career came from areas that have nothing todo with water and wind. Finn states, “Fighting cancer isvery physical, very emotional and very mental. As my sit-uation unraveled from the initial tests and on through thetreatments, I never really let myself get tangled up in theprocess and tried to keep an eye on the big picture, whichwas to get better. This all translated very well to solo sail-ing, and I don’t know if I’d have such an approach with-out my cancer experience.”

Since that first long-distance solo trip, Finn haslogged thousands of miles offshore, including racing theTranspac single-handed, sailing double-handed in theTransat Jacques Vabre race as well as many others. Heeventually joined Kip Stone’s Artform’s team out ofMaine, working with Stone as he trains on his Open 50, aswell as double-handing with him on several trans-Atlantic deliveries.

Today, Finn is ready to take the next step in his racing

career. He has acquired a MINI 6.5, a 21-foot open classocean racing sailboat and is gearing up and training forthe 2007 Bermuda 1-2 and the 2009 MINI Transat JacquesVabre. He is also actively seeking sponsorship for anOpen 60 in order to compete in that class of ocean racing.

While discussing the challenges of single-handed rac-ing, Finn explains how one of the biggest dangers is thelack of sleep. On his first solo crossing of the Gulf hefound himself being overly quiet so as not to “disturb myfather who I imagined was sleeping down below.” Sincethen, he’s gotten much better at monitoring his sleep. “It’stempting to tweak sails and course headings for hours onend, but if the boat is sailing close to optimum speed andyou find yourself awake with little to do but fine-tune, it’sprobably a better idea to catch some sleep. You may findyourself in a situation where you need to be awake for a

See RYAN FINN continued on page 76

78 December 2006 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com

RYAN FINN:Cancer Treatments Help Develop a Southern Single-HanderBy Troy Gilbert

Ryan Finn transiting out to the start of the Transat Jacques Vabre in France. Courtesy Photo.