Great Turnout and Great Weather at a Great Venue

Founders Park, Islamorada, Florida, Jan 13-14, 2007
The NAMSA North Americans/Tradewinds Midwinter Open Cat Nationals and F18 Midwinter Nationals were held over the Martin Luther Kings weekend in winds ranging from 15 to 22 knots with relatively flat seas.
Sixty five boats sailed in these great conditions and the competition was keen. The return to the venue from years ago was indeed welcome. The sailors were very happy with the rigging areas, the beach and the sailing area.
Since this is a family park, however, you were not allowed to have your run of the place with a beer in hand. There was a designated beer drinking spot where Chip Short set up a keg of Amber Beer for everyone’s pleasure. Soon the sailors caught on to the idea and it was not a problem.
The weather cooperated beautifully as well – winds were at least 15 knots the entire weekend and often around 20 knots, with flat seas and temperatures in the upper 70s and lower 80s. It was a cat sailor’s dream come true. Everyone had nothing but kudos about the location – a large grassy area for rigging, wide beach for launching, nice accommodations nearby, and beautiful, clear and flat water with lots of wind.

The Races
The RC was able to get 6 races in two days and still allow plenty of time for partying and dining out. The courses were simple Triangle, Windward/Leewards. The faster fleets were started first and given a couple of extra legs so that most of the fleets finished close to the same time.
The largest fleet was the Hobie 16s. Competition was really close from the very start. In some of the fleets the boats often are not crowding the line, but in this tough group they were all right there battling it out for a good start.

The Starts for the Hobie 16s were very competitive.
And the battling did not stop there. By Saturday night the fleet had three races under their belt and three teams were very near in a tie for the lead. Youngsters Michael Siau and Jake Budenz, Ken Hilk and Beverley Griffo, and Kevin Stille and Gabby Hilk were in this mix.
On Sunday Hilk and Griffo ended the day with two bullets, but on the first race of the day they could only muster a 6th place. Meanwhile Siau and Budenz sailed consistently with two seconds and fourth to win by two points.
For the first time, a new annual, perpetual award was given to the winner of the largest class, the Carlton Tucker Memorial Trophy. Siau and Budenz were awarded that trophy.

Michael Siau and Jake Budenz won the Hobie 16 Class and the first annual Carlton Tucker Memorial Trophy for the winner of the largest fleet.
The second largest fleet was the Wave Class. Michael Easton and Tripp Burd came all the way down from New England to sail in the F18 Midwinters but while out practicing on Thursday before the regatta they broke their mast. They appealed for help, but were unable to acquire a new mast before the weekend. So, they latched on to a couple of Wave. And did very well.

Linwood Henry had one of his best finishes in the very competitive Wave Class finishing in 7th place. Henry is relatively new to the Wave, but has shown great improvement over the last year.
Easton sailed very consistently, never placing higher than 2nd and knocked off four bullets out of six races. He won over the ever-present Stan Woodruff, who had to settle for second spot. Dave White took third. Meanwhile, Burd tied for 4th place with Leah White.

The F18 starts were also very impressive, with all the bows right on the line for almost every start.
This was the Eastern Midwinter Nationals for the F18 Class and these folks really went at it. After the first three races on Saturday, Olli and Kelly Jason had a two point lead over John Casey and Kenny Pierce. Sandra tartagliano and Chris Titcomb were holding on the the third spot.
Three more races were held on Sunday. With one more race to go, the Jasons were still clinging to a small lead, but were unable to finish the last race. This put them in a tie with Casey and Pierce, which broke in favor of the latter. This was a big victory for Casey and Pierce in their inaugural appearance in a major F18 event. The Jasons had to settle for 2nd place.
Meanwhile, Matt Johnson and Pat Gilles, who had a bad first day, put together two bullets and a 2nd to capture the third place flag.

In the Formula 16 Class it was the McDonald Show, starring Matt and Gina who took all bullets and one second place finish to take first place overall. Seth Stern and Stefen K were second spot and Chuck and Mavis Harnden won the third place flag.

The F16 Class had seven boats, which is the largest turnout so far for this new up and coming class.
In the Low Portsmouth Class teenage sailing star, Sarah Newberry teamed up with her uncle, Jamie Livingston, on a Tornado and eked out a victory by only one point over Wick and Wick Smith on an Inter20. Mike Hill and Holly Conklin took 3rd place on an Inter20.

Trey Brown and Alan Steward sailed well on their Inter 20 and finished just one point out of the award flags in 4th place

For the High Portsmouth Class, Stephen Acquart took all bullets except one to dominate with his Hobie 17. A Nacra 5.5 Sloop sailed by Mark Baker and Rainer Bindig took one bullet and the rest were seconds to grab 2nd place overall. Sailing a Hobie 20 Don Harper and Carlos took third spot.
Next year’s event is planned for the same location and the same time of the year – Martin Luther King Weekend in mid-January.

Mark Herendeen chartered an A-Class cat and really was doing some flying. He fell off the boat and was separated from it. Robbie Daniel and Enrique Rodriguez rescued him and returned him to his boat. Strangely enough a short time later, Rodriguez fell off the boat and Herendeen returned the favor. These two have to stop meeting that way.
The race was sponsored by Catamaran Sailor Magazine of Key Largo, CABB (Catamaran Assn. of Biscayne Bay), www.OnLineMarineStore.com, Founders Park Sailing Center and Rick White’s Sailing Seminars.