Tradewinds Regatta, Key Largo, Florida.
The annual Tradewinds Regatta was held January 14 & 15, 2006. It was an exciting event with cat sailors traveling from all over the states to attend. There were 61 boats registered for this mid-winter classic. The largest class (15 boats) was the increasingly popular F-18 class. The next two largest fleets, with 10 boats each, were the Inter 20s and the Hobie Waves. Other classes included high and low Portsmouth, the new F-16 class, and the venerable Hobie 16 class. There was also a three boat Hobie 14 Turbo class.
The venue for the race was Gilbert’s Resort and Marina on Jewfish Creek in Key Largo. This location afforded lodging, a restaurant, a Tiki bar, and a large staging area for the many boats and trailers. They had two launch beaches for access to Black Water Sound. The sound is an ideal sailing venue. It is on the bayside of Key Largo and is several miles wide. It is relatively shallow and is protected on all sides by mangroves.
The staging area was bustling with activity Saturday morning as the crews readied their boats for the races. The sights were eye candy for anyone even remotely interested in beach cats. The sail colors covered the full range of the rainbow. The boats varied from the 40 year old classic Hobie 14 design to the latest Blade and G-Cat F-16s fresh out of their molds. There was every type of beach cat from the 13 foot roto-molded Hobie Waves to the all carbon fiber Marstrom 20s. One of the best parts of a regatta of this magnitude is catching up with old friends and meeting new ones. It was a veritable who’s who of catamaran sailors in the Eastern US. There were sailors from as far away as Michigan, New York, and the Carolinas. There were sailors out for their first regatta and sailors who have won the Worrell 1000. It was fun checking out all the different names on the boats. Here are some of them: Breakin Wind IV, AdventureOnline TV, Fun Ticket, Flatliner, Team Zango, Blow Me, U204, Fast Company, Peanut Butter Breath II, White Lightning, Plays With Matches, Paris Hilton, Castrol, and Space Coast. The whole event was a kaleidoscope of boats, sailors, and color. Excitement and anticipation permeated the air. The sailors were like thoroughbred horses as they approach the starting gate for a race. They were edgy and ready. They were particularly edgy about the weather.
The weather can be very unpredictable in January even in Florida, and unpredictable we got. A strong cold front came through Friday night and Saturday. Saturday dawned with temperatures in the 50’s and winds in the 30 knot range with higher gusts. Gale force winds were predicted and small craft warnings had been posted. Temperatures were forecast to drop lower by Saturday night. It didn’t take long for veteran PRO, Rick White, to call the races for the day. The conditions would have been hazardous for the beach cats. I think there was a huge collective sigh of relief when he called the races for Saturday. If the races were run, there would have been pressure to participate. There is always peer pressure and the bravado factor to edge one to go out and race in harsh conditions even though there is that little voice in the back of your head saying, “I don’t really think this is a very good idea”. There is also pressure on the PRO when the conditions are less than favorable. He knows that people have invested hundreds of dollars and their precious free time to come all the way to Key Largo to race. He made the right call, we didn’t want anybody injured. Rick called for a 9AM start for Sunday morning in hopes of getting in a number of races.
So, with the whole day Saturday “off”, the question was what to do with the day. Several groups of sailors took the opportunity to go to Key West. It was time for a road trip. I went to Key West with John Sherry and Sue Bennett. Sue was on the race committee. Sue was down form Canandaigua, NY, and she had never been to Key West. In Key West we enjoyed seeing some of the Key West Race Week boats. I have never seen so many exotic racing sailboats in one place. We made the obligatory late afternoon visit to Mallory Square to catch the street performers and cheer the sunset with a thousand friends. And no first trip to Key West would be complete without a swing by the southern most point in the continental US.
Sunday morning dawned with low temperatures, overcast skies, but a moderated wind. With wind in the 15 knot range, the races were on. Everyone was up early to prepare themselves and their boats for the 9AM start. The temperatures were in the 50’s but with the wind chill it felt colder. Proper foul weather gear was the name of the game for the day. I saw lots of ski caps, wetsuits and spray suits. The races were delayed about half an hour so that everyone had time to get off the crowded beach and out to the race course. Three races were held back to back in the brisk conditions.
There were numerous South Florida cat sailors in attendance. Eric Arborgast was sailing with Tom Wilson on the ARC21. They had equipment problems. When Eric was cranking on the downhaul, the halyard shackle pulled through the mainsail headboard. I guess Eric has been spending too much time at the gym. They had to retire from the races when the mainsail came down. Wilder Robles was sailing with Will Walker on the F-16 Blade. The F-16 class was very competitive. Bret Moss was sailing with Hans Geissler on the new F-16 G-cat designed by Hans. There were two Marstrom 20s in the race. Mike Phillips was sailing with Fred Moffat on the M-20. Unfortunately they had rudder issues and had to retire after the first race. Carla Schiefer sailed her M-20 with Manus Boberg and they won the Low Portsmouth class. John Sherry was sailing a Hobie Wave in the regatta. This was the very first time he had ever set foot on a Wave. He said he was having some difficulty getting the boat to tack. John is traditionally a Shark sailor. John supplied the regatta T-shirts. Kenny Pierce was sailing with John Casey on an Inter 20. They handily won the very competitive Inter 20 class. Jay Sonnenklar and Steve Lohmayer were sailing Jay’s Inter 20. They have teamed up in preparation for this year’s Tybee 500. They finished a very respectable fourth. Jarred Sonnenklar was skippering one of the other family I-20s. Jamie Livingston was crewing for the teenager. If you need a crew to help you go fast, you might as well go with one of the best. They finished fifth. Jarred is quickly becoming a top notch skipper. He had mostly distance race experience before this buoy race regatta.
Several CABB member dedicated their time and expertise to running the regatta. First and foremost in this department is Rick White. He just about single handedly organized and ran the regatta. He planned the race, ordered the trophies, ordered the T-shirts, and recruited the race committee. He wrote and compiled the race instructions. He did an excellent job once again as Principle Race Officer. Rick does it all from rounding up marks, anchors, and rode, to presenting the trophies after the race. He is to be commended, without him there would be no Tradewinds. Mary Wells ably assisted him in organizing and promoting the regatta. Wally and Marion Sullivan volunteered their time and motorboat for chase boat duties. Lawrence Cooper volunteered for race committee duty for Saturday. The races were canceled for Saturday, but he did get to checkout all the boats and meet a number of sailors. Clive Mayo also volunteered himself and his motorboat for chase boat duties. I was with Clive on his skiff. A day on a chase boat can make you a better sailor. You get to see first hand how all the sailors make the mark roundings. A huge thank you goes out to all the race committee volunteers who worked the regatta instead of sailing in it. Without volunteers the race wouldn’t happen.
If you would like to read more about the regatta and see pictures of the event, here are some websites that you can checkout.
1. Catsailor.com
2. Floridamultihullsailor.com (the pictures were not up yet here as of today, check back)
3.
http://www.teamseacats.com/wordpress/John McKnight
