Wave National Championships
The Islander Resort
Islamorada, Florida

December 6-9, 2012

There has only been one triple winner of the Hobie Wave Nationals since its existence until this weekend. Leah White of Key Largo, only the second woman to win overall, sailed very consistently, winning four first place finishes out of the eleven races sailed, with her worst race being a 6th. She was pushed hard by the North American Champion from Pensacola Beach, Tom Whitehurst.
Going into the last day of racing, Whitehurst was only 4 points behind White, but in the lst three races on Sunday, White finished ahead of Whitehurst in every race, taking the victory by 9 points overall.
White’s husband, Dave White, was in the hunt the entire weekend as well. At the start of the last race, he only needed three positions to tie and beat Whitehurst. As it turned out the last race was his worst race and had to settle for 3rd place overall.

Leah White rounding the leeward mark so far ahead, there was no one in sight

Jim Glanden flew in from Delaware and was always one of the top boats of the 30 competitors. Glanden ended up in 4th place overall, and the winner of the Masters Division for sailors 60 years old or above.
John Sherry of Miami rounded out the podium in 5th place overall and 2nd place in the Masters. Jack Woehrle of Gainesville, Florida, who is a past Nationals and North American Wave Champion took 3rd place in the Master
The start got very crowded at times. With a slightly port favored line, Tom Whitehurst (colored Sail)is lined up for a great start

Leah White won the Womens Division, with Sharon Woodruff of Ruskin, Florida taking second place.
The Silver Fleet Award, for the most improved sailor, went to Dan Birkholz from Minnesota.
The Wave National Championships were hosted by Islander Watersports (www.islanderwatersports.com) and the Islander Resort over the weekend of December 6 through 9th. The event was sponsored by Catamaran Sailor Magazine (www.catsailor.com), OnLineMarineStore.com and CABB.

Dave White quite often was the first around the weather mark.

Winds were 8-12 mph on Friday and Saturday, which made for some excellent sailing off the beach of the resort on the Ocean Side of the Keys. Sunday eased off quite a bit, but the Race Committee was able to get in three good, fair races to round out the weekend

Former Wave National and North American Champ, Jack Woehrle of Gainesville, Florida, grabs the lead around the A Mark, being hounded by 28 other aggressive sailors.

This National Event has been held in the Florida Keys area on the first weekend of December for fifteen years now, bringing lots of sailors and their friends to this great sailing venue during the off season time for the Keys. The visitors always enjoy the great sailing in our warm and clear waters.

Mark Scarpelli (left) had the lead around the weather mark and reaching mark, but Dave White got past him on the beam reach and rounds the leeward mark just ahead.

The Races
There were practice races scheduled for Thursday afternoon, but as you looked easterly out over Hawk Channel you only saw an ocean of glass. Everyone opted to simply work on their boats, tip a few beers and meet old friends.
Friday morning had some nice went blowing out of the southeast at about 8-10 mph. Perfect sailing conditions.
Leah White looked unstoppable, rattling off three bullets in the three races sailed for the day. But there was a blemish in the score. Tom Whitehurst file a protest against Leah for an infraction of a port/starboard situation. Both were a half a leg ahead of the rest of the fleet, so there was no reason Leah could not have simply did a circle and settle for 2nd. After a hearing on the following day, she was given a 20% penalty. After the first day, Leah was still in the lead with 7.5 points, with Doug Seib of Put-in-Bay, Ohio in second with a one point lead over Dave White with 11. Whitehurst was in 4th with 15 points.

Showing a good "droop-hiking" position, Tom Whitehurst of Pensacola, Florida is first around the weather mark. Whitehurst had great finishes with three bullets, a bunch of seconds, and almost always at the top of the fleet.

On the second day the winds were about the same or a little higher, sometimes reaching 12 mph. The ocean side of the Keys can be a bit lumpy compared to the bay side, where the event has traditionally been sailed, going back to Rick’s Place Motel in Key Largo on Blackwater Sound, the Upper Keys Sailing Club, and Founders Park.
Leah White sailed steadily taking a first, three seconds and her worst race, a 6th place. Whitehurst got it together with two firsts, two thirds and 5th. He was able to throw out a 9th place finish and found himself 4.5 point behind Leah and 6 points ahead of Dave White. The three of them would be doing some major match racing on the final day, it would seem.

The mark roundings were always quite crowded with this aggressive fleet of Wave Sailors.

And indeed that is they way it went down. Leah simply shadowed Whitehurst wherever he went. She not only shadowed him, but in each race managed to also get by him and extend her overall lead to finish 8.5 points ahead.
Dave White won the first race of the day, moving him within 3 points of Whitehurst, but fell apart in the next two races, taking a 9th and 13th. He still managed to hold on to the third place overall.
Next year on the first weekend in December, hope to see more and more Wave Sailors show up for our Nationals at the Islander Resort in Islamorada, Florida

Kenny Pierce on the second day got it together and rattled off two aces and a second in three consecutive races, then tragically broke a rudder, knocking him out of two races with no way to catch back up.

John Sherry with the clear sail rounds the leeward mark in lots of traffic.

Terry Greene is new to the Wave Fleet, but got the hang of the boat and finished in mid-fleet.

Results:

Overall

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