2nd Charlotte Harbor Regatta a Great Success
Awesome Hospitality, Great Launching Area, Good Winds and Good Sailing
Stars Turn Out for 2011 Charlotte harbor Regatta

Photos bySharie Derrickson,
sharie@the-write-resource.com
SUNDAY, FEB. 6, 2011, CHARLOTTE HARBOR, FLORIDA – With a field full of champions past, present and future, the 2011 Charlotte Harbor Regatta wrapped up Sunday with a frantic scramble for the remaining undecided titles. With 84 boats in 11 classes, the Charlotte Harbor Regatta became the largest in the harbor’s history.
Port Charlotte Beach Park was a spectacle of multicolored sails each morning and afternoon, with 34 boats being rigged and launched, then retrieved by the nomadic band of high-level racers, such as Hobie 16 superstar Greg Raybon, who took 3rd in the Hobie 17 World Championships and former North American Hobie 16 champions Paul and Mary Ann Hess of Santa Clara, California. Paul Garlick, a multiple national champion in the Wave class and his equally accomplished wife, Kathryn, set up shop on Charlotte Harbor in their 60-foot Etincelle, Cool Cat 1, before embarking on a cruise to the Caribbean for the 2011 St. Maartin Heineken Regatta in March. National, North American and World Champ, Rick White also showed up for the event.
Future superstar 18-year-old Taylor Reiss showed why he is getting so much buzz, sailing to a third-place in the F18 class behind three-time North American champion John Casey and multiple national and world champ Robbie Daniels of Red Gear Racing.
“Entries were up 30 percent over our inaugural year and the star power was obvious in the results,” said regatta Chairman Brian Gleason. “In addition to the multihull talent, we had Paralympians, world champions and North American champs competing in the 2.4mR class, which will be one of the featured classes in the 2012 International Association for Disabled Sailing World Championships, set for Charlotte Harbor Jan. 7-15, 2012.”
Racing in the Wave class was equally tight, with husband-and-wife team Paul and Kathryn Garlick of Apollo Beach, Fla., going 1-2. Mark Scarpelli of Put-in-bay, Ohio took third.
In the Hobie 16 fleet, former North American Hobie 16 champions Paul and Mary Ann Hess of Santa Clara, California, continued their winning ways. Dan Borg of Mississauga, Ontario and Mike Montague of Santa Rosa, Calif., were in second and third place.
Richard Stevens of Trumansburg, N.Y., stretched his Day Two lead over Tom Reese of Youngstown, N.Y., in the Weta fleet, while Ben Arthur of Ithica, N.Y., rounded out the Empire State sweep.
In the F16 class, Karl Brogger of Dennison, Minn., and Zachary Lynch of Treasure Island, Fla., finished 1-2, after Brogger pulled away on Saturday and stayed there Sunday. Seth Stern of St. Petersburg, Fla., took third despite a pair of wins on a furious final day charge.
John Casey of Longwood, Fla., and Robbie Daniel of Clearwater, Fla., kept their distance from the F18 fleet again on Sunday and went first and second. Taylor Reiss of Clearwater, Fla., was third
SUNDAY, FEB. 6, 2011, CHARLOTTE HARBOR, FLORIDA – An ominous overcast blew away by late morning and 84 boats in 11 classes swept across wind-whipped waves on Day Two of the 2011 Charlotte Harbor Regatta. The huge turnout of boats was swelled by the start of racing in the Sunfish, Laser, Precision 15, F16 and Wave classes Saturday. They joined the S2 7.9, Flying Scot, Hobie 16, Weta and F18 fleets, who took to the harbor again after an eventful Friday of competition.
Fifteen-knot winds out of the southwest was part of the challenge for the racers, with temperatures in the low 80s for most of the day.
Racing in the Wave class was equally tight, with husband-and-wife team Paul and Kathryn Garlick of Apollo Beach, Fla., battling for the top spot after seven races. Paul prevailed with 25 points, including a first and four seconds, while Kathryn trailed with 27 points. Mark Scarpelli of Put-in-bay, Ohio was third with 33 points, including two firsts.
In the Hobie 16 fleet, another husband and wife team, Paul and Mary Ann Hess of Santa Clara, California, established themselves as the boat to beat with four wins and three seconds in eight races. Dan Borg of Mississauga, Ontario and Mike Montague of Santa Rosa, Calif., were in second and third place.
Richard Stevens of Trumansburg, N.Y., has a two-point edge over Tom Reese of Youngstown, N.Y., in the Weta fleet, while Ben Arthur of Ithica, N.Y., found himself third with a day of racing to go.
In the F16 class, Karl Brogger of Dennison, Minn., and Zachary Lynch of Treasure Island, Fla., traded firsts and seconds Friday, but Brogger pulled away on Saturday and is in command heading into Sunday, with Seth Stern of St. Petersburg, Fla., in pursuit with two wins Saturday.
John Casey Longwood, Fla., and Robbie Daniel of Clearwater, Fla., pulled away in the F18 class after Saturday’s races and will settle things Sunday. Taylor Reiss of Clearwater, Fla., sits third after eight.
All classes are scheduled to race again on Sunday, Feb. 6. Racing is schedule to begin at 10 a.m., weather permitting.##
Day 1 Racing Hot and Heavy in 2011 Charlotte Harbor Regatta
More than 40 boats in five classes kicked off the 2011 Charlotte Harbor Regatta in spectacular fashion Friday, Feb. 4, with leaders staking firm claims in some classes, while other fleets are up for grabs.
On light seas in 10-knot winds, all of the classes – S2 7.9, Hobie 16, Hobie Wave, Weta, and F18 – were able to finish four races. In the morning, dozens of spectators and volunteers saw the multihull fleet sail off from Port Charlotte Beach Park in a column of colors.

In the Hobie 16 fleet, Sean Tracy of Bradenton, Fla., posted three firsts and a third to take a lead over Greg Raybon of Shrewsbury, N.J., who won once and finished second twice.

With a heavy starboard favored line, due to a big wind shift, all the Hobie 16s were piled up at the Boat End of the Line.
Paul Garlick took control of the Wave fleet, with 10 points over four races. Kathryn Garlick stayed within sight with 14 points, while John Sherry found himself in third place with 17 points.

Waves starting at a port favored end. Notice the big catamaran anchored upwind -- that is Paul and Kathryn Garlick's beauty.
Results were tighter in the Weta class, with two of the nine racers separating themselves from the fleet. Tom Reese held a slim lead, with a first and a second among his four races, over Dick Hitchcock, who finished with also posted a win, but a DQ cost him the lead, with two days left to recapture it.

Weta Trimarans dice it out
John Casey and Taylor Reiss grew more and more familiar with each other as the day wore on in the F18 class. Both won two races and finished second each time they didn’t win.

Dave Ingram was always right with the Big Dogs i nthe F18 Class
The F16s will join the multihull class for the weekend and the Flying Scots, Lasers, Sunfish, Precisions and 2.4mRs will race for the first time Saturday, Feb. 5. The 2.4mRs, along with the Sunfish, Laser and Precision 15 classes will sail within sight of shore on both sides of the Peace River. The Sunfish and Lasers will stage out of the Charlotte Harbor Community Sailing Center in Punta Gorda, while the 2.4mRs will launch at the Charlotte Harbor Yacht Club and the Precisions from the Isles Yacht Club.Multi-hullo!
Winds in the teens and sun shining down made for a wonderful day of racing on Day One of the 2011 Charlotte Harbor Regatta. Four multihull classes and the S2 7.9 fleet launched the event with six more classes set to join them today as the regatta enters Day Two. With racers arriving from around the country, many of them weary of a long, wet winter up north, the 80-degree temperature and steady sun was a welcome respite. But it was wind these folks were interested in and Charlotte Harbor provided it in spades.
We have lots of swag for participants, too. Hobie USAshipped in two boxes of gear and Fun in the Sun will have goodies to give away as door prizes.
Weather Routing Inc. will be providing custom updated forecasts for the Charlotte Harbor Regatta, scheduled for Feb. 3-6, 2011. The company’s Yacht Race Forecasting Service will provide a detailed synopsis of current and forecast weather conditions, as well as forecast wind and sea conditions. They also will provide precise information on currents and other weather phenomena which may affect your boat during the Charlotte Harbor Regatta.
Race participants can create their own SeaWeather account online. Click the WRI logo and sign up for your personalized Weather Routing account and forecast. WRI also generously donated coupons for additional forecasting services that will be awarded as door prizes during the nightly regatta parties.
“This is the second straight year the folks at Weather Routing have provided this free service to our competitor, race officials and spectators,” said Regatta Chairman Brian Gleason. “The forecast looks great for Feb. 4-6 and if it changes, we’ll be the first to know with Weather Routing’s constantly updated forecasts, wave reports and other great information.”War stories were flying in the Wheelroom at CHYC Saturday night as another high-profile event brought out the beast in Charlotte Harbor.
“Greg Raybon and his son, Eric, dropped off a trailer full of Hobie 16s fresh off the multihull event in Islamorada. The Hobies will be one of the biggest fleets in the regatta, as the class is looking to establish another midwinter event for members in sunny Southwest Florida.”
Freaky weather that produced acrobatic sailing like this was the talk of the regatta in 2010
That was from a Jan. 18. 2010 post below. Like clockwork, the Raybon crew rolled into town Monday morning after the Tradewinds event on Islamorada in the Florida Keys. Six boats are aboard the Hobie trailer at a regatta sponsor’s secure storage facility. The Hobie fleet is expected to be in the teens, with high-caliber sailors including former North American Hobie 16 Champions Paul and Mary Ann Hess from California already registered.
F18 Class President David Ingram wrote to say he expected a 10-boat fleet from his class, which has created a five-regatta Zhik Winter Series that includes the Charlotte Harbor Regatta. Word-of-mouth at the Tradewinds event has produced a surge of interest in the multihull fleet in the Charlotte Harbor Regatta. The multihull circle, with five fleets, is expected to pass 40 boats. A strong eight-boat fleet of Weta trimarans, including North American distributor Jon Britt and Florida dealer Richard Hitchcock, is registered already. The F16 fleet is well represented by early birds including Class President Pete Pollard.

With more than 100 volunteers on and off the water, the 2011 Charlotte Harbor Regatta is as much a community celebration of Charlotte Harbor as it is a sailboat regatta. Nearly half of those volunteers gathered at the Punta Gorda Isles Civic Association recently to get their marching orders for the Feb. 3-6, 2011 event.
Race director Roger Strube led a workshop for on-water race committee volunteers, which was followed by a “thank you” pizza party. During a brief address, regatta chairman Brian Gleason thanked the volunteers for their efforts and spoke about the 100 boats in 12 classes expected to compete in the regatta.
Our 30 local business sponsors, including regatta host, Fishermen’s Village Resort & Marina, and so many talented and tireless volunteers allow the Charlotte Harbor Regatta to live up to its brand as “the fun, affordable regatta.”
The festivities will kick off Feb. 3 at Charlotte Harbor Yacht Club with a welcome dinner and skipper’s meeting for the classes that begin racing on Feb. 4.
Results
F16 Class
1 USA 808 Brogger, Karl 2 1 2 1 2 [4] 3 2 2 2 1 18.0
2 USA 32993 Lynch, Zachary 1 2 1 2 3 5 [8/DNF] 4 4 3 5 30.0
3 USA 205 McDonald, Riley [8/DNC] 8/DNC 8/DNC 8/DNC 1 2 4 1 1 1 2 36.0
4 13 Stern, Seth [8/DNC] 8/DNC 8/DNC 8/DNC 4 1 1 3 3 4 4 44.0
5 709 Stater, Chris [8/DNC] 8/DNC 8/DNC 8/DNC 5 3 2 5 5 5 3 52.0
6 702 Pollard, Pete [8/DNF] 3 3 4 6 6 8/DNS 8/DNF 8/DNC 8/DNC 8/DNC 62.0
7 150 Johnson, Robert [8/DNC] 4 4 3 8/DNC 8/DNC 8/DNC 8/DNC 8/DNC 8/DNC 8/DNC 67.0
F18 Class
1 USA 241 Casey, John 1 [3] 3 1 1 1 3 1 2 1 1 15.0
2 246 Daniel, Robbie 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 [4] 2 2 18.0
3 218 Reiss, Taylor 3 2 2 [10/DNF] 3 3 1 3 1 3 3 24.0
4 USA 1025 Riccardi, Todd [6] 4 4 3 5 5 4 5 3 4 4 41.0
5 676 Langefeld, Karl 4 [7] 5 4 6 4 5 6 5 6 5 50.0
6 USA 672 Ingram, David 5 6 6 5 4 6 [7] 4 6 5 7 54.0
7 147 Vadasdi, Gregory [10/DNC] 5 7 6 7 7 6 7 7 9 6 67.0
8 602 Maples, Matt Krogstad / Bethanie 8/RDG 8/RDG 8/RDG 8/RDG 8 [10/DNF] 10/DNF 10/DNF 8 7 9 84.0
9 588 Cullum, Peter 9/RDG 9/RDG 9/RDG 9/RDG [10/DNC] 10/DNC 10/DNC 10/DNC 9 8 8 91.0
Hobie 16 Class
1 67 Hess, Paul 2 1 1 2 2 1 [6] 1 3 1 6 20.0
2 110651 Borg, Dan 1 [4] 3 3 1 3 4 3 1 2 2 23.0
3 80525 Tracy, Sean 3 2 [6] 1 3 6 1 6 5 3 1 31.0
4 11 Montague, Mike 4 [6] 2 4 4 2 3 2 2 5 3 31.0
5 111544 Raybon, Greg [6] 3 4 5 6 4 2 4 4 4 5 41.0
6 111817 Sajdak, Jim 5 [10/DNF] 5 7 5 5 5 5 6 6 4 53.0
7 111688 Krupke, Bruce [8] 5 7 6 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 67.0
8 105333 Craemer, Steve 7 7 [8] 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 78.0
9 112003 Minnaar, Gregory [10/DNC] 10/DNC 10/DNC 10/DNC 10/DNC 10/DNC 10/DNC 10/DNC 10/DNC 10/DNC 10/DNC 100.0
Wave Class
1 59 Garlick, Paul 5 2 2 1 [7] 2 2 2 1 5 2 24.0
2 1 Garlick, Kathryn 4 1 3 6 [8] 4 1 1 4 2 3 29.0
3 711 Scarpelli, Mark 7 6 1 7 5 1 6 5 2 4 [8] 44.0
4 106 Sherry, John 3 5 5 4 6 [7] 4 3 3 7 4 44.0
5 17 Kaub, Skip 2 7 6 3 4 5 [8] 6 6 1 5 45.0
6 117 Powers, Mike 1 8 [10] 5 10 8 3 8 5 3 1 52.0
7 5 Woodruff, Sharon 9 4 8 2 3 [10] 7 4 8 8 7 60.0
8 35 Wright, Nelson 8 [10] 7 8 9 6 9 7 7 6 6 73.0
9 50 White, Rick 6 3 9 10 1 9 5 [11/DNC] 11/DNC 11/DNC 11/DNC 76.0
10 6 Woodruff, Stan 10 9 4 9 2 3 [11/DNF] 9 11/DNF 11/DNC 11/DNC 79.0
Weta Class
1 362 Stephens, Richard 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 1 1 [3] 1 14.0
2 437 Reese, Tom 3 1 3 2 1 2 2 [10/DNF] 3 1 2 20.0
3 358 Arthur, Ben [6] 3 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 3 28.0
4 506 Styne, Philip 4 5 6 4 4 5 5 3 [10/DNC] 10/DNC 10/DNC 56.0
5 283 Egan, Tom 1 4 5 7 5 6 4 5 [10/DNC] 10/DNC 10/DNC 57.0
6 504 Hitchcock, Richard [8] 8 1 8 7 7 8/TLE 6 5 5 5 60.0
7 284 Eduardo, Peter 7 7 [8] 6 8 8 8/TLE 7 4 4 4 63.0
8 510 Britt, Jon 5 6 7 5 6 4 6 4 [10/DNC] 10/DNC 10/DNC 63.0
9 165 Campbell, John 9 9 9 9 [10/DNC] 10/DNC 10/DNC 10/DNC 10/DNC 10/DNC 10/DNC 96.0
More Pictures Below: