FLEETS FILL CHARLOTTE HARBOR

AS REGATTA WRAPS UP

Photos by Sue Killion

This was a three day regatta for the Hobie 16s and a two day regatta for the Hobie Waves. On both Friday and Saturday it was quite blustery with winds averaging 25 and gusts reaching over 30 knots.

The RC reported that only 2 Hobie 16s did not capsize. They wrote the following: In the Hobie 16 Class, skipper Kenneth Hilk captured the top spot with Mike Montague securing second and Matt Bounds placing third out of eight competing boats.

PUNTA GORDA, Fla. (February 6, 2010) - A second day of unusually strong winter winds tested racers and tossed up the standings on Day Two of the Inaugural Charlotte Harbor Regatta on Charlotte Harbor, Florida.

The winds forced one class to abandon the course and snapped the carbon-fiber masts of two boats in another. Despite the challenging conditions, six of eight classes finished at least one race and Sunday’s forecast offers picture-perfect sailing conditions for the final day of racing.

 Twenty-one boats in both classes on the multihull circle completed two races, as the Hobie 16 and Wave skippers muscled their ways around a triangle course designed to account for the blustery conditions. In the Hobie 16 class, Ken Hilk retained his Day One lead over Mike Montague, but the latter got within a point of the leader with a win in the day’s final race. Alun Davies won the first race of the day.  

The Hobie Waves joined the action Saturday morning and Stan Woodruff and Rick White traded firsts to stand at 1-2 going into Sunday’s racing. For the f irst race of the morning, only three boats made it to the starting line on time. Rick White jumped off to a lead and never let go, with Stan Woodruff a leg behind at one time. Dave White started, but a rudder fell off immediately and then he pitchpoled. Only two boats finished the first race.

For the second race most of the boat that had missed the first race were suffering badly just waiting for the start of the second. Most headed back to shore. The winds were pretty wild and the seas were even wilder. Only four boats started the second race, with Rick White again had a half leg lead over Woodruff with Don Harper and Dave White pretty far back.

On the second reaching leg Rick White's mainsheet blew out of the blocks, leaving him with 2:1. That would have been fine for sailing downwind, but the leeward mark loomed closely ahead. After round the mark, he had to go head to wind and restring the sheeting blocks. Woodruff took a commanding lead, and Harper was 100 yards ahead. Rick finished third behind Harper, with Dave White rounding out the field

After two days of heavy winds and high waves, Mother Nature delivered Chamber of Commerce weather for the final day of the inaugural Charlotte Harbor Regatta, Sunday, Feb. 7 on Charlotte Harbor, Florida.  

Sunday

Winds lightened up considerably and clocked more to the north and then northeast. This also helped the seas which were now a tolerable chop, rather than 4' high and 4' apart. However, the wind became very fluky, with big shifts and lots of gusts, accompanied by lots of holes to flounder in.

With two wins in the Hobie 16 class Sunday, Mike Montague vaulted past Day Two leader Kenneth Hilk, who dropped to third behind Randy Payne. 

Rick White started strong Saturday with a win and finished the regatta the same way to take the overall title in the Hobie Wave class. Dave White and Stan Woodruff finished second and third, respectively, separated by a point after six races.

For full race-by-race results from the Charlotte Harbor Regatta go to www.charlotteharborregatta.com.

Steve Abbey shows off his downwind style on the Wave

Past National Champ, Leah White was overwhelmed on Saturday, but took her share of bullets on Sunday.

Don Harper (left) attacks Stan Woodruff (right)

Don Harper rounds the weather mark with only one boat ahead of him

Alfred Fain, newcomer to the Waves, was able to handle the Sunday weather much better.

Greg Raybon (111544) powers over Wave sailor Mark Scarpelli

Randy Payne battles it out with Greg Raybon

RESULTS:

Hobie 16 (12 boats) (top)
Series Standing - 8 races scored
Information is provisional and subject to modification
Regatta results last updated: Sunday, February 07, 2010 7:47:45 PM CDT
Pos,Sail, Boat, Skipper, Yacht Club, Results, Total Points
1. 2009, , Mike Montague, , 2-2-[4]-1-2-1-3-1- ; 12
2. 111467, , Randy Payne, , 7-[13/DNF]-3-2-1-2-1-3- ; 19
3. 67, , Kenneth Hilk, , 1-3-1-3-[8]-5-6-2- ; 21
4. 110404, , Matt Bounds, , 4-1-13/DNF-13/DNS-3-3-2-[13/OCS]- ; 39
5. 111544, , Greg Raybon, , 5-13/DNF-2-[13/DNS]-5-6-8-5- ; 44
6. 111817, , Jim Sajdak, , 3-13/DNF-13/DNF-[13/DNS]-4-8-4-6- ; 51
7. 108113, , Bob Johnson, , 6-13/DNF-13/DNC-[13/DNC]-7-7-5-7- ; 58
8. 111812, , Arie van Duijn, , 13/DNC-13/DNC-13/DNC-[13/DNC]-6-4-7-4- ; 60
9. 108100, bladerunner, Steven Maffetone, , 9-13/DNF-5-13/DNS-10/TLE-13/DNS-13/DNS-[13/DNS]- ; 76
10. 108136, Hobie 16, Alun Davies, , 8-13/DNF-! 13/RAF-13/DNS-13/DNC-13/DNC-13/DNC-[13/DNC]- ; 86
11. 1! 776, , W illiam Stolberg, , 13/DNC-13/DNC-13/DNC-13/DNC-13/DNC-13/DNC-13/DNC-[13/DNC]- ; 91T
12. 5150, Hakunamatata, Douglas Russell, , 13/DNC-13/DNC-13/DNC-13/DNC-13/DNC-13/DNC-13/DNC-[13/DNC]- ; 91T

Notes
- Scoring System is ISAF Low Point 2009-2012
- Finishes in [brackets] denote throwouts
- Click on race number to view detailed race information.

Information is provisional and subject to modification

Hobie Wave (10 boats) (top)
Series Standing - 6 races scored
Information is provisional and subject to modification
Regatta results last updated: Sunday, February 07, 2010 7:58:12 PM CDT
Pos,Sail, Boat, Skipper, Yacht Club, Results, Total Points
1. 50, Air Apparent, Rick White, , 1-3-4-3-4-1- ; 16
2. 66, , Dave White, , 11/DNC-4-1-5-2-4- ; 27
3. 6, , Stan Woodruff, , 2-1-6-7-5-7- ; 28
4. 96, , Leah White, , 11/DNF-11/DNS-7-1-1-3- ; 34
5. 2, , Don Harper, , 11/DNS-2-3-8-9-6- ; 39T
6.! 3, , Steve Abby, , 11/DNC-11/DNF-2-4-6-5- ; 39T
7. 24, , Mark Scarpelli, , 11/DNS-11/DNS-8-2-7-2- ; 41
8. 5, , Sharon Woodruff, , 11/DNF-11/DNS-5-6-3-8- ; 44
9. 12, , Alfred Hugh Fain, , 11/DNS-11/DNS-9-11/DNF-8-9- ; 59
10. 100, HOBIE WAVE, Jack Woehrle, , 11/DNF-11/DNS-11/DNC-11/DNC-11/DNC-11/DNC- ; 66