Newbie to Waves Wins Second Major Championship in a Month

Florida sailors took 4 of the top 5 positions in the Hobie Wave Catamaran National Championships held at Founders Park Dec 4-6 at Islamorada, Florida in the Florida Keys.
Jack Woehrle of Gainesville, after just winning the Wave North Americans a few weeks ago, finally got a comfortable lead and held on to edge out last year’s defending champion, Leah White of Key Largo. Leah’s husband, Dave White, took 3rd place, and Stan Woodruff of Ruskin, Florida took 4th place.
Leah White won the Women’s Division Championship in the process and Stan Woodruff won the Masters.
There were twenty one sailors from all around the United States that vied for the championship.
The Hobie Wave is a 13-foot catamaran sailboat sailed single-handedly. The races are around buoys placed in the water and the sailor with the lowest score wins. For first place you get a score of one; for second, two; third, a three; etc.
Leah White was the defending National Champion from last year. Both she and Dave had held the lead overall at one time during this weekend. Eleven races made up the event, with each sailor able to throw out their worst score. Leah won the last three races of the event and was closing on the leader With her great finishes she still captured the Women’s National Championship Title.
Sixteen-year-old, Taylor Palmer of Miami, won the Youth Division and finished in 6th place in the Open (Overall) scoring. This is a great boat class for youth sailors. Any youngster interested in getting into racing these cats should contact Barb Short at Founders Park Watersports in Islamorada, Florida.

The Races
On Friday the fleet got in five races. However, there were problems with the fifth race. The RC mistakenly gave a whistle indicating a finish to boat that clearly had not even sailed the proper course. The whistle made some sailors either stop, or go back. Consequently, the race was thrown out. Dave and Leah White were a bit put out by the decision – Dave won by a half a leg and Leah was in third place.
At the end of the day, Jack Woehrle had two point margin over Dave White, with Leah nipping at their heels in 3rd place.

At the start Dave White gets the pin end (right - dark sail), Mark Scarpelli (middle) and John McKnight (red sail)
Saturday Woehrle went bonkers and knocked off 3 bullets and a second out of four races – taking a comfortable 9 point lead over Dave White, with Leah 3 points after that.
In the afternoon Murphy’s Law took over when a squall hit the fleet with winds gusting to 27 mph. The two youth sailors capsized, there was a general recall, which no one seemed to know about, and the reaching mark went for a ride to a dock a mile or so downwind. And while trying to get those problems ironed out several more boats went over, one boat dismasted and one sail was getting ripped.
Since it was getting close to the end of the day, the RC sent the sailors in, and pulled in those that were in distress.

With the starting line slightly port favored for almost every start, there was a lot of fighting for that end of the line.
On Sunday the winds started out at 10 mph, and slow diminished. It was Leah White’s turn to shine – she knocked off three consecutive first place finishes and was closing on Woehrle. It looked like she was again going to come from behind to win all the marbles in the 10th race. She had a commanding lead and Woehrle was back in 9th place with one weather leg and a down to go.
At the weather mark Woehrle had pulled a miracle out of his had and was second around the weather mark. This great comeback save the regatta for him.
The last race of the day was in even more dying wind. The RC shortened the course and the regatta was over.
Leah won the Womens Championships and Stan Woodruff, who had been hounding these three the entire weekend had to settle for 4th overall and the Masters Championship.
Taylor Palmer (16-years-old) won the Youth Division and placed 6th overall in the Open standings.

Sharon Woodruff follows Mike Powers around the leeward mark

More tough starts. It was tough to consistantly get a good start

Jack Woehrle flys a hull rounding the weather mark

Nice Series of pictures below, with Stan Woodruff (6) nailing it

Youth Champ (19), Taylor Palmer, leads Jim Glanden (Yellow and Orange sail) and other around the leeward mark

Sponsoring the event was Catamaran Sailor Magazine of Key Largo, OnLineMarineStore.com and Calvert Sails of Clearwater, Florida.

The event is held annually in the Florida Keys the first weekend of December. For more information you may contact rick@catsailor.com

Full Results

2009 Wave Nationals

Founders Park Watersports - Islamorda Florida

Results are final as of 11:45 on December 7, 2009

Overall

Sailed: 11, Discards: 1, To count: 10, Entries: 21, Scoring system: Appendix A

www.foundersparkwatersports.com