I would like to address one problem with this year's Tradewinds that was mentioned on (I think) the F-16 forum: The fact that some people were not able to get to the race course on time for the first race on Saturday because of having to go to the skippers meeting and then having to get back to their launching area and hightail it out to the race course.

The problem this year was that boats were launching from at least five different locations. In addition to Gilbert's, boats were launching from Rowell's Marina and Neptune's Hideaway Motel. PLUS, the Sharks were launching from a private residence, and the Waves were launching from a homeowners park. The problem was compounded by the Jewfish Creek Bridge opening and delaying their return to their launch areas after the skippers meeting.

I anticipated all this might be a problem, but too late to figure out a way to handle it. The best way probably would have been to have the sailors at the remote locations not have to go to the skippers meeting in person, but for the race committee to have a "runner" go to all the launch sites and hand-deliver the information about order of starts and which classes were to sail which courses.

I thought about doing that myself, even though I was racing, too, but for all I knew, there may have been other launch sites, as well, that I was not aware of. So we just left it at as published so people were responsible for getting the information themselves.

Next year we may have less of a problem and more of a problem, because it sounds like Gilbert's will no longer be available at all for races, since their plans are to tear down the motel and build townhomes. Another regatta site lost!

We are working on another location for next year's Tradewinds Regatta. If we are successful, the whole event will be much more consolidated in one close area. Keep your fingers crossed, because it is going to be a tough sell for us.

In addition, Rick is right now down at the County Courthouse testifying in a jury trial lawsuit involving the Caribbean Club property, which used to be one of our primary launching areas for regattas. We have not been able to use that area for the past two years for any sailing events because of an electrocution accident (no death, but a hand had to be amputated) that involved the electric company's power lines and a Hobie 16. Both of us are actually on the witness list to testify that sailing has been going on at that site since at least the early 1980's.

Apparently, the electric company is claiming that if they had known there was a launching ramp there and if they had known sailboats ever launched there, they would have raised their wires higher across the front of that property.

I will let you know what happens with the lawsuit.