The 2007 RTI has unusually great conditions for the 25 boat turnout. The wind was NNE at the 7 am start off the Fort Walton Yacht Club start line which was conveniently located only 100 yards from the launching area. The winds were 3-4 knots all the way to the Destin channel markers but did veer alittle more to the east as the fleet approached. The SuperCat 22 was first to the marks followed by Brian Lambert on the CFR20 , Kevin Smith on a Tornado Sport and then Randy Smyth on his F25C. The positions stayed the same thru the pass and around the SEa Bouy. The incoming tide showed beautiful emerald green waters and a white sandy bottom so navigation around the sand bars was easy. The lead switched as the CFR 20 moved out on the tight reach down the beach line with his flat high aspect ratio chute followed by the SC 22. The wind continued to build and clocked with the sun. Great weather on this years event as the wind never died when it chaged directions. It went east and then southeast and held from that direction for several hours. We passed the navarre pier ~9:30 , the Pensacola pier ~10:30 and were inside the pass at 11:45 ! It was a chute run the entire way with on 2-3 jibes while the wind was east. Once it clocked to the SE it was a speed run down the beach. Turning the corner at the Pensacola Pass and it was now a one legged beat into the freshning SE breeze. The CFR 20 loved those conditions and continued to stretch out his lead. We quickly raced under the Pensacola bridge and made it to the Navarre bridge by 1:45 . At that point the CFR had a 3 minute lead on the SC 22. The wind did veer slightly to the south but it was too close of a reach for either boat to pop a chute. The tide was running to the east in the Narrows so it was really quick getting thru here on a beam reach. By this time we had closed the distance on Brian and the CFR 20 to about 1:30 and were both making it under the Fort Walton bridge with a nice S-SW breeze. Once under the bridge it was a drag race to the finish line. The finish line was the same as the start line and was ~ 1 mile north of the Intercoastal waterway we were exiting. We jibed early on the inside of the CFR 20 in a last ditch effort to cut him off at the finish line . This required a risky move over the 3 foot shallows while the CFR sailed for deeper water before jibing. If the breeze would have held up it just might work, then the CFR jibed and came back into the race powered up on a double trap spin reach and beat the SC 22 by about 30 seconds! Both boats finished at ~2:55pm with the rest of the fleet following in the next hour or longer. Next in were the N 20s and the Tornado Sport.
The Yacht CLub did a fabulous job of hosting the event for the 3rd year in a row with a full dinner Friday pm and a keg of beer, hot grilled hamburgers at the end of every finish and cold beer. This morning is a breakfast buffet for the awards presentation at 10:30 and the results will be posted on the YC web site at
www.fwyc.org sometime today.
If you missed this one you missed a classic and next years event will be in June as well so mark your calenders now.!
Great winds, blue skies and no thunderstorms !
Mike
