31 Teams raced this weekend on St. Andrews Bay in Panama City, FL. A passing cold front brought chilly breezes up in the teens and over 20 both days. Good fleets of H-16's and Waves, a few Hobie 20's and a Hobie 14 showed up for duty. Lots of folks were caught off guard and went in for a dip. One report had a Father/Daughter team over several times, Dad asking if she wanted to go in but she said no, after he busted his lip the 5th time, she said Dad we can go in now if you want

Results and pics will follow....let's hear some other stories.

Yep, wanna hear more. Son Dave and I drove all the way up there from Key Largo with 2 Waves. But chickened out with the weather forecast and drove back.
We both love heavy air, but he had just about severed his left hand off and was hurting. And I have my broken wrist in a cast.
Both of us feel we could have handled moderate air, but not heavy air. It was a nice 24s of driving though and a good time to talk to each other more than normal.
Rick

2009 Hobie Midwinters East
Cary Gray Park, Panama City, FL
Results are final as of 13:03 on March 30, 2009

FX-One Class
1st FX-One 434 Karl Brogger (2.0 DNF) 1.0 2.0 DNF 2.0 DNC 7.0 5.0

Hobie 14 Class
1st Hobie 14 63074 Rick Adams 1.0 (2.0 DNC) 2.0 DNC 2.0 DNC 7.0 5.0

Hobie 16 A Class
1st Hobie 16 A 110224 Taylor Palmer Julian Roots (5.0) 1.0 2.0 1.0 9.0 4.0
2nd Hobie 16 A 111467 Randy Payne Janey Payne (2.0) 2.0 1.0 2.0 7.0 5.0
3rd Hobie 16 A 110267 Ken Hilk Carol Hilk 1.0 (6.0) 3.0 3.0 13.0 7.0
4th Hobie 16 A 110665 Bill Jeffers Rakel Holmes 6.0 3.0 (15.0 DNC) 4.0 28.0 13.0
5th Hobie 16 A 105339 Roger Taha Casey Larson 3.0 5.0 (6.0) 5.0 19.0 13.0
6th Hobie 16 A 110434 Slim Johnson Brook (9.0) 4.0 9.0 6.0 28.0 19.0
7th Hobie 16 A 111489 Ryan Richardson Ben Wells 4.0 8.0 (10.0) 8.0 30.0 20.0
8th Hobie 16 A 110425 Andy Larson Alex Larson (11.0) 7.0 8.0 7.0 33.0 22.0
9th Hobie 16 A 08 Karl Renelt Bridget Precise 7.0 9.0 7.0 (11.0) 34.0 23.0
10th Hobie 16 A 109894 Taylor Reiss Michael Whitehead (12.0) 11.0 4.0 9.0 36.0 24.0
11th Hobie 16 A 111540 Larry Cullen Judith Cullen (10.0) 10.0 5.0 10.0 35.0 25.0
12th Hobie 16 A 108600 Shady Grady Glenn Purcell 8.0 (15.0 DNF) 15.0 DNC 15.0 DNC 53.0 38.0
13th Hobie 16 A 102614 Jerome Vaughan Emily Vaughan (15.0 DNS) 12.0 11.0 15.0 OCS 53.0 38.0
14th Hobie 16 A Daren Hoffman Glenn Holmes (15.0 DNC) 15.0 DNC 15.0 DNC 15.0 DNC 60.0 45.0

Hobie 16 B Class
1st Hobie 16 B 110523 Michael Aregood Robert Cox 1.0 1.0 1.0 (5.0 DNC) 8.0 3.0
2nd Hobie 16 B 143 Larry Ferber 2.0 (5.0 DNC) 2.0 1.0 10.0 5.0
3rd Hobie 16 B Sullivan Madewell Ben Rutland (5.0 DNC) 5.0 DNC 5.0 DNC 5.0 DNC 20.0 15.0
3rd Hobie 16 B 29 Don Davey Laura (5.0 DNF) 5.0 DNC 5.0 DNC 5.0 DNC 20.0 15.0

Hobie 17 Class
1st Hobie 17 6507 Paul Garlick 1.0 1.0 1.0 (4.0) 7.0 3.0
2nd Hobie 17 6967 Jim Glanden (2.0) 2.0 2.0 1.0 7.0 5.0
3rd Hobie 17 6498 Kathryn Garlick (4.0) 4.0 3.0 2.0 13.0 9.0
4th Hobie 17 5281 Wally Myers 3.0 3.0 (4.0) 3.0 13.0 9.0
5th Hobie 17 6588 David Rice 5.0 6.0 5.0 (7.0 DNC) 23.0 16.0
6th Hobie 17 6969 Bruce Fields (7.0 DNC) 5.0 6.0 7.0 DNC 25.0 18.0

Hobie 20 Class
1st Hobie 20 854 Andy Humphries Chris Amador 1.0 (2.0) 2.0 1.0 6.0 4.0
2nd Hobie 20 504 Kevin Smith 2.0 1.0 (3.0) 2.0 8.0 5.0
3rd Hobie 20 852 Michael McNeir Renee Evans 3.0 (4.0 DNC) 1.0 3.0 11.0 7.0

Wave Class
1st Wave 6 Stan Woodruff (1.0) 1.0 1.0 1.0 4.0 3.0
2nd Wave 16 Chris Wessels (9.0 DNF) 3.0 2.0 2.0 16.0 7.0
3rd Wave 11 Dan Birkholz 3.0 2.0 3.0 (4.0) 12.0 8.0
4th Wave 7 Dick Graves 2.0 (4.0) 4.0 3.0 13.0 9.0
5th Wave 94 Kenneth Duffield (9.0 DNC) 5.0 9.0 DNC 9.0 DNC 32.0 23.0
6th Wave 51 Sharon Woodruff (9.0 DNC) 9.0 DNC 9.0 DNC 9.0 DNC 36.0 27.0
6th Wave 66 David White (9.0 DNC) 9.0 DNC 9.0 DNC 9.0 DNC 36.0 27.0
6th Wave 50 Rick White (9.0 DNC) 9.0 DNC 9.0 DNC 9.0 DNC 36.0 27.0

Friday we were hoping to get some practice races in but the weather had different plans. We made the decision to cancel all Friday activities due to weather.

We held registration Saturday morning in the rain and then did a quick skippers meeting letting everyone know there would be no sailing that day. The tide was so high at the park the parking lot was starting to become covered with water.

We had a 9am start on Sunday Morning, we got 4 great races in with wind ranging from the low to upper teens.

Soooo, Ummm, I want to hear the story of this skipper and crew. How old are they? Like 16?? What's the scoop?

J

I'm not sure there age but they are young, and they are very very good. They carried weight to meet minimum. I'll see if I can get ahold of them and get there story in the Hobie Hotline.

Looks like some young dudes upset the guard in the 16A class.

J

Hobie's first Reality Regatta event.......are you faster than a 5th grader???!!

My stories are mostly of self inflicted stupidity.

Saturday- No racing, caught up on some much needed sleep, and did some reading at the hotel.

1st race, started with the H20's was holding pretty well with them going up to the first mark. Drove myself into irons, lost a bit. I think on the second downwind leg, I was weaving under spinnaker through the H16 fleet heading upwind. Didn't see one untill the last second ended up having to round up under spinnaker to avoid collision. Capsized. For some reason had a bitch of a time getting it pulled up again. Got it righted eventually and went the committee boat for a DNF so the H20's that I started with didn't have to wait for me to finish and hold up their start.

Race 2, wind picked up signifigantly. I'm depowered all the way. Didn't run the chute on the first two downwind legs and I was way behind. At the last A mark rounding the wind seemed more docile, hoisted the spinnaker had a great run downwind until about I was about 300-400yds from the finish when the wind went ballistic. I'm dead downwind, chute bagged out in front of the boat haulin butt, completely out of control. I cross the finish line and attempt to snuff the chute. Things turn ugly and I accidently jibe, then go over. Then I lost my boat. Thankfully a H16 team, (who I still owe a beer or 3), picked me up and reunite me with my long lost catamaran. I snuff the chute with the boat on its side, sorta, I got caught on something and ripped. I haven't seen it yet, but I heard it. Pulled the boat up, cleaned house and headed for the start of race 3.

Race 3- Started late, went up to A as depowered as I know how to do. I'm cold, pissed off about the two capsizes, and ready to go in. After the 1st downwind leg I inform the RC I'm heading back in.

"For some reason had a bitch of a time getting it pulled up again. " I hate that.

Sometimes the main sheet gets hooked on a batten. Until I clear that, there is no righting for me. So, I do a thorough "house keeping" check before trying to right.

Here is the story on Taylor Palmer and Julian Roots :
Both are 16 years old and have been sailing for 6 to 7 years out of the Miami Yacht Club. Both are actually skippers, but for high level competition they team up. Julian was the Gold Medal winner at the 2003 Orange Bowl Green Fleet, after having sailed for only 5 months. Taylor was not far behind. Their coaches have been Leandro Spina from the start of their sailing life, Jamie Livingston has taken over the catamaran coaching the past few year, and before they had some coaching by Michael Siau. The MYC is very committed to catamaran youth sailing and you read more stories in the CABB (Catamaran Association of Biscayne Bay) postings, where they continuously sail against top notch catamaran sailors.
They are looking forward to the 2009 Northamericans in Cork

My story? Brad says to me: "
Chris, here's the Wave you wanted, and there is a new set of rigging sitting on the tramp, so change it out."
I, of course, being super Hyper and all excited to get out on the water, completely ignore the advice. As the watch is counting down for the first start of the first race I made my turn for a port start and HONK off goes the horn. I sheet in, duck one boat and prompty drop my mast into the water. Forestay broke. What an idiot. I should have taken to 5 minutes to switch out the old for new and didn't.
Thankfully, the people in the skiff made it to me in few minutes, I got the sail off the mast and rolled, and the mast on the deck and they towed me in, I fixed the boat and was back out before they finished the first race. THEN on the 2nd start, Stan Woodruff baited me into the huge hole he left for me just before the start. Yep, he ran me into the committee boat. I don't know why i didnt see it coming. I did my circle and headed up and made some ground but had a tough time catching him until he couldn't find B mark. Then I passed him and was heading to C with them 300 yds behind me, but of course he caught me in the last 50 yards and passed me for the bullet. That's the way it goes......
Pretty awesome though.

Thanks Cat Dad. Those kids have some skills!! I'm all for switching the upper echelons of a class around...especially in the 16A class by a couple of 16 yearolds! That's no small feat. Nice sailing dudes!

J

Chris,
You can always count on Stan going to the wrong mark at least once per regatta. That is how I have been able to beat him on several occasions.

He looked pretty pissed, almost as pissed as I was getting suckered into the start boat.