ROUND THE ISLAND RACE……EXPLAINED
The Round the Island Race is a 100 mile circumnavigation around Santa Rosa Island located in Northwest Florida. The event has a long and storied history stretching back over twenty three years. It begins in Fort Walton Beach and continues to Pensacola where the turn is made for the return trip back to Fort Walton Beach. Headquartered at the Gulf Islands National Seashore Park (known locally as Leeside Park) in Fort Walton the race site is a great arrangement of parking and white sandy beaches with clear shallow water. Next door to the Park is the Leeside Inn as well as the Dock ‘O the Bay beach bar so accommodations and fun are a step away.The competitors and their fans will start arriving as early as mid week to get in some local sailing with the majority of the fleet arriving Friday thru out the day. The fleet will number 55 to 65 registrants and consist of everything from Hobie 16’s to Corsairs so there is competition for everyone. One of the many great attributes of this venue is the set up site at Leeside Park, where all sailors will rig and launch from. This allows lots of gossip and goggling at all the latest go fasts as old friendships are renewed and the fleet previewed for the next days race.
The race traditionally begins at 7a.m. with one start for all competitors. The initial direction is due east in the Choctawhatchee Bay as the boats head for the East Pass located 3 miles from the start in Destin. The wind is usually 4 to 6 knots from the Northeast so the start is a one legged beat. Rounding a turning mark off the shoals of Crab Island the boats head for the Destin Bridge and the East Pass. There they meet the Destin Charter Boat fleet heading out the Pass for a colorful parade of sailors and fishing boats. Spectators line the Destin Bridge and capture some beautiful shots as the fleet will hoist spinnakers using the NNE breeze to speed them out the Pass. The Destin Pass is lined with white sandy beaches and the water is turquoise so the run to the Sea Buoy is spectacular. It is approximately half a mile out the Pass so leaving this to starboard the fleet will now head due west for 50 miles of beautiful sailing in the Gulf of Mexico. As it is usually favored to stay along the shore to take advantage of the east to west flowing beach current most of the competitors will stay within 1 to 2 miles of shore. As the sun rises higher and starts its usual east to west trajectory the wind follows it. Thus the NNE breeze in the morning will give way to a Southeast veer that will usually turn southerly before going to the Southwest in the late afternoon. This makes for a lot of spinnaker work and reaching in the Gulf before reaching the Pensacola Pass. The fleet will pass three fishing piers in the Gulf at Fort Walton, Navarre, and Pensacola Beach so the landmarks are easily recognizable as well as great perches for the spectators. Upon reaching the Pass at Pensacola the competitors will usually hug the shoreline at the Fort Pickens State Park as they round inside the Pass for the run home. The lead boats, usually RC 30’s and 27’s as well as a sprinkling of Super Cat 22’s will enter the Pass from 1p.m to 3p.m. if the normal wind pattern holds true. The majority of the fleet will be in the Pass from then on into the late afternoon with everyone required to be inside before sundown. As the land has heated up sufficiently the Southwest sea breeze will be pumping for the great ride back to Fort Walton Beach in the Intercoastal Waterway which takes the sailors thru the Santa Rosa Sound. This is an east to west narrow body of water separated from the Gulf of Mexico by a sandy dune lined barrier island with the towns of Pensacola Beach and Navarre Beach interspersed between U.S. Air Force testing ranges. This run is often the highlight of the race as it is traditionally a double trap broad reach with chutes flying and warm spray everywhere. The fleet will pass under two more bridges one at Pensacola Beach and the other at Navarre Beach so the spectators will line the bridges to see who’s who. As the sun lowers on the horizon the breeze will remain fairly constant into the early evening ours until it dies out and the Northwest or Northerly springs back. By this time the fleet is racing into what is affectionately know as The Narrows. Located about six miles from Fort Walton Beach the waterway narrows between waterfront homes on the north shore and a string of barrier islands that forms the South shore. Skill and talent is challenged as the racers must decide which route to take…..safety in the deep water of the channel or the more risky route between the low lying barrier islands. The sailors will cruise into the bright lights of Fort Walton Beach, passing under the Brooks Bridge and headed for the finish line. The finish line is located off a major dock under a floodlight at Leeside Park so the exuberant racers round up and hit the beach only 100 yards away. It’s an amazing distance race that starts and finishes in the same location so ground crews are not required. At the beach the sailors are met with fresh, piping hot hamburgers and cold beverages so the war stories will go on for while. After securing the boat most sailors will walk out on the dock to check on the finishes of their friends and competitors.
The exciting weekend concludes with the Awards Presentation and brunch Sunday morning. Unlike some other major distance races the results and scoring is finished early Sunday morning so the competitors are on the road home by noon at the latest. This allows ample time to load up the boats Sunday morning after a good nights rest before the Brunch and Awards ceremony. Once again the Leeside Park is where all the competitors end up so the stories and rivalries continue on from the night before.
If you have never done the Round the Island Race you owe it to yourself to give it a shot. Just to have finished the race is more than enough for most competitors because it is truly an endurance event combined with minor navigation, sailing in some of the most beautiful surroundings in the United States. The list of competitors from over the years will read like the Sailing Hall of Fame…..Carlton Tucker, Keith Notary, Randy Smyth, Hans Geissler, Kirk Newkirk, Brian Lambert, Bob Curry, Bill Roberts, Rod Waterhouse, Billy Whitehurst, Brett Dryland , and the list could go on and on. So on September 27th make your plans to wrap up your summer with a great weekend of exciting fun, hearty revelry, and a challenging race in the great Northwest Florida playground!
(See the attachment for Notice of Race and entry form)
For more information, contact
CMA, Mike Kelley
(850) 244-3001
[email]Nacra@aol.com [/email]
‘Round the Island Race, 2003
September 26,27,28
23rd Annual 100 mile classic
Leeside Park, Ft. Walton Beach FL
Schedule:
Friday, Sept. 26: 1700-1830 Late Registration
1900 Skippers Meeting/Gumbo, etc.
Saturday, Sept. 27: 0600 Bagels, Yogurt, Juice
Start 0700
1900-2400 Burgers ‘n Beer
Sunday, Sept. 28: 1000 Brunch and Awards Presentation
All multihulls welcome! 46’ bridge clearance
Brought to you by:
Kelley’s Supermarkets….Budweiser….Coca Cola….Kelleys Wine and Spirits….And Sabre Sails
Fine Southern Cooking by Shady Grady
Some Area Hotels: Leeside Inn 850-243-7359 (closest); Best Western 850-243-9444; Days Inn 850-244-6184; Howard Johnsons 850-244-8663
Registration for ‘Round the Island Race
Boat Type_____________ Sail Number_______ US Sailing Member Number____________________
Extra Sails______________________________ Other Modifications________________________________
Skipper_______________________ t-shirt size M L XL XXL Phone________________USSA RATING_______
Mailing Address__________________________________________________________________________
e-mail address__________________________
Crew___________________________M L XL XXL Crew____________________________ M L XL XXL
Crew___________________________M L XL XXL
Fees: $35 per boat plus $15 per person (example: double-handed entry total $65)
US Sailing Member discount $5 Late Fee $10 after September 24 MUST BE POSTMARKED BY 9-23-03 TO AVOID LATE FEE. MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO CMA AND MAIL TO CMA , 338 SUDDUTH CIRCLE, FORT WALTON BEACH ,FL 32548
