Here's Bert Rice's writeup of the event.
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FWYC wins 2006 GYA Multihull Championship
Brian Lambert leads the charge for the Pollak Trophy
Bert Rice
Fort Walton Yacht Club, October 20 – 22: Brian Lambert sailing his CFR 20 with Alex Effer-Perez as crew, Bob Curry riding his NACRA 17, and Randy Smyth with his three kids, Logan, Nicole, and Matthew, joined by a high school student on his F 25 C proved to be the untouchable team, in the three light air races for sixteen catamarans and eight trimarans and claimed the Lewis B. Pollak Trophy during the Gulf Yachting Association’s Multihull Championships.
Friday night featured a great pasta dinner with a super salad and all the fixin’s. George Goodall conducted the skippers’ meeting, and the sailors enjoyed the camaraderie on the patio. One did not have to look far or long to see a large number of friendly National and World class sailors sitting or standing nearby. In addition to FWYC, Pensacola Beach YC, Pensacola YC, and Ocean Springs YC presented teams in competition for the 10th anniversary of the Pollak Trophy. The Jim Tucker Trophy (first in the catamaran fleet based on U.S. Sailing PN’s), the Lundquist Trophy (fastest boat based on elapsed times), and the Smyth Sails Trophy (first in the trimaran fleet based on PHRF ratings) were additional perpetuals that attracted so many top sailors to the show. Smyth Sails provided a keg for the weekend, and West Marine, courtesy of Susan Wilhoit and the Gulf Breeze Express store provided top shelf door prizes.
The race committee set up the course for race one in a light easterly with the start/finish line in the middle of the course in order to finish upwind. A course six (WLWLF) was the call with the catamarans starting first. Bob Hodges, from Pontchartrain Yacht Club, on his “A” Class cat port tacked the starting group and appeared to be the lead boat at the top. The spinnaker boats soon ran him down, and that was that for the uni. Randy screached away, set the chute, and broke away from the rest of the tri’s. Brian Lambert put a minute on Randy’s Yo.
Race two featured the same course which was a little over a mile in distance from bottom to top. Brian had knocked the rust off and marched away in Class A. Bob Curry had to fight hard to hold off the non-spinnaker “A” Class boy, Bob Hodges in Class B. Randy decided he would rather race against the cats, so he slipped away from the tri zone again. Larry Shaw, sailing Riaka, a Corsair 24 MK I, for the first time since remodeling, was second. Cliff Farrah, sailing Strategery, a Corsair 28 R raced to third. That race pretty much established the order for the day.
Course 4 was prescribed for Race three. The reach mark proved to be a mute point since the boats had to heat up the chutes for the angle. We gybed to clear the reach mark, and everything became the same as races one and two… windward/leeward, finish to go. Riaka did have to sword fight Mark Twain on the last beat for line honors and won by less than a boat length. Yo and the big tri’s were way out front. Sam Showhalter, owner of Trilobyte, a C 31 AC, was coming in after winning the Harvest Moon Race in Texas, and was not to be denied fourth place behind Cliff’s 28 R. The NACRA 20’s were led by Mark Smith, but they appeared underpowered in the light air against the CFR 20.
Sunday morning became Halloween Early. An incoming cold front played trick or treat with the RC and cancellation of the day’s racing was displayed on the yardarm. Randy and Cliff missed the awards ceremony because they were out on Choctawhatchee Bay having a “main hull flying” contest. FWYC won the Pollak Trophy. Pensacola Beach Yacht Club placed second, Pensacola Yacht Club was third, and Ocean Springs Yacht Club was fourth. Brian Lambert took home the Lundquist and the Tucker awards (not for the first time). Randy was protecting the Smyth Sails Trophy by keeping it aboard Yo during the Sunday morning “Sail.”
Phyllis Seaton, Race Committee Chairperson and George Goodall, Principal Race Officer, led a very dedicated and talented race management team from Fort Walton Yacht Club. They presented us with first class hospitality and course operations. Hurricane Katrina’s impact on Ocean Springs Yacht Club prevented them from defending their ‘04 win. FWYC stepped up to the plate and put on a wonderful regatta. Our hopes are that OSYC will have their “house” back in time for next year’s event. If not…we hope to see you at FWYC next fall.
