Paul Garlick Wins the 10th Annual Hobie Wave Nationals

The Hobie Wave Nationals were held in Key Largo on Buttonwood Sound at the Upper Keys Sailing Club on November 30th through December 2nd in very good winds and flat seas. There was a star-studded registration where twelve of sailors have won at least a National Championship, and seven of which have won Wave National Titles. And they all showed up ready to go at it.

The starts were very crowded and very competitive, yet there were only two General Recalls in the fourteen races sailed. Of course there were several individual recalls.

Defending Champ from Put-in-Bay, Ohio, Patrick Green, started the affair off with an easy bullet and showed the fleet he was the one you had to beat. However, Paul Garlick of St. Petersburg area, who is the only one to ever win the Hobie Wave Championship more than once, showed up after an absence of several years to see what he could still do.

Paul Garlick hams it up with the Hobie Wave Perpetual Trophy by his side.

And he could sure do a lot more. On that first race he was the second boat across the finish line. Mark Scarpelli finished that race just ahead of past National Champ, Dan Kulkoski. Friday's races were blessed with winds around 8-10 mph, but very shifty. The Race Committee said they were taking reading of 60-degree shifts.., 30-degrees on each side of the weather mark. It seemed that no side was favored in these big oscillators.
North Coast Wave Champ and local Key Largo sailor, Leah White, showed she was in the game as well by taking the bullet in the second race, but Garlick won the next two and took the lead after the first day of racing.
At the end of the first day, Paul Garlick had the lead, followed by his wife, Kathryn Garlick. Another local sailor and husband of Leah White, Dave White was holding down 3rd spot. Patrick Green had slipped to 4th and Leah White was 5th place.

Paul Garlick was the only one to ever win the Wave Nationals more than once. And now he has set a pretty tough record to beat by again winning for his third Wave Title.

The second day of racing was beginning to look the same, but Principal Race Officer Rick White tossed a quarter in the water before heading out to the course just to buy a little wind. And sure enough the wind piped up and blew a steady 15 mph with some gusts to 20 mph. The wind was pretty steady, but the right side of the course began to be the favored side due to geographical shifts.
Garlick continued with his winning ways taking 3 bullets out of the next ten races, and never finishing worse than 4th. Patrick Green got his boat back in gear and knocked off some good finishes including 3 aces. Leah White had a so-so day on Friday, but like Green got it going well the next two days – she took 4 bullets and was never higher than 3rd except for a lone 10th place.
After the dust settled on Sunday, and after 14 great races, Paul Garlick took all the marbles and became the winningest National Wave sailor – three-time champ.
Patrick Green held on to 2nd place by one point over Leah White. Kathryn Garlick 4th spot in a tie with Dave White.

Leah White (96) and Defending Champ Patrick Green (11) went at it the entire weekend, with Green taking 2nd place Overall by one point over White. She won the Women's Fleet.

For the Masters Fleet, Nelson Wright won, with Stan Woodruff and Mark Scarpelli rounding out the top three.
In the Womens Fleet, Leah White took the honors, followed by Kathryn Garlick and Sharon Woodruff.

Kathryn Garlick ended up in 4th place overall in a tie with Dave White of Key Largo. She also took 2nd place in the Women's Fleet

Mark rounding were very crowded in this highly competitive fleet as shown below in the photos:

The venue at UKSC was awesome. The club had just put in a new beach of beautiful soft sand, and had over twenty club volunteers helping out around the club and on the water. But the most outstanding thing at the regatta was the excellent chef work of Tom and Marylou Chambers. There was always a great meal awaiting the sailors with lots of free beer supplied by Hogsbreath Saloon of Key Largo.
The event was sponsored by Hogsbreath Saloon, www.OnLineMarineStore.com, Catamaran Sailor Magazine (www.catsailor.com), Tiki Watersports and Founders Park Watersports.
The Chambers managed to have fresh fruit each morning, and great lunches. But the topper was the roasted 100-pound pig for Saturday night’s feast, along with a turkey. Awesome edibles.
Next year’s event is scheduled for December 5-7 in Key Largo. For information check the Wave website at www.waveclass.org, or www.catsailor.com