2003 FLORIDA REGIONAL SUNFISH CHAMPIONSHIPS
May 17th
– 18th 2003
Report and Photos by
Richard
Oliver, 321 773 3659 Click here, to
view PHOTOS,
if prompted for a password type in m84800
Melbourne Yacht Club were this year’s hosts for the
above championships, which were held on the calm waters of the Intra-coastal
waterway in Brevard County.
The weather on Saturday was hot, sunny and humid,
the wind from the ocean was in the 10 – 15 knot range, and the waters caused
the dinghies no problems from any wind chop.
4 races were held this day, with the race committee
providing variety in the courses and distances raced.
32 boats started the day, with 31 still in the hunt
at the end of the day, one young girl finding the conditions a little much for
her lightweight frame.
There was only one breakage, a mast on Jeff Olsen’s
boat during the second race, but a quick change facilitated by one of the chase
boats making a trip back to the club for a replacement borrowed from one of the
club’s own boats, meant he only missed 1 race, however if the rest of his
performances mean anything, the breakage probably cost him 2 places.
All the races provided close competition, with many
overlapping mark roundings, and finish line contests.
Jeff Linton proved almost unbeatable, taking 3 first
places and a second.
In the ladies championships, being held as races
within races, Mindy Strauley holds a commanding lead having been the first lady
to cross the finishing line in all 4 races.
That well known master sailor, Dick Tillman leads
the masters, and is in 5th place overall at the end of day one,
within striking distance of the podium, but unlikely to add another
championship notch to his tiller.
At the end of the days racing, the boats returned to
the yacht club, to be met by the ground staff with their trolleys on the
launching ramp, keeping any delay to a minimum, before heading to the relative
cool of the clubhouse, where cold libations awaited, followed by a meal, before
retiring to regroup for the early Sunday start.
Sunday again gave us hot, sunny and even more humid
weather than the previous day, but with lighter winds less able to keep the
heat effect down.
The start of racing was delayed as the winds
steadily backed from the south east, with the race committee waiting until a
steady direction was forthcoming.
The first race was held in steady winds, with more
good close class racing taking place. A few sailors found the decreased winds
more to their liking, and improved their positions, and some were exceedingly
grateful for the chance to discard a race.
After this race the wind backed considerably causing the course to be adjusted before the second race could take place, during which time the forecast storms could be seen over the mainland, but not interfering at that time.
After the second race, which meant most of the
sailors reverted to previous form, thunder and lightening could be seen ashore,
and the race committee decided to declare the regatta complete.
The trophy winners were, 1st Lady sailor,
Mindy STRAULEY (Casselberry), 1st Youth under 18, Chris ALEXANDER
(Cape Coral), who was also 5th overall, a magnificent achievement
for a 17 year old, but not surprising as he also happens to be the number 1
youth sailor in the country, 1st Master (over 60), David OLSON (Sarasota),
who is also a past champion laser and sunfish master, beating out our own
champion, Dick Tillman by one point, and the overall champion was Jeff LINTON
(Tampa), a clear winner who has too many championships to name.
More sailors entered this championship in Florida,
which was a qualifier for the next World Sunfish Championships than for some
years, which does nothing but enhance the reputation of the sailing in
Melbourne, and also the organisational skills and commitment of Melbourne Yacht
Club and it’s members to promoting all types of sailing in the area.
MYC’s next regattas will be the 25th
Annual Mermaid Regatta in September (Ladies only), it’s fall regatta in October
(Anyone and Everyone), and the biggie, the International Masters, (Over 40), World
Sunfish Championships to be held in March 2004, where at least 100 boats from
all over the world, are expected to compete.
Details of these events and the club, are available
at the club website, www.melbourneyachtclub.com.
Scoring
System: ISAF Low Point
1 Throw-Outs: excluded points shown in parentheses
|
Sail
Number |
Skipper |
Skipper |
|
Race 1 |
Race 2 |
Race 3 |
Race 4 |
Race 5 |
Race 6 |
Total Points |
Place |
|
75316 |
Jeff |
Linton |
|
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
( 5 ) |
1 |
6 |
1 |
|
76035 |
Rod |
Koch |
|
1 |
6 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
( 9 ) |
15 |
2 |
|
76188 |
James |
Liebl |
|
( 10 ) |
5 |
8 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
20 |
3 |
|
37417 |
Chris |
Lowrie |
|
4 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
( 15 ) |
4 |
20 |
4 |
|
1 |
Chris |
Alexander |
|
3 |
2 |
6 |
8 |
( 14 ) |
3 |
22 |
5 |
|
79128 |
David |
Olson |
|
8 |
7 |
( 10 ) |
5 |
1 |
6 |
27 |
6 |
|
3008 |
Dick |
Tillman |
|
6 |
4 |
2 |
9 |
( 10.5 ) |
7 |
28 |
7 |
|
59115 |
Charlie |
Clifton |
|
7 |
8 |
4 |
10 |
( 17 ) |
15 |
44 |
8 |
|
78133 |
Jeff |
Olson |
|
9 |
( 33 ) |
12 |
6 |
4 |
14 |
45 |
9 |
|
7 |
Peter |
Merrifield |
|
( 13 ) |
12 |
11 |
11 |
7 |
5 |
46 |
10 |
|
79083 |
Pierre |
Guillerm |
|
14 |
9 |
7 |
13 |
( 18 ) |
11 |
54 |
11 |
|
61654 |
Tony |
Elliott |
|
19 |
10 |
9 |
7 |
10.5 |
( 22 ) |
55.5 |
12 |
|
76685 |
Paul |
Strauley |
|
5 |
11 |
15 |
12 |
20 |
( 21 ) |
63 |
13 |
|
93059 |
Fred |
Strammer |
|
11 |
( 26 ) |
13 |
16 |
13 |
10 |
63 |
14 |
|
84800 |
Mindy |
Strauley |
|
17 |
14 |
17 |
( 19 ) |
12 |
13 |
73 |
15 |
|
59935 |
Bill |
Haberland |
|
( 26 ) |
21 |
14 |
24 |
9 |
8 |
76 |
16 |
|
78163 |
John |
Fletcher |
|
( 21 ) |
13 |
16 |
18 |
16 |
16.5 |
79.5 |
17 |
|
78453 |
Danny |
Escobar |
|
22 |
18 |
23 |
14 |
6 |
( 25 ) |
83 |
18 |
|
78654 |
John |
Kremski |
|
15 |
15 |
19 |
15 |
( 25 ) |
20 |
84 |
19 |
|
49333 |
Chris |
Gates |
|
16 |
23 |
( 27 ) |
20 |
21 |
12 |
92 |
20 |
|
75358 |
Linda |
Tillman |
|
( 27 ) |
20 |
20 |
21 |
8 |
27 |
96 |
21 |
|
79073 |
Jim |
Edwards |
|
12 |
22 |
( 28 ) |
27 |
22 |
19 |
102 |
22 |
|
77008 |
George |
Bothwell |
|
23 |
19 |
18 |
25 |
19 |
( 28 ) |
104 |
23 |
|
84888 |
Kyle |
Wagner |
|
24 |
( 27 ) |
24 |
17 |
24 |
16.5 |
105.5 |
24 |
|
53100 |
Ursula |
Olson |
|
( 28 ) |
16 |
21 |
22 |
27 |
23 |
109 |
25 |
|
22527 |
Erick |
Erickson |
|
20 |
25 |
25 |
23 |
( 26 ) |
18 |
111 |
26 |
|
76380 |
David |
Silverman |
|
25 |
17 |
26 |
26 |
23 |
( 29 ) |
117 |
27 |
|
48474 |
Cindy |
Clifton |
|
18 |
24 |
22 |
( 29 ) |
28 |
26 |
118 |
28 |
|
78528 |
Michael |
Mierswa |
|
( 30 ) |
29 |
30 |
30 |
29 |
24 |
142 |
29 |
|
59962 |
Jack |
Bibb |
|
29 |
28 |
29 |
28 |
( 31 ) |
30 |
144 |
30 |
|
78106 |
Loretta |
Garber |
|
( 31 ) |
30 |
31 |
31 |
30 |
31 |
153 |
31 |
|
72388 |
Charli |
Silverman |
|
32 |
( 33 ) |
33 |
33 |
33 |
33 |
164 |
32 |