The US Midwinter National Championship is held annually. Individuals seeking information regarding hosting this championship should contect the USSCA Florida Peninsula Region Representative and the USSCA Regatta Coordinator.
Sarasota, FL, USA- Defending midwinter champion and eight time world champion Eduardo Cordero (VEN) dominated the 2010 Midwinter Championship. In route to victory, Cordero won 6 out of the 7 races in the series. David Mendelblatt (USA) closed out the regatta strongly, with second places in the final two races, to narrowly beat his fellow countrymen Greg Gust. There were 78 competitors.
The Sarasota Sailing Squadron will host the 2010 Sunfish Midwinter Championship in March. The dates have yet to be determined, but will probably precede the International Masters Championship. More information will be made available as it is known.
Sarasota Sailing Squadron website
The final day of racing in Clearwater was a battle between Eduardo Cordero and David Mendelblatt for the title.
It has been said that champions rise to the top when faced with adversity. Both Eduardo and David did this. Despite finding themselves deep in the fleet at times, both competitors kept their cool. They both used heads up sailing in puffy conditions to come back in the races. However, Eduardo was not to be denied and bested his talented rival in each of the first three races to secure the title. Donnie Martinborough continued his ways of the weekend prior at the International Masters and was awarded the Top Master. Kathleen Remmer of Sayville, NY was the top “Opposite Gender” and finished 9th overall. Finally, Puerto Rico’s Fernando Monllor was the top junior and served notice that he will be a force to be reckon with in the future!
Our hosts the Clearwater YC and Clearwater Community Sailing Center did a fantastic job running this event. They are supported by a dedicated group of volunteers who provided top notch onshore support, race management and sailing conditions. I truly hope they have us back in the future!
On the second day of the 2009 Midwinter Championship turned the regatta turned into a two man show. While many of their competitors found themselves deep in the fleet or were plagued mistakes, Eduardo Cordero and David Mendelblatt remain the only sailors with all top 5 finishes. They are separated by 5 points and have further increased distanced themselves from the chase group.
The day started with a east-northeast breeze at around 10-12 kts. Many of the top competitors favored the right side of the course as the puffs seemed to be stronger near the shore. As the day progressed, the breeze dropped and by the end of the third race there was very little to be found. The fleet stayed on the water and waited for the northwest breeze to fill in. After an hour and a half delay, the final race of the day started in a 12 knot northwest breeze with good wave action.
The regatta will conclude on Sunday. Follow the races live.
Beautiful, sunny weather and temperatures in the mid 80s welcomed sailors for the first day of racing at the 2009 Midwinter Championship in Clearwater, FL. The light breeze from the north and a strong incoming current made for a long, slow sail through Clearwater Pass. As the fifty-six boat fleet left Clearwater Pass and arrived in the Gulf of Mexico, the wind began shifting towards the northwest and building.
Eight time World Champion Eduardo Cordero flexed his muscles with a dominating performance to post scores of 1-1-2-1. He was closely challenged in every race by David Mendelblatt, who had consistent scores of 2-3-3-2 and sits in second place. Former World Champion Paul-Jon Patin sits in third. Paul-Jon passed Eduardo on the final downwind leg of race three to become the only person to beat Eduardo today.
Results
Clearwater YC event website
Clearwater YC
Clearwater, FL - Traditionally, the day before the Midwinters, the Sunfish Class holds its Team Race Championship regatta. In 2009 the Clearwater YC PRO Fairlie Brinkley and the other race officials put on a great show for the team race competitors. The seasoned RC set starboard digital N courses which created many interesting tactical situations at each turn.
The teams went through 3 rounds in shifty, puffy conditions and strong current in the bay behind Clearwater Community Sailing Center. Each race was highly contested and tactical, with many place changes and even an occasional capsize or breakdown. At the end of the day, Captain Joe Blouin led his White team to victory. The members of the team represented 4 separate regions of the country. Joe Blouin from FL, Derek Jackson from NY, Ron McHenry from Ohio and Drew Stanier from Massachusetts.
Overall Results:
1st Place “Melting Pot” (White)
6-0 Record
Joe Blouin
Derek Jackson
Ron McHenry
Drew Stanier
2nd Place “Team HSC” (Red)
2-4 Record
Don Esch
George Jackson
Luis Nunez
Courtney Young
3rd Place “The Guppies” (Orange)
1-5 Record
Gail Heausler
Lee Parks
Kathleen Remmer
Nick Valente
Race Results:
Round 1
Orange - 14 vs Red - 23
White - 17 vs Orange - 19
White - 13 vs Red - 23
Round 2
Red - 15 vs Orange - 21
White - 15 vs Orange - 21
White - 16 vs Red - 20
Round 3
Red - 14 vs Orange - 22
White - 13 vs Orange - 23
White - 12 vs Red - 24
Clearwater, FL - The 2008 Midwinter Champion, Hank Saurage, will defend his title against a seasoned fleet of sailors. Among the top competitors challenging Saurage in his quest to repeat as champion will be former World Champions Eduardo Cordero (VEN) and Paul-Jon Patin (USA). The battle between these seasoned champions will commence on Friday morning. The list of pre-registered sailors can be found here.
On Thursday, the Clearwater YC and Clearwater Community Sailing Center will host the Sunfish Team Racing Championship. There are currently 16 competitors registered to compete for the title.
You can follow the action with live updates from the Clearwater YC race officers and volunteers here. Nightly summaries will be posted on the class’s event website.
Visit the Sunfish Class event website
Visit the Clearwater YC event website
Visit the Clearwater YC
Tips By Brian McGinnis
Last year, I competed at the Laser Midwinters East at Clearwater Yacht Club and took some notes from the event which I shared in a blog posting here. There was no camping available at the regatta I went to, so I share my hotel/airport experiences, and a little knowledge of the community. If I recall correctly, the closest budget hotel was the Red Roof Inn. If you have a little more money to spend, Shephard’s Beach Resort and the Holiday Inn were definitely more upscale places to stay.
It is a very fun town with beautiful beaches, a good social scene, and many restaurant/bar options to choose from.
I also recall having an effective off-season training regime leading up to last year’s Laser and Sunfish Midwinters. Here are some workout ideas:
Congratulations to Hank Saurage on winning the Midwinter US National Championship, great sailing. Hank Saurage, Greg Gust (4th place overall), Chip Clifton (5th place overall), and Karl Kleinschrodt (6th place overall) all earned USSCA qualification to the 2009 Sunfish Worlds to be hosted at the Nassau Yacht Club in the Bahamas. Also at the top of the fleet were David Loring (World Champion 1995, 2006) in 2nd place overall and Todd Edwards (ISCA Measurer) in 3rd place overall. Thanks to St. Andrews Bay Yacht Club for hosting the event. Good times!
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