Vicki Palmer, Windward Leg Editor

windwardlegeditor@gmail.com

Shortly after ISCA® completed over two years of work to find a reliable supplier of new boats and parts, the old builder, Laser Performance, finally decided to license someone else to build Sunfish® (after previously declining to do so.)  This is causing confusion about what is class legal and what isn’t.  The class will shortly be publishing FAQs that will dig deep into all aspects of this, and here is a short version.

All new ISCA® boats from Zim Sailing will be class legal.  All Sunfish made after 1/1/90 and before 12/31/2024 that have a World Sailing plaque (sticker) will be legal forever, as will all Sunfish made before 1990.    Note that depending on when your Sunfish was produced, the plaque/sticker may read ISAF or IYRU instead of World Sailing.

Also, going forward, all parts that must be builder-supplied per the class rules (daggerboards, rudders, sails, spars, bailers, tillers, etc.) must also come from Zim, and Zim is already shipping parts to dealers.  Dealers may also have supplies of parts in stock that are class legal, and those can be used as well.  Just be sure that any spars, sails, rudders, daggerboards and rudder cheeks that you purchase have an ISCA class legal sticker on them.

The reason that new boats and parts must be Zim-supplied is to ensure our boat remains one-design.  The new Sero Sunfish is built with a new approach unlike what has been used in Sunfish before and different than what is specified in the ISCA construction manual.  As a result, they may sail differently than Sunfish and new ISCAs.  We also have no control or say over what parts other firms besides Zim choose to offer – so to maintain our boat as a one design, parts in the rules that are specified as builder-supplied must come from Zim.

It’s also very important to support Zim, so please encourage all sailors, racing or recreational, to do so.  Zim pays a certification fee to the class for every boat and part sold, and that is providing us with funding needed to help grow the class.   Perhaps more importantly, Zim has a long history of high-quality boat production, and they are pricing the boats and parts to be at parity with Sero.  Zim is also using North Sails, and Sero has selected a different sail manufacturer.  All sailors can be assured of high-quality parts from Zim that can be used on any boat.   

For more information, please see this article from February 19 (LINK).  Also, the class rules are HERE.  The FAQs mentioned above will be available shortly.

Get ready to head to Alabama for the 62nd USSCA North American Championship on June 11-14, 2025. Fairhope YC is located in Alabama, along the picturesque eastern shore of Mobile Bay, Fairhope Yacht Club has been a Mobile Bay institution since 1942. We are blessed with a moderate climate, steady afternoon sea breezes and the most beautiful sunsets on the bay. 

Registration & NOR: The 2025 USSCA North American Championship : Fairhope Yacht Club 

Registration & NOR: 2025 USSCA Women's North American Championship : Wawasee Yacht Club  

Located in Syracuse, Indiana | September 5-7, 2025 

The Grand Lagoon Yacht Club in Pensacola, Florida hosted the 2025 Sunfish Gulf Coast Regional Championships over the weekend of April 26–27, welcoming 24 sailors for two days of challenging conditions, quick thinking on the water, and classic post-race camaraderie. Competitors traveled from near and far: New York, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and plenty of spots in between, bringing a great mix of seasoned racers and new faces to the line. Each morning kicked off with fresh coffee, donuts, and the familiar sounds of skipper’s meetings and sails being rigged in the morning sun. The summer heat made an early appearance too with downwinds that felt like sailing through a sauna, while upwinds offered a welcome breeze in return.

Saturday’s conditions were textbook Gulf Coast sailing: light air, crazy shifts, and a seabreeze that showed up fashionably late. The race committee set efficient courses despite the unpredictability, getting five races off with impressive flow. The fleet had to stay sharp; pressure came and went in streaks, and finding the breeze meant constantly scanning the water and making bold decisions. Adding an extra layer of spice to the day was the course layout. Due to the southerly wind direction, we were sailing perpendicular to the Intracoastal Waterway, which placed the leeward gate just on the channel edge. During one of the races, a barge, moving at barge speed, but still quite imposing started making its way down the ICW, directly toward our gate. The RC sprang into action, getting on the radio with the captain and discovering a few discrepancies between the barge's GPS reading and the actual mark placement (not to mention the not-so-subtle difference in tonnage). With little time to react, the mark set boat pulled off a seamless course adjustment mid-race, keeping the fleet clear of danger and the race intact. It was a quiet save, but a brilliant one; the kind of underappreciated moment that keeps regattas running and sailors safe.

Back ashore, the shrimp boil was just prepped and just about underway. Live music floated across the beach and lower area, and the club’s deck became the perfect place to cool off and catch up. There’s nothing like spicy shrimp and cold drinks after a day in the sun. Sailors traded stories from the day, all from missed shifts, miracle lifts, start-line chaos, and mark-room discrepancies, and newcomers were welcomed into the fold like old friends. One of the best parts of events like this is the reminder that the racing is just one part of the weekend.

Sunday started even lighter than Saturday, with a soft northerly breeze barely moving the flags and a postponement going up on shore. After a long wait (and a very slow drift to the race course), the seabreeze began to whisper in from the south. And just like that, the course came alive. Four races were completed in building breeze and classic Gulf chop. Though the wind never got too heavy, it stayed shifty, rewarding sailors who stayed mentally sharp and punished anyone who got too comfortable on a favored side. With 24 boats on the line, there were a few general recalls, tight mark roundings, and the occasional shouted hail, but overall, the vibe stayed positive and respectful. It was a great reminder of how much fun tight, one-design racing can be when everyone’s giving it their best.

With the 2025 North American Championships coming up in June in Fairhope, Alabama, this regatta was the perfect tune-up. Everyone left with new lessons, some sunburn, and maybe a little less hiking form than they remembered having last season.

A huge thank you goes out to the Grand Lagoon Yacht Club for hosting a smooth, welcoming, and fun event. From the mark set team's mid-race save to the shrimp boil and everything in between, it was the kind of weekend that reminds you why we do this sport. See you in Fairhope!

-Savannah Baus

Lori and Susan – two of Dick Tillman’s daughters, display the impressive  perpetual plaque kept at the Melbourne Yacht Club, that adds the engraved name of the current year’s winner. At this most successful and well-attended event, the 2025 winner was Emily Wagner.

Although this event is meant to honor Dick Tillman, it’s impossible to mention just Dick when wife Linda is also a legend in the Sunfish Class. Their dedication and love for the Class continues to be felt in everything we do. The respect and encouragement they showed every member, the level of integrity they brought to their roles in Class leadership positions and … well, they are without a doubt two of the most gracious and nicest people we’ve had the pleasure to know. Their daughters – Lori, Susan and Libbie – are carrying on the same level of the Tillman tradition that will be enjoyed and felt for generations.  

Saturday, April 5, 2025

By Scott Shirley, Southwest Regional Representative

Our newest Sunfish Fleet #757 at Rockport Yacht Club in Rockport, Texas, was host to this year’s Port A to Rockport Distance Race.

Many Texas sailors know of this legendary event but never sailed in it due to scheduling conflicts with other Texas Circuit regattas. Communication between Commodore Rose Resendez, race organizer Jerilyn Hibbler, and the Class eliminated having to compete for participants with other races.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Texas Gulf Coast area, Port Aransas is near the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge where endangered Whooping Cranes come to nest. Ask your birder friends, they know all about it. Protected by a series of barrier islands, our sailing area was part of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. In fact, our starting mark was an ICW channel buoy.

The prevailing wind is from the south, but the forecast for race day had it shifting West and then finally North as a cold front moved in. As always with Texas weather, the big question was “When?”

The race is planned to be a long reach and, in the event of a North wind, the course would be reversed, from Rockport to the Lydia Ann Lighthouse in Port A. Knowing the wind could shift, possibly 180 degrees in 4-6 hours, the Race Committee decided to start the race early, as soon as boats could get out, to avoid finishing in a Texas Blue Norther. IYKYK. A big “Norther” in Texas can drop the temperature 30 to 50 degrees in just a few hours. Frostbite conditions.

Competitors, along with their “ground crews,” drove 20 minutes south to a lonely stretch of narrow east-west channel to launch. Ground crews were there to drive trailers and dollies back to the Yacht Club.

The wind was already shifting left, more from the West as we jibed through the channel past barges filled with limestone. As the larger channel opened before us, we were greeted by dolphins. First a group of three, then another with five, until we saw happy dolphins in all directions. Something about playful dolphins always brings joy! We knew we were in for a great day of sailing.

Turning North we found our starting mark, ICW mark 62, a red nun buoy that was decidedly leaning north due to current. On the left shore stood the Lydia Ann Lighthouse. The RC boat was anchored a good distance to the east, creating a wide starting line for the 22 boats signed up. It would be a reaching start, so the normal strategy for starting upwind went out the porthole.

This was the first point-to-point distance race for several of us, and the current made it clear that local knowledge was a big advantage. In fact, it was the first race ever for my buddy Ray Bryant, who had only sailed his Sunfish a handful of times and had never started a race! We felt like a long reach was a good “learner” race, and it was.

The northerly current pushed enough boats across the line early for a General Recall.

And we had a barging start. As in, actual barges, stacked with shipping containers, pushed by tugboats, crossing through our line midway through the start sequence! Well, we were in their shipping channel. Those things are big when you get up close.

Third try we got off to a successful start, although several boats were pushed OCS by the strong current.

Josh Rubin, last year’s Texas Sunfish Circuit winner, went left followed by me and last year’s Port A-Rockport winner Gary Mizener. The rest of the fleet spread out further to the East as we all played the shifts. Ours was a weather-based strategy, assuming we would be closest to new wind as it continued shifting clockwise. If it panned out, boats farther east would end up tacking and we wouldn’t.

Shortly after the start we realized one thing the locals knew that we didn’t -- the western shore of the channel was an oyster bed, and Josh and I both went aground twice in soft, foot-deep mud. Perhaps not quite so far left?

Once clearing Mud Island we were in the open bay, with the ICW channel running through the middle. Josh, Gary and I stayed left but in deeper water. Most of the fast locals had moved ahead up the middle and a few went far to the right. At one point there must have been a mile of lateral separation between boats.

After two hours on a Port reach, we spotted Rockport on the Western shore ahead and started searching for our turning mark. It was the first time I wish I had binoculars on a Sunfish! Josh stayed far left, expecting the mark to be close to the RYC breakwater. Gary and I decided to break right with the idea that the mid-bay sailors had sighted the mark. They were right, it was a good half mile to the East.

By now the wind had picked up. Boats that had been spread out converged. One boat that had gone over the horizon to the right caught up on a long starboard tack. After leaving the mark to port, it was a tight starboard-tack beat to the edge of the breakwater in brisk wind with a bit of athletic hiking. Gary and I were upwind of the others and flying toward a cement wall. I had no idea what was on the other side, other than we were to turn right and finish in the harbor by the clubhouse.

We made it, exhausted but elated. Everyone got in before the weather turned cold.

We learned that the current at the start continued in the deep shipping channel, and that’s how three local sailors were able to get a big lead. There’s always next year!

We're happy to note that the Essex Corinthians Yacht Club Invitational Women's Regatta is introducing the Sunfish class this year! While there is a scheduling conflict, we wholeheartedly support their efforts to grow the Sunfish® fleets and foster more participation in sailing. If the ECYC event works better for you, let the sailors know about our other events!

Saturdays, April 12th thru June 14th  (no racing May 17th)

Stonington Yacht Club  Public Racing - NOR

June 18 to Aug 20th

For those interested in fun, low pressure racing, take a lap around the harbor with others who love an evening on the water, plan to participate in small boat racing every Wednesday nights. More Information

For more information, please visit our website at https://www.sunfishseriesofct.com/ 

We look forward to seeing both new and familiar faces out on the water this year. Let's make it a memorable racing series once again! Please reach out if you have any questions or need more information.
 
 Fair winds, Will Kresic, Sunfish Series of Connecticut (SSOC)
 203-788-8786

by Steve Honour

The sun glistened on the sparkling waters of Boca Ciega Bay near the beaches north of the mouth of Tampa Bay. Several small sails can be seen darting in and out among the older moored boats made dull and heavy with growth on their hulls and anchor rodes. Some of the small sails seen in this picturesque scene are members of Sunfish Fleet 756 practicing as they often do.

Sunfish sailing has come and gone over the years in Pinellas County across the bay from Tampa. But an active and enthusiastic group of sailors at the Boca Ciega Yacht Club are bringing back a spirit of sailing camaraderie that more than make up for lost years.

Being part of helping build new fleets is a rewarding experience. It’s one small way of “giving back” to the Sunfish Class that continues to impact so many lives in a most positive way.

A small piece of fleet building history is worth mentioning. Back in the 1980’s, helping the startup of the Windjammers of Clearwater Fleet 658 was successful enough to bring about hosting the 1989 Masters International Championship. Joe Blouin almost won this event, but a breakdown and light air resulted in no throw outs that forced Joe to be displaced on the podium by Don Bergman who won it three years in a row. The Windjammers faded after helping establish the Clearwater Community Sailing Center. Several former Windjammers’ members landed at Boca Ciega Yacht Club in Gulfport, Florida.

In the late 1980’s, helping the Pixie Circuit gain its sea legs to set up a Sunfish racing tour of the Tampa Bay region proved successful. Several local clubs were running monthly Sunfish races. Everybody got coordinated and took turns hosting monthly races for all the local Sunfish sailors that drew 60 boats! Sunfish racing fell off after the Windjammers died in the 90's but the local women's groups kept Sunfish sailing alive. The continued success of the Florida women building an impressive Sunfish sailing circuit is amazing – legendary actually!

Looking for the “right stuff” to help build a local Sunfish fleet is key. Most of the beaches in the area did not allow boat launching, and Boca Ciega YC was home to a dozen Sunfish - the start of a perfect fleet-building formula. Then adding in that BCYC had a nice facility with nice people and a small boat launching beach, the fleet-building formula was complete. BCYC was the perfect place to get Sunfish activity going in this county of a million people.

L to R are Bruce Kreutzer, Fauss Hull, Janet Kruetzer, Dee Gill, 
 Richard Prieto, Christine Russo, and Steve Honour.

Sharing this successful build-a-fleet formula with such people as Fauss Hull and Richard Prieto was the next step. Fauss and Richard were driving from Pinellas County to nearby Clubs to race Sunfish simply because there was nothing happening for men in Pinellas County. But after they were introduced and invited to sail with us at BCYC,  they brought a level of energy and enthusiasm that continues to help build the fleet.

The Rhumb Runners, a local women’s sailing group, already had many sailing venues open to them.   With this combined group of men and women who share a love of Sunfish sailing, It didn't take long to get Fleet 756 up and running. Rhumb Runners’ Captain Janet Kreuzer and her husband Bruce Kreutzer have a very cool side-by-side double Sunfish trailer they made from a jet ski trailer. Dee Gill, from the St Petersburg YC and Christine Russo, from the Windlasses also sail with us.

We try to sail every week throughout the year. We sail Saturdays in the winter and Tuesday evenings in the summer. Recently, we started a Sunfish Racing Clinic patterned after the one held with Fleet 154 in Sarasota. Fauss Hull, Richard Prieto and Janet Kreutzer were instrumental in sparring with me to train for the 2024 World's. BCYC member Pat Nolan even came to Sarasota to coach me in the '24 Sunshine Regatta where it blew like stink!

 I can’t say enough good things about attending sailing clinics taught by some of our most successful Sunfish champions or say thank you’s loud enough to those who give up their time and energy to share sailing skills that improve finishes beyond what you think is possible. My own personal experience has proven this to be true.

ISCA Fleet 756 is growing regularly. We have several more people interested and preparing to join us. BCYC is now accepting new memberships where the dues are reasonable at www.sailBCYC.org. Qualified members enjoy use of the race-rigged club Sunfish at no additional cost and are allowed to take BCYC club Sunfish to other clubs for racing events. This makes it easy to get involved without boat ownership.

Fleet 756 also conducts regular Sunfish Basics Classes to get sailors acquainted with rigging, launching and capsize recovery of a Sunfish now named the ISCA® being built by Zim Sailing. The rights to the trademark name Sunfish® remain with Laser Performance, the former builder of this most popular boat.

As the sun drew closer to the horizon, the small sails could be seen making their way to their launch area where they carefully dollied out of the water, rinsed the boat and sail and stowed everything to be ready for their next adventure. Happy voices discussed the experience with an enthusiasm that echoed a sentiment of “We’re having the most FUN ever!”

ISCA/USSCA Class Administrator

8070 Willow Tree Way, Alpharetta, GA 30005

www.sunfishclass.org    sunfishoff@gmail.com  404-451-7743