Read PDF - Southwinds Magazine

RACING
bay from the yacht club to attract entries from other clubs
and was well-attended. The winds were light, but all participants
raved about the hospitality for the two-day weekend.
Some said it reminded them of Key West 50 years ago. The
race will be repeated next year with a proposed start for
cruisers in the morning and racers in the afternoon.
Race organizer Jamie Myers of the Davis Island Yacht
Club said, “The goal of the race was met, and there is a solid
base of knowledge from which to expand and improve
upon for next year. We had a great group of boats. Though
the wind conditions weren’t favorable, everyone was
impressed with the destination, and in short order, the frustration
of the racing wore off.”
Traditionally, there was a Tampa to Fort Myers Race
from 1946 through at least 1959. It was a race “open to all
cruising type sailboats” starting at the south end of the
Davis Islands and finishing in San Carlos Bay near Fort
Myers. Originally it was sponsored by a number of organizations,
including the Davis Island Yacht Club and the Fort
Myers Yacht Club. The race was run in the beginning of
November every year. There is a large black and white aerial
photo hanging in the DIYC bar that is the start of that
race in 1947.
There was also a power cruise held in conjunction with
the race. In 1950 it went from Davis Island to St. Petersburg,
then to Sarasota—where racers spent the night, having dinner
at the Sarasota Yacht Club. They continued the next day
to Fort Myers, where they met the sailboats for the festivities.
It sounds like they knew how to party in the ’50s. In
1958, it was written up in the paper as “the 13th annual
Tampa to Ft Myers yacht race and power boat cruise.”
Results:
1st, Tiger Alan Jepson, Palm Bay, FL; 2nd, Celebration Mike Kayusa, Fort
Myers, FL; 3rd, Renegade Jamie Myers, Tampa, FL; 4th, Rum An’ Mike
Milvain, Treasure Island FL; 5th, Claire Randy St. James, Sarasota, FL;
6th, Macushla Joel Andrews, Fort Myers, FL; 7th, Mon Ami Don
Highnote, Tampa, FL; 8th, Shazaam Roger Gatewood, St. Petersburg,
FL; DNF, Blue Moon Bobby Crawford, Treasure Island, FL.
West Florida Race Calendar
Club Racing
Boca Ciega YC. Gulfport. Every Sunday following the third Friday
of each month. Skippers meeting at 10am, PHRF racing, spin and
non-spin. (727) 423-6002. One-design, dinghy racing every Tuesday
at 5:30 pm. March through October. Jim Masson at (727) 776-8833.
www.sailbcyc.org.
Bradenton YC. Races April thru October. Wednesday evening
races at 6:30 p.m. Winter races Sunday at 1:30. PHRF racing on
Manatee River. For info, call Gerry Baily at (941) 981-3891.
Clearwater Community Sailing Center. Regular weekend club
races. www.clearwatercommunitysailing.org.
Davis Island YC. Regular club racing weekly. www.diyc.org.
Dunedin Boat Club. Monthly club racing. saraherb@aol.com.
Edison Sailing Center, Fort Myers. Sunfish and dinghy racing
once a month, year-round
john@johnkremski.com
Port Charlotte. Third Saturday of month, year-round.
pbgvtrax@aol.com.
Punta Gorda Sailing Club. Charlotte Harbor. Weekly racing.
www.pgscweb.com.
Sarasota Sailing Squadron. Friday evening races start in April.
www.sarasotasailingsquad.com.
St. Pete Yacht Club. Friday evenings (except April 3) through Aug.
28. 1630 starts off The Pier. www.spyc.org.
Venice Sailing Squadron. Saturdays. First Saturday of each
month, PHRF racing. Start at mouth of Venice Inlet.
www.venice-sailing-squadron.org
SEPTEMBER
4 Davis Island YC, PHRF night race to Sarasota
4 Tampa Sailing Squadron, Joey Meyer Youth Regatta
4-5 Sarasota Sailing Squadron, 63 rd annual Labor Day
Regatta, all classes
11-12 St. Petersburg SA, PHRF 1&2
18 Caloosahatcheee Marching and Chowder Society, Kayusa
Cup (CBOTY)
18-19 St. Petersburg YC, Bruce Watters Regatta, Green Fleet only
18-19 Davis Island YC, Melges 24 series
25-26 Bradenton YC, PHRF Kickoff Regatta (WFBOTY)
25-26 Davis Island YC, J24 District 10 Green Bench Regatta
25-26 St. Petersburg YC, District singlehanded championship
and Cressy Trophy qualifier
OCTOBER
1-3 Lake Eustis Sailing Club, Wildcat Multihull Regatta
2 Davis Island YC, Dore Drake Regatta
2-3 Dunedin YC, Dunedin Cup.
2-3 St. Petersburg SA, PHRF 3&4
9 Cortez YC, Cortez Cup (SBBOTY)
9-10 Clearwater YC, Clearwater Championships
9-10 St. Petersburg YC, Fall Bay Race (WFBOTY)
9-10 St. Petersburg YC. College match racing qualifier
15-17 Caloosahatchee Marching and Chowder Society,
Summerset Regatta (CBOTY, CHBOTY, SWFBOTY)
16 Tampa Sailing Squadron, Rumgatta
17 Tampa Sailing Squadron, Women’s Rumgatta
16-17 Davis Island YC, Melges 24 Atlantic Coast Championships
16-17 Edison Sailing Center, Junior Olympics River Romp Regatta
19-23 St. Petersburg YC, Rolex Osprey Cup
22-23 Davis Island YC, Davis Island Classic (WFBOTY)
22-24 Sarasota Sailing Squadron, Buzzelli Multihull Rendezvous
23 Lake Eustis Sailing Club, Florida Interscholastic Club 420
Team Racing
23-24 Boca Ciega YC and Gulfport YC, Centennial All Class Regatta
23-24 Naples Sailing & Yacht Club, Commodore’s Cup
24-26 Bradenton YC, Fall Kickoff Regatta (BOTY)
24-26 Davis Island YC, Lightning Pan-Am Trials
29-31 St. Petersburg YC, high school singlehanded championship
30-31 Clearwater YC, Clearwater Challenge (WFBOTY)
30-31 Lake Eustis Sailing Club, Inland Lake Championship
Regatta
This region—the Florida Panhandle, Alabama, Mississippi,
Louisiana and Texas—has a very active and serious racing
schedule, being host to many local, as well as national,
regattas. The five-state area is geographically linked and the
Gulf Yachting Association is the controlling authority.
This area races year around, but winter slows down
considerably because of the cold. It is notably, though, the
most active summer racing region in the South, with major
regattas being held all summer, besides active spring and
fall schedules. (The summer schedule has been drastically
interrupted by the Gulf oil spill.)
The area has a racing history going back many years,
62 September 2010 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com