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TAMPA BAY SAILINGSwift Solo and Musto SkiffMidwinters, Fort De Soto Park,April 14-19especially when the current was running with the wind.By the start of racing Thursday, most were ready to fly.The wind was strong enough to keep some of the 20 boats onthe beach, but exciting 30-minute windward-leewards wereenjoyed by the experts.Friday had a lighter wind with a couple of boats missingthe time limit in the strong tide of Tampa Bay near the shippingchannel.Saturday completed the eight races in a fine sea breeze.Race Officer Dave Ellis ran the races from a small inflatablewith the help of a quick powerboat on the windward markand pin-set duties. Another small inflatable was available forrescue, although the racecourse was so near to shore that itwas only used once, when a capsized boat had its rudderdrift away.Ironically, two of the top competitors did not race, onedue to cracked ribs from a spectacular pitch pole earlier inthe week and one, the race organizer, Bram Dally, fromsomething he ate.All of the competitors were from outside of Florida, onlyone from within the SOUTHWINDS area. They were not anxiousto get back to snow.For more on the Swift Solo, go tohttp://swiftsolo.com/home.html.A Swift Solo sailing at Fort De Soto Park. Photo by Dave Ellis.Fort De Soto Park on lower Tampa Bay boasts palm trees lininga pristine white beach and open water. Just around thecorner is 2005’s world’s #1-rated beach. What better place tohost a sailing event for a couple of uniqueclasses of sailboats.The Swift Solo was designed by BramDally of Seattle. He loved to sail the highperformance 49er, an Olympic class knownfor speed and spills. But it was tough to findqualified crew. His solution was a 16-footboat that is a true skiff design but built withcedar, carbon and epoxy. The result is asclose to fine furniture as any craft afloat. Butthis furniture has teeth.The mainsail and jib working togetheras a unit, as the lone sailor is out on thewings hanging from the trapeze wire, givethe boat plenty of power. But add an asymmetricalspinnaker that sets well above thehounds and you have a handful.To increase the event numbers, the similarMusto Skiff was invited. This is a boatdesigned in England that is similar in hull shape, built offiberglass. There is only a mainsail, no jib. But it, too, has anasymmetrical chute, a little smaller than the Swift.The boats are similar in speed, depending on the skill ofthe sailor, with the Musto being perhaps a bit faster in a blowand the Swift quicker in lighter air.The first part of the week an interactive clinic was heldfor the sailors unfamiliar with the demands of a skiff, passingon tips from the more experienced. Often it was thedownwind legs that separated the fleet. The speeds are sohigh that lay-lines to the leeward mark are often over stood,US Multihull Championshipfor the Hobie Alter Cup,Gulfport Yacht Club, April 22-28Catamarans start in the Alter Cup off Gulfport. Photo by Dave Ellis.It may seem to be a daunting task for a small volunteer clublike Florida’s Gulfport Yacht Club to host a major championship.But the venue was the choice of Robbie Daniel, theowner of Fun in the Sun, Inc., who supplied the 10 newCapricorn F/18 catamarans.Mayor Mike Yakes and the city of Gulfport scheduled afestival around the event and made available the expansivewhite sand of the beach. After setting up the boats at GYC,they were sailed over to the Gulfport waterfront where they48 June 2008 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com