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To Party & Race in Paradiseearn the most bullets in itsfleet.Mark Williams and his Charlestonbasedcruiser, Dixie Chicken, racedwith his daughter onboard. Markconfides that he’s not very competitive,but enjoys the highly sociableRegatta Time. “Today we succeededin finding all the marks,” he notedwith a chuckle. While Dixie Chicken’srivals were hard at work in race one,Mark’s team was drinking margaritason Treasure Cay’s famous beach.“Dixie Chicken does not miss aparty,” Mark assures.Once again, Sponge Cake and AbacoRage kept each other on edge. “Thatwas the most perfect start…,” a Ragecrewman was saying about SpongeCake during the awards party at Sea Spray Resort. The secretmay be Clyde’s team. Long-time crewman Brad Riggle, adaring soul who once drove a Jet Ski from Miami and acrossthe Gulf Stream to Bimini, was onboard with his sweetheart,Loretta. Calling tactics was Paul Rooy, an author and pilot.Also crewing was his wife, Mary Lightfine, a nurse andpilot. For their honeymoon, the two flew over the Amazonand have had led active lives by traveling to far corners ofthe world to help others. Mary founded Volunteers WithoutBoundaries and Rooy has written books about flying andabout the couple’s remarkable adventures.Dennis Gorden, who used to be in the ice business,named his boat Toki, after the smiling Eskimo character onhis company logo. He first learned to sail in the army, andthen bought Toki, a Moorings 51, after retiring from the icetrade. For next year’s regatta, Dennis plans on getting agroup of adventurous souls from the Halifax River YachtClub to come to Abaco. Efficiently helming Toki is KatherineHunter, president of a web service company. At first, learningto sail and race was a challenge for her. “I still hold therecord for dumping my boat the most times,” Katherineexplains about her sailing school experiences. However, shestuck to it and discovered sailing’s addictive side. “Now Iknow what all the words mean,” she said about the pleasureof participating in racing a boat as opposed to just ridingalong. Katherine actively promotes racing, encouragingmore women into the sport.Roy Hutcheson’s New Yot finished mid-fleet and hadfun doing so. “When you come down, pick up a charter boatwith a non-racing crew of friends, that’s not so bad,” Royobserved. What truly mattered was that his crew was enjoyingthe experience. “We came, we saw, we drank rum!”July 8, 9, 10 — Another Lay Day, the Final Raceand the Party’s OverAfter another lay day on the eighth, the final race was heldon July 9—and the last chance to test one’s skills against afine group of cruising and racing sailors. On the way to thebattlefield, Sponge Cake ran aground on soft bottom. EyeingBradford Law and family on Shenanigan warm up for a suspenseful start.the clock, the blue cruiser finally broke free with seconds tospare, a black cloud of diesel smoke marking a frenetic rushtoward the gate. “I think we dug a channel right to the startline!” Clyde said.Abaco Rage’s team was amazingly resilient after over aweek of party action, but after crossing the finish, a tiredcrewmember fell into the water. Clyde’s team beat Rage,Sponge Cake taking second under Mikhail, Matt Salatino’sMoody 41. Michael Carrington’s entry, Susimi, won an overallaward for skilled racing as well as for surviving a roughnight some days ago. The racer had cut a corner to a channeland went aground. The tide fell and poor Susimi wasnearly on her side like a beached whale. Surrounded by supportivepeers, Carrington’s team had a place to stay andSusimi was freed, unharmed, by the next day.In the multihull fleet, John Novak’s corsair 28, Overdo,enjoyed the close contests with Splash. “We throw beersoverboard to distract the competition,” jokes Overdo’s crew.Novak’s Corsair 28 is a formidable competitor and keptclose rivals Splash, Nalu Nalu and Merlin on full alert. JohnSexton built Splash, a Corsair 31, from a set of plans 10 yearsago. An Abaco vet, this year it was only John and histeenaged daughter Betsy who were able to make the longtrailer trip from Minnesota to Florida, then sail to Abaco.The whole journey was an adventure. “We’re doing allthe things we dreamt about,” John said. Betsy’s high schoolclassmates find it hard to believe her unique summertimeactivities. Splash went home with more unforgettable memoriesand a collection of trophies. “Abaco Glow really showedus a good time,” Mark on Dixie Chicken, said about his competitor.Mark was impressed by the sportsmanship on thecourse and camaraderie during the parties.The final awards party under the tall coconut palms atHope Town Harbour Lodge stretched well into the balmy,tropical night. The party zone overlooked the Atlantic, itslazy surf foaming over the island’s glittering beach.Entranced by the Abacos’ beauty and Regatta Time’s wellorganizedweek of non-stop enjoyment, many were alreadymaking their plans for next year.44 September 2011 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindsmagazine.com