Southwinds Sailing June 2004 - Southwinds Magazine

WEST FLORIDA SAILINGDavid Mendelblatt wins 2004 FloridaSunfish Regional ChampionshipBy Charlie CliftonThirty-five sailors competed in the Florida State RegionalSunfish Championship at the Mobetta Yacht Club in upperCharlotte Harbor May 15 and 16. A 5 to 20 knot, gusty,shifty easterly persisted the whole weekend.Mark Mendelblatt started strongly with two firsts and asecond. 15-year-old Connor Blouin showed he was going tobe a force as he won the third race after finishing 3 and 2.Jeff Linton finally found the groove and won the fourthand last Saturday race.Sunday began with Mendelblatt leading Linton by 2points and Blouin by 5. Jeff reeled off two straight bullets.Connor beat Mark in one of those races to put Linton aheadby one point going into the last race. Mendelblatt would haveto either win or put a boat between him and Linton to takethe regatta.Great Grand Master Erik Erickson led at the first windwardmark with Linton second and Mendelblatt deep. Markfound a lane way right of the fleet on the run, passed 10 boats,and rounded the leeward mark second with Linton right behindin third. They overtook Erickson on the second beat, heldthe same positions on the last run, and began the last beatfighting for the lead and the regatta.As Linton and Mendelblatt duked it out on the right ofthe last beat, Blouin and another junior, Fred Strammer,streaked off to the left where they found a little pressure andlooked as if they would both beat Mark, which would giveJeff the regatta. Although Blouin won, Mendelblatt managedto edge out Strammer right at the finish, giving him the boathe needed to win the world qualifier.Back Row L-R: Julie Burnett, Cindy Taylor, Cindy Clifton, Olga Oliver, BridgeSnitih, Rita Steele, Donna Steele, Bonnie Sevier, Linda Tillman, Lori Siff.Front row: Chanelle Strammer, Loretta Garber, Rebecca Rom, TealStrammer, Molly McKinney, Michelle Thomas. Photo by Carol McDowell.Steele was deep in the pack. She managed to pass just enoughboats on the last leg to tie Tillman and win via tie breaker.Teal Strammer, the tiniest sailor in the regatta, won the PramJunior Division by one point. 2002 Opti National Green FleetChampion Jackie Sims was second. Both Teal and Jackie wonthree races.In the Women’s Pram Division, Tampa’s PJ Summervillewon every race to take the overall Pram Perpetual Trophy.Results:Sunfish:1. Rita Steele, Sarasota,13;2. Linda Tillman,Melbourne,13;3. RebeccaRom,Venice,18;4. Cindy Clifton,Sarasota,25;5. Donna Steele,Tampa,27;Pram Junior1.TealStrammer,Venice,9;2. Jackie Sims,Venice,10;3. Michele Thomas, Venice,22;Pram Women:1.PJ Summerville,Tampa,5;2. Meredith Wyble,DIYC,12;3. Terry Holcombe,DIYC,18Results1. David Mendelblatt, St. Pete, 15; 2. Jeff Linton, DIYC, 16; 3. Connor Blouin, DIYC, 24; 4.Pete Merrifield, St. Pete, 47; 5. Chris Lowrie, Melbourne, 53; 6. Fred Strammer, Venice,592004 Hula Cup, Sarasota Bay, May 8By Charlie CliftonThirty sailors were on Sarasota Bay May 8 for the Women’sFlorida State Sunfish and Pram Championship. Beautifulweather with a 6-10 knot westerly set the stage for seven racesin three hours.Linda Tillman won the first Sunfish race, Cindy Clifton thesecond. Then Rita Steele, who was OCS the second race, reeledoff four straight bullets. In the last race, at the last leeward mark,58June 2004 SOUTHWINDS www.southwindssailing.com