Read PDF - Southwinds Magazine

Kokomo, a Farr 40, races in Key West in 2005. Photo by Capt. Bill Robinson.this slippery one-design vessel. The J/105, Flame, and JamesDoane are back. Out of Naples, FL, Flame earned arespectable second place after competing with a seriouscrowd of 40 J/105s last year. Another familiar face, WorthHarris of Beaufort, NC, and Rum At Six will be there to jointhe fray.Racing alongside the monohulls, the Corsair trimaranswill again be part of the scene. Texas multihull tamers JohnNovak and his Corsair 28R, Overdo, Michael Zotzky withPersevere and Bruce Jenevein with Ranger are back to scramblethe status quo. Warm weather and flying a hull must gotogether. Two other southerly Corsairs signed up includeSteven Marsh with Dealer’s Choice out of Stuart, FL, andRobert Onsgard with Fifty-Fifty out of Miami YC, FL.WeatherParticipants will be factoring local weather into the raceequation. Winter in Key West is a variety show of conditions,and selecting the right sails can sometimes be a riddle.The average wind speed in January is 14 knots with a typicalrange of 8-20 knots. Prevailing winds are easterly, butwind intensity and direction varies with the cold fronts thatblow through every three to five days. A cold front arriveswith chilly northwest to north winds of up to 20 knots ormore. The leading edge of the front usually brings brief rainshowers and possible thunderstorms. In a day or so, thestrong winds ease, warm up and clock around to blow fromthe east to southeast. Ocean current on the course is felt bymost sailboats when the wind is light. Average air temperaturesrange from 64.4ºF to 75.2ºF. Layered clothing is helpfulas the air will feel damp and cool at night, especially nearthe water. During the day, warm sunshine brings the shortsand T-shirts back out.Like to Sail, But UnsureAbout Racing?The racers, crews and their familiesare looking forward to thisprestigious, international event.When asked why they race, thesailors always seem to have asimilar response. They will tellyou that it’s fun. These guys andgals also admit that, in the end,it’s not really about a trophy.Many mention the thrill of facinga worthy set of challenges and thesatisfaction of besting one’s ownpersonal record. Speaking of facinga challenge, just imagine theperformance variables that arethrown into the ring this January.Sailors must contend with everchangingweather, tactics, boat handling, strategy, hardware,sail trim, crew, sea conditions and knowledge of therules for their particular boat class. What better way toenhance one’s sailing skills for not only the racecourse butfor cruising and recreational sailing as well. Anotherimpressive aspect of Race Week is the respect and camaraderiethat competitors have for each other. Rival teamsmay be tough on the course, but by the day’s end, they’recelebrating together. It’s no wonder that so many sailorsfind the sport so irresistible.So join the action in subtropical paradise this month. Bea part of the granddaddy of all parties under the main tent,talk sailing with like-minded people and check out thePremiere Racing Industry Partners who support this sensationalevent. This year’s official Sponsors Are: Acura, MountGay Rum, Nautica, Lewmar, Samson, and B&G RacingPerformance.News & Views for Southern Sailors SOUTHWINDS January 2006 53