28th Annual Dunedin Cup Regatta
September 29, 2012 was a spectacular day for a race on the inter coastal bay one big bridge north of Windmill Central, the home of Clark Mills, in sunny Dunedin Florida. The weather could not have been ordered more perfect for our newest 3 boats in the fleet. Light air was just what we needed to initiate Jim Longen, and crew John Delage, Southern District Fleet 1 Captain, Ritch Riddle and co-owner Ken Friedman, and Cam Carlin sailing solo on his herring bone wooden windmill Cam has been with the fleet now for about 1 year. Lon Ethington (Windmill President), with crew Meg Gimmi, Colin Browning, with crew Nicky Valintini also joined our growing fleet to race on what turned out to be a stellar day.
Our course was shared with 1 Sidewinder, 3 Sunfish, 1 Raven, and 4 or 5 Daysailors, one of which was being sailed by our Windmill fleet's very own Dede Plessner with crew (Watch out for the tree), Beau.
Fortunately, after having broken their Daysailor's mast on the oak tree in the parking lot last year they did an awesome job avoiding it this year but not everyone managed to avoid THE TREE. Mark Rother, after racing removed his boat from the water and sped off to his parking spot unwittingly crashing his mast into THE TREE. Mark's boat escaped with only a broken spreader. Much cheaper then a mast.
Race committee planned on 4 races for this one day regatta with our first race being a modified Olympic course which took about 1 hour to finish. The fleet was spread out in our first race with our new Windmillers still learning their boats while Lon and Colin battled it out amongst each other.
The second race was a W/L course. Things started coming together and the fleet sailed a little tighter with Cam nipping at the heels of Colin and Lon's boats. By the third race things were looking real good until the down wind leg and Jim found out what happens when a jibe is executed with the dagger board fully up and the boom vang snags it. That's awful feeling. The boat rounds up and is taken over because you just can't let out your boom past the middle of the boat, been there and done that several times myself. Fortunately Jim and John made a nice recovery.
After racing the party began with the people from PHRF boats that raced in the gulf joined the people from the Portsmouth fleet and lots of other club members for a feast on Low country boil, Shrimp, new potatoes, corn on the cob, sausage, and fresh rolls and beer and wine to wash it down with. All that while Hooters girls mingled in the crowd while live Calypso steel drums played. We are spoiled here in Florida but I'm ok with that.
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