A Game On! News Publication

NAUTICAL NEWS FOR NORTH & CENTRAL FLORIDA SAILORS

MC SCOWS START ON LAKE EUSTIS AND ON WAYPOINT’S FIRST COVER!

Nautical NEWS For North & Central florida sailors

P.O. Box 2029 Daytona Beach, FL 32115 Tel. (386) 868-5910

Regatta Results can be emailed toracing@waypointnews.com.Information must be received by 5 PMthe on the 25th of every month.For advertising information call(386) 682-9573 or email toinfo@waypointnews.com. You canalso find advertising information byvisiting waypointnews.com.

is free and published the firstday of every month (except for holidayswhen it will be published the first businessday following the holiday). Between 6,000and 8,,000 copies are printed monthly anddistributed primarily to marinas, yacht andsailing clubs, restaurants and other retaillocations. No part of this publication maybe reproduced without permission of thepublisher. The publishers are notresponsible for any errors, omissions, etc.Views expressed are not necessarily thoseof the publishers.Advertising and copy appearing in

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This is Volume I- Issue 1

74 MC Scows representing 11 different states and Canada showed up for their Mid-Winter Championship hosted by the Lake EustisSailing Club in March. Full story on page 11.

Publisher/Editor Bob SeayReporters Leslie Roberts Wendy Waters Gayle WoerningContributingColumnists Willie Blevins Gene O’ConnorGraphics Rusty FedsovichDistribution Ben Seay Matt Powers

Welcome to the inaugural issue ofWAYPOINT and thanks for picking up a copy.Sailing is fun. Sailing in Florida is a lot of fun.That is why we started WAYPOINT, an excitingnew free tabloid newspaper, published monthlyin print and online, throughout the year. We willbe spotlighting what is going on in the world ofsailing here in North & Central Florida.

From Jacksonville south to Stuart over toOrlando and everywhere in between, we plan tofeature the people, clubs, regattas, specialevents, local destinations, hangouts and uniquecharacters that make this area such a great placeto go sailing.

We are the only publication dedicated solelyto North and Central Florida sailing. Our maingoal is to promote sailing in the area.  We feelthat one of the best ways to do that is to helppublicize what is going on at the club level.Admittedly we will be race heavy in ourcoverage. We plan to highlight many of thelocal regattas, some large and well attended andothers, newer and trying to grow their numbers.We know that participation in racing sailing hasdwindled and we want to do our part to help turnthat around. That is already happening at theclub level as our story on the First Coast SailingAssociation’s expansion details on page 3.

While WAYPOINT will spend a lot of timereporting on regattas, you will also find plenty ofcruising news in our pages. A “FeaturedDestination” column will appear in future issuesand we are already working on the sights andsounds available to cruising sailors visitingWAYPOINT’s home port of Daytona Beach aswell as St. Augustine, Palatka and some othercool spots for cruisers

Of course all sailors need to look to thefuture and help perpetuate the growth of oursport. While putting together this inauguralissue we have happily learned that there are anumber of very active youth and junior sailingclubs all around the area. It seems that there issomething going on every weekend throughoutthe year for younger sailors to take part in.From beginners in Opti’s to highschool’erscompeting in 420’s and FJ’s, we plan plenty ofcoverage. For those looking for a place to getkids out on the water, be sure to pick up a copyof the May issue of WAYPOINT and our JuniorSailing Directory.

From time to time we all meet interestingfolks out on the water. Most sailors have a taleand, surprisingly, some of them are true. Whenwe hear of someone who’s story is worth tellingwe will do that. This month, David and Linda

Girardin of the Palatks Yacht Club intoduced meto Gene O’Conner, a founder and participant inthe very first Mug Race 61 years ago. Weprinted Gene’s recollections as part of our MugRace preview. Be sure to take a look.

Occasionally you will also find someinformation on these pages aimed at helping tomake your time on the water more enjoyable.We will feature regular columns on maintenancetips, racing rules & tactics, new gear reviews andsafety while afloat to let you in on some of whatwe have planned.

Finally, as you may notice as you perusethese pages, if you haven’t already, we are notprofessional journalists here at WAYPOINT. Weare sailors who have a passion for being out onthe water. Again that is why we are doing this.It is fun to go sailing and it is fun to report onsailing. We will work on getting better at thelater so, until we do, WAYPOINT will be a workin progress. Please feel free to contact us withany suggestions, ideas for improvement andrecommendations. We want to be the “go to”source for what is happening in the world ofsailing in North and Central Florida. Wewelcome your help!

See you out there! - Bob

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COMING NEXT MONTH:

First Coast Offshore Challenge CoverageLipton Cup Wrap-UpJunior Sailing Program Directory

AND A WHOLE LOT MORE….PUT DOWN THIS RAG & GO SAILING!

First Coast Sailing Association Welcomes TwoNew Member Clubs

Formed in 1978 to provide acommon PHRF rating system andto coordinate events and avoidscheduling conflicts forJacksonville area clubs, the FirstCoast Sailing Association(FCSA) is a volunteer grouporiginally made up of boardmembers from six different yachtand sailing clubs. The FCSAexpanded to eight member clubsby inviting two southernneighbors, the Halifax RiverYacht Club, located in DaytonaBeach, and the Smyrna YachtClub, located in New SmyrnaBeach, into the fold for 2014 andbeyond.

“We get boats from bothsouthern clubs participating in ourregattas and sailors from our clubsrace in their regattas sometimes, so we thought it would make sense to invitethem to join us,” said FCSA President Tom Davis. “It also helps to workwith them so that we don’t plan big regattas on the same dates and loseparticipation due to those issues. Hopefully this will help to increasenumbers for everyone’s races,” he added.

To help kick things off and introduce members from the HRYC and SYCto the FCSA, Dave Huff, HRYC Fleet Captain for Sailing, invited Davis toDaytona Beach for a Racing Rules Seminar on January 25th. “The wholeidea is mutual cooperation and to increase participation,” said Huff. Davis,who has been racing his Cal 9.2, Ghost, successfully in the area for manyyears, is well versed in the rules and delivered a top notch presentation to agroup of more than 30 seasoned sailors. Davis focused primarily on Part 2of the RRS, “When Boats Meet.” Of course, one of the most discussedtopics of the day was boat ratings.

FCSA current member clubs include; Florida Yacht Club, Epping ForestYacht Club, Navy Jax Yacht Club, The Rudder Club of Jacksonville, TheNorth Florida Cruising Club, St. Augustine Yacht Club, Halifax River YachtClub and the Smyrna Yacht Club. More information about the FCSA’smission and member clubs can be found on their website www.sailjax.com.

Smyrna Yacht Club Plans Summer SolsticeRegatta Provided by Mary Jane Kolassa, SYC

The Smyrna Yacht Club (SYC), will be hosting their annualSUMMER SOLSTICEREGATTA on the longestday of the year, June 21,2014. Competitors fromacross the region are invitedto join in the competitive funand book dock space at SYCfor the weekend to join theFriday night skippersmeeting and party before themain on-water eventSaturday.

There will be as manybuoy races in the ocean as ispossible on Saturday June21, followed by theopportunity to relax andswap stories at the club’s Tiki overlooking the Indian River. The awardsceremony will also take place on Saturday evening. Trophies will beawarded to the first three places in each division.

The regatta is open to all sailboats of suitable seaworthiness toparticipate in near-shore racing in the Atlantic Ocean just south of Poncede Leon Inlet.

Boats will be entered into three Divisions.Division 1   -    Boats with spinnakersDivision 2   -    Boats without spinnakersDivision 3   -    Cruising boats

Racing will be handicapped according the PHRF system.  All PHRFsfor the regatta will be assigned by the First Coast Sailing Association. Ifyou previously entered the Lipton Cup or HRYC Commodores Cup thenyou will already have a rating. Prime shore-side spectator viewing area will be from Toni & Joe’sPatio, 309 Buenos Aires Street, NSB, a proud sponsor of both the LiptonCup and Solstice Regattas.Sailors who would like more information,contest rules, advance registration entry forms, please visitsmyrnayachtclub.com.

NAUTICAL TERM: Motor Sailer - Asailboat that alternates between sail &rigging problems and engine problems.

First Coast Sailing AssociationPresident Tom Davis presents a racingrules seminar for members of HRYCand SYC on January 25th at HRYC .

Attendees pay close attention to the racing rules seminar at HRYC .

Perseverance Tops Fleet at FPYC SpringRegatta Provided by Diane Korbey, FPYC

The Fort Pierce Yacht Club held its fifth annual interclub sailingregatta on March 1-2.  15-20 knot winds and minimum sea states created 2days of near perfect conditions for the offshore regatta.  Three races wereheld:  a 17.9 mile race with a progressive start out to St Lucie Shoal off thepower plant and back to the Fort Pierce Inlet; a 1.3 mile sprint; and a 6.4mile leeward windward race.  Seven boats from 30’ to 40’ boats competedin the cruising boat class.  The overall winner of the three race series wasPerseverance, a Cal 9.2 owned by Joe and Debbie Krivan.  The Fort Pierce Yacht Club is the host and sponsor of monthlycommunity offshore sailboat races held in vicinity of the Fort Pierce Inletand Capron Shoal.  The club also hosts two women at the helm races, onein May and one in September, as races through the year.  Contact RaceCaptain Peter Bennett for more details at 772-465-6937.  All local sailorsare welcome.

Ghost Takes 1st at the River City RegattaThe Rudder Club hosted the River City Regatta on March 15th and

16th on the St. Johns River in Jacksonville. Saturday’s racing wasconducted in light and variable winds but oh what a difference a day madeas Mother Nature served up completely different conditions on Sundaywith 20 knot winds, gusting to 30, ahead of a cold front that broughttornado warnings to the area on Monday.

“Small fleet and windy conditions,” said skipper Tom Davis explaininghow he and the crew of his Cal 9.2, Ghost, adjusted to the changingweather to sail to a first place finish in the four boat spinnaker class.“Whisper blew their headsail in the last race and we got them by 23seconds in the first race,” he added.

Adam Norwood and crew aboard the J27 Rattle & Hum sailedsuperbly on Saturday and posted three bullets to finish the day in firstplace however they opted not to go out for the final two races on Sunday.

The J29 Scallywag, skippered by Rob Smith, had five first placefinishes to win the non-spinnaker class while NFCC’s KennethChristensen won the cruising class aboard Onyva.

All participating sailors were treated to a St. Patrick’s feast of cornedbeef and cabbage provided by the Rudder Club for Saturday’s post-raceparty while a good time appeared to be had by all.

River City Regatta ResultsSpinnaker Class Cruising Class1. Ghost Tom Davis 1. Onyva Ken Christensen2. Rattle & Hum Adam Norwood 2. Murky Waves Vic Burpie3. Whisper Tom Bell 3. Bernoulli Allen Jones4. Caos Rich BrewNon-Spin1. Scallywag Rob Smith2. Geckgo Stephen Michael3. Freak Show Madalin Keeble

The start of the FPYC Spring Regatta held March 1st & 2nd off Ft. Pierce.

Ghost battles over the top of Tom Bell’s Whisper at the River City Regatta.

Rattle & Hum logged three bullets to lead after Saturday’s racing.

Rob Smith & crew aboard the J29 Scallywag had good reason to celebrate..

Treasure Coast Youth Sailing Foundation StartsWork On New Sailing Center

Plenty of VIP’s were on handThursday, February 6, 2014 atJaycee Park in Fort Pierce as theTreasure Coast Youth SailingFoundation began workconverting a public picnicpavilion into the new Fort PierceSailing Center.

Mayor Linda Hudson andCity Commissioner for District 2,Tom Perona, were on handrepresenting the City of FortPierce as were a host of TCYSFboard members and volunteers,

Fort Pierce Yacht Club officers and many other local supporters of youthsailing. “We aspire to rival the Jensen Beach Sailing Center,” said TCYSFMaster of Ceremonies, Charlie Hayek, before handing the ceremonialhammer to Mayor Hudson to begin work converting the pavilion donated bythe city into the new sailing center.

Founded in 2007, the TCYSF is co-sponsored by the City of Fort Pierceand the Fort Pierce Yacht Club. With its home located at a beautiful sailingvenue on the banks of the Indian River at Jaycee Park, the organization hasprovided sailing instruction for more than 500 junior sailors in the sevenyear period.

Fort Pierce Mayor Linda Hudson hammersin the first nail with TCYSF’s Charlie Hayek.

Treasure Coast Youth Sailing ProgramsThe Treasure Coast Youth Sailing Foundation, Inc., sponsored by the

Fort Pierce Yacht Club and the City of Fort Pierce, teaches sailing to youngpeople of the Treasure Coast in an environment stressing safety,sportsmanship, self reliance, self discipline, and respect for authority andthe community. We offer two programs:  ONE WEEK SUMMERCLASSES and Sunday year around Advanced sailing/racing.In 2014, the Foundation will hold beginner and intermediate One WeekSummer Classes for two age groups: Ages 7-14 in Opti Prams and Ages14-18 in Collegiate 420’s. Young students who are big for their age can sailin the larger Collegiate 420 with the coaches approval. All class are taughtby certified instructors

Beginner Sailing Prerequisites:  Students must be 7 to 18 years of age,able to demonstrate swimming proficiency, and own a life jacket fitted tothem. These classes teach younger students the basic sailing skills andprinciples. Curriculum includes learning names of boat parts, finding winddirection, steering with a tiller, practice tacking and jibing, crisismanagement, and additional sailing skills.Intermediate Sailing Prerequisite:  Completion of Beginner Sailing class orsimilar experience, and own a life jacket fitted to them. This course isdesigned to prepare sailors for sailboat racing.  Students are introduced toRacing Rules of Sailing, and intermediate racing techniques.  Instructorsteach skills including sitting on the rail, using tiller extensions, roll tacking,equipment care, changing sail controls, and sportsmanship.2014 Summer Class Schedule*

All students must be able to swim and have a life jacket fitted to them.Registration fee is $210 for the Oppi Pram students and $225 for theCollegiate 420 students

A $50 deposit is required with the registration application.Lunches are available for $25 per week.

Classes will be held during the following weeks from 8:30 AM to 4:30PM Monday through Friday.

Beginner Class Intermediate ClassJune 9 – 13                  Jul 13 - 18June 16 – 20                Aug 4 – 8June 23 – 27July 7 – 11July 21 – 25July 28 – Aug 1To reserve a spot in a 2014 class for either program fill out a studentapplication and mail it with $50.00 to:Treasure Coast Youth Sailing FoundationP. O. Box 1783Fort Pierce, Florida  34948-1783Applications may be found on our website atwww.TreasureCoastYouthSailing.com, or call 772-971-8330,  and leaveyour name, phone number, and the address to which you would like anapplication mailed.

TCYSF students sail Opti’s off the beach at the Fort Pierce Sailing Center.

*class schedulessubject to change

Cruising & Sailing Club Directory

The Central Florida Yacht ClubOrlando, FL

www.cfyc.com

Crescent City Yacht ClubP.O. Box 121

Crescent City, FL 32112www.cc-yc.com

East Coast Sailing AssociationPO Box 3720

Satellite Beach, FL 32937www.ecsasail.com

Epping Forest Yacht Club1830 Epping Forest Dr.Jacksonville, FL 32217

(904) 739-7150www.efyc.org

The Florida Yacht Club5210 Yacht Club DriveJacksonville, FL 32210

(904) 387-1653www.thefloridayachtclub.org

Fort Pierce Yacht ClubPO Box 3108

Fort Pierce, FL 34948-3108www.ftpierceyachtclub.Homestead.com

Halifax River Yacht Club331 S. Beach St.

Daytona Beach, FL 32114(904) 255-7459www.hryc.com

Halifax Sailing AssociationPO Box 2031

Daytona Beach, FL  32115-2031www.halifaxsailing.org

Indian River Yacht ClubP.O. Box 992

Cocoa, Fl 32923-0992www.iryc.org

Lake Eustis Sailing Club1310 CR 452

Eustis, FL 32726www.lakeeustissailingclub.org

Lake Monroe Sailing Association, Inc.P.O. Box 297

Sanford, FL 32771(321) 578-8364

http://www.flalmsa.org/

Melbourne Yacht Club1202 E. River Drive

Melbourne, FL 32901(321) 768-9921

www.melbourneyachtclub.com

Mount Dora Yacht ClubP.O. Box 876

Mount Dora, Florida 32756(352) 383-3188

www.mountdorayachtclub.com

Navy Jax Yacht ClubPO Box 29

Jacksonville FL 32212(904) 778-0805

www.navyjaxyachtclub.com

North Florida Cruising ClubP.O. Box 24268

Jacksonville, FL 32241http://nfccsail.com

Ocala Sailing ClubP.O. Box 2091

Ocala, FL  34478www.ocalasailingclub.org

Palatka Yacht Club131 Crystal Cove Drive

Palatka, FL 32178(888) 851-1811

www.palatkayachtclub.org

Port Canaveral Yacht Club910 Mullett Drive

Port Canaveral, FL 32920(321) 784-2292

http://portcanaveralyachtclub.com

Rat Island Yacht ClubP.O. Box 1053

San Mateo, FL 32187www.ratisland.com

Rudder Club of Jacksonville533 Malaga Avenue

Orange Park, FL 32073(904) 264-4094

www.rudderclub.com

Sailing Club of Central FloridaLake Baldwin / Winter Park /

Orlando, FL Areawww.thesailingclub.us

Smyrna Yacht ClubP.O. Box 560

New Smyrna FL 32170(386) 663-7322

www.smyrnayachtclub.com

St. Augustine Yacht Club442 Ocean Vista Avenue

St. Augustine, Florida 32080(904) 824-9725

www.sayc2000.com

Titusville Sailing ClubPO Box 2791

Titusville, FL 32781-2791www.sailtitusville.com

USSC Martin County1955 NE Indian River Dr.Jensen Beach, FL 34957

For many North & Central Florida sailorsMay means The Mug Race Ask local north Florida sailors what they want to do in May and thereis no question, it is the Mug Race. Over 200 boats are expected to crossthe start line for this year’s classic.

Hosted by the Rudder Club ofJacksonville with help from thePalatka Yacht Club, the two historicnorthern Florida sailing clubs areteaming up to run the race for 61st

time on May 3rd, 2014. The regattaitself starts just north of theMemorial Bridge in Palatka andwinds along the St. John’s River for38.5 miles before finishing justsouth of the Buckman Bridge inJacksonville. As a matter of fact, therace bears the distinction of beingthe worlds longest river race.

The race uses a “Pursuit Start”where each boat has a start timebased on their rating meaning that slower boats start first, with the fasterboats starting afterwards. The goal is to set up an exciting finish withnearly all boats finishing together.

Both hosting clubs go all out to make sure that participants have agood time. At the starting end, the Palatka Yacht Club sets up shop at thecity’s Riverfront Amphitheater Park. Free dock space is available as wellas an array of events including a massive send-off party of which theparachuting Flying Elvis’ are one of the many highlights. At the finishingend, the Mug Race Party is planned for Saturday night after the race at theRudder Club. The awards party will occur Sunday morning. The RudderClub presents trophies for over 80 different classes including first allfemale crew to finish, first dinghy monohull to finish, and even one forthe last boat to finish. The Rudder Club’s plans a “Registration Party” on April 19th wherecompetitors have a one stop shop with assistance and a discountedregistration fee to get properly signed up for the race. For those wishingto crew or looking for crew the club has set up a “Crew Finder” bulletinboard available on their website. To find out more information, getregistered, find dock space and hotel info visitwww.rudderclub.com/mug.html.

Memories of Early Mug Races By Gene O’Connor

Editor’s Note: I was fortunate to have been invited to Palatka by long timePalatka Yacht Club member and Mug Race volunteer for over 20 years, DavidGirardin, to get a first hand look at the starting end of the regatta. David andhis wife Linda gave me a thorough tour of the town, the race venue andfacilities and answered all of my questions regarding what PYC had planned forthe race. As we were wrapping up the visit, the Girardins suggested that wemeet with one of the race founders and participant in the very first Mug Race,Gene O’Connor. David gave Gene a call and he agreed to talk with us. What Idiscovered was a guy with a passion for sailing and boats and a remarkableknowledge of not only the Mug Race, but of southern sailing in general. Genehad put some of his memories to paper for last year’s 60th anniversary of therace. It is better than what I wrote so I decided to print it instead. I think youwill enjoy it too. - Bob

The actual results of early races are well documented in many places,but most of the stories of the actual sailing are long-gone, for example,“Why is there a mug race?” The answer is not in the statistics. Early inthe 1950's, four of us here in Palatka had cabin-type sail boats: Colin

Mackenzie, Sam Simmons, Fount Rion, and myself. In May of each year,several of us, sometimes all of us, sailed our boats to Jacksonville to com-pete in the annual regatta sponsored by the Florida Yacht Club. After theregatta was over, we were faced with the necessity of sailing home, a fullday’s trip. Someone said “Why don't we have some fun and make it arace back to Palatka? The first one in gets a mug of beer.” The Palatka boats were anchored off the Rudder Club, so we invitedJacksonville-area sailors to make the slow sail south with us, slow be-cause in the spring, the mornings were calm and the afternoon sea breezewas on our bow. All the crazy rules were put in to allow us to even makeit south to Palatka. As history shows, Albert Holt was first to finish in his racing scow-type boat. I was first cruiser across the line, in “Lively Lady,” a 29-ftsloop that I had bought in Miami the day I was discharged from the CoastGuard. I may have won another cruiser class in a subsequent Mug Race,but by then Capt. George Lockwood, of Charleston, started racing for theMug. Capt. George’s “Lone Star” was a 50-ft “Q” class racing machinebuilt to the same rules as the “J” class that competed for the America’sCup, but a bit smaller. Capt. George was a salty, weather beaten, retiredtugboat captain who sailed “Lone Star” down the intracoastal waterwaywith only his bull dog for crew. I once asked him why he didn’t go off-shore where the sailing was much easier. His reply was a short “no goodrestaurants to stop at out there.” There was no more winning the racewith “Loan Star” sailing. After several years of sailing north to south, it suddenly dawned onsomeone that we could do the Mug Race the other direction and have amore favorable wind in the afternoon. This holds true today, all theseyears later.

I have never liked to race if I can see another sail ahead of me, first placeis the only place to be. So, I crewed on Capt. George’s “Lone Star” inone of these early races, but have no memory of the actual results. Bythen, I was doing well in other races in the “Suicide” Class, a long, nar-row 22-ft boat with only 125 ft of sail area. Ed Burroughs of Jacksonville, a good friend and competitor in theSuicide Class, and I got together with an idea on how to win the Mug in aSuicide boat. With the wide open rules of the Mug Race, we “superrigged” the boat, putting up a several hundred square-foot jib from Ed’scruising ketch (it went from the bow to the top of mast) and trimming it toa block on the transom. The race that year started with the usual lightwind that promptly went flat. As the new rules allowed, one person at atime could paddle. With the long, light boat, we paddled the fleet out ofsight astern of north of the old bridge (before the current Shands Bridge),the breeze started increasing and that huge jib (See “Mug Race” Page 14)

David Girardin, left, has been organizing PYC’s involvement in the Mug Race forover 20 years. Gene O’Connor, right, was a race founder and sailed in the racemany times including the inaugural regatta 61 years ago.

Georgia Crews Dominate Catalina 22 Mid-Winter ChampionshipsLake Lanier’s Chambers and Collins duke it out in CocoaBeach

The Catalina 22 Mid-Winter Championships were masterfully hostedby the Indian River Yacht Club and contested off of downtown CocoaBeach on February 22nd & 23rd. Thirteen boats showed up for the fiverace series. Two crews visiting from Georgia schooled the locals in whatstarted out as a painfully light air event on Saturday only to finish in abrisk breeze Sunday afternoon.

The fleet onlymanaged onerace on Saturdayas a light air startmade for a slowrace that finishedin a driving rainshower. FormerNational Champ,Justin Chambersand the crew ofBucee GotWood, sailing outof the LakeLanier (Georgia)Sailing Club tookthe gun while Brad Ruffe, representing the IRYC, skippered MercuryRising to a second place finish. Fellow Lake Lanier sailor, Reid Collins,sailed the bright yellow hulled “Chiken Ship” into third place.

As the fleet loitered around the RC boat waiting for the second race ofthe day, storm clouds were moving in from the west. The RaceCommittee, monitoring the radar and NOAA forecasts calling for 50 knotwinds, prudently decided to call off racing for the day. The last of theboats were safely being loaded onto their trailers at Lee Wenner Park as aviolent storm swept across the race area.

Sunday started much the same way as Saturday with the first racegoing off in light air and remaining a drifter until the gun. Collins & crewgot the bullet in this race followed by Bucee Got Wood and MercuryRising. After the first two contest of the regatta it was starting to look like

a three horse race asBucee Got Wood hadaccumulated a 3 pointtotal, Chiken Ship had 4and Mercury Rising’spoint total was 5.Randy Pawlowski hadskippered Gold Rush totwo 4th place finishesand was still lurkingwithin striking distancewith an 8 point total.

Around lunch time,as the boatslanguished in sunny

skies and no wind, it was beginning to look like that might be it for theracing. At approximately 1:00 PM, however, a slight breeze filled in fromthe west and freshened to 7 knots just before the start of the third race.Chambers and crew were starting to find their groove and sailed Bucee GotWood to another 1st. Chiken Ship had trouble from the start and finishedin 5th place while Mercury Rising fared even worse with a 7th place finish.Pawlowski sailed a nice race as Gold Rush crossed the line in 2nd while

Peter Bush and the crew aboard Godspeed turned in their best race of theregatta with a solid 3rd place finish.

Collins and company aboard Chiken Ship were not giving up andsailed beautifully in the final two races of the day to finish first in both. Itwas too little too late however as Bucee Got Wood, who finished a close2nd in both races, managed to hang onto their lead and finish 1st overallwith just an 8 point total. Pawlowski and his crew aboard Gold Rush wentinto the last race of the day tied for 3rd place with Mercury Rising. GoldRush took a 3rd in the final race giving them a final total of 19 finishingwith a 3 point lead over Mercury Rising who crossed the line in 6th.

Special shout-outs go to BryanRetterbosh and the crew of Justabukwho traveled all of the way down fromOhio to attend the regatta and to CarlJones who skippered Discovery to afirst place finish in the Silver Division.

The IRYC had the grills hot andthe beer cold as Race Chairman MikeNulf handed out the awards at the postrace party. Nulf thanked all of thevolunteers and competitors forattending what turned out to be aspectacular regatta.

The Catalina 22 is one of the mostaffordable boats to gain entry into one-design sailing. The Catalina 22National Sailing Association has five active fleets competing in Florida, formore information visit www.catalina22.org. To learn more about theIndian River Yacht Club visit www.iryc.org.

Gold Fleet Results1. Bucee Got Wood, Justin Chambers, 8 points2. Chiken Ship, Reid Collins, 113. Gold Rush, Randy Pawlowski, 194. Mercury Rising, Brad Ruffe, 225. Imp, Frank Brown, 296. Godspeed, Peter Bush, 307. Boat, Al Pivonka, 318. Sold Out, Jerry Butz, 429. Justabuk, Byran Retterbosh, 4510. Double Bubble, Doug Reed 4511. Spirit of 76, Lorrie Simpkins, 5712. V Tach, Glen Warner, 59

Bucee Got Wood (221) wins the start during the 4th race on their way to anoverall first place finish at the Catalina 22 Mid-Winter Championship.

Justin Chambers (left) and the crew of Bucee Got Wood

Chiken Ship leads the fleet around the windward markduring racing action at the Catalina 22 Mid-Winters.

Silver Fleet winner Carl Jones & crew.

26th Annual Trans Monroe RegattaLake Monroe Sailing AssociationOverall Results

Division Boat Helm Name Class Sail # USPN TM TotalDat Dang Boat Kyle Everly SJ-21 1989 94.7 1 1Shadow Duncan MacKenzie RDR16 77 91.4 2 2Gold Rush Randy Pawolinski CAT22 439 96.3 3 3Mercury Rising Brad Ruffe CAT22 5637 96.3 4 4No Not Yet Terry Warren BCN 5208 86.9 5 5Point Blank Ed Sims HTR23 130 96.2 6 6Water Ride Al Graham FSCT 3056 89.6 7 7Monkey Butt Byron Hicks F5 1172 95.4 8 8Black Jack Bill Bill Holstein SJ-21 2430 94.7 9 9Aja Steve Siegfried CAP22 29 90.8 10 10For Play Jim Edens N6.0NA 487 62.6 11 11Pivot Ross Martin SJ-21 10 94.7 12 12Andiamo John North PRS23 381 96 13 13Dawn Patrol Blalock & Tolbert S2-7.9 279 81 14 14Final One II Jim Davis SJ-21 2396 94.7 15 15Dream Chaser DJ McCabe CAP22 2 90.8 16 16Lia Yarda Soll CAT22 4438 96.3 17 17Lough Buoy Mike Loughlin MCG21 4028 100 18 18NACRA John Chamberlin N5.8NA NACRA 66.5 19 19Castaway Richard Mcfayden PSN26 9999 91.2 20 20Free Spirit Don Hoofring CAT27 4996 87.4 21 21Eddie Kevin Barraclough RDR16 15 91.4 22 22Respite Matthew Goulay CAT22 13492 96.3 23 23Miss P Michael Padgett SRS21 SR 96.7 27 27Show Me Andy Forrest PRS23 176 96 27.0 DSQ 27Sunset Gary Smith CAT22 13713 96.3 27 27

26th Annual Trans-Monroe RegattaEverly hangs on to top 26 boatfleet

Under near perfect conditions onMarch 1st, 26 boats from aroundCentral Florida raced in the LakeMonroe Sailing Association’s 26thAnnual Trans-Monroe Regatta. KyleEverly sailing his San Juan 21, DatDang Boat, with daughter Wynn andcrew member Jeremy Summers tookfirst place and possession of theperpetual Bill McVeigh trophy for2014. Everly, with a corrected timeof 2:05:24 beat second place finisher,Shadow, skippered by DuncanMacKenzie, by a slim 45 second margin over the 12.5 mile course. RandyPawlowski sailed his Catalina 22, Gold Rush into 3rd place just 17 secondsbehind Mackensie. Jim Edens, aboard For Play, won the Multi-hulled classand took the gun with the fastest elapsed time of 1:27:19.

Other notable finishes included Ross Martin, who skippered his San Juan21, Pivot, into 12th place in just his very first race and Matthew Goulay andthe crew of Respite who received the “Pickle” award for being the last boat tocross the finish line. In addition to having a race to run, LMSA CommodoreBill Holstein sailed his San Juan 21, Blackjack, to a respectable 9th placefinish.

The race was sailed under sunny skies and a fresh 5-7 knot breeze after afoggy and “no air” start to the day. With a “no guts, no glory” maneuver at thestarting signal, Everly “port tacked” the entire fleet who were on a starboardtack, to win the start and position himself at the front on the pack. “We fellbehind a couple of times after that but knew it was a long race so we justsailed hard and did not give up,” said the beaming skipper post-race.

LMSA’s Jeff Herter anchored the race committee who did a superb jobconducting the race. Herter also served as MC for the awards ceremony/partywhich was top notch. Many more unnamed LMSA volunteers contributed to asuccessful regatta and what WAYPOINT rates as one of the best so far in 2014.

The LMSA runs a wide array of sailing programs throughout the year. Formore information visit www.flalmsa.org.

Skipper Kyle Everly and daughter/crew,Wynn, display the Bill McVeigh trophyawarded to the Trans-Monroe winner.

Kyle Everly’s San Juan 21, Dat Dang Boat, takes 1st place at the 26th AnnualTrans-Monroe Regatta hosted March 1st by the LMSA in Sanford.

The S2 7.9 “Dawn Patrol, skippered by Bill Blalock with Susan Tolbertcrewing, bears down on the windward mark at the Trans Monroe Regatta.

The fleet heads toward the leeward mark at the LMSA Trans-Monroe.

2014 First Coast Offshore Challenge April 2-5Sponsored by the North Florida Cruising Club and the St. Augustine

Yacht Club The 10th Anniversary of the First Coast Offshore Challengepromises to be a memorable three days of racing early this month.Waypoint will be on hand and will provide a full report in our next issue.

Below is a brief synopsis of the racing taken from the FCOC Notice ofRace (NOR). For more information and to register visit www.fcoc2014.comor call (904) 396-6382.

The First Coast Offshore Challenge (FCOC) is a series of three racesrepresenting over 100 miles of offshore sailing with the historic city of St.Augustine, Florida as the start and stop point for each race. Getting fromyour marina to the start line is about 30 minutes. Race 1 begins Wednesdaymorning off the beaches of St. Augustine for a day of long-leg buoytriangles, followed by an awards event that evening on the Conch HouseMarina party dock. Race 2 will be Thursday starting at the St. Augustineentrance buoy, heading out to sea to a fixed line of longitude and returning,followed by an awards party brunch Friday morning at the St. AugustineYacht Club. Early evening Friday Race 3 begins with a pursuit start, thenan overnight navigational challenge to the St. Johns River entrance buoyand returning to the St. Augustine entrance buoy. The final awardsceremony and party will be held Saturday evening at the St. Augustine YachtClub.

Each awards party will include meals and musical entertainment. A“Long Boat” class may be created for five or more yachts with PHRFratings of 60 or less, with appropriate longer courses established for theclass.

A Skippers’ Meeting is scheduled for 1900 April 1st at the St. AugustineYacht Club.

Starting line action from last year’s First Coast Offshore Challenge.

Mark Baker Captures First Place Overall At TheHalifax Sailing Association’s ThunderMug Regatta

Mark Baker sailing with son Tyler Baker as crew, skippered his Nacra5.5 to a first place finish overall Saturday, March 22 at the HSAThunderMug Regatta in Daytona Beach. Nineteen boats skippered andcrewed by juniors and adults alike participated in the regatta. The race began under clear skies and a steady 8-9 knot breeze. Threeclasses started with multihulls going off first, followed by dinghies andthen keel boats. The HSA Race Committee originally planned for a three loop racearound the nearly 5 mile course however diminishing winds forced therace to be shortened to just two times around . Joel Hurley sailed his Laser to 1st place in the dinghy class over 2nd

place finisher Craig Oulten, who did a superb job sailing a Sunfish in the10 boat class. The dinghy class provided the most exciting finish of theday as Arden Haley and Morgan McCutcheon, sailing a 420, crossed theline just 4 second ahead of Joe Geller and Trey Shows, also sailing a 420,for 5th place. In the keel boat class, Greg Popp with Lynda Mosher and BrandonNathe as crew, sailed their Holder 20 to 1st place over John Kitchener’s SanJuan 21 beating Kitchener and crew member Joan McKay by just 2:39.Kevin Gibbons and Thanos Nicolacoupolos finished in 3rd aboard theHunter 22, Orion. The Halifax Sailing Association offers a wide range of sailing activitiesfor beginners and experienced sailors alike. Boats and lessons are availablefor club members. For more information visit www.halifaxsailing.org.

ThunderMug Regatta ResultsMultihull Class Keel Boat Class1. Mark Baker Nacra 5.5 1. Greg Popp Holder 202. Dave Dunn Formula 18 2. John Kitchener San Juan 213. Steve Caron Hobie 16 3. Kevin Gibbons Hunter 22Dinghy Class1. Joel Hurley Laser2. Craig Oulton Sunfish3. Josh MySicka JY15

Mark Baker and crew Tyler Baker check sail trim on their way to a 1st

place finish at the HSA ThunderMug Regatta March 22.

MORE THUNDERMUG PHOTOS AT:WWW.WAYPOINTNEWS.COM

Central Florida’s Racing Mecca Annapolis, Newport, San Diego, Key West, Perth, Sydney and othersclaim to be world renowned sailboat racing destinations but they ain’t gotnothing on Eustis, Florida. Okay, we are exaggerating a little bit but thelittle town just north of Orlando is home to one of the most active racingcommunities in the south.

The Lake Eustis Sailing Club (LESC), resting on the idyllic shores ofthe 7000 acre spring fed lake that bears it’s name, is home to numeroussmall boat fleets including MC Scow Fleet #4, the southernmost MC Scowfleet in the U.S. You will also find sailors racing in active fleets ofWayfarers, Lasers and Flying Scots among others. As a matter of fact,LESC’s website states that their goal is to be the preeminent one designsailboat racing organization in Central Florida.

In addition to the aforementioned classic one-designs, there is a largecontingent of multi-hull racers sailing everything from A-Cats and Hobie16’s to Nacra 20’s.

There are also active “learn to sail programs” for adults and juniorsalike. Speaking of juniors, LESC has set up the separate “Lake EustisYouth Sailing Foundation” (LEYSF), which conducts an active youth sailtraining and youth racing program. High school sailor, club member, andLEYSF President, Darcy Jensen, is in the process of organizing a team ofhigh school 420 sailors to compete in the Orlando area’s prep program.

The history of the club dates back to 1953 when it was founded as theEustis Marine Club. The name has changed at least twice over the years.First in 1970 when it became the Lake Eustis Boating Club and then onceagain in 1982 when it settled on the name it still uses, the Lake EustisSailing Club. Originally the club operated out of a clubhouse on propertyowned by local sailboat builder, Captain Dick Hartge. In the early 1990’snew owners of the property terminated the club’s lease leaving themwithout a clubhouse. From that time until 1996 the club’s facilities werelimited to a “T” dock and a port-o-potty. The sparse facilities nearlycaused the demise of LESC as membership dwindled from numbers in thehigh 30’s to just 14 in 1993. The MC Scow Mid-Winter ChampionshipRegatta, which the club began hosting in 1991 with 54 entries, haddropped to just 28 boats racing in 1995.

The way the club bounced back and became the flourishing club that itis today can provide inspiration to many struggling sailing communities.Knowing that they needed better facilities to survive, in 1996 the clublocated the property where they are located today. With no fundsavailable to make the purchase, club members purchased two used MCScows for $750, refurbished them, and resold the boats for $7000 whichwas enough to make the property down payment.

In spite of other minor obstacles such as opposition from neighborsand permitting issues, the club occupied the new property for the1998/1999 sailing season.

In 1999 Flying Scot Fleet #150 relocated to LESC from Orlando andthe Wayfarer Fleet was established. The current 1500sf clubhouse wasbuilt in 2003 and includes a boat ramp, boat storage area, RV parking forup to eight vehicles, a tent camping area and a picnic area. Today LESCboasts of a growing membership listed at just over 130 members sailing ina myriad of programs. Most members reside in the Orlando area but sometravel from Tampa, Jacksonville, Cocoa and and even out of state to sail inprograms that run from Labor Day to Memorial Day.

Member Geoff Moehl who served as PRO for two of the club’s recentand more popular regattas, the Train Wreck Regatta and MC Scow Mid-Winter Championships, explained that “members are always welcomingand helpful and there is always something going on for beginning sailorsto those with many years of experience.”

For more information about the Lake Eustis Sailing Club and programsoffered visit www.lescfl.com. (Information for this story was provided by LESC membersand obtained from the clubs website at www.lescfl.com.)

Local Sailors Fare Well at the 2014 MCSA Mid-Winter Championship Hosted By LESC

Changing wind conditions from 30 knot gusts to light and variable didnot hamper local sailors efforts at the 2014 MC Scow Mid-WinterChampionships hosted by the Lake Eustis Sailing Club March 13th - 15that Lake Eustis. LESC member Ron Baerwitz topped the 74 boat fleet tofinsh 1st overall while fellow LESC member, David Moring, was not farbehind in 3rd place. (See “Locals” Page 13)

Ron Baerwitz rounds the mark ahead of 73 other boats on Lake Eustis.

The Lake Eustis Sailing Club.

View of the LESC picnic area and pier.

STAY CLOSER, GO FURTHER.

The Lipton Cup Regatta takes place the weekend of April 11-13.Join us for: sailing competition, parties, dinners, awards andprizes for competitors, their crew, club members and guests.The event consists of three races just off New Smyrna Beach’sFlagler Avenue beach entrance, two on Saturday and one onSunday. The regatta is open to all sailboats of suitableseaworthiness to participate in near shore racing in the AtlanticOcean. Spectators can watch at several establishments hostingLipton Cup viewing parties. Organizations or sailing clubs canjoin in team competition by signing up at least three boats. Aperpetual trophy goes home with winning club for one year andthey hold the title of “2014 Lipton Cup Champion".

For more information go to www.smyrnayachtclub.com andfollow the menu to Regatta and Lipton Cup. Sign up to share ina great tradition. You may also contact David Smith, Directorof Sailing at arkell@cfl.rr.com for information.

Smyrna Yacht Club presents:

2014 Lipton CupSponsored by the Smyrna Yacht Club, the Lipton Cup has enjoyed steady gains in popularity since being reborn in

2004. 2014 SYC Director of Sailing, David Smith, expects 20 plus boats on the line for the two day regatta and the clubis rolling out the welcome mat for participants and spectators alike. This year’s event takes place April 11-13.

Tea magnate and America’s Cup sailor, Sir Thomas Lipton, began the tradition back in 1899 by donating a numberof trophies to selected sailing clubs around the world with the intention to promote the sport of sailing. One of thebeautiful cups rest in the trophy case at SYC. The Lipton Cup Regatta gives the winning sailboat owner the opportunityto have their name engraved for posterity on the historic trophy pictured on the right. After years of being kept in storage by the club, SYC’s John Jacobs revitalized the race in 2004 and has been thePRO for the past ten years. This year he handed the reins over to Smith who has not missed a beat. “The regatta hasbecome a community event,” said Smith in describing how New Smyrna Beach officials, businesses and local merchantshave rallied around the regatta. “The boats are racing just off of the beach which gives spectators at many of the localestablishments a great view of the action,” he added. The racing venue is just south of Ponce Inlet off of the City of NewSmyrna Beach.

Sponsorship from local businesses has kept race entry fees low at $50-$75 per boat. SYC has scheduled an array ofactivities. There is a pre-race party Friday night, a pool party with entertainment on Saturday, a Sunday morningbreakfast buffet and the awards presentation Sunday after the racing. As for the racing, boats will be entered into threeDivisions; 1) Spinnaker Class, 2) Non-Spinnaker Class, & 3) Cruising Class. There will also be a “Team Challenge”where clubs with at least 3 boats entered can compete against each other for a perpetual Lipton Cup Team Trophy whichwill be engraved with the name of the winning club and held in their possession until the following year’s regatta.

For more information and to enter visit www.smyrnayachtclub.com or call SYC at (386) 427-4040.

Locals (Continued from Page 11)

Chilly temps and the changing wind conditions certainly made forthree days of interesting and challenging racing, not only for the sailorsbut also for race officers. In spite of honking breezes diminishing to faintzephyrs and huge shifts making setting start lines and courses difficult, thefleet managed to complete four races. The best race came on day two in a

decent breeze that started from the southwest and kept shifting west. Daytwo also provided a connect the dots drifter which required taking chancesand a little luck to finish at the top end of the fleet. All is well that ends well however and LESC did a great job hostingthe regatta providing sailors with good food, parties and a array of otheractivities. The club’s camping area was filled with tents and RV’s withsailors who traveled from Wisconsin, New York, Texas and even somefrom as far away as Canada settling in. Prior to the start of the Mid-Winters there were two other events heldearlier in the week. The North/Melges Zenda University with instructorsfrom both companies guiding students through an intense two day coursecombining classroom instruction with “hands-on” on the water training. ATeam Racing Midwinter Championship was also conducted. For moreinformation on MC Scow racing with LESC contact Fleet Captain DaveMoring at dmoring@tmcentral.net.MC Scow Mid-Winter Championship Results Top Ten FinishersRon Baerwitz LESC, FL (also 1st Master)Rob Seidelmann – no clubDavid Moring – LESC , FLKenny Wolfe – Rush Creek, TXJim Gluek – Pewaukee , WIMichael Considine- Chicago, ILScott Tillema – Missouri Yacht ClubWill Hendershot – CanadaTed Keller – Torch Lake, MIAl Haeger – Lake Beulah, WI (also 1st Grand Master)Tim Fredman – Pine Lake , WI (1st Mega Master)Amy Larkin – Lake Lanier, GA (1st Woman)

Terry Mestan (2277), Brian Morgan (2549), Jeffrey Nicholas (2558) andHunter Riddle (1853) battle for position rounding the windward markduring racing action at the MC Scow Mid-Winters on Lake Eustis.

FOR MORE MC SCOW MID-WINTER CHAMPIONSHIPPHOTOS & TRAIN WRECKREGATTA PHOTOS VISIT:WWW.WAYPOINTNEWS.COM

(from page 3)

ECSA Plans Cruise to Support Child AbusePrevention

The East Coast Sailing Association cruise on the 5th of April is insupport of the Child Abuse Prevention Task Forces (CAPTF) kick off ofChild Abuse Prevention month (April).   CAPTF is a non-profitorganization in Brevard that assists families in need within our county.Blue banners will be provided to each boat that arrives.  See Joe or KarenColeman to get your name in at the sign in table.  All clubs are invited toattend.  It will be held at Squid Lips (1477 Pineapple Avenue-Melbourne,Florida) and they donate 5% of food sales between 5pm and 8pm to theTask Force.

We are hoping for a good turn out from all the clubs and someexposure and to make this year’s event the best with a record amount ofboats!

ECSA is also planning a get together with all sailing clubs for theSummer Sailstice.  Information forthcoming.

ECSA meets monthly on the 2nd Wednesday of the month at theSatellite Beach Civic Center.  To learn more visit www.ecsasail.com.

HRYC Commodore’s Cup UpdateSpring winds have not shown up for either of the March 2 or March 23

race days; both events were sailed in uncharacteristic light air but providedsome great skill testing for the fleet. Race #1 was sailed in a diminishingnorth wind and swift current, while race #2 found a prevailing westerlythat was spotty over the course allowing for some huge "holes". Start andfinish lines were 2 miles out from Ponce Inlet R2 and a 6 mile triangularcourse was used. The winning margin in the Non-Spin class was only 10seconds.ResultsRace 1:   Cruising Class 1. YaYa, Nick Opreanu, HRYC                                            2. Copperhead, Todd Stebleton, HRYC                                            3. Sassy, Jeff Steblein, SYC                Non-Spin 1. Perpetual Motion, Patrick Fisher-Carne,HSA                                            2. Sailaway, Phil Cornett, SYC                                            3. Spongecake, Clyde Rodgers, HRYC                Spinnaker 1. Obsession, Norm Church, HRYC                                  2. Morning Dew, Chris Herbster, HSARace 2:    Cruising Class 1. YaYa                                          2. Sassy                                            3. Copperhead                 Non-Spinnaker   1. Perpetual Motion                                            2. Sailaway                                            3. Incommunicado, Dave Smith, SYC                 Spinnaker         1. Morning Dew                                            2.Obsession

FPYC Announce Spring Series Race DatesThe following is the Spring Series racing schedule for the Fort Pierce

Yacht Club.  Races are open to all with PHRF ratings.  Races are held offshore in the vicinity of the Fort Pierce Inlet.

The scheduled racing dates are:            April 6 May 25            May 4 (Woman at the Helm Race) June 29Contact Diane Korbey, VC Fleet, for information at 772-460-6138.

MYC Plans Spring RegattaThe annual Melbourne Yacht Club Spring Regatta will be held in April

over two weekends, with all racing on the beautiful Indian River.

The “small” boat weekend is April 12-13, at Ballard Park and the “big”boat weekend is April 26-27, sailing out of the Melbourne Yacht Club. The Notice of Race for both weekends can be found at sail-race.com orunder the “Racing” tab at www.melbourneyachtclub.com.  For additionalinformation contact the MYC FleetCaptain, Craig Rastello at 321-427-0339 ormycfleet@melbourneyachtclub.com.

OSC Lake WeirInvitational & HarpoonNationals

The Ocala Sailing Club will behosting the Lake Weir InvitationalRegatta and the 10th Annual HarpoonNationals April 24-27 on Lake Weir.

An array of activities are plannedincluding a pre-race party, a dish topass dinner, dining out at Gator Joesand the awards party on Sunday.When you add two days of excitingracing on beautiful Lake Weir whatcould be better?

For more information visitwww.ocalasailingclub.org. Online registration is available atwww.regattaregistration.com. You can also contact Commodore ArtTwitchell (352) 598-4468 or Vice Commodore Bob Cole (352) 867-8456with any questions.

Mug Race (Continued from page 7)

made our mast look like a fishing rod with all the bend in it. Lookingastern, we decided we had plenty of lead so we took in the jib. Boy, werewe wrong, Jim Van Vost sailing a Flying Dutchman passed us about 200yards from the finish. So, still no Mug.

In 1957, I borrowed a Raven, a 24-ft racing machine, and did win myfirst and only Mug. And, if the records I have seen are correct, this is thelast time a “conventional” hull boat has won the Mug. After this race, Ibuilt a new, very light, strip-planked Suicide, but didn't want to subject itto the necessary super rig it would take to win, so I didn’t race for years.For the 50th Mug Race, I borrowed a 24-ft boat from Camachee Cove,St. Augustine. The little boat sailed great. We had the usual light, shiftingwinds; my crew, my son, David Girardin and Harry Gillean, changed sails,changed trim, and worked every second of the race. We squeaked out awin in the non-spinnaker class, finishing only a few minutes before theevening deadline.

In the years in between, I had motor boats and, on a couple ofoccasions, used my boat as the start boat or for safety patrol. I have had along history of Mug Race participation. Good luck racers.

We spotted thisboat skippered byMadalin Keeble atthe River CityRegatta. Theydeserve a shout outfor having the bestboat name, FreakShow, that we haveseen so far.

Diesel Fuel Tank TipsProper preventive diesel fuel tank maintenance can help avoid fuel and engine problems.  Follow thesesuggestions to maintain a clean and trouble free fuel tank.

Clean Fuel.  Mechanics differ on their opinions regarding additives. Many will tell you that fresh fuelwithout additives is the way to go if you consume it quickly. Most sailors are not going to burn a lot of fuelas the goal is to get the sails up and shut the engine down as soon as possible. A good fuel additive can helpstabilize your fuel and retard algae growth.. There are a myriad of additives available but keep in mind thatproducts for diesel should contain a water emulsifier, cetane booster and sludge remover. Be careful addingan algae killer. If you already have an algae problem be prepared to change filters often after adding analgaecide.

Check tanks for water frequently, especially after fuel fills.  Use a water detection paste to check tanksfor water and check fuel filter bowls often.  Water in diesel tanks is the source of algae growth so remove itwhen you find it.

Stop the source of water in your tank. If you have a lot of water in your tank you need to find out whereit is coming from. The biggest culprit is a dry or missing o-ring on your fuel fill cap. Other places to checkinclude fuel sender unit gaskets and vent line connections.

Fill up your tanks. Racing sailors don’t want the weight but this is important, especially prior to long lay-ups.  A full tank minimizes the void space in your tank and cuts down on condensation.

Purchase fuel from a marina or station that sells a lot of diesel.  That out of the way little marina mightbe a great place to visit but, before filling up there, make sure that they sell enough fuel to keep their supplyfresh. Their tank is just a much bigger version of yours.

Don't buy fuel too soon after a fuel delivery.  The crud that may be sitting on the bottom of the marina’sstorage tank may become suspended in the fuel you are purchasing and could be pumped into your tank.  Itis a good idea to wait at least a day before filling up to allow any debris to settle.

Fix problems. They won't solve themselves and will get worse if left unattended.  If you have access to areputable and affordable tank cleaning and fuel polishing service it is well worth the cost to periodicallyschedule a cleaning as part of your fuel tank maintenance program. They can also help identify and fixpotential problems before they become serious issues.

A good fuel cleaning or “polishing” servicemight use a machine similar to the onepictured to remove contaminates from yourfuel tank.

New West Marine StoreIn Daytona Beach

West Marine announced thegrand opening of its new, largerstore in Daytona Beach. At 15,500square feet, this store will be largerthan the two previous West MarineDaytona Beach stores combined. The new store will include anexpanded fishing department withinshore and offshore fishing gear,line winders, rods, reels, lures andterminal tackle, specificallyselected for the area. In addition,the Daytona Beach store will havea comprehensive engine partsdepartment, and a large assortmentof inflatable boats and motors. Tomeet the needs of Daytonans whowant to try the fastest growingwater sport, there will be a stand-up paddleboard “shop” with

boards and accessories for everybudget.

A huge selection of sailboathardware, and an expandedselection of kayaks and gear forkayak fishing will be on deck.Plus, a wide assortment of casualand technical apparel, foul weathergear, footwear and accessories.

“With this new Daytona Beachstore, we are better able to serveboaters, anglers, paddlers andsailors, as well as people whosimply enjoy life on the water,”said General Manager JennaBocchino. Bocchino. The 12-person West Marine crew at thenew Daytona Beach store has acombined 400 years of boating,fishing and sailing experience.Collectively they have cruisedalmost 50,000 nautical miles.

Jim & Cynthia Best (911)attempt to work overthe top of Jim Heffernan& Jim McIntyre (1066)on the downwind leg ofthe final race at theWayfarer Mid-Wintershosted Jan 31 -Feb 2 atthe Lake Eustis SailingClub as part of the 2014Train Wreck Regatta.

Heffernan & McIntyrewent on to finish 3overall in the spinnakerclass at the regatta.

A Few of My Favorite Things

Girls in bikinis with batting eyelashes, Sliding down big waves and hearing the splashes Wind in the rigging with tension that sings These are a few of my favorite things

Kevlar and Mylar and long tapered battens Outhauls and downhauls and a mains’l that flattens Colorful spinnakers and rigid boom vangs these are a few of my favorite thangs.

When the mast breaks, when the boat sinks When I come in last, I simply remember my favorite things and then I don’t feel like an ass.

Digital readouts and self tailing winches Finishing races and winning by inches Smooth sanded bottoms and new damn it rings These are a few of my favorite things

Crew that call wind shifts and yell at port tackers Harken ball bearings and stainless steel shackles Fair keels and rudders and sailboats in slings These are a few of my favorite things

When the mast breaks, when the boat sinks When I come in last, I simply remember my favorite things and then I don’t feel like an ass.

Calling for room to all those outsiders Walking around in brand new Topsiders Beating to windward, curtailing a luff This is just some of my favorite stuff

Wide open transoms and plenty of mast bend Shaking the reef out when there’s too much wind Fresh breeze and sunshine, a swim in the buff, This is just some of my favorite stuff

When the mast breaks, when the boat sinks When I come in last, I simply remember my favorite things and then I don’t feel like an ass.

Willie Blevins is a Central Florida basedsailor who has sailed and taught sailingfor a long time on a wide variety of boats.He has a knack for translating what mostof us feel when sailing to words on paper.Currently he races his San Juan 21 withthe LMSA on Lake Monroe. You canread more of his musings on his blog athttp://sailorsboatyard.com.