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© St. Petersburg Times, published December 18, 2002
The inaugural regatta of the reorganized Clearwater Community Sailing Center was the U.S. Area D Elimination for the Alter Cup.
The race determines who goes to the finals of the multihull championship event, which is scheduled for this venue in April. Concurrent with the qualifying regatta was the Florida Multihull championship.
The fleet included skippers from five states on 14 types of boats, ranging from the classic Hobie 16 to the Inter 20.
The Formula 18 fleet was the largest, including Hobie Tigers and the Inter 18 as well as the Nacra F18.
Nearly half the fleet was comprised of spinnaker vessels, and racing was extremely tight.
"This was a surprisingly well behaved fleet," said Clearwater Yacht Club's David Billing, the principal race officer.
Just one general and two individual recalls were signaled in seven races.
"I think we only used three extra shotgun shells this weekend," Billing said. "That's simply unheard of."
The winners of the Area D Elimination were multiple title-holders Alex and Patsy Shafer in their Hobie Tiger.
Catamaran racing has become more popular among the beach and high performance smaller genre and the 24-35-foot coastal cats and trimarans.
Perhaps few sailors ever pictured redoubtable seaman Andy Cheney at the helm of a "cruising" catamaran, but he has added one to his quiver of boats.
The St. Petersburg Yacht Club has deleted the multihull division in the National Offshore One Design regatta.
The boats were far faster than the other classes and needed handicaps applied for disparate vessels rather than straight one design.
SPSA SERIES: The St. Petersburg Sailing Association continued its season of racing with two heats the first weekend of December.
The first race was on a course using navigation marks around the bay in 10-15-knot breezes. The second turned into a short windward-leeward that took less than 30 minutes to complete.
The Spinnaker I division had Mike Siedlecki's winged performance keel boat, Tack Tick, winning the first race and placing second in the following heat.
Frank Venezio's Mischief was second and third, respectively, and Cheney's Beneteau Kelly finished third and first.
Spinnaker II saw Dave Barber taking the first heat and Dave Beatson placing second. In the second race, Beatson won and was followed by Bill Classen's J-24 Son Of A Gun.
Maurice McGough sailed his club Sonar to victory in both races of the A class, as did Rick Cashman in the True Cruising division.
GOOD SAILOR? In an adult class for learning to sail a 26-foot keelboat, a retired man asked, "What is it that makes one a good sailor?"
How would you answer?
It is proposed that the measure of a good sailor is not a race result, not the making of a successful landfall, not even precision of trim or steering.
It's proposed that the best sailor is one who has few surprises, who has planned for contingencies and who has the experience, seamanship education, demeanor and attention span to anticipate so they do not have to react.
How does a sailor learn to anticipate?
One way is to know your boat.
How long does it take to stop or accelerate?
How much drift sideways does it have in various winds going to windward or on a reach? What is the pivot point when turning?
Is it different when backing? What's the port or starboard turning difference under power?
How tall is the mast off the water with all the gear on top? What's the draft under way, as opposed to at anchor? How much freeboard is there at the bow to add to anchor scope calculations?
Where is the fire extinguisher, the throwable for person overboard, PFD's, soft plugs for through-hull fittings? Do you have the boat's papers handy for the Coast Guard? What about those pesky garbage and oil placards and a copy of the COLREG rules for boats over 29 feet.
Anticipation helps keep us out of trouble. Of course, the only way to get experience is to get into trouble.