Olivia Ceraolo has competed with the Clearwater youth team much of her life, first in Optimist Dinghies and more recently in the Laser Radial fleet.
Ceraolo has been bravely battling a rare form of bone cancer the past seven months. Area sailors are banding together for a benefit regatta for the girl and her family. The event is focused on fun and good times.
The Race For Olivia is scheduled for Dec. 13 at Clearwater Community Sailing Center on the north end of Sand Key, south of Clearwater Pass. Invited classes are Optimist Dinghies, Club 420s, Lasers, Laser Radials and Laser 4.7s.
Online registration (clwyc.org) is encouraged so planning can be done for the food after the regatta. On-site registration begins at 8 a.m., with the skippers meeting at 9:45 and racing to follow.
The Optimist Green fleet will sail in the Bay, but other classes will compete on the Gulf. No racing will be started after 3 p.m., allowing time for participants to enjoy the post-event festivities. Entry is $40 until Sunday, when a $10 late charge is added. The Club 420 racers add $20 for crew. To attend the cookout, the cost is $10.
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP: The list of competitors for the Snipe Florida State Championship reads like a who's who of sailing.
In this class, old age and wisdom often prevail over youth and vigor. Peter Commette won the Laser Worlds long ago, and he has top finishes in a number of divisions over the years.
With crew Sheehan Commette, his was the only boat among 27 to place in the top 10 each race. Less than a point behind was perennial Tampa Bay standout John Jennings, sailing with Trudy Bixby.
Ethan Bixby was competing in the Farr 40 North Americans in Miami. Jennings skippered Bixby's boat and proved to be as crafty as ever in the light winds and strong tidal current.
Bill Schoenberg, a former junior sailor out of St. Petersburg now hailing from Pompano Beach, was third, one-quarter of a point behind Jennings. Dave Mendelblatt and Amy Sternthal were fifth, right after light air specialists Colin and Karen Park.
Mendelblatt has bragging rights this week. His brother, Mark, who will be the Laser USA representative in the Athens Olympics, took 16th.
DAVIS ISLAND REGATTA: In contrast with the conditions the previous week in St. Petersburg, Tampa's annual Thanksgiving regatta had winds Saturday from 18-25 knots and Sunday starting strong and ending at 10 knots.
Attendance was 141 boats, including 65 Optimist Dinghies.
"We were down in attendance from last year's 168 boats," race officer Mike Dawson said. "The clubhouse is under construction, and a New Orleans kids regatta conflicted for some. But the competitors were delighted with the eight races in those conditions."
Local winners included Gabe Rogers of Davis Island in the Opti Green fleet for new sailors. Davis Island's Michael Popp was followed by Taylor Vann in the Blue fleet, and Chris Sullivan of Clearwater captured second in the Red fleet.
Club 420s was in the winner's circle with Even Brown and crew Tim King posting a victory and Andrew and Robert Vann taking the next two places.
The Laser state champs were in the regatta, with Fort Myers competitor Curt Taulbee acing the fleet that included top sailor Ed Adams in second.
The Laser Radial winner was Clearwater's Chris Enger. Mike Kurran took third.
Tara Bone of Clearwater had the distinction of being the first Laser 4.7 winner, sailing in the Radial fleet races. That tiny sail on the Laser hull did quite well in the heavy breezes. Andy Levine of Tackle Shack donated trophies for these two classes.
Jeff Linton, with the World's winning crew of Amy Linton and Mark Taylor, took the Lightning class. Davis Island's Dave Clemment finished second.
Mendelblatt jumped into a Sunfish to win the competitive division.
Windmills were back in the regatta after a two-decade absence. Tampa's Arthur Anassof was the winner, and Lon Ethington of St. Petersburg was the runner-up.
