week

Gulf rail

By RODNEY PAGE
Published October 13, 2006

SAILING: Beginning Wednesday, the waters off the St. Petersburg Pier will be filled with sailboats. The Rolex Osprey Cup, an International Sailing Federation Grade 1 women's match race event, begins through Oct. 22. The races feature 10 teams with crews of four in Sonar Class boats. Sonar Class boats are a common one-keel boat that are designed for speed. There will be round-robin races, then the semifinals and final throughout the week. Crews from France, Sweden and the United States are scheduled to compete. Claire Leroy, skipper of the French team, is currently rated the No. 1 sailor in the world.

SPINY LOBSTER MEETING: The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has scheduled several public meetings to discuss the management of the spiny lobster fishery. Locally, the FWC will meet Oct. 25 at the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council at 400 Gateway Center Blvd. in Pinellas Park from 6-8 p.m. The open meeting will talk about all aspects of the commercial and recreational spiny lobster fishery.

SNOOK TOURNAMENT: The ninth annual Snook Research Roundup and Shindig BBQ is scheduled for Oct. 20-21 at the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota. The catch-and-release tournament begins at 7:30 p.m. on the 20th and ends at noon on the 21st. The BBQ begins at 5. There will be prizes for first, second and third place in both the adult division and the youth division. The winner in the adult division receives an invitation to the IGFA Inshore Championship; the youth winner gets an invite to the Junior World Championship. For information, go to www.snook foundation.org.

ST. PETE WATERFRONT MEETING: A St. Petersburg Waterfront and Boating Access Summit is scheduled for Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the USF St. Petersburg Campus Activities Center. Participants can learn about and provide input on derelict vessels, boat ramps, mooring fields and get updated information on the St. Petersburg Marina. For information, call (727) 893-7329.

CROSSBOW SEASON: The five-day crossbow season begins Oct. 23 in the Central Zone. The most common game to take during crossbow season are deer, wild hogs and bearded turkeys. For information on hunting restrictions, go to www.myfwc.com.

TOURNAMENT REMINDERS: The Big Mac Attack Spanish Mackerel Tournament is Saturday from sunup to 3 p.m. in Tierra Verde. Weigh-in is from 3-4 p.m. at Billy's Stonecrab Restaurant. The entry fee is $50. Also, the Randy Keys Kingfish Tournament is Oct. 28. Fishing begins at sunrise, and the weigh-in begins at 3 p.m. The entry fee is $100. Call (727) 458-6731 for information on both tournaments. ... The Hook'em For Health tournament is Wednesday at the Tampa Harbor Yacht Club. Fishing for trout, snook and redfish begins at 8 a.m. with the awards reception at 3 p.m. Go to www.hookacure.com to register. ... The Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce is hosting a tournament at the Tampa Bayside Marina on Oct. 20. Fishing starts at 7:30 a.m. and the awards are at 3 p.m. There will be an overall winner as well as individual winners for snook, trout and redfish. For information, call (813) 276-9492.

[Last modified October 13, 2006, 10:12:02]