There are times when a tenth of a knot of speed can make the difference. The 2009 Fall Regatta held last weekend off Keewaydin Island and hosted by the Marco Island Yacht Club proved that.
“The weather was marvelous,” said Dean Heard, principle race officer for the event. “There was more wind than advertised.”
In the hours before race day, helmsman Jerry Watkins of Blown Away, focused on serious preparations aimed at increasing his chances of bringing home gold.
“There are three factors that fit into the equation of winning,” said Watkins, “and they are man, machine and the elements.” He didn’t mention bad luck but perhaps he should have.
Blown Away, a 42-foot Hunter, competed in the true cruising class. Her owner, Mike Rainen, flew into Naples from Kansas City after midnight on Saturday morning to be onboard for the two days of racing.
But on Friday, Watkins was busy making preparations. For starters, he examined the bottom of the boat, and not wanting any drag, scheduled a professional cleaning to remove even the smallest bits of algae. With a well-worn checklist, he inspected all systems, electronics and rigging. He also planned a menu for the crew.
“I’m not only racing for the win, I’m competing with Brigadoon (another vessel in his class) for the best gourmet food,” he said lightheartedly.
Watkins checked the forecast for race day.
“I hope it’s a continuation of today,” he said on Friday. “I’ll be looking for 10-15 knot winds.”
Watkins and his crew planned to take personal precautions such as avoiding spicy foods and alcohol and getting a good night’s sleep to ward off the risk of seasickness if the weather were demanding.
According to Watkins, scoping out the competition to gain intellectual and psychological advantages is critical. On Friday night, the skippers met at the Marco Island Yacht Club to receive information on the two-day, six-race event and to meet their competitors.
“We’ll keep our eye on Jabu,” said Watkins. Jabu, a 40-foot Sabre skippered by Rex Good, also would compete in the same class as Blown Away.
Saturday morning as rivals gathered, the sky was a Caribbean blue with thin clouds skirting the horizon. Temperatures throughout the weekend remained in the mid 70s with winds from the north-northwest around 10 knots.
“The winds were strong enough to satisfy the bigger boats without causing havoc on the smaller boats,” said Pete Frazier, a committee volunteer.
“All races went well,” said Heard on Monday. “Two club boats competed, Tri-Power and Barefoot Contessa.”
Tri-Power, 24-foot Corsair skippered by Ed Dixon, and Barefoot Contessa, a 47-foot Catalina skippered by Frank Rinker, represented the Marco Island Yacht Club.
In the Class A Spinnaker Fleet, Flame, a 34-foot J 105 skippered by James Doane, took 1st place after winning 5-of-6 races. Second was Southern Crescent, a 37-foot Santa Cruz skippered by Dan Kerckhoff, and third Tippecanoe, a 39-foot Farr skippered by Dan Kendrick.
In Class B Spinnaker Fleet, Soulshine, a 26-foot S2 7.9 skippered by Paul Robbins, took gold after winning all six races. Foreign Exchange, a 34-foot Dehler skippered by Gunar Rogat, came in second; Vee Jay, a 30-foot J skippered by Vic Farmer, third; and Shock, a 30-foot Wavelength skippered by Dave Huntington, fourth.
In the Multihull Fleet, Flight Simulator, a 28-foot Corsair skippered by Tom Reese, won 4-of-6 races to take 1st place. Three 24-foot Corsairs followed with Consensus, skipper Bob Neff, second; Tri-power, third; and Vorpal Blade, skipper Pat Nugent, fourth. Fifth place was awarded to Anhinga, a 27-foot Corsair skippered by Robert Libbey.
Bentley, a 32-foot Endeavour skippered by Tom Horner, was the only entry in the Non Spinnaker Fleet class and took first.
The True Cruising Fleet was the largest entry class and included Blown Away.
“In the true cruising class, boats are fully equipped to circumnavigate the globe,” said Watkins. “Blown Away has all the comforts of home including two flush toilets and two tubs. Boats are handicapped based on the PHRF (Performance Handicap Racing Fleet) system and meet U.S. Sailing requirements.”
Although Blown Away was hoping for gold, its nemesis Jabu bested it in 4-of-4 races taking 1st place. Second went to Lily, a 27-foot O’Day skippered by James Brown; third to Saboutime, a 37-foot Islander skippered by John Harkless; and fourth to Blown Away. Barefoot Contessa came in fifth followed in sixth by EVE, a 40-foot Gulfstar skippered by John Hughes and Brigadoon, a 47-foot Beneteau skippered by Doug Cohn, in seventh.
On Monday, Watkins said he had a fun time even though several unpredictable events affected the outcome.
“There was one race where we were the fastest on the first leg then snagged a crab trap. That caused us to be the slowest on the second leg. We then had a man overboard and lost a winch handle in the process of trying to untangle the crab trap.
“There are 12 regattas in the season,” said Watkins, “and this was just one of them. In all there are approximately 60 races that will determine best boat of the year.”
The crew of Blown Away has its eye on the next one.
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