Mike Boom & Larry Wissing, Event Chairmen
Mike Boom & Larry Wissing, Event Chairmen
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Regata del Sol al Sol the 40th Year
With this year all the records were shattered!
There were 39 other years continually sailed starting in 1969, it is the oldest run PHRF regatta for SPYC. This 40th year was special and now passes into SPYC history, as many individuals did Live the Legend of going to Isla Mujeres.
With the many months of planning behind the race committee it was time to go to the friendliest island in the Caribbean. After a day of seminars and paper filing the skippers meeting held at 5PM Thursday April 24th by George Pennington, the race PRO, advised all sailors of the start and wished them well on their voyages.
Many well wishers, friends and family gathered on the Pier to see them off, with Commodore Fred Deuel firing off the SPYC cannon for the start. The regatta started in light easterly wind off the St. Petersburg Pier at 10AM. The classes were started Multihull going first, True Cruising and Racer Cruisers, and then Spinnaker and Non-Spinnaker boats headed down the bay. Fifty one boats entered the race with a couple dropping out early. The forty five remaining boats plus three support boats headed for Isla Mujeres, just eight miles northeast of Cancun, Q. Roo, Mexico.
The race developed quickly as boats made it out of the bay by late afternoon and all were on there way in the gulf. The Spinnaker boats did very well as the wind held at 10-15 knots for the first 40 hours of the race. When the wind decided to lay down most go fast boats were close to the island and slid in with the fastest boat Buena Racha getting there in just 52 hours and 19 Minutes shortly after 2PM on Sunday. With the handicap ratings applied P/C Fred Bickley and his crew of thousands were the overall winner at a corrected time of 47 hours and 50 Minutes.
When one support boat dropped out, with 8 of our precious trophies on board, Flying Club and Race Committee member Max Fulmer stepped up to the plate and flew his Beechcraft Baron back to Naples Florida to retrieve the trophies so that they could be displayed at the 40th Regata del Sol al Sol awards table. His efforts were appreciated by all.
Then the wind became light and the boats still out there were destined to begin the slow ride against the Yucatan channel current playing the usual games with boats and times, some boats made it to the western side of the current and avoided a disaster as the others began to drift in the stream. Some boats lost over 20 miles during the next 12-24 hours. After it became painstaking obvious that going nowhere and maybe missing the many parties planned boats decided to “fire up” their iron jenny’s (engine) and head for the island. With almost two thirds of the fleet opting out of the race there were the “purest’ of sailors sticking it out in the spirit of competition and sailing. To those sailors a tip of the hat goes to them from all the other sailors involved. Randy Swanson of the sailing vessel D’Lila was the last in at just under 134 hours at just after midnight Thursday morning, with a group of people meeting him on the docks with cheers and admiration. Scorer Beth Pennington was able to score the race officially after Randy crossed the line. Tom Rinda our own International Judge was put to work to “define” some sailor protests and issues that were resolved without any changes in placement. To the arriving sailors the first face they saw was that of “Dandy D”, Dan Driscoll the boat greeter this year and Dan met every boat with a smile and a bag of cold beer no matter what time they arrived!
Once on the island it became a fantastic place to be with over 600 of your friends in sold out golf carts and an overwhelmed island came alive with sailors doing what they do best having fun! The race committee had many activities planned and all worked well from the Poker Run (Lora Fulmer) to the Basketball game (Mike Noble Captain) which was played hard but our team went down in defeat 52 to 45, keep in mind SPYC has only won four times. The SPYC donation this year was from the race committee of a new portable scoreboard which the island referees dearly loved from the start. Sr. Jose Lima again opened his house Casa de La Rocas for a skippers and navigators reception attended by the Admiral of the Navy and several other dignitaries, always a great reception at a very special place. The city held a council meeting on the main square of the town in our honor and had each boat skipper come up and receive a token of their thanks for what we do for the island. Afterwards they held the first ever 2008 Miss Regata championship for the ladies to partake in and our own Gloria Llewellyn turned on the charm of the crowd and won first place.
The 39th running of the Amigo’s race another record fell as we had 20 boats participating along with Sr. Lima’s 75 foot boat and a 3 masted Schooner visiting the island. We filled ALL the boats with over 700 kids for most their first ride on the beautiful waters of this island. Our sailors were generous as always with smiles from all the kids receiving toys and stuffed animals from several boats. This year David Watson crew on Elice II buying 2 ice cream trucks of all there ice cream for the kids was a big hit.
The awards ceremony was held again in a special place with white table clothes and white cloth covered chairs in the sand. The Governor of Q. Roo was unable at the last minute able to be there but a great time was had by all, with dancing and libations lasting into a beautiful evening. Again another record with over 480 served for dinner.
Mike Boom and Larry Wissing were co-captains for the 40th Regata del Sol al Sol and literally started planning this 40th year before leaving the island last year, with a sign up sheet of over 28 yachts before the end of last years regatta. Judy Malone and Dolly Rote handled many reservations for crew and visitors. Janet Walker was instrumental in making sure all the packing and registration worked well, with her crew Gloria Davis, Gloria Llewellyn, and Gail Falkingham as well as others. Selga Sakss kept us in line with many changes to our time line, Max and Lora Fulmer pre-planned many island activities, Nancy Ammon handled many dignitary issues to keep Mike and I out of trouble, Joy Wissing managed to keep everything on paper as our treasurer along with Kim Morello, Jeff Morello handled the trophies and secured the scoreboard for the Island. Our SPYC Sailing Secretary Phyllis Eades provides many hours of making sure all the calls are answered and the regatta stays on track, not to mention the clogging of her office with so many items for the regatta.
It took a special team of people working constantly to make all this happen and after everything was finished it became obvious as to why this club has not missed a year of going to this special place called Isla Mujeres.