100 mile distance race, no ground crew needed!

Editors note:Ever thought you'd like to do one of the distance races like the Tybee 500 or the Great Texas, but don't have the ground support or resources for such an adventure? The Fort Walton Yacht Club, 'Round the Island is the perfect event to challenge yourself without breaking the bank or scaring your loved ones. Sail a 100 mile round trip race with the start and finish inside the bay, no surf launch to deal with and only takes a weekend. Read on for the race details.

Note: This years race start is Saturday, June 16, 2007

The Round the Island Race is a 100 mile circumnavigation around Santa Rosa Island located in Northwest Florida.  Headquartered at the Fort Walton Yacht Club, the race begins off the point, through the East Pass and continues west through the Pensacola pass where the northern turn is made for the return trip.

Having one start for all competitors, the initial direction is east in the Choctawhatchee Bay as the boats head for the East Pass from the start.  The wind is usually 4 to 6 knots from the Northeast so the start is a one legged beat.  As the multi-hulls round a turning mark off the shoals of Crab Island, they head for the Destin Bridge and the East Pass.  There they meet the Destin Charter Boat fleet heading out the Pass for a colorful parade of sailors and fishing boats.  Spectators line the Destin Bridge and capture some beautiful sights, as the fleet hoists spinnakers using the NNE breeze to speed them out the Pass.

White sandy beaches and glistening emerald water provides for a spectacular run to the Sea Buoy.  Approximately one-half a mile out the Pass leaving to starboard, the fleet will now head due west for 50 miles of beautiful sailing in the Gulf of Mexico.  The fleet is usually favored to stay along the shore to take advantage of the east to west flowing beach current where most of the competitors will stay within 1 to 2 miles of shore.  As the sun rises higher and starts its usual east to west trajectory the wind follows it.  Thus the NNE breeze in the morning will give way to a Southeast veer that will usually turn southerly before going to the Southwest in the late afternoon.  This makes for a lot of spinnaker work and reaching in the Gulf before reaching the Pensacola Pass.

The fleet will pass three fishing piers in the Gulf at Fort Walton, Navarre, and Pensacola Beach so the landmarks are easily recognizable as well as great perches for the spectators.  Upon reaching the Pass at Pensacola the competitors will usually hug the shoreline at the Fort Pickens State Park as they round inside the Pass for the run home.  The lead boats, usually RC 30’s and 27’s as well as a sprinkling of Super Cat 22’s will enter the Pass from 1p.m to 3p.m. if the normal wind pattern holds true.  The majority of the fleet will be in the Pass from then on into the late afternoon with everyone required to be in the inter-coastal waterway before sundown.

's Gravenzande / Netherlands - The Hobie 16 & Hobie Dragoon Europeans 2007 will be sailed off the Dutch coast of ‘s Gravenzande, close the The Hague and Scheveningen. From July 28 until August 4, about 150 teams will face the elements of the North Sea in their battle for European titles in five classes: Hobie 16 with spinnaker youth, master (from the age of 45), women, Hobie Dragoon youth and Hobie 16 Open. So far, the organization has received 33 pre-entries, representing 11 countries in the Open class. For the Dutch Hobie Cat community, it is definitely a revival of the more that thirty years old Hobie 16 competition. Twelve young crews with eight nationalities have registered for the Hobie 16 with spinnaker, the ISAF youth catamaran. This fleet is expected to increase up to thirty until fifty participants. Registration is open until July 1st.

It all starts with the two-day Women and Master (from the age of 45) championships on Saturday July 28th. Youth sailors in the Hobie 16 with spinnaker and Hobie Dragoon will race from July 28 until 31. The qualifications for the Open Class will start on July 30 and the finals on August 1st. “If you look at the pre-entries, it is obvious that many former Hobie 16-sailors use the opportunity as a come-back”, says Ute Vrijburg, Event Director on behalf of the European Hobie Cat Association (EHCA). “In that perspective, it is like a revival of the Hobie 16 in the Netherlands.” This most popular catamaran ever, was introduced to the American market in 1969 and it dominated the Dutch catamaran sport for years. The coastal sailing club ‘s Gravenzande (KZVG) and the EHCA may organize the 33rd edition of the Hobie Cat 16 European Championship, under the leadership of Race Director Rob Hoogstra. The challenge for competitors is about fighting the elements, such as current, tides, waves and surf. It is also about competition and socializing with fellow sailors from all over Europe.

New Mexico Hobie Fleet 48 puts together a perfect family sailing & skill Regatta.

Hobie Fleet 48’s Second Annual Memorial Day Pirate Treasure Race Treasure maps will be given out at the Saturday morning Skippers meeting. Wearing a life jacket is required while on the water. You may carry as many pirate crew on your boat as safety allows. Water balloons, squirt guns, and hand paddling allowed. The treasure hunt race will start at 1PM and continue until 4PM, at that time all boats will return to Hobie Central and exchange their gold doubloons for prizes.

Saturday morning began with setting up Hobie Central & helping everyone get their boats off the trailer and set up. Three club members headed out on the water in search of four different locations & skill level areas to plant their flags & place the doubloons. That afternoon the wind was calm & a few of the pre registered families did not have their boats ready, so the board decided to reschedule the Pirate Captains meeting until Sunday morning at 10 AM. Then about 3PM the wind came up to 5-8 mph steady, & we decided to fly hulls until dinner.

The Saturday evening dinner, Frito Pie, with 4 different chili recipes to choose from, and the potluck side dishes brought by the members, made a delicious buffet spread. The silent auction gifts, graciously donated by the Hobie Cat Company USA, and several fleet members, were displayed after the meal was finished. The auction to officially take place during the Captain & Crew meeting Sunday morning. The evening camp fire is lit early enough for little campers to toast marshmallows before bed time, then old tales of sailing past are embellished by those taking advantage a captive audience.

Papendrecht / Netherlands, May 10 2007 -- Since the year of 2007, Dredging contractor Royal Boskalis Westminster nv sponsors the ambitious catamaran sailors Stefan Dubbeldam (19) and Sebastiaan Tentij (19) from the Netherlands. These technical students, who won last year’s Dutch Championship Hobie 16 with spinnaker, aim at participation in the Tornado class at the Olympics of 2012. To reach the level of world’s best cat sailors as fast as possible, the team attends a special Nacra Master Class given by professionals Mischa Heemskerk and Gunnar Larsen. Dubbeldam is sailing with Larsen to learn the tricks of the trade, and Tentij with Heemskerk. In these formations the crews participate in the international Formula 18 circuit. In the beginning of May, Heemskerk and Tentij won their first large regatta, Eurocat 2007, in Carnac (FR). Larsen and Dubbeldam obtained a tenth position.

On June 1-3, 2007 Racers from all over compete in two days of open ocean triangle races with as many as seven open classes. This year we anticipate perfect weather, perfect conditions, and lots of boats.

This world-class regatta, sponsored by Fleet 45 Space Coast Catamaran Association has endured more than 34 years of exciting open-ocean racing at its best. Centrally located on Florida’s Space Coast, the JPOR is one of the few open ocean triangle regattas for catamaran racing in the southeast US. We anticipate more than 50 boats competing in over six different classes with trophies up to five deep.

It is with great pride that we also acknowledge our sponsors for this world-class event. Without our sponsors the JPOR would not be the successful event it has been in previous years.

This year’s Friday Night Party will be at Ryans At Port Canaveral. For many years we have joined in a celebration at this location. With thanks to Ryans at Port Canaveral, our tradition continues. Hot wings and alcohol are the theme for the night. See you at 7:30 to ????