The 52nd annual Miami to Key Largo race will be held April 23, 2007. For the past 25 years this race has had a strong beachcat presence. The expected classes for this race in all categories are PHRF, ARC, Laser, Westphal, Hobie 16, Hobie 20, Nacra 6.0, Tornado, ACAT, and MASF. Additional one-design classes will be added with a minimum of 4 boats.

First held in 1956 with 33 boats, the annual Miami to Key Largo Race represents the "rites of spring" to South Florida sailors. This race now has 200 or more boats participating in the various classes.

Boats start just south of the Rickenbacker Causeway and proceed directly to Jewfish Creek area of Key Largo.

On Sunday November 12 2006, the 16de Aruba Heineken Catamaran Regatta started off with a strong fleet. Former winners, national champions and double Olympic medallist Mitch Booth lined up for the annual Caribbean catamaran classic. The 46 participating teams representing the UK, Netherlands, Aruba, France, Belgium and Austria enjoyed today’s trade wind, the sun and the heavy competition. After the practice race in the morning, the first official starting gun was fired at about 2.30 pm local time. Mark Rijks en Brenda Liefhebber (NED) scored two bullets with their Dart 18 and are in the lead of the smaller boats. The British James and Gillian Power, sailing a F18 Capricorn, were unbeatable for the bigger catamarans.

It is Gillian Power’s third participation in the Aruba Heineken Catamaran Regatta and she is defending her title. Last year she took the victory with Stuart Gummer, who sails with Hannah Burke this week. Gillian Power was surprised by today’s success: “I can’t believe it. It was great to win the practice race, but I did not expect that we would win the next two as well.” Although they went fast, it was not an easy day. First they had to deal with Mitch Booth and Pim Nieuwenhuis (NED, F18 Hobie Tiger) and than they were chasing Peter Vink and Mark Pols (NED, F18 Nacra Infusion). Power: “If Peter and Mark did not have had a tingle in their spinnaker at the second hoist, the competition would have even been closer. There was also an extreme wind shift in that race. The boats that had gibed directly after the mark, were gone.” It was an exciting competition on the first day, which caused close results. Numbers two till four are tied on six points. The new combination Gummer/Burke (GRB, F18 Capricorn) finished fourth and second. Wouter Samama and Paul Buyse (NED, F18 Nacra Infusion) were consistent with two third positions.

Canadian national Mike Dobbs and American national Glenn Brown, both full time residents of Southern California, attended the U.S. Tornado Nationals in San Diego.  They sailed on Mike’s Marstrom Tornado “Full Tilt.”  Mike immediately follows the Nationals with the Olympic Pre Trials. Mike began Pre Trials with a fellow Canadian as crew but was looking for a new crew when Glenn Brown made this post to Catsailor.com.

" Mike Dobbs broke his crew, and another team may have, too. If you're in the San Diego area, and you can crew for him tomorrow and/or Sunday, give me a call..., and I will put you in touch. I'd do it myself if I didn't have prior commitments. (I crewed for Mike in the Nationals this week.)"

A genuine tale of the underdog gaining new ground, you should find these reports a very pleasant read.  Thrills, spills, and collisions with beasts are all contained herein.  Here are their reports, so far:

Fri Oct 6, 2006 9:20 am
I'm dragging the boat on the tilt trailer there tomorrow morning...should be quite a sight as I pull in to the yard with the Mini Cooper rig!

The new Carbon mast is already there as is a new main to go with it. From the registrant lists, looks like the usual suspects will be there, including the Canadian team of Alain & Eve-Marie from Montreal and Martin & Ben from Michigan...these boats are our nearest rivals, so far I've only beaten them rarely.

We have high hopes...got a day of pro coaching under our belts now...though we now have a better idea on what to improve, it remains to be seen if we can execute on those things in a race situation.

I plan to make race reports nightly if time permits...starting Monday. Mike

Be sure and read the rest of the reports, great stuff from on the scene!

September 11-15 The 36th Hobie 16 North American Championship, aka: the Continentals, starts Monday off Roger Wheeler Beach in Narragansett, Rhode Island. The regatta will continue through Friday.

Sailors from fourteen states and five countries have pre-registered for the event. For Hobie 16 racers from Guatemala to Canada this is the year’s main event. Year after year the 16 Continentals attracts the biggest one-design catamaran fleet on the continent with the competition and the parties to match. Some come to measure their skills against the best and some for the parties but everyone comes to celebrate this simple one-design that started it all.

This year’s championship will double as the country qualifier for the 2007 Pan American Games. The top four countries from the NAs will qualify for the Pan Am games.

Nine past champions will be racing this week making this event as tough as ever. A complete list of past champions and daily updates during the week can be found at www.HCA-NA.org

Only 11 days more before Wayward Winds Regatta at the Texas City Dike. This open multihull event has been running for over 30 years. Its shaping up to be a good one this year with strong participation anticipated from many classes of boats, including the Hobie 16, Tiger and A-Cats. There will also be a novice class which looks like it will be a good size. You can get more information, including the Notice of Race and contact details at the TCDYC (Fleet 8) website.

Last years event was well attended despite being rescheduled due to Hurricane Rita. You can get a good view of some of the A-Cat fleet that showed up in this picture.

Chris Green
Chair, Division 6.