The Columbus Day Regatta traditionally marks the beginning of the regatta season in Miami. It’s a relaxed Cruising Regatta, but it can get competitive as well. It used to be the biggest party on Biscayne Bay and eventually became so wild and dangerous that rules had to change and restrictions applied. The power boaters where just “crazy” back in the day. Racers no longer stay out over night. Instead, we start and finish in the same place (just east of the Dinner Key Channel). The Race Committee has several courses to choose from, using government markers for the most part.
Team Paradise has competed in the Columbus Day Regatta for many years. It’s a great opportunity for anyone who likes to try a hand in sailboat racing and for those working on sharpening their sailing and racing skills. For the last few years, our focus has been on providing this opportunity for Disabled Veterans. Our goal is to give everyone a fun and safe learning experience where the individual can excel quickly. Team Paradise offers a pathway to become an expert sailor. From our Discovery Sailing through the Development stage, which seamlessly connects to Sailboat Racing.
The really good news was that five (5) Sonars had entered the regatta which meant separate starts for our fleet. Also, we would be racing for the nicest looking trophy of the event. www.teamparadise.org
Teams RED, WHITE and BLUE
We entered the regatta with our three (3) Sonar and appropriately named them: team RED, team WHITE and team BLUE. The team members came to us through wonderful collaboration with Warrior Sailing and Veterans Ocean Adventure. The veterans arrived from near and far: San Antonio, TX, Riverview, FL, Saint Petersburg, FL, Homestead, FL, Seminole, FL, Miramar Beach, FL and Miami, FL.
The job that I signed up for was to prepare the boats, make necessary adaption, divide up the teams and otherwise help where help was needed.
Years ago, I was offered the advice that I should sail with people better than myself, as often as I can. What monkey sees, monkey does, sort of. I did just that and I can honestly say, I have learned, pretty much everything that I know, from others. The learning experience becomes so much better and students will learn more and at a much quicker rate. Having said that, In order to keep the racing fun, competitive and safe, each team was assigned an on-board coach.
Once again, I had to turn to our super-skilled volunteers. My dear buddy Fritz Mueller was coaching onboard the White Team. Fritz and yours truly first me sailing the OK Worlds in Falmouth, UK back in 1973. B.T.W (I personally hold him responsible for me leaving Sweden to move here:)
My good friend Charles Nethersole, a professional sailboat captain with a life time of blue-water sailing experience, skippered for team BLUE. The crew had minimal sailing experience and for the most part no racing, or spinnaker experience. The only way for them to be competitive, was for Charles to helm the boat.
Yours truly sailed with Team RED skippered by Laura Root. F.Y.I. Laura won this regatta last year as a jib trimmer onboard the very same boat we were in (with Daniel Evans at the helm and Sam Lugo as a jib trimmer). I did not touch the helm, but I did fly the kite.
The Racing
The racing was pretty tight for a 20NM course, at least for the three Team Paradise entries. It was anyones race to win. It made total sense to have at least one experienced sailor to lead the way on each boat. Our boats were very even in speed and racing were tight. Team RED won both days, but it could easily have gone differently. Team WHITE was ahead of us in both races, but we managed to prevail. Team BLUE finished with a second and third. Team WHITE missed a marker on Saturday and were disqualified. They did great on Sunday with a solid second place finish to earn the final podium finish.
“I have learned more about sailing during these 2-days than I have in my 5-year sailing career”
Onboard Team RED
Other than being lucky, the reason for success onboard Team RED can be credited to focusing on the big picture and being a lot less concern about the little things!
The starts had to be good, but under no circumstance could we afford to be premature i.e. over-early.
We changed side when lowering the spinnaker after the first run to set us up correctly for the long second run.
Early take downs so that we would be ready to sail upwind as soon as arrived to the leeward marks.
The winning move on the last day was to be the first boat to tack after the run. The reason being is that we were laying the next mark from there.
Our helms-lady Laura focusing on steering the boat, looking at the tell tales and keeping the boat flat.
Having the waypoints pre programmed and the routes plugged in made a big difference. Our 4th crew, Tommy Chase has talent for navigation and how to operate his GPS.
Our job trimmer, David Caras stayed focused on the jib and did a nice job trimming. Like everyone onboard, he was positive and enthusiastic about the day.
The Awards
The awards ceremony at Coral Reef Yacht Club the following weekend was a lot of fun. It marked the first time that we used the new “Boathaus” building at the club. We were all happy that Laura, David and Karen returned to Miami for the BIG night. Rudy and Charles also attended and it was a blast. Laura pretty much cleaned up, winning a couple of the really BIG trophies.
Impressive awards!
Laura Root Best Female Trophy
Team RED - First Place
Team Blue - Runner Up
Laura with First Overall Trophy
David Bannister and Janice Bartleson
FIRST
Team RED 07 1+1 = 2p
Laura Root, Riverview, FL
Thomas Chase, San Antonio, TX
David Caras, Saint Petersburg, FL
Magnus Liljedahl, Miami, FL
SECOND
Team BLUE 10 2+3=5p
Charles Nethersole, Miami Beach, FL
Karen Atkinson, Seminole, FL
Rudy Watt, Miami, FL
Jason Phillips, Miramar Beach, FL (Saturday only) Guy Siegel, Coral Springs, FL (Sunday only)
THIRD
TEAM WHITE: 810 6+2 = 8p
Duane Smith, Homestead, FL
Michael Stevens, Miami, FL
Fritz Muller, Miami Shores, FL
We say: Thank you!
Volunteers, Donors and Supporters of our Veterans sailing program. Also, special thanks to Miami-Dade Parks Disability Services for their continued support to make our Veterans Sailing extra special. Let’s not forget the Veterans that came to sail. They paid their own way and booked their own rooms. You are awesome!