By Dave Ellis
Florida’s Gulfport Yacht Club hosted the Flying Dutchman Nationals on lower Boca Ciega Bay in their usual style of minimal on-shore amenities and great on the water racing. The fleet was smaller than some Nationals because of a scheduling conflict for the West Coast fleet. The quality, however, was very good.
A front moved into the Tampa Bay area early Sayurday morning and brought rain and plenty of wind – too much in fact and that brought on a postponement. Gusts well over 30 knots were reported on the Gulf and so plans to set of to race there were abandoned. At 1300 racing resumed in the light air that remained after the front passed through. Buzz and Kurt were the big winners in two of the three races, pulling in two firstplaces. The breeze showed much variability across the course so those teams that were practiced in boathandling and paid attention to conditions did well.Â
After six races on Boca Ciaga Bay Lin and Arthur have a commanding lead with 5 bullets. The rest of the fleet had good close and tight racing during which time winds were up to 14 knots gusting to perhaps 18 with the wind getting particularly shifty and gusty reaching the top mark. PRO Dave Ellis had planned to set the course to sail on the Gulf Saturday however with a front moving through and winds up to 30 knots racing was postponed and will probably sail on the bay again.
Congratulations to Kate Coupland with Chris Liberti as crew. Kate is the first female winner of the Cuspidor in it’s 51 year history. They sailed an outstanding regatta and the win was well deserved.
The 2013 U.S. Nationals will be held November 1-3 at the Gulfport Yach Club, Gulfport, FL. We’re expecting some great fall sailing, and social events.
By Paul Scoffin
When Kathy and I returned to the United States late 2004 after living in Italy for nearly four years, we had to relocate to the east coast due to Kathy’s work commitments. We chose Orange Park, Jacksonville from five options, for various reasons, one being that water was close by and I could return to sailing once again.
By Lin Robson
For many years we have held the FD Midwinters at SPYC in downtown St. Petersburg. Due to some scheduling and other reasons we moved the regatta site this year, to a place I had not sailed out of since a teenager.
When Paul and I arrived at the SC yacht club most of the participants were already there working on their boats. The Wrenn brothers were hectically finishing rigging their recently refurbished boat. Everybody was questioning if they can make it by the first race the next day. They did, and good for them.
Lin and his crew Paul Von Grey were the only boat out on the water practicing. There was a reason for it, the weather was not exactly ideal. There was a front coming through from the North, bringing fresh breeze over the land to the SC bay resulting very shifty and gusty conditions.
Santa Cruz Yacht Club has posted the Notice of Race for the 2012 Flying Dutchman North American Championship. Online registration is available on the same site. Key dates: The event will be August 2-5, 2012. After July 10 a Late Entry Fee will apply.  The organizers wants everyone to know that all entries must be paid online in order for your registration to be completed. Check the NOR for the specific schedule.
Every year over Columbus Day weekend in October, the American Yacht Club in Rye, NY, hosts the HPDO. HPDO is the acronym for High Performance Dinghy Open. It is a regatta that has become a big fixture in the Fall on the East Coast, with many dinghy classes in attendance. In fact several classes held their North American championships at the regatta this year. They throw a nice dinner and gathering afterward. We had the pleasure of seeing a few FD sailors from years past, it was good catching up with Guido Bertocci and others.