By Jonathan and Anna Gorbold
This was an amazing regatta from many aspects. Thank you to CYC for enabling us to hold this regatta, thank you to the efficient Racing Committee chaired by Keith Calkins, and thank you for the awesome hospitality provided by Bruce McGinnis, our Club Manager, and his wonderful staff.
The US FD National Championships have been held continuously since 1955 and attracted 60- 70 boats in the early 60s, 70s & 80s with many of the top US sailors and
The Cazenovia Lake Cuspidor will be held July 21 and 22, 2018 at the Willow Bank Yacht Club. The new Empire Farmstead Brewery in Cazenovia is within walking distance of WBYC. All FDs and FD sailors welcome at the Brewery and Regatta. Camping available on the club grounds.
By Tim Sayles
Halloween weekend provided a new venue and great sailing for FD sailors at the Clearwater Community Sailing Center for the National Championship Regatta. Over 3 days on the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico off Clearwater Beach, the fleet had a range of weather conditions, largely based on a weather system that came out of a south easterly direction, moving east and then back to southeast as the weekend progressed. Winds ranged from ligher 7 knots up to mid-teens over the weekend, under sunny, warm skies.
Clearwater Community Sailing Center will be the site of the 2015 USA Flying Dutchman National Championship. The event will be held October 29 through November 1. Registration will be held Thursday and racing will commence on Friday, October 30. The Notice of Race can be found here.
By Dave Ellis
Coronado Yacht Club in San Diego, California was the site for the North Americans April 17-19, 2015. An idyllic setting for racing it was indeed, with plenty of parking, open bay for racing and breeze starting promptly at noon, a civilized time to start racing.
By Kurt Hemmingsen
It was a tough start for the FD Nationals at Santa Cruz on Friday. The weather forecast for the weekend promised light winds from WSW, typical for the time of the year, however the local sailors knew better and warned participants on shore that the breeze typically fills in and sure enough we ended with heavy air, 15-18 mph from SW, gusts to exceed 25 mph which is nothing for the enduring FD’s, but requires skills and perseverance.
By Tim Sayles
The 2014 NAs proved to be three days of working through issues, arrangements and curious weather passing through the Tampa Bay area. Veteran PRO and FD sailor Dave Ellis ran the racing out of the St Petersburg Sailing Center, setting windward/leeward courses relatively close to the harbor entrance. The changing conditions interacting with shore effects were challenging and put a premium not only on boathandling but also quick responses. The last weekend in April was in a transition period on Tampa Bay. During this time the Gulf water temperature is still low enough to allow sea breezes to develop on the Bay, but also bookend fronts that typify spring weather still influenced overall patterns.
The 2014 North Americans will be held April 25-27, at the St. Petersburg Sailing Center in downtown St.Petersburg, FL. Many know that three FD Worlds have been held at this site, 1962, 1997 and 2006.
For those who have not heard, after a long and successful tenure as President of the U.S. class, Tim Sayles has handed the reins to Buzz Ballenger of Santa Cruz, CA. Buzz is known worldwide as an expert sparbuilder, boat builder and competitor in dinghies and keel boats.
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.