Key West's famous sailing conditions returned to form last week as sailors from across the planet congregated for the annual battle of the high seas at Acura Key West Race Week. Premiere Racing and their crack race committee teams ran the full compliment of 10 races over 5 days on three racing circles with seven one design classes and several IRC and PHRF classes participating. Racing conditions were as dynamic as ever with winds generally northerly, moderate (12-20) and shifty. Wind readings at the windward mark for Division 2 (J/105s) on Thursday ranged 70 degrees during the day's racing.In one-design action, the J/80 fleet saw some great racing with John Storck Jr. and family (John III and Katie) aboard RUMOR repeating as Midwinter champions, and earning the Lewmar Boat of the Day on Thursday for the top performance in the most competitive class. RUMOR finished with 16 points followed by Bill Rose (League City, TX) on KICKS with 26 and Kristen Robinson (Annapolis, MD) on ANGRY CHAMELEON with 47 points. The J/80 Class sponsored KATTACK GPS tracking coverage during the event and competitors enjoyed nightly replays under the J Boats hospitality tent.
The J/105 Midwinters saw more lead changes than a NASCAR race with an incredibly tight battle down the stretch between Brian Keane's SAVASANA (Marion, MA), Damian Emery's ECLIPSE (Mount Sinai, NY), and Gerrit Schulze's MAX POWER (Cape May, NJ). Separated by one point after six races, ECLIPSE and SAVASANA proceeded to leapfrog each other nearly every race, with MAX POWER staying close enough to make it anyone’s series going into race 10. SAVASANA (seen at left) prevailed in the end, followed closely by ECLIPSE, MAX POWER and Pat Eudy’s BIG BOOTY (Charleston, SC) who came on strong over the last four races to secure 4th place and win Acura’s Boat of the Day on Friday for top performance in the most tightly contested class.
In handicap action, Robert Armstrong and his beautiful red J/100 GOOD GIRL (shown nailing yet another start) sailed a nearly flawless series to win PHRF B over the J/109 RUSH and the J/35 MAN-O-WAR. For Armstrong, along with J/24 World Champion Jens Hookansen as helmsman, and their seasoned Virgin Islands crew, it was a second Key West PHRF title in as many years.
