* J/24 sailor Evalena Worthington- Key West co-owner of the famous Schooner Wharf-
is hoping more J/24 sailors and friends show up next year! The
Schooner Wharf has always been one of the most popular hangouts for
sailors participating in the annual race week off Key West. Walk the
dock in front of the Schooner Wharf around 4 p.m. any day this week and
you will a rainbow of colors as the place is packed with crew members
sporting their various team uniforms.That is the type of scene Evalena Worthington envisioned when she sailed into Key West aboard an 83-foot wooden schooner named Defiance. Worthington and future husband Paul met while delivering schooners and decided to settle in the Conch Republic and open a bar.
Worthington, a native of Sweden, is competing in Key West 2011 aboard the J/24 FREYA. She has sailed in the regatta many times before, but is skippering an entry for the first time in three years.
“I love race week and having all the sailors in town,” Worthington told the Key West Citizen. “I love to sail, love to race and it’s just fun to participate in an international event.”
Worthington and her four-member crew of Key West locals performed well this year in PHRF 3. Like so many other competitors at Key West 2011, Worthington’s team heads straight to the Schooner Wharf after a long day of racing to enjoy green bottled beer, blender drinks, Mount Gay rum and live acoustical music.
“It’s fun to be part of this event and have Schooner Wharf be part of the camaraderie that race week brings to Key West. I like having the sailors at the bar sharing the stories of the day.”
