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The J/70 fleet, now in its second year at St. Pete, boasts the most entries and it’s a J/70 World Championship qualifier for the fleet. Competitors will duke it out for two open spots for the Worlds in Newport, RI, in September 2014.
For Todd Fedyszyn, St. Petersburg YC’s youth sailing director and head coach, this year’s event will be a change of pace. Having previously raced J/24s at the NOOD, a parent of one of his team member’s offered to loan him a J/70 for the weekend. “It’ll be our first regatta,” says Fedyszyn, “so hopefully we can be competitive with the top of the pack if all goes well.”
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In J/24 world, some teams get a chance to sail St Pete then haul the mail across “Alligator Alley” to sail the J/24 Midwinters at Coral Reef YC in Miami starting the middle of next week! Chief amongst them will be the top local team, Robby Brown from Davis Island YC sailing USA 799. Robby will have his work cut out for him against a tough group of locals and visitors like Tom Kane on HONEY BADGER SOUTH and Steve Wood on TASMANIAN DEVIL.
In the PHRF handicap arena, the PHRF 1 fleet has George Cussins J/105 FIRE & ICE sailing along with Bill Terry’s well-traveled J/120 TAMPA GIRL. In PHRF 2, a trio of J/29s are dueling for class supremacy, including the Mui/ Kennalley/ Davies team from Chicago on FAMILY CIRCUS, Ray Mannix on SEMPER FI and Harvey Ford sailing WILDKAT hailing from Tampa Bay. For more Sperry Top-sider St Pete NOOD sailing information.