(Key West, FL)- The forecast for the start on Wednesday at 1pm
was promising- NNE winds of 10-20 kts veering slowly over the next 48
hours into the ESE in the 8-15 kts range. However, by late afternoon
the forecasts of a slow-moving front producing intermittent rain showers
and squalls of the hockey-stick shaped 160nm race course meant that
crews would have to be on their toes all night to keep their boats
moving fast. As it evolved, the fleet was faced with periods of lighter
airs amidst rain squalls that produced gusts over 25 kts at times and
wind shifts up to 90 degrees- a bizarre phenomenon often produced the
fleets proximity to the infamous Gulf Stream pumping incredibly warm air
into the atmosphere as the warm front passed overhead. First to finish of the J/crews was the J/125 RAISIN’ CANE, Frank Atkinson’s local crew from Coconut Grove SC in Miami, FL, crossing the line just after sunrise at 0754 hrs on Thursday. However, finishing just over one hour later were the two J/111s. Bennet Greenwald’s PERSEVERANCE finished at 0901 hrs, just over 11 minutes in front of Gary Weisberg’s HEAT WAVE. As a result, the PHRF A Class saw PERSEVERANCE take 2nd overall with HEAT WAVE in 3rd and RAISIN’ CANE in 5th place.
In the IRC Division, Paul Milo’s J/122 ORION had a slow go of it offshore overnight, finishing behind the 111s and 125 to cross the line at 1113 hrs to take ninth place in their class.
Offshore veteran Frank Kern and his fun-loving merry bandits from Grosse Pointe, MI and Bayview YC sailed their J/120 CARINTHIA hard and fast all the way Midwestern blue—collar-style to take third in PHRF B Class, crossing the line at 0936 hrs. That is a LOT of silverware to add to the overloaded trophy shelves back at Camp Kern!!
Finally, in PHRF C Class, the classic J/40 family cruiser took the silver in class- Jim Bordeaux’s SOLSTICE- finishing at 1218 hrs. She lives up to an old tradition of J/40s winning class starting with the Chicago-Mackinac Race performance of CHINA CLOUD back in in 1990. The J/88 family speedster, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 2 from Annapolis, MD, had Kristen Berry and a J/World Annapolis student crew grab a well-deserved fourth overall after finishing by midday at 1258 hrs! For more Key West Race sailing information
|
