2010 Midwinter Championships
South Broward Model Sailing Club
Pembroke Pines, Florida
February 20-21
Perfect weather (sunny, mid-70s, 6-12 knots) greeted the ten sailors who entered the Midwinter Champion- ships this year, one of whom had to drop out before the first race after his boat blew off the table on which it was standing and broke its keel. The remaining nine sailors enjoyed great hospitality and excellent race management by the SBMSC, Principle Race Officer Vince Peritore, and Regatta Chairman Christian Flebbe.
Dick Martin's Mariah (1122) leads Christain Flebbe's Swift (1441) at the start of this light air race on Saturday
By 3 PM on Sunday, after 27 races had been sailed in nearly ideal conditions, the one visiting sailor, CR 914 veteran Dick Martin from Missouri, had managed to win the 1st place trophy (but not without a tough fight), followed by Fred Deutsch in 2nd and Christian Flebbe in 3rd. Six boats won races and a seventh, sailed by 14-year-old Justin Rieman, held the lead during several races and finished as high as third. The quality of the competition was remarkable for a brand-new fleet, all but one of the members of which had been sailing RC boats for only a few months.
Chris Hughes' Bumble Bee (1561) and Joe Russel's Lime (1563) battle for the lead half-way up a windward leg
Swift leads the fleet upwind in ideal conditions on Sunday morning
Click here to download a PDF printout of the final results of the 2010 Midwinter Championships.
L to R: Bob Hughes, Vince Peritore, Joe Russel, James Ferguson, Chris Hughes, Fred Deutsch, Christian Flebbe
kneeling: Justin Rieman, Dick Martin, Jonathan Ellys