2002 Women's North American Sunfish Championship
Clearwater Yacht Club
November 16-17, 2002

48 Hours of Excitement!

 You spend a year running around chasing your tail, planning, gathering volunteers, more planning, organizing, calming your nerves, hoping for success, wrapping up final details, more worrying for a mere 48 hours of excitement.  Well, all the hard work, particularly by Sarah Beth Reeves, in organizing the 2002 Women’s National Sunfish Championship in Clearwater Florida was well worth all the Pepto Bismol on the market.

Prior to the day of arrival, the forecast started looking gloomy.  Specifically, a small chance of rain, less than sunny skies, temperatures in the low 70s, and a moderate breeze was predicted.  This did not deter those traveling from as far as Kansas and New York from making the trek to the Sunshine State.  Perhaps the snow and 30 degree weather pales compared to the warmer, sunnier South.  Thirty-two Sunfish ladies attended, including five junior sailors.   A very welcome, unexpected surprise was the arrival of several dolly boy-babes (mostly from the Gulf Coast region) on hand---a staple at any women’s regatta!

On Friday November 15 the sailors started to arrive. With three dolly boy-babes on hand (Bishop Stieffel, Todd Edwards, and Paul Strauley) little needed to be done by the lady sailors.  Boats were untied from trailers, set on dollys and rigged for a quick sail on Friday afternoon.  Friday night many gathered at a local restaurant (Shepards) for food, drinks and a catch-up session on what everyone has been up to lately.  On Friday night it started to rain and the temperatures turned cold (60s).  I for one turned on the heat in my home, waking up to a cold, gloomy Saturday. 

On Saturday morning the typical standards took place; registration, breakfast, and a skipper’s meeting.  It was a cold day with a steady drizzle increasing to frequent rain and winds holding (for the most part) out of the Southeast at 18-22 mph.  As I slowly left the beach with a deep Jens rig (like nearly all the sailors) I was pondering why subject myself to this on such a miserable day (windy, rainy and cold).  But on we all went as the “weanie” men sailing the Laser US Masters out of St. Pete. sat on shore waiting for the “miserable” to pass. 

The racing began with a gun blast that echoed throughout the city of Clearwater.  Mastering the shifty, puffy conditions around the twice-around windward-leeward course, Anne Edwards prevailed, followed by Nancy Haberland in second and Connie Miller in third.  At the start of the second race, winds were climbing to 22mph with slightly higher gusts with the rain getting stronger.  Nancy got off to a good start and led the race.  Mindy Strauley followed in second most of the race until Anne Edwards (who off to a very last place start) moved up the fleet, one by one, to finally pass Mindy close to the finish for the second place spot.

Strong winds and rain continued at the start of the third race of a twice-around triangle.  As the race proceeded the winds dropped (to a mere 5mph) and the rain subsided to a drizzle.  Nancy once again took the bullet, followed by Gail Heausler in second and Rita Steele in third.

Prior to the fourth race, several (including myself) shook their Jens rigs.  This was an opportunity for those who left their Jens rig in to try to intimidate us.  Remarked Lee Parks (still sporting a Jens rig), “the wind is going to pick back up even stronger.”  My response, knowing a front was on the way, was “the wind won’t pick up until it shifts north.”  Feeling safe about my decision to set my sail for light air conditions, I was ready to get on with the fourth race (hopefully the last for the day----I was getting tired and cold as many were.)

After a couple of postponements we were ready to start the twice-around triangle race.  Light winds prevailed out of the southeast.  As we nearly drifted to the first mark the winds started to clock west putting many sailors on a straight course to the first mark.  Micki Gramm, easily was first around by a long distance.  By the end of the second leg, the wind clocked due west at 12-15mph with massive shifts, the sea breeze had arrived.  Hence, the second reaching leg turned into an upwind struggle as the wind puffed and shifted strongly.  The race was shortened to finish at the third mark.  It was a challenge of who could hang on as the winds increased and play the shifts without getting into irons.  Suffice it to say, shaking the Jens rig and setting up for light conditions truly backfired.  Skeeter Chilton prevailed for the bullet.  Micki hung on for second, followed by Lee for the third.

The racing for the day was over.   We headed to shore, all shivering as we hit the shore.  The dolly boy-babes, now joined by Tom Whitehurst, Bill Haberland, Ben Simonsen, and John Rowland, greeted us only to say, “you ladies go get warmed up (take hot showers/change clothes) why we take care of your boats.”  Much obliged, that we did. 

Saturday night included dinner and entertainment at the Clearwater Yacht Club.  We ate, danced, and chatted it up.  Then it was time to rest up for Sunday’s expected cold (50-60s) and strong winds (35mph). 

Not surprised, but dissuaded by Sunday’s weather, we all arrived at the sailing site.  No one was too anxious to brave the bay today.  The race committee postponed for a couple of hours to consider the situation and expected forecast.  Keeping with the Women’s NAs tradition, the women decided.  During the two hour postponement all packed up their boats and gear.  When the race committee came back to boats loaded on trailers, the abandonment horn was blown. 

Trophies were presented at Clearwater Yacht Club to the top 5 finishers and top junior.  Congratulations to Nancy Haberland, 2002 Women’s National Sunfish Champion.  Katja Riise was awarded the top junior trophy.

Many thanks to the Windlasses of Dunedin for providing housing to the sailors and assisting with registration, to Fairley Brinkley and CYC for providing race committee, to Eric Erickson and Vickie Wagner for assisting with registration, and to Sara Beth Reeves for organizing the event.

So there you have it, a year of planning rolled-up into 48 hours of excitement!