2014-2015 Sarasota Winter Series Dec 13-14th, Jan 10-11th and Feb 7-8th

[Craig Wilusz]

Good point, Brad.  There were a lot of new faces!  Fun sailing .

[Peter Beardsley]

222 will show up in Sarasota this weekend and the people who missed the first event are from what I know planning to sail the second and third events, so the turnout will be even larger for those who are on the fence about whether to make the trip. 

[Travis Yates]

Just uploaded some photos and a video clip from Saturday. Should get another few photos from some of the mark boats. Check the Sarasota Fleet FB page for the action and look for a regatta report to post on the Viper Class site soon.
Big thanks to PRO Ron Pletsch and the fantastic Sarasota Sailing Squadron volunteers. Also a big shout our to our sponsors and all the hard work from our local Viper fleet members and and our local sailors and volunteers. We are fired up for a larger fleet at the next two events. Please reach out and let us know what we can do to support you/your crew/your boat getting down here to sail this winter.
As Craig and Brad pointed out, we had two new crews/boats out racing Vipers for the very first time at this event in addition to lots of new faces AND we had more people excited to sail Vipers then we had boats! It is happening down here so now you need to pull the trigger and get down here to the fun this winter!

[Dave Banyard]

Here is the FB link
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sarasota-Viper-640-Fleet/587973181298375

Big thanks to everyone that helped put this weekend on, helped sponsor the series, and thanks to all the folks who travelled a long way to sail.  Looking forward to seeing everyone again in January!

Dave
USA 119
Tucker McElroy

[Ed "Buttons" Padin, Class Administrator]

Sarasota Winter Series Kick-off a Huge Success
December 13-14 Regatta Report

Provided by Travis Yates:

Saturday we started at noon in 5-8kts out of the NNW and sailed one race in that before the breeze dialed up 8-10 for the next two then it was 10-15 on and off for the balance with some planning in the last race. With north-ish breeze we get a little chop but it was nice for going down hill. All this was in bright sun and what we consider chilly, as the high did not make it above 70. Ron Pletsch did a killer job with the course and the length of race times were all in and around the target 35-40 min.

We got six races off because the forecast for Sunday was no breeze AND the breeze was getting better the longer we sailed Saturday. Boats were back on the dock by 4:45 and folks showered and started in on drinks. Michelle Lee organized a great Chili and Baked potato bar complemented with her custom assortment of handmade liquors and a keg of holiday Vermont microbrew on tap. The Viper Fleet had a mile long table in the "VIP" seating of the outdoor pavilion and all were fed/marinated and then treated (along with 300 or so Squadron members) to the Sarasota Holiday Boat Parade, which passes down the north seawall of the Squadron.

Sunday started early with a 10am warning signal in 4-7kts and the breeze stayed right about there in terms of velocity. The direction was fairly consistent and Ron had one postponement between races to shift the course as the breeze went to the left rather then dying. The 'I' flag was up most of the day to keep the races firing off. We got another three races today and headed back in to get folks on the road with nine good races under their belts.

Phil and Wendy Lotz sailing with Luke Lawrence dominated followed mostly by Brad Boston. It was great to have Ethan Bixby (former North Sails St. Pete) in with the Hampton guys and they earned a solid third.

Some notable things to highlight: Stephan Michael, the new owner of #99 joined us in his first public Viper outing and Cliff Whatmore of Sarasota made his first outing in Jeffery Lee's Viper 105. Both teams had a blast learning the ropes.

Full results: http://www.regattanetwork.com/event/9200
Photos: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sarasota-Viper-640-Fleet/587973181298375?sk=photos_stream

[Jason Hyerstay]

Nice report! What Vermont microbrew was it? I've introduced a number of Viper sailors to Long Trail and Heady Topper. Next time, maybe some Switchback...

Cheers!

[Dave Banyard]

Magic Hat

[Michelle Lee]

Nice work, Travis on getting the Sarasota Winter Viper Series a shout out on Sailing Anarchy.  We won't ask what you had to do to get in Mr Clean's good graces. 

http://sailinganarchy.com/2014/12/22/the-new-florida/

The New Florida

Bucking the upward trends of most regattas over the past couple years, Key West Race Week continues the slide it began a decade ago, with just 121 boats entered as of Friday's entry deadline and some meager-looking class numbers.  So where has everyone gone?  One answer is Florida's West side, which is raging with sportboat regattas up and down the length of the Gulf Coast.  Davis Island Yacht Club's 3-regatta J/70 series is oversold, while we turn to a newcomer in the sporty world for more info on a great sailing venue that's making the effort to get more people on the water.

The Sarasota Sailing Squadron has quietly been stacking the schedule for this winter sailing season. In just the last three weekends, SSS has hosted the kickoff event for the three stop VX One Winter Series, which saw three days of off-the-hook sailing with 21 VX's on the line. This was followed by the 84 boat Laser District 13 Championships that included the Norwegian National Team. This past weekend was the kick off of the three event ActionQuest Sarasota Viper Winter Series with 13 Vipers on the line, in a series that now has 18 boats registered (and growing) for the upcoming two events in Jan/Feb. Phil and Wendy Lotz, with Luke Lawrence, were on fire as they managed to outpace North American Champion Brad Boston who was followed by Henry and Barb Amthor sailing with the always fast Ethan Bixby.

Considering that not more then 50 miles north of Sarasota Sailing Squadron, at Davis Island Yacht Club, there are 48 J/70s battling it out in the Quantum J/70 Winter Series, and with the news that the 2016 Melges 24 Worlds is likely moving somewhere in the vicinity, t has to be said that the West Coast of Florida is THE hot place to be sailing sportboats!

[Peter Beardsley]

Great racing this weekend.  Results for event # 2 attached.  Writeup to follow on the web.

[Michelle Lee]

It has been so much fun to meet all the Viperers from other areas.  This is not only a great group to sail with, it's a great group to hang out with.  Our Sarasota fleet has enjoyed the visiting Vipers so much, that we're starting to plot our next few road trips to visit other Viper home clubs.  We're all signed up for Miami race week in March and thinking about how we can get up North this summer. 

Can't wait to see everybody here in Sarasota again in February. 

[Jonathan Nye]

This was a fabulous event and should be on everyone's must-do list.
Jonathan

[Peter Beardsley]

Regatta recap posted at http://www.viper640.org/usa-news/hybrid-blackout-panda-team-wins-second-sarasota-event/

[Michelle Lee]

Thank you to all the fun Viper owners who joined us in Sarasota over the series.  It was so much fun to meet everyone.  The entire Sarasota fleet will be traveling to Miami in March and then the GYA kickoff in May, so we hope to see you all there.

[Peter Beardsley]

Huge thanks to the Sarasota Fleet for running three great regattas this winter.  This should really be a "must do" for more people this coming year.  Once you're down there, living is easy and the racing is great.  There were a half dozen tents pitched on the grounds of the squadron this past weekend, plenty of kegs (and when the kegs are tapped, beers are sold at the bar for $1.50).  The J70s over the past two events just a few miles away at Davis Island YC have managed a total of 10 races...the Vipers had 19 on the same weekends thanks to excellent and efficient race management (and a boat of course that performs much better in lighter air).  Having a local fleet hosting the racing improves the hospitality tenfold.  We are looking forward to returning next winter -- it'll be a set routine -- do MidAtlantics in Hampton, leave the boat in Virginia where it is 400 miles closer to Sarasota, send it south where it is even closer to Miami, parachute in on relatively inexpensive direct flights from NY for the weekend, fly in Friday night after work, fly out Sunday night, no vacation time needed, and then the boat is out of the snow and we can race year round.  Pretty fantastic. 

For those who are interested, the writeup of the February event is posted at http://www.viper640.org/usa-news/beardsley-and-pletsch-win-sarasota-winter-circuit-title/

[Peter Beardsley]

Results from just the February event are attached.