2006 Southeast Regionals are Great Tune-up for the Worlds
11 September 2006
Pictured above from Left to right:
Todd Edwards, David Loring, Krysta Ryode, Tom Whitehurst, David Mendelblatt, and Glen Myrick.
High performance racing was the order of the day at the 2006 Southeast Regional Championship hosted by the James Island Yacht Club in Charleston, SC September 2 - 3. Thanks to the hospitality of some local Sunfish sailors and the fact that the 2006 Worlds Championship will be held in Charleston Harbor in October we played host to 2006 Midwinter Champion David Mendelblatt of St. Petersburg, 2006 International Masters Champion Todd Edwards of Baton Rouge, 2006 US Masters Champion Tom Whitehurst of Pensacola, 2005 North American Junior Champion Krysta Rohde of Savannah, 1996 World Champion David Loring, perennial women’s top performer Anne Edwards of Baton Rouge and former SE regional champions Ken Krawcheck and Dan Rohde. Could it be they were trying to get a handle on the currents and eccentricities of Charleston Harbor in preparation for the Worlds? Brian McGinnis even drove down from Long Island. Brian Swan, Rick Whitehurst, Andrew McIntosh, Michael Poulnot, Ryan Hamm, Rob Eberle and Peter Rupp were also using this as a warm-up for the Worlds. It will be interesting to see how all of the above fare in the Worlds.
Four races were held Saturday afternoon in light air. In the first race, David Loring went to the right side looking for a sea breeze, David Mendelblatt went to the left looking for less current and Tom Whitehurst stayed in the middle and played the shifts. Tom’s strategy won out with Loring second and Mendelblatt third. Apparently Mendelblatt figured something out on that race because he followed it with three first places the rest of the day. Todd got a second in the second race while Krysta Rohde was third. Ken Krawcheck was fourth in the first race and was in very good position in the second when he had a breakdown and had to retire. After the first day and before any discards Mendelblatt was in first place, Loring in second and Tom Whitehurst third.
Even though we had a heavy rain shower about 9:30 am Sunday we still got the first race off in very light air close to the scheduled 10 am start. The wind filled in a little during that race won by Tom Whitehurst. The wind continued to build somewhat during the second and third races and the sailors got back to the beach about 1pm. Tom had a great day with two firsts and one third, Mendelblatt had a third, second and first. It must be nice when your worst race out of seven is a third! Several sailors had some excellent races: Todd Edwards had a third; Anne Edwards, Rob Eberle and Reid Cabiness had fourths; and Peter Rupp and Krysta Rohde had fifths.
After one discard, Mendelblatt finished first overall, Tom Whitehurst second, Loring third, Todd Edwards fourth and Krysta Rohde fifth. Tom was also the first Master, Krysta the first female as well as the first Junior and Glen Myrick the first Grand Master. Since five of our first six finishers had already qualified for the 2007 Worlds, this regional championship will qualify Krysta Rohde and Rob Eberle, with alternate Reid Cabiness. Two new members, Richard Costner and Alex Smollta joined USSCA for this regatta and experienced a baptism of fire with this extraordinarily strong field. Our PRO Hal Smith more often runs PHRF races but says he was so impressed with this experience he may start racing a Sunfish. Good choice, Hal! Any regatta owes its success to volunteers. Many thanks to JIYC members and to the friends and family members of Sunfish sailors who helped with this regatta.
Rose Rowland
Southeast Representative
US Sunfish Class Association
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