FWC Update October 2023

Greetings FWC Members!
 
Happy Halloween! I hope the fall has treated you to some beautiful sailing weather! Enjoying the changing colors while out on the water has always been a favorite activity of mine during this time of year. Here is your October newsletter!
 
Regatta Recap
 
The Deep South Regional was held October 13-15 in Ocean Springs, MS, and the regatta did not disappoint! 25 sailors showed up for three days of racing. What a great turnout! Unfortunately, the first day saw no racing due to no/low wind, however some sailors did venture out in the late afternoon for a little practice. Saturday brought four races in lighter air, building to more moderate air during the day. Three more races were completed in moderate/heavy air (and cooler temps!) on Sunday. All in all, everyone was smiling and happy at the end. It was a great time connecting with old friends, meeting new ones, and getting in some very tight racing. Four different sailors earned a bullet, but ultimately Bob Curry walked away with it, finishing with 8 total points for the regatta. Mark Ralph and Jane Sherrod were separated by only two points for second and third, and Ben Wells and Mark Ederer were separated by two points to round out fourth and fifth. Full results can be seen here.
 
Additionally, this was one of our Clean regattas, held as part of our partnership with Sailors for the Sea. The yacht club did a wonderful job promoting this and making many sustainable choices that we hope will continue on in their club for future events. We are proud to be on track for a Gold certification, which is the second highest certification level we can achieve.
 
One final special item of note. At the awards ceremony (combined with the Shearwater regatta), the Carlton Tucker Sportsperson award was announced, and went to a very deserving individual. For those not familiar with this award, it is one of the highest honors a Hobie sailor can achieve and is awarded annually by the HCANA. While this person has been active with the HCANA and Hobie sailing for many years, we are very proud to have her as a valued FWC member as well. She is a strong competitor, and truly a friend to all. You can read her nomination here. On behalf of the FWC, congratulations Sheila Holmes!
 
What’s going on/coming up next?
 
We have the throttle full ahead for the Wave 100 distance race planning. This is really going to be a unique and exciting regatta. Registration is open now, and your starting position is determined by the order you register.. so.. the sooner you sign up, the better position you will start in! We are capping this regatta at 50 sailors. Please take some time to read through the uploaded documents on Regatta Network to understand what this regatta is, and what it isn’t. There will be some unique requirements of sailors we typically don’t ask for, but it’s all in the name of safety and making sure everyone has an enjoyable regatta. The Wave 100 link is here!
 
There will be much more to come on this down the road, but please save the date for our return to Corpus Christi for the US Sailing Multihull Championship in 2025. This will be the first week of November, just like it was in 2021. Our goal is to have 100+ sailors, so mark your calendars now!
 
The end of our calendar year is coming up, and that typically means annual meeting and voting. There are no officer elections this year, however there could be voting on any proposed rule changes. If you have a rule change in mind, please send it to [email protected] so our rules committee can discuss and consider it. Our annual meeting will be held via Zoom in early December. Please be on the lookout for a specific time and meeting link as the date gets closer.
 
Regatta Calendar
 
We have one more Regional for 2023, and that’s the Florida Keys Regional, down in Key Largo! Due to space, this regatta is capped at 30 sailors, and 25 have signed up so far. If you are going to go, the time to register is now! The Keys in December will be beautiful, and they have a really fun event planned. Don’t miss out, register here!
 
Please be sure to check out our website for additional Tier-3 regattas! Coming up yet this year are:
 
Dinghy Days Regatta, Arizona Yacht Club - November 4-5

Wildcat Regatta, Lake Eustis FL - November 18-19
 
Resources

I want to make sure you are aware of all other resources we have for you to stay connected and informed.
 
Social Media
Follow us on Facebook for updates, information, and sometimes just for fun pictures and all things Wave sailing.
 
Forum
This is a user content generated forum for you to start conversations, ask questions, or discuss whatever is on your mind when it comes to Wave sailing and racing! Check it out if you haven’t yet!
 
 
Thank You
As always, Thank You to everyone who supports and sails with the FWC. It’s truly an honor to be part of this amazing class and fun group of sailors. See you on the water soon!
 
Ben Wells
FWC - President