Greetings FWC Members!
 
September has arrived, but that certainly doesn’t mean it’s time to start thinking about packing the boat up for Winter! There is still racing to be done as we head toward the end of the year.
 
What’s going on?
The focus at the moment is planning for the Championship regatta, coming up in November! The FWC leadership team wants to ensure that everyone who attends has a great experience, and the event will be of the quality that one would expect of a championship level regatta.
 
After the regatta, there will be a few more things to take care of this year. Mainly, the annual meeting and the election.
 
As we have done in years past, the annual meeting will be held via zoom at a pre-communicated date and time. We hope that anyone interested joins to hear about where we have been, where we are going, and a discussion of items that may appear on the ballot. No voting will take place at the annual meeting – it will be done electronically as we have done in years past to ensure everyone who wants to cast a vote is able to.
 
We will hold a Q&A session at the championship regatta for sailors to attend – members of the leadership team will be present to answer questions about what might appear on the ballot, or answer and discuss any other items pertaining to the FWC.
 
This year is also an election year, and all board seats are up for re-election. Our election is an open election, and anyone may run for any position. Descriptions of the positions are listed in our Rules and Bylaws. If you are interested in running for a board spot, please send an e-mail to [email protected] with a little information about yourself and what position you are running for.
 
A link to our bylaws can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BTQNo_YgFl4INhsQQP0twep0h3Uo54rmjJ18RwmXvmw/edit?fbclid=IwAR3MVJGDUpfzxmJqfv_ozlE0J5ViUvwB5OJQnkElP_7b3nLa0Dc6QT0vN6Y
 
I would like to have any nominations submitted by October 15th.
 
 
Regatta Recap
The North Coast Regional took place in early August and was a fun, successful regatta! Read the full recap here à https://www.formulawaveclass.com/news/2022-north-coast-regional-recap
 
Schedule
FWC Championship Regatta, Gulfport, FL, November 17-20
https://www.regattanetwork.com/event/24713
 
The FWC sailing season will finish with the championship in Florida! Come test your skills with the best, and race for the title of FWC Champion! If you are planning on attending, the time to sign up is now! Please use the link above to register – it only takes five minutes!
 
Other Racing Opportunities –
*Please note – these are non-FWC regattas*
 
HCANA Wave North American Championship, Shreveport, LA – October 12-16
https://www.regattanetwork.com/event/23800  
 
Stay Connected
We have several ways for you to stay connected to the FWC! Please follow us on Facebook, or check out our website from time to time! We have started a user-driven forum that is linked from the website as well. The forum is driven completely by you!
 
Thank You
 As always, thank you all for your time, support, and enthusiasm for the FWC. Our class continues to move in the right direction, and the Wave is becoming an ever popular racing boat, thanks to you!


Ben Wells
FWC - President

We had a nice turnout for this year’s Bayweek regatta. Twelve racers from throughout Ohio came to enjoy the island along with the other boats participating in the I-LYA Bayweek Sail Regatta.
Everyone got a bonus tourist pass on Friday when the wind dropped to zero before we left shore and racing was postponed twice. Sadly, the winds never filled in. Everyone got to spend the day visiting their favorite watering holes and restaurants. The Commodore got everyone in the spirit by having the Mount Gay Rum party start three hours early.
Missing the first day of racing was unfortunate but on Saturday we got in 4 good races in 6-10 knots. Racing was tight, but the first day finished with Doug Seib ahead in points, followed closely by Bob Everson and Jim Hildebrandt.  Sunday dawned with slightly better winds with the goal of getting in 3 more races. With the higher winds the reaching legs were a blast. Doug took the first race but Bob, sailing very well, took the second. The third race started well, but some congestion at the first windward mark made for some interesting sailing. Bob got away from the mess and sailed on to a one point overall victory.
Congratulations Bob for winning his first Bayweek regatta and the Borman trophy for winning the largest one design class.
Hope next year traveling will be easier so that more of you can visit us and enjoy a little “island life”.

Greetings FWC Sailors!
 
It’s the dog days of summer, but hopefully sailing has provided you a way to get out on the water and cool off. There is still some great Wave racing to be had this year, and we hope you can join us at one or more of our remaining regattas!
 
Regatta Recaps
 
We have completed two more regional regattas since the last newsletter. The Midwest Regional was held in late June in Yankton, South Dakota, and the Emerald Coast Regional was held in early July, at Fort Walton Beach. We have posted the regatta recaps to our website. Read them here:
 
Midwest Recap - https://www.formulawaveclass.com/news/2022-midwest-regional-recap
Midwest Results - https://www.regattanetwork.com/clubmgmt/applet_regatta_results.php?regatta_id=24197
 
 
Emerald Coast Recap - https://www.formulawaveclass.com/news/2022-emerald-coast-regional-recap
Emerald Coast Results - https://nextsailor.com/docs/files/31/2022_Meigs_Open_Results1.htm#summarywave
 
Schedule
 
North Coast Regional – Put-in-Bay, OH, August 5-7
https://yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=14993
 
Held as part of the I-LYA’s Bayweek Regatta, the North Coast Regional takes the FWC to an island on Lake Erie. Put-in-Bay earned the nickname “Key West of the North” and for good reason. The social scene is always busy, and for the non-partiers, there are wineries and other local attractions to check out. Of course, there will be three days of racing on historic waters on top of that! Haven’t visited Put-in-Bay before? Come sail with the FWC and see what the fuss is all about.
 
FWC Championship Regatta, Gulfport, FL, November 17-20
https://www.regattanetwork.com/event/24713
 
The FWC sailing season will finish with the championship in Florida! Come test your skills with the best, and race for the title of FWC Champion!
 
Other Racing Opportunities –
*Please note – these are non-FWC regattas*
 
HCANA Wave North American Championship, Shreveport, LA – October 12-16
https://www.regattanetwork.com/event/23800  
 
Pensacola Yacht Club Regatta, October 28-30, Pensacola, Florida
 
The regatta will offer a start for Waves using FWC rules.
 
 
FWC Election Year
As I have mentioned in previous communications, this year is an election year for all FWC Board positions. Our elections are open to any class member who wants to run. If you are interested in being part of FWC leadership, please take a moment to look over the board positions and consider where your talents may be best applied. If you are interested in having your name on the ballot, please send an email to [email protected] with a little information about yourself, what position you are running for, and why you feel that you will be an asset to the FWC in a leadership role. Our rules and bylaws with the position descriptions can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BTQNo_YgFl4INhsQQP0twep0h3Uo54rmjJ18RwmXvmw/edit?fbclid=IwAR3MVJGDUpfzxmJqfv_ozlE0J5ViUvwB5OJQnkElP_7b3nLa0Dc6QT0vN6Y
 
Elections will take place at a date to be determined in December. I would like to have any nominations submitted by October 15th.
 
Future Events
We are currently considering some ideas for future Wave events that might fall outside of our normal regional regattas. We will be sending you a survey and posting it on Facebook sometime in the upcoming weeks to gauge your feedback and the potential participation. Thank you in advance for taking a few short minutes to help us plan for future Wave racing!
 
Stay Connected
We have several ways for you to stay connected to the FWC! Please follow us on Facebook, or check out our website from time to time! We have started a user-driven forum that is linked from the website as well. The forum is driven completely by you!
 
Membership
 
As a reminder, membership is required for participation at our regattas. Membership is only $25, and only $10 for youth. Our referral program is still in place as well. As a reminder, here is how it works:


For any existing/current FWC member, if you refer a brand new FWC member (meaning, this person has never had an FWC membership before) you will earn $5 off next year’s membership rate, with a maximum discount of $25. This means that by referring five brand new FWC members in one calendar year, your FWC membership is FREE the following year. The membership form contains a line that says “Referred By”. Whoever you encourage to sign up and support/race with the FWC, make sure they put your name in that line for tracking purposes. Only one name will be allowed in the refer by line.
 
Please contact Wendy ([email protected]) with any membership questions.
 
Thank You
 
As always, thank you all for your time, support, and enthusiasm for the FWC. Our class continues to move in the right direction, and the Wave is becoming an ever popular racing boat, thanks to you!
 
Ben Wells
FWC - President

The 2022 Midwest Regional was held at Lewis and Clark Lake, in Yankton South Dakota, in partnership with the Gavins Point Yacht Club.

On Friday, sailors were greeted with the forecast of hot temperatures and a light breeze, building to something more moderate later in the day. Five races were completed in typical midwest lake sailing conditions - a shifty breeze with plenty of holes and wind lines to be found. It was a good day for all sailors, and the scores were very tight with plenty of room for position changes from top to bottom. No planned social activities took place, but many sailors found a local place that offered pizza and axe throwing.

Saturday, as predicted, sailors woke up to a heavy breeze with big gusts (22 mph gusting to 30). Race committee made the decision to postpone until noon, to see if the wind backed off at all. The direction of the wind, paired with the force of it, made the lake very rough, and there was concern about the ability to keep the flag boat and marks anchored, as well as safety concerns for the sailors and the number of chase boats available. As noon rolled around, the wind hadn't backed off at all, and the decision was made shortly after 1:00 to call off racing for the day. The yacht club held a dinner for the sailors that evening, and it was a relaxing night.

Sunday brought much more favorable sailing conditions, and racing got underway at 9:30 AM. The first race saw many challenges - the wind was on the light side of things, and all over the place. Race committee made the decision to move the racecourse to a different part of the lake after the first race completed, and that move brought better, and more stable wind to the racers. The remainder of the races were held in a wind that built to be more moderate, and pushing into the heavier range. The final race gave the sailors a really fun reach down to 'C' mark, and it's safe to say that everyone who sailed it left with a smile on their face.

Greetings FWC Members! I hope this month’s newsletter finds you well!
 
Before a recap of upcoming events, I want to acknowledge that this year’s sailing season is shaping up to be more challenging than others in the past. Gas prices are significantly higher than they were a year ago, and there are other economic factors that are potentially impacting you and your decision to travel and participate at events.
 
The focus of the FWC from the start has been hosting quality regattas. The desire is that any sailor going to an FWC regatta can expect a quality start with several sailors in attendance.
 
Right now, regatta numbers are trending down. It’s not just our class – it appears to be widespread. Sailors are perhaps being a little choosier about which events they attend, and it seems are travelling a little less.
 
While we want as many sailors as able at our events, please know, we understand and respect your choice to not attend a regatta you may have normally gone to in the past. Everyone has to make a choice that is best for themselves and consider individual budgets and financial situations.
 
Currently, we are not planning on cancelling any of our upcoming regional regattas due to lower attendance. We are grateful for any and all sailors who race with us and will do what we can to make sure a great experience is given to those who do race.
 
That said, here’s my challenge to you.
 
If you are travelling less, and just sailing at your home lake this year – take time to do some fleet building. Make new friends on the beach. Give out some sailboat rides. Promote the Wave at your local club. Share your passion for sailing with others, and hopefully, when travel becomes more affordable, some new faces can join us and get in on the fun!
 
Upcoming Events
As you review the schedule below, I would ask you to consider which events you are likely to attend. Links are listed for regattas that have registration open now. Please take a couple moments to sign up if you know you will be racing at one of our regattas – it helps organizers to plan for the appropriate number of people, and it helps encourage other sailors who might be on the fence about attending or not. More sailors registered early typically makes for a bigger regatta. Thanks for taking time to sign up!
 
Midwest Regional – Yankton, SD, June 24-26
https://www.regattanetwork.com/event/24197
 
Yankton is home to one of the favorite sailing lakes for many Midwest catamaran sailors. Between the beautiful scenery, consistent winds, and easy access, it’s a must-visit! Yankton has hosted several championship level regattas in the past, and offers on-site camping, a spacious beach, and good local scene for non-sailors to enjoy during the day.
 
Emerald Coast Regional – Fort Walton Beach, FL, July 8-10
https://www.regattanetwork.com/event/24632
 
The Emerald Coast Regional will be held in conjunction with the Meigs regatta. Fort Walton Beach is a beautiful sailing location, and the Yacht Club is a first class organization. Beat the mid-summer heat by getting on the water and racing with the FWC!
 
North Coast Regional – Put-in-Bay, OH, August 5-7
https://yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=14993
 
Held as part of the I-LYA’s Bayweek Regatta, the North Coast Regional takes the FWC to an island on Lake Erie. Put-in-Bay earned the nickname “Key West of the North” and for good reason. The social scene is always busy, and for the non-partiers, there are wineries and other local attractions to check out. Of course, there will be three days of racing on historic waters on top of that! Haven’t visited Put-in-Bay before? Come sail with the FWC and see what the fuss is all about.
 
FWC Championship Regatta, Gulfport, FL, November 17-20
https://www.regattanetwork.com/event/24713
 
The FWC sailing season will finish with the championship in Florida! Come test your skills with the best, and race for the title of FWC Champion!
 
Other Racing Opportunities –
*Please note – these are non-FWC regattas*
 
HCANA Wave North American Championship, Shreveport, LA – October 12-16
https://www.regattanetwork.com/event/23800  
 
Pensacola Yacht Club Regatta, October 28-30, Pensacola, Florida
 
The regatta will offer a start for Waves using FWC rules.
 
Stay Connected
We have several ways for you to stay connected to the FWC! Please follow us on Facebook, or check out our website from time to time! We have started a user-driven forum that is linked from the website as well. The forum is driven completely by you!
 
Election Year
2022 will be an election year for the FWC for all leadership positions. We are still a long ways out, but if you do have an interest in serving and participating in FWC leadership, consider where your time and talents could be best spent. Our by-laws detail the responsibilities of each role. As it gets closer, we will gather names of any interested parties, as well as existing board members who may choose to run again, and we will communicate what the election will look like.
 
Thank You
As always, thank you for your support and participation with Wave sailing. The class wouldn’t continue to thrive without you!


Ben Wells
FWC - President

Greetings FWC Members!
 
May is here, and summer feels like it’s in full swing! I hope you have been getting some time on the water – there are plenty of Wave racing opportunities coming soon!
 
Regatta Recap
https://www.formulawaveclass.com/news/2022-mid-south-regional-recap
 
The Mid-South Regional was completed in late April, and you can read the full recap on our website. 14 races were completed across three days. Congratulations to the top finishers!
 
1st – Doug Seib
2nd – Mark Ralph
3rd – Xander Wessels
 
Upcoming Events
As you review the schedule below, I would ask you to consider which events you are likely to attend. Links are listed for regattas that have registration open now. Please take a couple moments to sign up if you know you will be racing at one of our regattas – it helps organizers to plan for the appropriate number of people, and it helps other sailors who might be on the fence about attending or not. More sailors registered early typically makes for a bigger regatta. Thanks for taking time to sign up!
 
Midwest Regional – Yankton, SD, June 24-26
https://www.regattanetwork.com/event/24197
 
Yankton is home to one of the favorite sailing lakes for many Midwest catamaran sailors. Between the beautiful scenery, consistent winds, and easy access, it’s a must-visit! Yankton has hosted several championship level regattas in the past, and offers on-site camping, a spacious beach, and good local scene for non-sailors to enjoy during the day.
 
Emerald Coast Regional – Fort Walton Beach, FL, July 8-10
https://www.regattanetwork.com/event/24632
 
The Emerald Coast Regional will be held in conjunction with the Meigs regatta. Fort Walton Beach is a beautiful sailing location, and the Yacht Club is a first class organization. Beat the mid-summer heat by getting on the water and racing with the FWC!
 
North Coast Regional – Put-in-Bay, OH, August 5-7
https://yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=14993
 
Held as part of the I-LYA’s Bayweek Regatta, the North Coast Regional takes the FWC to an island on Lake Erie. Put-in-Bay is earned the nickname “Key West of the North” and for good reason. The social scene is always busy, and for the non-partiers, there are wineries and other local attractions to check out. Of course, there will be three days of racing on historic waters on top of that! Haven’t visited Put-in-Bay before? Come sail with the FWC and see what the fuss is all about.
 
FWC Championship Regatta, Gulfport, FL, November 17-20
 
The FWC sailing season will finish with the championship in Florida! Planning is underway, and details and registration will be available soon. Mark your calendars, and plan on competing with the best!
 
Other Racing Opportunities –
*Please note – these are non-FWC regattas*
 
Candler Regatta, Panama City, FL – June 4-5
https://www.regattanetwork.com/event/24472
 
The organizers have invited the waves to come participate. With 5 or more Waves, they have offered giving the fleet their own start/racecourse, etc.


HCANA Wave North American Championship, Shreveport, LA – October 12-16
https://www.regattanetwork.com/event/23800
 
All who sign up by May 31st will go into a drawing to win a new set of EPO3 rudders!
 
Pensacola Yacht Club Regatta, October 28-30, Pensacola, Florida
 
The regatta will offer a start for Waves using FWC rules.
 
Stay Connected
We have several ways for you to stay connected to the FWC! Please follow us on Facebook, or check out our website from time to time! We have started a user-driven forum that is linked from the website as well. The forum is driven completely by you!
 
Election Year
2022 will be an election year for the FWC for all leadership positions. We are still a long ways out, but if you do have an interest in serving and participating in FWC leadership, consider where your time and talents could be best spent. Our by-laws detail the responsibilities of each role. As it gets closer, we will gather names of any interested parties, as well as existing board members who may choose to run again, and we will communicate what the election will look like.
 
Thank You
As always, thank you for your support and participation with Wave sailing. The class wouldn’t continue to thrive without you!

The Mid-South Regional was held on April 22-24, 2022. Eleven sailors gathered in Shreveport, LA for this annual regional and were not disappointed.

Friday saw moderate winds, and in typical FWC fashion, the results were quite mixed over the first six races completed, with four different sailors earning at least one first place finish.

The winds kicked up on Saturday, and really made things interesting. A strong, gusty breeze brought favorable conditions to some sailors, while making it a challenge for others. Father and son sailors, Chris and Xander Wessels, owned the day, combining to win four of the five races completed.

Winds were backed off some on Sunday, and allowed three more races to be completed. All sailors had a great event, and and the party was fun as always. Shreveport continues to be a favorite regatta for the FWC - see you next year!

Overall top three finishers:
1st - Doug Seib
2nd - Mark Ralph
3rd - Xander Wessels

Greetings FWC Members!
 
March is here, and just like that, our first two regattas of the year are completed! I hope you are excited for the warmer weather that is on its way and are ready to get your Wave moving soon (if you haven't already, of course).
 
Regatta Recaps
Instead of putting full regatta recaps in the newsletter, we are going to start publishing them on our website. I will add links to the recaps in the newsletter. Visit our website periodically to see news and updates posted there first!
 
First, the Southwest Regional regatta recap was written by our friends at Murrays!
 
https://www.formulawaveclass.com/news/2022-southwest-regional-recap
 
The recap contains a link to their website. Please consider supporting those businesses who help support the FWC!
 
Congrats to the top finishers:
1st Place - Jim Sajdak
2nd Place - Jane Sherrod
3rd Place - Teri McKenna
 
Next, the Deep South Regional was held in Clermont, Florida. Find the recap, written by FWC Event Coordinator Doug Seib here: https://www.formulawaveclass.com/news/2022-deep-south-regional-recap
 
Congrats to the top finishers:
1st Place - Doug Seib
2nd Place - Jane Sherrod
3rd Place - Terry Warren
 
Schedule
Mid-South Regional - Shreveport, LA
April 22-24, 2022
Come sail with the gators in Louisiana! The Shreveport regatta has become an annual favorite for FWC sailors. On-Site camping, gracious hosts, good food, and great wind make this a regatta you don’t want to miss.

Midwest Regional - Yankton, SD
June 24-26, 2022
Yankton is a favorite sailing location for many Midwest sailors for several reasons! Camping on-site by the scenic bluffs make this a gorgeous destination to visit, and the traditionally good winds make the sailing fun. Yankton has hosted many national championship level regattas. Come see what the fuss is all about!

Emerald Coast Regional - Fort Walton Beach, FL
July 8-10, 2022
The Emerald Coast Regional will be held as part of the Meigs Regatta. Fort Walton Beach is a great place on the gulf you can take the whole family too! The Fort Walton Yacht Club is a first class organization and will host an excellent summer sailing event!

North Coast Regional - Put-in-Bay, OH
August 5-7, 2022
Often called the Key West of the North, the Put-in-Bay regatta is a party within a party. Spend the day racing on Lake Erie, and your evenings exploring the active nightlight of the island. There is plenty to explore, so bring the family, and enjoy all Put-in-Bay has to offer.

HCANA Wave North American Championship – Shreveport, LA
October 12-16, 2022
**This is not an FWC Regatta. Participants must be members of the HCANA and sail an HCA compliant boat. 

Pensacola Yacht Club Regatta - Pensacola, FL
October 28-30, 2022
**This is not an FWC Regional Regatta, but will offer a Wave start and course sailed under FWC rules. 

FWC Championship Regatta - Gulfport, FL
November 17-20, 2022
 
Membership
It’s time to renew your FWC Membership! If you haven’t already, please contact Wendy ([email protected]) to complete your membership. We also have a button on our website that links out to PayPal and you can complete your membership that way too. Remember, memberships are required to participate in our events!
 
Regular memberships are $25 and youth memberships are $10. Our referral program is still in place, so be on the lookout for new FWC members and it could save you money on next year’s membership!
 
FWC Forum
If you haven’t already done so, check out the FWC Forum, accessible from our website! The forum is meant to be driven by you! When you go to the forum, you will see a button in the upper right-hand part of the screen that says “Register”. All you need is your email address, and it takes a couple of minutes to set up the account for the forum. Once you have an account – have fun! Start a discussion. Ask a question. Feel free to use it and post to it.
 
Social Media
Please follow us on Facebook! (https://www.facebook.com/hobiewaveracing) We post updates, pictures, schedule information, and all things FWC. Like and share our posts to spread the news of all the great things we have going on!
 
Thank You
As always, thank you all for your continued support of the FWC. Wave sailing wouldn’t be what it is today without your participation and enthusiasm in our sport. See you at one of our Regionals this year!
 
Ben Wells
FWC - President