CORAL REEF CUP BREEZES INTO MIAMI

Twenty Etchells raced on Biscayne Bay in this 4th year of the Coral Reef Cup. This regatta is known as a fun and low key regatta. It is one of three such regattas run and hosted by Miamis Coral Reef Yacht Club (CRYC). Like the huge International Youth Orange Bowl Regatta and the famous Bacardi Cup (for Stars), there are no weigh-ins or measurements. These regattas are not qualifiers for anything besides a good time. The goal is for a lot of tense racing on the water and camaraderie on land.

The skies were blue, temperature in the mid 70s and oscillating 15 knot winds were from the east on Friday. The famous Biscayne Bay chop was up to 1 foot barely tickling over with white caps. With CRYCs experienced Bill Smoak as the Principal Race Officer and Etchells sailor P.J. Keenan as the Regatta Chair, the race management was smooth. Buddy Cribb, a CRYC Member racing with Coral Reefers Ed Cabassa and Eamonn diLisser won Race 1. Miami born Senet Bischoff from Larchmont , NY who sails for NYYC dominated Race 2. His crew was Colin Gordon and Jud Smith. Bischoffs KGB, owned by Ben Kinney, Colin Gordon and Bischoff also won the 3rd Race.

At the end of the day. KGB was in the lead with 9 points, followed by Buddy Cribbs Victory with 10 points. In 3rd place from Ontario, Canada was Peter Halls Cruel Jane with Dirk Kneelman and Philip Kerrigan as crew. There are two more days of racing to go.

ETCHELLS BECKMAN HAS PERFECT DAY IN CORAL REEF CUP

Although the rain forecast was 10% on Day 2 of Miamis Coral Reef Cup, it all came before the Signal Boat left the dock at Coral Reef Yacht Club. PRO Bill Smoak reported that the wind ranged from 15 to18 knots another good day of fresh easterly breezes with clear starts for the first two races of the day. By the third race, the wind had dropped to 11 to 12 knots.

The sailors were relaxed while the racing tightened up. Houstons Marvin Beckman, the 2009 Etchells North American Champion and 2nd in the 2010 Jaguar Cup and his boat Keep Smiling took Race 4, 5 and 6. Beckmans crew were Curt Oetking and Jeff Madragalli. In Races 4 and 5. Beckman was followed closely by KGB skippered today by co-owner Colin Gordon, a NYYC member from Sachems Head, CT. Despite an OCS in Race 6, KGB, with crew Senet Bischoff and Jud Smith, restarted and caught back up to 3rd.

The results after 6 races (with a drop), KGB retains the overall lead by 11 points. The next five places are within 4 points of each other. In 2nd place overall with 20 points, is Chicagos John Podmajersky with Scott Kulp and Max Skelley. In 3rd with 22 points, is Coral Reef Yacht Clubs Steve Horwitz on Widespread Panic with Eric Rodriguez, Mark Littee and Patrick Ellis. In 4th is New York Citys Kurt Winkelmann and crew Brad Boston and Eric Vigrass with 22 points. With 23 points, Peter Hall from Canada on Cruel Jane has Dirk Kneelman and Philip Kerrigan as crew. Marvin Beckman also has 23 points and is catching up quickly with his three bullets today. Sunday will be a very exciting day with this very close competition. There will be two more races and trophies.

KGB (THE ETCHELLS SAILBOAT!) WINS CORAL REEF CUP

The Coral Reef Cup was a breezy Miami Etchells regatta which fulfilled its promise of being fun and low key with intense racing on the water and camaraderie on land. Rain showers (called liquid sunshine in Florida) on the 3rd day of competition lasted through race 7 with winds of 15 to 20 knots from an Easterly wave, but then then a shifting dying breeze arrived during the 8th and last race of the day and the course was shortened to three legs.

The winning team sails KGB, owned by Ben Kinney (prospective CRYC Member), Colin Gordon and Senet Bischoff. (That is where the KGB comes from.) Senet Bischoff is a former CRYC Youth Racing Team Member. They all sail for New York Yacht Club. When Ben cancelled out to stay in CT with wife Megan,to await the birth of their first baby, Jud Smith stepped onboard to crew. Bischoff and Gordon traded places as skipper. Their total point score for the 8 races including one drop was 18 points.

In 2nd place overall was Peter Halls Cruel Jane with Dirk Kneulman and Philip Kerrigan as crew with 24 points. Peter hails from Burlington, Ontario, Canada. They came in 1st in both races today (7 and 8). Chicagos John Podmajersky took 3rd with the assistance of Scott Kelp and Max Skelley with a total of 27 points. In 4th place, New York Citys Kurt Winkelmann with Brad Boston and Eric Vigrass. Coral Reefer Steve Horwitz pleased the local crowd by finishing in 5th on Widespread Panic with Eric Rodriguez, Mark Litte, and Patrick Ellis as ablebodied crew.

Much applause came from the CRYC spectator fleet when 2010-2011 Race Committee Chair Sharon Bourke, sailing on the John Deere with Tim Banks and Stuart deLisser finished 3rd in Race 8.

Coral Reef Yacht Club hosted the regatta. Trophies were presented by Etchells Regatta Co-Chairmen P.J. Keenan and Henry Chau. Bill Smoak was the Principal Race Officer. Jere Woltz was Chief Judge. There were no protests, OCSs or Black Flags.

In addition to PRO PC Bill Smoak, the CRYC Race Committee was made up of Signal Boat Soft Shell captained by PC Rick Bischoff with Scribe Anne Edwards, PC Bill Anderson calling the line, Jill Smoak as Timer, Connie Bischoff as Scorer (with Melissa Horwitz), Flags by Gina Melin, Lisa Richardson, Raleigh Susskind, Lucy Berthold and Harry Susskind as Sound; Pin Boat Flying Dragon had John Stemples, Jere Woltz, Jane Anne Pincus, Stuart Davant and Fay Regan on board; Weather Mark boats were Kenny Batzer from BBYC, with Judson Owen, PC Brian Fink, Scott Gering, Cindy Saunders and Tom Piper (BBYC) and Coral Reef II with 2009-2010 Race Committee Chair Mark Pincus, Tom Septembre, and Jaime Ramon. The Gate Boat was TheTwoDogs with Rick Bertold and Stuart Sprague. Sally Browne was Jury Secretary with Judge Joan Lawrence, Jane Anne Pincus and Jere Woltz.