By: Jeff Nehms
The International Etchells 2024 Biscayne Bay Regatta Series continued in Miami on February 3-4. The 30th year anniversary of the Florida State Championship, the third event of the four-regatta series, attracted 34 boats. Winning the 2024 Florida State Championship Overall and the Florida State Championship Perpetual trophy, in the memory of Tom Piper, was Jim Cunningham, USA-1504 “Lifted”, sailing with Steve Hunt, Erik Shampain and Serena Vilage.
2024 Florida State Championship 1st Place Overall and the Florida State Championship Perpetual trophy: Jim Cunningham, USA-1504 “Lifted”, sailing with Steve Hunt, Erik Shampain and Serena Vilage.
Finishing second overall was John Dane III, USA-1427 “DangErous”, with crew Eric Doyle and Karl Anderson. Third place overall went to Craig Mense, USA-1456 “Freedom”, with Ian Liberty, Manu Weiller and Norman Berge.
The 2024 Florida State Championship Corinthian class was won by Andrew Lawson, sailing GBR-1490 “No Dramas” with Graham Vials and Billy Russell. Finishing second in the Corinthian class was Andy Cumming, CAN-1451 “Blackadder II”, sailing with Chloe Congourdeau, Erin Sauder and John Millen. Third place Corinthian went to Jeff Dever, USA-1090 “Leading Edge”, sailing with Colin Foster and Jacob Fisker-Andersen.
2024 Florida State Championship 1st Place Corinthian: Andrew Lawson, GBR-1490 “No Dramas”, sailing with Graham Vials and Billy Russell.
Starting time on Saturday was delayed for two hours due to no wind as the competitors enjoyed breakfast on the patio at Biscayne Bay Yacht Club. Nobody seemed to mind. PRO Mark Foster sent the fleet out after the 11AM Competitors Briefing for a 1PM start. The goal was to get 3 races in the bag before sundown at 6PM as the weather forecast for Sunday was very nasty.
PRO Mark Foster set a first beat of 1.0 miles in 6-8 knots of SE breeze. The fleet was typically aggressive for the first “P” flag start with more than half the fleet over early due to the flood tide. After four General Recalls and U Flag Starts, the fleet finally got off under a Black Flag start at 2PM. USA-1427 “DangErous”, skippered by John Dane III, with crew Eric Doyle and Karl Anderson won the race. Scott Kaufman, USA-1419 “Rebel” was second, with Craig Mense, USA-1456 “Freedom” in third. Race two started with another “P” flag start with no boats called over early. John Dane III, USA-1427 “DangErous”, was first. They were followed by Jim Cunningham, USA-1504 “Lifted”, in second and Ante Razmilovic, NZL-1499 “New Order”, in third. Race three went off at 4:15PM with a first beat of 0.9 miles and a building ebb tide. An immediate “U” flag start was called so that 3 races could be finished before sundown. Tom Carruthers, USA-1481 “Louise”, was first. They were followed by Luke Lawrence, CAN-1501 “Cruel Jane 2.0” in second and Simon Patterson, GBR-1489 “Standfast” in third.
Sunday dawned with a miserable weather forecast as a front with very heavy rain, lightning and a tornado watch was moving rapidly across south Florida from the west, and was due to hit Biscayne Bay at 12Noon. PRO Mark Foster made the prudent decision to abandon racing for the day. Boats were hauled immediately. And a packed Awards Ceremony took place at 11AM.
Next up, the Etchells Midwinters East, February 16-18, 2024, which is a “must count” event in the four event regatta series. Competitors get to throw out their worst finish from the first three events of the Etchells Biscayne Bay Series but must count their finish in the Midwinters East. Peter Duncan, USA-1506 “Oatmeal”, is leading the Series by 1 point, with Jim Cunningham, USA-1504 “Lifted”, in second. In the Corinthian class, Peter Vessella, USA-1491 “Mahalaga”, is leading Andrew Lawson, GBR-1490 “No Dramas”, by 2 points.