The TBCSI St. Patrick's Day Regatta 2005 was a fun event. It was kind of stealthey in that there was not much publicity and the format changed at the last minute. At first the plan was to tie it in with the Gulfport A-Class nationals that were occurring the same weekend but The A's were anticipating boats in the twenties and thirties so there wasn't enough room at Gulfport to hold a joint regatta. Hoopes actually volunteered and helped at Gulfport as chase boat. That left John Fondrk to run the TBCSI event at the Dunedin Causeway.

As it turned out, I heard there were only 12 boats show up at Gulfport and with the minor publicity only 8 boats showed up at the Causeway for what turned in to a one day TBCSI distance race.

The weather predictions at the causeway were for no wind on Saturday
3/19/05 but the weather men were way off. It was cool with a breeze in the bay but when you got out in the Gulf there were white caps, a confused big chop with a wind of about 15 to 20 out of the north.
Sloppy was my description. Waves from the North West and wind from the North made it an interesting beat going north.

The course for the High Portsmouth 5 boats was around the Spider Buoy and back. At the Spider is where Vel DeKreek lost his mast. He was out there in a good swell and lots of wind, right in Clearwater Pass. None of us were around to see him. He got a tow to the Sailing Center and a ride up to the Causeway thank goodness. Sounds like the side tramp bar let go.

The Low Portsmouth boats continued from the Spider up around Three Rooker Bar and back.

Winner of the Low Portsmouth was, Alain Dubuc and Eve-Marie L'abbe, The Canadians on their Tornado. For the Low Portsmouth, First Place went to Tom Hirst on his Super Cat 15.

Hopefully the full results will be up soon on our TBCSI Web site. If not call John Hoopes or John Fondrk, not me Parker.

Terry Fondrk