Cheap Thrills?
A couple of months ago, we decided to hold the first-ever SAYC Cheap-Ass Weekend Sportboat Regatta (the CHAWS). Dozens of you said you’d bring your boats, thankful to get the chance to do something we so rarely get to – race in big breeze and ocean waves in Florida at the tail end of winter.
Thanks to the Fort Pierce Yacht Club, we organized exactly that event. Set in the windiest month in a windy part of the Atlantic coast of Florida, Fort Pierce has free launch ramps, immediate access to the sea, and great, inexpensive watering holes – and yet, only a dozen boats have registered with just over a month to go. What the hell is wrong with you people? Here is a two-day event that costs almost nothing, with absolutely ideal conditions for a PN or PHRF mixed-sportboat fleet, and only six sportboats are registered?
Let’s try this one more time: Sailing Anarchy and Fort Pierce Yacht Club are organizing the SA Invitational Sportboat Regatta on March 14-15th in Fort Pierce, Florida – the place where Olympic windsurfers like Mike Gebhardt live so they can train in big wind as much as possible. The likelihood of breeze is strong. The likelihood of waves is stronger. And as it is an SA regatta, the likelihood of a bunch of fun people racing hard and drinking harder is substantial.
So whatever the hell you race, come down and be part of the event. For sportboats, we’ve got a couple of FT-10s, an Ultimate 24, a Viper 850, a Flying Tiger 7.5 and some M24 and Viper 640 interest – maybe we’ll see something we almost never do – a true sportboat handicap fleet. There are a handful of beach cats registered, and our PRO is a beach cat sailor so he’ll make you comfortable. Some S2 6.7 and J/24 sailors want to come down, and we’ll welcome your shitbox too – just bring a fun attitude and you will be the rock star this weekend. BUT – if y’all don’t register, we don’t have a regatta! So set aside your 50/100/150 dollars (includes dockage), book an inexpensive room at the Dockside Inn room, and sign up already. Why the hell not?
