More – newer - faster for Key West

by Rich Roberts on 22 Oct 2004 Bigger, better and faster – that is the prospect for Key West 2005 with the booming Transpac 52’s and bustling J/105s, among other classes, coming out in force for North America's annual premiere regatta.

Overall entries are running ahead of the 2001 pace that saw a record number of 326 boats compete, forcing an expansion to four race courses.

The climate, conditions, competition, renowned race management and shore side attractions are among the reasons why the event dominates the world's midwinter sailing calendar.

Even regulars from throughout Florida are keen to return despite the heavy hardships and losses suffered by themselves or their neighbors when their state was hammered by a rare succession of four major hurricanes recently.

Premiere Racing management, recognizing the tenacity of the state's competitors, has reduced entry fees for Florida residents by $100 for both Key West 2005 and Acura Miami Race Week 2005.

With the hurricane season long gone by January, Gary Schwarting, a Melges 24 sailor from Naples, said, ‘I entered well before the hurricanes hit and I'm still planning to go. There were no direct hits in Naples. We only got [winds] up to 80mph.’

Dr. Jose Suarez Hoyos of Tampa, who will sail his J/109 Mariah in his eighth Key West week, said he wouldn't miss it for anything. ‘The restaurants are great, you meet a lot of famous sailors and boats, and the organizers are really organized, so you know that a race is going to be [fair].’

Last January, week-long ideal winds produced winners from five countries and 11 states coast to coast and allowed a Key West record number of nine races to be sailed.

This time there will be more than 20 one-design and PHRF classes for boats from 24 to 75 feet---notably the Transpac 52s that have quickly surged into a class of their own and the J/105s making a quantum jump from 29 boats to a free-for-all of 40 or more.

The Transpac 52s are now officially organized as the TP 52 Association as the box rule class expands far beyond its original concept of big boats that were equally suitable for the Transpacific Yacht Race and inshore buoy racing.

Now there are boats competing or being built for owners in seven countries, including a Mediterranean fleet of 17 led by King Juan Carlos of Spain.

Tom Pollack, the class's executive director from Newport Beach, Calif., promises that six will line up at Key West.

They are following the lead of Roger Sturgeon's Rosebud, a bi-coastal competitor from Santa Cruz, California and Fort Lauderdale, Florida that has crisscrossed the country competing at Key West and other venues in between the last two years.

‘It all started with Rosebud traveling around and getting people interested,’ Pollack said.

Others due to line up include the first U.S. season champion, Makoto Uematsu from Tokyo, sailing Esmeralda, with Ken Read as tactician.

After winning six of seven races at the Big Boat Series in San Francisco, Uematsu said, ‘This is the best boat I have ever had. It is also the fastest I have gone in a boat – even faster than my powerboat!’

Key West will mark the start of the TP 52s' 2005 season championship series.

The J/105s' growth since their inception 13 years ago also has found no bounds. Class secretary-treasurer Nelson Weiderman said, ‘We have a lot of new people who are interested and we're retaining the people who have been there.

‘Reconfiguration of the early Annapolis fleet will put those boats in the chase. The Annapolis guys decided to go with deep keels,’ Weiderman
said.

‘That's a 40- or 50-boat fleet that couldn't race with us because of their shoal keels. They're in the midst of converting their boats and will start bringing them to Key West.’

Glenn Darden, the current North American champion, will not compete, but Richard Bergmann and Shawn Bennett's Zuni Bear, the two-time defending champion from San Diego, will be back, challenged by, among others, Ed Cummins and Jack Franco's Bold Forbes, the NA runner-up from Newport Beach.

Anticipated one design classes include the Swan 45s, which debuted a year earlier; Farr 40s, Mumm 30s, 1D35s, J/120s, J/80s, J/29s, C&C 99s, Corsair 28Rs and the largest group of all, the Melges 24s with their usual strong international turnout.

One-off designs and others without the numbers to establish classes will be assigned to the PHRF fleets that traditionally comprise about one-third of the turnout.

Key West 2005 sponsors are Nautica, Terra Nova Trading, RealTick, Mount Gay Rum, B&G, Lewmar, Samson Rope Technologies, and the Florida Keys and Key West Tourist Development Council. The Historic Seaport is the Official Site.

Support also comes from a record number of 28 Industry Partners.

Premiere Racing is also managing the new Acura Miami Race Week 2005 (‘the SORC renaissance’).

Race dates are March 10-13, 2005, with ocean and
Biscayne Bay racing. Many Key West entrants are planning to store boats in Miami and FT Lauderdale and return for more great South Florida racing.

Entry information and current list, Notice and Conditions of Race, accommodations and much more at www.Premiere-Racing.com