District 20  Regatta Report

Sun Mar 6th, 2005 through Fri Mar 11th, 2005

Mark Mendelblatt and Mark Strube with the Bacardi Cup; photo by Jan Walker

Mark Mendelblatt and Mark Strube with the Bacardi Cup; photo by Jan Walker

2005 Bacardi Cup

 

Reports by Janet Maizner of the Bacardi Cup website
More Bacardi Photos by Jan Walker of Regatta Active Images

Bacardi Cup Trophies:
Bacardi Cup – Mark Mendelblatt, 1st place skipper
Trofeo Jose Argamasilla Bacardi (The Tito Cup) – Mark Strube, 1st place crew
Tammy Rubin Award (highest finishing boat without an award) - Andy Beadsworthy & David Carr
Master – Vince Brun
Grand Master – Tony Hermann
Exalted Grand Master – Gene McCarthy

Mendelblatt/Strube Win 2005 BACARDI Cup
Shiebler Is Day Six Winner

Friday, Mar. 11 – Floridians Mark Mendelblatt and crew Mark Strube won the 2005 BACARDI Cup, a six-race series sailed annually in Biscayne Bay since 1962.

Howie Shiebler of San Francisco, CA and crew Anson Stookey of Middletown, RI won today’s Day Six race and keep their second place overall standing from yesterday.

Two-time Bacardi Cup winner Peter Bromby and crew Rick Peters came in a disappointing eighth today, moving them down from first to third place overall. Defending Bacardi Cup champions Afonso Domingos and Bernardo Santos from Portugal keep their ninth place overall with a finish in 20th place today.

"It feels great to win especially after the stress of our OCS (false start) yesterday," said Mendelblatt of St. Petersburg, FL. "Our strategy was to start close to Peter, but when we saw that Howie was ahead we quickly adjusted and stuck close to him." And follow they did throughout most of the course to take second place in the Day Six race. "To beat Peter is an extra bonus in this regatta," said Mendelblatt. Strube and Mendelblatt first sailed together in the 2003 America’s Cup in New Zealand on One World and this is only their second time together in a Star Class regatta. Both admit that their ultimate goal is the 2008 Beijing Olympics in Star Class.

According to Domingos, “The competition at the Bacardi Cup is always very good. I’ve done well in light winds this year, but you never know in America.".Rick Merriman of San Diego, CA and crew Brad Nichol of Lake Sunapee, NH took third today and fourth place overall. Californians Erick Lidecis and crew Michael Marzahl took fourth and 16th overall. Andy Beadsworth of Great Britain and crew David Carr finished Day Six in fifth place moving them up to 11th overall.

Unlike the last three days of racing, there was little wind on the Bay for the 70 boats representing 10 countries. With a one-hour delay on the start, the fleet finally seized the five-knot gusts coming out of the south. The 10.5-mile course was changed slightly to take advantage of the wind shift to the SE and increase to 10-15 knots.

Mar.10, 2005 – Olympian Peter Bromby of Bermuda and crew Rick Peters of Venice Beach, CA had a neck and neck race from the start to finish line with Howie Shiebler of San Francisco, CA and crew Anson Stookey of Middletown, RI in Day 4 of the prestigious BACARDI Cup. Two-time Bacardi Cup champion Bromby won it and is now in first place overall.

“Good things happened to us today,” said Bromby. “We had a good lead on most of the fleet from the start and at the windward mark we were pleasantly surprised to see two of our closest competitors on the board, ” he said. Both Mark Mendelblatt and Vince Brun, who were first and second place overall on Day 3, were disqualified for false starts today.

Mendelblatt drops to 2nd overall and Brun, who was in 2nd, drops to 7th overall. “I felt it was pretty darn close, but I was called at the line. We had a good first beat, but then they told us about the OCS and we had to drop out, ” said Brun.

According to Shiebler who finished in the number two spot today, “We caught Peter on the run and got even halfway up the beat. I thought we had him at the end, but he had more pressure left of us. We tried to play the averages, but it didn’t work out, ” he explained. Shiebler moves up from 17 overall to 3rd.

George Szabo of San Diego and crew Christian Finnsgard of Goteborg, Sweden finished in 3rd place today and held onto their 9th position overall. John MacCausland of Medford, NJ and crew Brian Fatih of Miami, FL came in fourth in today’s race and are in 4th overall jumping up from 18th overall. Andy Macdonald and crew Austin Sperry took 5th today and are in 8th position overall.

Predicting what may happen on Day 6, Shiebler said it best - "Tomorrow will be refreshing; no one can afford a throw out and Peter and Mark will have the advantage."

March 9 - Mark Mendelblatt of St. Petersburg, FL and crew Mark Strube of West Palm Beach, FL have moved into first place overall after finishing first and fourth in today's back to back races at the 2005 BACARDI Cup. Day 3 of racing was cancelled because of small craft warnings and the race was made up today.

"It was shift, windy and crazy out there today," said Mendelblatt. "Stars are a lot more complicated than Lasers," said Mendelblatt, who sailed a Laser in the 2004 Olympics and took Silver at the World Laser Championships. "Today we were in the right place and had a bit of luck."

Mendelblatt admitted that the best sailors in the world are in Stars. Vince Brun of San Diego, CA and crew Doug Brophy of Rowley, MA placed fourth and 18, and slipped from first to second overall in a day of wet and windy racing on Biscayne Bay.

Bermuda ace sailor Peter Bromby and crew Rick Peters of Venice Beach, CA jumped to third place overall with second and sixth place finishes in today's races. Rick Merriman of San Diego, CA and Brad Nichol of Lake Sunapee, NH held their fourth position overall. Merriman said it was harder to see the pops on the water in the rain and "it was hard today to look upward when the rain hits right in the face."

Bromby is a two-time winner of the BACARDI Cup and said, "We've been the comeback kid so far and we'll do better tomorrow, if we get off the starting line better."

Defending champions Afonso Domingos and crew Bernardo Santos of Portugual are in fifth place overall followed by Miamian Augie Diaz and crew Bob Schofield of Annapolis, MD in sixth place. Domingos said he had a very good upwind in the second race today and felt more comfortable with more wind in the downwind when he passed quite a few boats. "Water was warm out there because we were so cold, " he said. Temperatures in Miami were unseasonably cool today in the low 50's.

March 8: No race was completed. The forecast was for a major front to move through around noon, with winds around 30 mph. The race committee called an hour's postponement of the start, thinking that the weather would pass through. After the hour elapsed, the radar was still showing the front coming but it had slowed. Just before noon, The race committee made the decision to cancel for the day.

Vince Brun Wins Bacardi Cup Day Two Race
Mar. 7, 2005
- Light and shifty air delayed the second day start of the Bacardi Cup in Biscayne Bay today. The international fleet of 70 Star Class boats waited on the water for almost an hour before a light 4 to 5 knot breeze arrived.

Six-time Bacardi Cup winner, Vince Brun of San Diego and crew Doug Brophy of Rowley, MA were the first to catch a breeze and they never let it go winning the second day race. The California skipper is now in first place overall.

Brun was the first around all three marks leading up until the 4th leg where Miamian Augie Diaz and crew Bob Schofield of Annapolis, Md. made a valiant attempt to catch him but ended up in second place.

"Vince dominated right from the start," said Diaz. "On a day like today, you have to have speed, luck and you have to do things right. Vince had speed and smarts," he added.

Rick Merriman of San Diego, CA and crew Brad Nichol of Lake Sunapee, NH, sailing a brand new Star boat, took third trailed by Arthur Anosov of St. Petersburg, FL and crew David Caesar of Toronto, Canada in fourth. Anosov said this is his 8th Bacardi Cup race and it is his best yet, "even though it was a tough and slow start."

For Merriman, all of his gains were made on the first beat by jibing early. "At the second and third marks, we closed up on Augie and Vince," he said.

Floridians Mark Mendleblatt of St. Petersburg, and crew Mark Strube of West Palm Beach, finished in fifth place. This is Mendleblatt's first Bacardi Cup.

First day top five finishers skippers Howie Shiebler and Peter Bromby were stuck in the middle of the pack for most of the race, with the Portuguese team of Afonso Domingos and Bernardo Santos even further back. Bromby stands in 6th place overall with Domingos holding 10th overall.

Racing continues through Friday, Mar. 11th.

Three BACARDI Cup Champions Place in Top 5
MIAMI, FL – March 6, 2005 – Defending Bacardi Cup champions Afonso Domingos and crew Bernardo Santos of Portugal, finished the first day of the six-day BACARDI CUP Regatta in fifth place.

Howie Shiebler of California and crew Anson Stookey took first place followed by Floridians Mark Mendelblatt of St. Petersburg and crew Mark Strube of West Palm in second place.

Two-time Bacardi champion Peter Bromby of Bermuda placed third with crew Rick Peters and six-time Bacardi Cup winner Vince Brun of California and crew Doug Brophy took fourth place.

After pulling into the U.S. Sailing Center dock, the 35-year-old Domingos said “After such a clean start, I’m disappointed with my 5th place finish. Unfortunately we had some problems with our hiking strap.”

Domingos held third position from the start through the third turn and then lost downwind to push him into fifth place. He added, “ Vince Brun was one of the toughest competitors today.”

As for Brun, he’s happy with his finish too despite a few mistakes. “We went long on the leeward mark and gave up quite of bit of distance. Then we spent the rest of the race trying to hold them back,” he said.

Bromby was at the middle of the pack after the start and according to Rick Peters, they made huge gains. “We went flying downwind after the first turn and we passed almost 20 boats,” he said.

One thing noticeable in today’s race were the number of boats displaying a large ‘Z” on their sails as a tribute to long-time Star Class sailor Frank Zagarino of Miami who died yesterday.

According to several competitors, “Zag” as he was affectionately called, was known as the guy who helped out everyone who ever came to Miami to sail.


Star
Place Boat Skipper Crew Sail #: Fleet 1 2 3 4 5 6 Total
1 8157   Mendelblatt Mark   Strube Mark   8157   USA   2.0 5.0 1.0 4.0 71.0 [OCS] 2.0 14
2 8207   Shiebler Howie   Stookey Anson   8207   USA   1.0 71.0 [OCS] 6.0 8.0 2.0 1.0 18
3 7988   Bromby Peter   Peters Rick   7988   BER   3.0 19.0 2.0 6.0 1.0 8.0 20
4 8222   Merriman Rick   Nichol Brad   8222   USA   9.0 3.0 5.0 14.0 6.0 3.0 26
5 8184   Maccausland John   Fatih Brian   8184   USA   6.0 71.0 [OCS] 7.0 5.0 4.0 9.0 31
6 8132   Brun Vince   Brophy Doug   8132   USA   4.0 1.0 4.0 18.0 71.0 [OCS] 6.0 33
7 7829   Szabo George   Finnsgard Christian   7829   USA   12.0 18.0 3.0 11.0 3.0 7.0 36
8 8162   Macdonald Andy   Sperry Austin   8162   USA   10.0 27.0 12.0 1.0 5.0 10.0 38
9 8145   Domingos Afonso   Santos Bernardo   8145   POR   5.0 23.0 10.0 2.0 7.0 20.0 44
10 8045   Diaz Augie   Schofield Bob   8045   USA   7.0 2.0 21.0 10.0 16.0 11.0 46
11 7953   Beadsworth Andy   Carr David   7953   GBR   11.0 14.0 8.0 21.0 11.0 5.0 49
12 7640   Anosov Arthur   Caesar David   7640   USA   8.0 4.0 16.0 17.0 9.0 16.0 53
13 7986   Allen Bill   Lichter Brad   7986   USA   18.0 6.0 11.0 15.0 18.0 13.0 63
14 7225   Perce Hyde   Nielson Chris   7225   USA   22.0 10.0 17.0 13.0 13.0 14.0 67
15 8176   Kelly Steven   Holowesko Bill   8176   BAH   20.0 38.0 9.0 9.0 15.0 15.0 68
16 7631   Lidecis Erik   Marzahl Michael   7631   USA   15.0 22.0 19.0 71.0 [DNS] 12.0 4.0 72
17 8033   Rotermund Philipp   Holweg Nils   8033   GER   13.0 11.0 15.0 16.0 71.0 [OCS] 17.0 72.0001
18 7567   Serinis Aaron   Avis John   7567   USA   21.0 8.0 13.0 20.0 48.0 22.0 84
19 8143   Cramer Brian   Greensmith Iain   8143   CAN   28.0 7.0 20.0 12.0 19.0 33.0 86
20 7763   Londrigan Jr Tom   Wallner Chris   7763   USA   71.0 [BFD] 16.0 28.0 24.0 10.0 18.0 96
21 7601   Hicks Michael   Hicks Patrick   7601   GBR   19.0 25.0 71.0 [DNS] 27.0 20.0 25.0 116
22 8177   Anderson Karl   Hopple Peter   8177   USA   17.0 46.0 29.0 23.0 8.0 71.0 [DNS] 123
23 8110   Nehammer Christian   Mitterhauser Grunther   8110   AUT   27.0 26.0 30.0 22.0 25.0 23.0 123
24 8112   Bainton Joseph J   Sharp Roger J   8112   USA   14.0 17.0 26.0 34.0 46.0 34.0 125
25 7956   Herrmann Tony   Monroe Scott   7956   USA   40.0 9.0 24.0 42.0 24.0 32.0 129
26 8217   Gay Todd   Klerk Jon   8217   USA   38.0 36.0 18.0 26.0 21.0 31.0 132
27 8181   Campbell Argyle   Yakovenko Dmitry   8181   USA   16.0 42.0 40.0 19.0 17.0 46.0 134
28 7042   Brown Steve   Monroe Eric   7042   USA   26.0 20.0 23.0 38.0 27.0 49.0 134
29 8038   Vanderhoff John   Parrish Andrew   8038   USA   23.0 13.0 41.0 37.0 37.0 26.0 136
30 8043   Kohlhas Jock   Zirkle Richard   8043   USA   33.0 31.0 52.0 32.0 14.0 28.0 138
31 7626   Folsetter Doug   Scott Larry   7626   CAN   71.0 [RAF] 37.0 25.0 7.0 34.0 37.0 140
32 8214   Vander Molen Jon   Ticknor Steve   8214   USA   29.0 32.0 31.0 36.0 22.0 29.0 143
33 7450   Lehnert Stefan   Menning Peter   7450   GER   30.0 29.0 42.0 45.0 30.0 21.0 152
34 6756   Hendershot Will   Vranderick Alain   6756   CAN   31.0 35.0 34.0 25.0 28.0 48.0 153
35 8087   McNeil Kevin   Mininger Seth   8087   USA   47.0 71.0 [OCS] 22.0 28.0 33.0 27.0 157
36 7545   Hampe Axel   Wagner Stefan   7545   GER   44.0 24.0 33.0 31.0 42.0 30.0 160
37 8036   Rickard Jack   Valasek Marek   8036   USA   48.0 41.0 36.0 35.0 32.0 19.0 163
38 8084   Teitge Bob   Burgess Rick   8084   USA   50.0 12.0 37.0 39.0 35.0 43.0 166
39 8077   Vander Molen Tom   Jackson Dave   8077   USA   37.0 39.0 49.0 44.0 23.0 24.0 167
40 8059   Vessella Peter   Trinter Phil   8059   USA   71.0 [DNC] 71.0 [OCS] 14.0 3.0 71.0 [OCS] 12.0 171
41 7993   Bainton Jr Joseph   Rogers Chris   7993   USA   25.0 34.0 27.0 71.0 [DNS] 45.0 41.0 172
42 8113   Weissenberger Gunti   Brown Chris   8113   USA   55.0 15.0 38.0 33.0 47.0 40.0 173
43 7732   MacDonald Gary   Leonidov Sergey   7732   USA   32.0 45.0 44.0 29.0 39.0 71.0 [DNS] 189
44 8111   Brethorst Rick   Pederson Matt   8111   USA   34.0 44.0 48.0 71.0 [OCS] 29.0 35.0 190
45 7863   Meyer Klaus   Boguhn Lutz   7863   GER   36.0 40.0 32.0 30.0 71.0 [DNS] 52.0 190
46 8183   Tamburini Antonio   Ricci Renzo   8183   ITA   43.0 33.0 39.0 41.0 71.0 [OCS] 36.0 192
47 8063   Collins Bert   Avellon Guy   8063   USA   46.0 53.0 46.0 40.0 26.0 38.0 196
48 7715   Swigart William   Heckmann Jeep   7715   USA   45.0 28.0 71.0 [DNS] 46.0 40.0 47.0 206
49 7368   Haarstick Steve   Schumacher Todd   7368   USA   35.0 49.0 35.0 71.0 [DNS] 52.0 [ZFP] 44.0 215
50 7670   Mccarthy Gene   Mccarthy Glenn   7670   USA   49.0 30.0 55.0 43.0 44.0 50.0 216
51 8083   Chiarella John   Carlson Bob   8083   USA   39.0 43.0 50.0 47.0 41.0 51.0 220
52 8175   Babel Jim   Hawk Bill   8175   USA   52.0 [AVE] 21.0 45.0 71.0 [DNS] 71.0 [OCS] 39.0 228
53 8168   Vander Molen Jim   Waldorf Mac   8168   USA   42.0 52.0 71.0 [DNS] 71.0 [DNS] 36.0 42.0 243
54 7816   Lehner Marko   Langmaak Helge   7816   GER   60.0 54.0 43.0 49.0 49.0 56.0 251
55 8218   Stephenson Nelson   Chard David   8218   USA   41.0 47.0 47.0 48.0 71.0 [DNF] 71.0 [DNS] 254
56 7639   Rowse Sam   Bowers Robert   7639   USA   56.0 48.0 51.0 71.0 [DNS] 57.0 [RDG, 57.0] 45.0 257
57 8100   Bucher Hans   Dutton Todd   8100   USA   59.0 63.0 53.0 50.0 43.0 60.0 265
58 7833   Bonanni Claude   Sinner Philip   7833   USA   58.0 62.0 71.0 [DNS] 71.0 [DNS] 31.0 58.0 280
59 7228   Zambella Joe   Costa Peter   7228   USA   24.0 50.0 71.0 [DNS] 71.0 [DNS] 71.0 [DNS] 71.0 [DNS] 287
60 7970   Hopkins Sam   Kaplan Bart   7970   USA   63.0 58.0 54.0 71.0 [DNS] 51.0 61.0 287
61 7193   Joyce William A   Berger Thomas   7193   USA   54.0 57.0 71.0 [DNS] 71.0 [DNS] 66.0 [ZFP] 54.0 302
62 8000   Walker Harry   Warren Alan   8000   USA   52.0 56.0 71.0 [DNS] 71.0 [DNS] 71.0 [DNS] 55.0 305
63 7497   Wilson Kris   Elsaesser Bud   7497   USA   62.0 64.0 71.0 [DNS] 71.0 [DNS] 50.0 62.0 309
64 7434   Parks Bill   Anderson Clark   7434   USA   51.0 51.0 71.0 [DNS] 71.0 [DNS] 71.0 [RAF] 67.0 [ZFP] 311
65 7934   Von Schwarz Karl   Vosbery Barbara   7934   USA   61.0 61.0 71.0 [DNS] 71.0 [DNS] 71.0 [DNF] 59.0 323
66 7964   Kohlermann IV Charles   Kohlermann III Charles   7964   USA   53.0 59.0 71.0 [DNS] 71.0 [DNS] 71.0 [DNS] 71.0 [DNS] 325
67 7866   Thomsen Dierk   Thomsen Lars   7866   GER   71.0 [DNC] 55.0 71.0 [DNS] 71.0 [DNS] 71.0 [DNF] 57.0 325
68 8189   Fields Bill   Butler Chad   8189   USA   57.0 60.0 71.0 [DNS] 71.0 [DNS] 71.0 [DNS] 71.0 [DNS] 330
69 8130   Voight Henning   Struve Dirk   8130   GER   71.0 [DNC] 71.0 [DNC] 71.0 [DNS] 71.0 [DNS] 71.0 [DNS] 71.0 [DNS] 355
69 7936   Rubinkam Steve   Eggen Michael   7936   USA   71.0 [DNC] 71.0 [DNC] 71.0 [DNS] 71.0 [DNS] 71.0 [DNS] 71.0 [DNS] 355

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