Twenty-three boats showed up for this years Delray Drag Race on a beautiful windy wavy crazy day. The sailors were so anxious to start the race that all but three were over the line early, some by as much as five minutes. One sailor said, “You said the race started at 10:15, so I started at 10:15”, others claimed they couldn’t see the flags, or they went by the horns, but most just followed the boats over the line early like penguins diving in one after the other. There was a short horn blast to tell the guys towing the buoy where to set it. No flags went up with that blast, but still, we should have used a different signal. So, there was confusion, and there was controversy, and there was pain and boat wreckage and this is The Delray Drag Race.

The winds were ENE at about 15mph and the surf was pretty big but manageable between wave sets. The first leg to Singer Island was close to a beam reach and the I-20s pulled ahead, especially the ones with the 5-minute head start. Just past the Boynton Inlet Lars Fischkelta and Julia Vogelsang, on a red Hobie 18 flipped then quickly turtled over during one of the occasional 18 mph gusts. Julia fell into the boom hard breaking two ribs. In selfless acts heroism Ripp Parent, Mike Kennedy, and father and son team Chip Collard and Johnny Mineo on two of the boats that started correctly came to rescue the injured sailor. Ripp and Mike ferried Julia to shore where paramedics hauled her off on a stretcher. Then Johnny, Mike, and Lars righted the vessel with the aid of local fishermen in a powerboat. Julia said over the phone Sunday morning she was in good spirits but sore.

Craig Van Eaton’s Super Cat 20 demasted causing the three-man crew to crash into each other like hockey players. Then while drift surfing onto shore the dragging shroud wires caught on a reef violently pulling recently stowed mast and sails off the deck into the big breakers tearing the shroud plate from the hull. Security Guards greeted them on the beach informing them this was Bill Koch’s property, the famous 1992 America’ Cup winning skipper. Craig says he’ll be up and sailing in no time; maybe Bill can give him a hand.

Dave Ingram and Mark Herendeen blew out a shackle for the main sheet traveler while in second place just behind leaders John Casey and Jamie Livingston of Team Castrol II, who lead the whole way in an awesome display of dominance taking line honors and winning the I-20 class of five boats. Congratulations to all the winners.

But the big perpetual trophy for corrected time went to Jay Sonnenklar and Terry Greene of Team Castrol I on a Hobie 21. One sailor noted how the Hobie 21 really started moving fast “finding its groove” as the wind picked up late in the day. Wouldn’t it be nice to be in the groove all day.

Birthday boy Jeff Bower and new catsailor fiancée Kristen Graves placed 2nd in class and third overall on a Mystere 6.0. Bob Grubb and his wife Christy sailed their Mystere 6.0 for the fist time and survived high and dry sitting in the “first class” section on wings. Brothers George and Don Poole raced on catamarans for the first time and the Roth brothers earned third place in the I-20 class. Former champs Les and Linda Bauman placed 3rd in class and 4th overall on their old Hobie 20. Rick Abbott and Chuck Lawson, one of the three boats that didn’t cross the start line early, won the 18-19 foot class on their Prindle 18.

Special thanks to Bob Grubb for the t-shirts, he still has plenty left, and Bruce McKeever for the beer, and Lisa Collard the meter maid, and hosts Chuck, Dave, and Doug, at Delray Water Sports, and starter Sean Ferrell, and Denny Watt, and Craig Van Eaton. We’ve probably forgotten others so, thank you all, and happy sailing.