The Villages 2009 Gator Regatta Report
Two first time winners again this season
Doc Greer and Jim Kaighin take top honors

By Alan Perkins
Considering we were following the International Regatta in Charleston SC we had a fantastic turnout of 26 boats including many skippers who had spent the previous weekend racing from 9:30 to 3:30 for three days. Thanks guys for coming.

We arrived at the Lake on Saturday morning in sweaters and long pants as the temp had dropped overnight to a chilly 60 degrees (well this is chilly in Florida) with a light wind out of the NW. By the time the skippers meeting had concluded and fleets began to take to the water, the breeze filled in and shifted around to WNW giving a good course up and down the lake.

Racing in two fleets Tony Reick got the first bullet of the day in the very close fought first of the Gold fleet races followed by Ed Gelina and Fred Pfeil. In the second race Fred changed the order by taking the bullet with Tony close behind. In the first races of the Silver fleet Martin Gray took first followed by local skipper Denis Futterlieb and Jim Kaighin very close behind.

With conditions near to perfect it was decided to get in as many races as possible and by the end of the day the Gold had 10 races in and the Silver 9. Bullets in each fleet as follows: Bob Greer 3, Fred Pfeil 2, Joe Walter 2, Tony Reick 1, Bud Cassidy 1 and John Bottensek 1. Points at close of racing in the Gold fleet Bob 32, Joe 44, Fred 45 and Tony 58 which shows how open this regatta had become.  The Silver Fleet bullets being shared by Jim Kaighin 5, Dick Reinke 2, and Martin Gray 2, again racing was very close.

Sunday dawned, still chilly with ‘steam’ rising off the lake, the wind had shifted a little more into the North giving Race Officer Bill Worrall problems trying to get a fair starting line.  Racing commenced early and Tony was again first out off the block with an early morning bullet which set him in good stead to build his points with two further bullets to take second overall after an 18 race series. Bob Greer on the other hand was giving the fleet a chance recording an 11th in the first race. Bob did however, despite a 12th in the 16th race, go on to win his first Regatta with a 3 point lead over Tony closely followed by Joe Walter and Fred Pfeil just a few more points behind taking 4th.

In the Silver Fleet Denis Futterlieb started the day with two bullets plus a further bullet in the 15th race climbing him up the leader board to finish 3rd. Jim Kaighin continued to race very consistently and managed to hold off the challenge from Dick Reinke 2nd and Martin Gray 4th to win the Silver Fleet by a very close margin. Congratulations to Albert Stall who managed a great bullet in the 13th race to record his first bullet in an EC12 regatta.

Click here for photos by Bob Greer and company

Gold-Fleet Result

  SAIL # Race
TOTAL
Net
  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Points
result
Robert Greer 152 5 3 10 1 3 1 4 2 2 1 11 8 1 1 6 12 2 2
75
52
Antony Rieck 82 1 2 11 9 13 3 3 8 3 5 1 3 5 5 2 1 1 3
79
55
Joe Walter 24 6 7 8 7 4 4 1 4 1 2 3 9 2 2 3 3 3 12
81
60
Fred Pfeil 110 3 1 4 2 10 9 2 1 5 8 8 4 4 3 4 6 8 8
90
72
John Bottensek 11 10 13 6 3 1 12 6 3 4 4 2 12 8 7 7 2 12 1
113
88
Jon Luscomb 1045 9 10 3 6 11 7 7 9 7 3 8 1 3 4 1 9 9 10
117
96
Bob Dudinsky 95 7 8 5 5 8 6 8 7 6 6 5 2 7 9 8 8 5 4
114
97
James Pardee 72 12 9 2 4 2 2 9 11 11 9 7 11 6 8 10 7 7 9
136
113
Edward Gelina 187 2 6 9 8 12 10 10 13 8 7 10 5 11 11 12 4 4 5
147
122
Bud Cassidy 1821 11 5 1 12 5 5 12 10 13 10 9 7 10 12 5 11 6 7
151
126
John Rowley 1722 8 11 12 10 9 13 11 5 9 11 6 10 9 6 9 5 10 6
160
135
Tom Phillips 265 4 4 13 13 7 11 5 6 10 12 14 14 14 14 14 14 14 14
197
169
Bud Elder 1313 13 12 7 11 6 8 13 12 12 13 12 13 12 10 11 10 11 11
197
171

Silver-Fleet Results

  SAIL # Race
TOTAL
Net
  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Points
result
Jim Kaighin 2052 3 1 1 1 12 6 2 1 1 4 4 1 3 11 2 2
55
32
Dick Reinke 1936 4 4 2 6 3 1 1 8 5 2 2 2 8 1 7 1
57
41
Denis Futterlieb 1950 2 3 3 3 4 2 12 7 6 1 1 3 5 3 1 9
65
44
Martin Gray 1983 1 6 7 9 1 3 13 3 3 5 13 4 2 8 9 8
95
69
John Harrington 19 7 9 4 8 5 5 3 6 2 12 5 5 4 5 12 3
95
71
John Garver 1560 6 7 6 2 2 7 4 2 12 6 3 11 11 7 5 4
95
72
Brenda Pardee 12 11 8 8 8 8 4 6 9 4 3 12 7 6 2 4 6
106
83
Albert Stall 1979 8 5 5 7 6 8 5 5 9 14 6 6 1 10 8 10
113
89
Bill Reynolds 1991 9 2 13 5 7 10 9 4 13 8 8 9 7 9 3 7
123
97
Jim Kelly 1527 13 10 10 13 11 9 8 10 10 11 7 8 9 6 6 5
146
120
Jim Rutherford 1678 12 13 9 11 13 13 11 11 7 7 12 13 10 4 10 11
167
141
Earl Mills 210 5 12 12 10 9 12 7 12 8 10 13 10 14 14 14 14
176
148
Jack Peck 1613 10 11 11 12 10 11 10 13 10 9 11 12 12 12 11 12
177
152