In picture-perfect tropical conditions, Blitzkrieg, Matthew Schaedler's J/122 from Toledo, Ohio, was the overall winner of the Sailfish Club of Florida's and Storm Trysail Club's 68th annual Wirth Munroe Race from Miami to Palm Beach on Friday, Dec. 6.
Hap Fauth's Maxi 74 Bella Mente was the elapsed time winner with a time of 4:47:08. Mach Schnell, Kent Haeger's Gunboat 62, won the multihull class, and Alexei Vasiliev's Tripp 33 Stalker was first in PHRF.
The 29-boat fleet representing 14 states included four ORC classes, multihulls and a PHRF division racing on two courses -- the Classic course starting in Miami and the Sprint course starting in Fort Lauderdale. Both courses finished off Palm Beach.
Racers enjoyed sunny skies and warm temperatures. A light northerly tested tacticians and prompted the Race Committee to shorten the 60-mile Classic course by 8 miles. All boats finished within the time limit, and the 350 sailors enjoyed the Sailfish Club's dockside Bossa Nova cocktail reception and legendary seafood buffet awards dinner.
The Wirth Munroe Race is part of the SORC's Islands in the Stream series. The Organizing Authority includes the Sailfish Club of Florida and the Storm Trysail Club, along with the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club, Race management support is provided by all three clubs and the SORC.
The class winners and perpetual trophy winners are as follows:
- ORC A -- Hap Fauth's Maxi 74 Bella Mente
- ORC B -- Chris Saxton's J125 Vortices 2
- ORC C -- Matthew Schaedler's J122 Blitzkrieg
- ORC D -- Tom Bowler's C&C 115 Rockstar
- PHRF -- Alexei Vasiliev's Tripp 33 Stalker
- Multihull -- Kent Haeger's Gunboat 62 Mach Schnell
Perpetual Trophy Winners
- Best elapsed time -- Bella Mente, Hap Fauth's Maxi 74 -- 4:47:08
- Navigator of the boat with best elapsed time -- Ian Moore, Bella Mente
- Best elapsed time by a Sailfish Club of Florida boat -- Interlodge IV, Austin and Gwen Fragomen's Botin 44 -- 6:10:44
- Best corrected time by a Sailfish Club of Florida boat -- Rockstar, Tom Bowler's C&C 115
Photos by Out Your Front Door:
