Hello Sailors!

Another SPSA Season is almost over.  But don't worry you can still sail all summer long. See more info below. 

We are almost in the membership renewal season.  Some of you have already renewed, if not go ahead and log in, update your contact info.  If you aren’t sure if you are current and set up for next season just contact : secretary@spsa.us

And don't forget your SPSA merch at this link:  https://spsa.us/spsa-merchandise/

April and May recap:

SPSA sailors could be found all around the bay competing in regattas or sailing just for fun.  SPSA members can be seen sailing out of the St Pete Sailing Center Tuesday mornings, and Fridays for SPYC Twilight races.  April saw the last of the Spring Series races and May 3^rd was the Doublehanded / Couples race.  Both were well attended, and we had a full house at the post race, Cinco de Mayo themed end of season social.   Some SPSA sailors & boats made the podium in the 81 Bay /Charley Morgan Memorial regatta, DIYC Hospice Cup, and the 46^th Annual Suncoast Raceweek. 

King of the Bay: 

Back to back KOB winners for March and April are Greg Burney and Wendy Reeve with the Sonar.  Next time you see them offer a bow or curtsy and you might get them to reveal their secrets to success.  All hail the KOB!  More info here.  Who will be May's King?

Upcoming Events:

5/10/25 SPSA Full Moon fun race

Sign up to race at this link & poster attached.

Pursuit style race.  Race course and times & after party TBD.  Course for the day is based on wind speed and direction.  And will be sent out to membership this Friday 5/9.   Find your start time and join the fleet under the moon. Working running lights required!

5/10/25 TSS Commodore Cup, Apollo Beach : Link

Contact event organizers soon , ASAP as they are allowing late registration.

BCYC Raft up:  5/24 & 25

Come join the fun either or both days. See poster attached & more info here.

Women Who Sail Tampa Bay: Conference June 6-8th. Register today, more info at this link:  https://wwstampabay.com/nwsa-2025/

More sailing opportunities:  Keep sailing throughout the summer

Friday night sailing series : 2025 SPYC Twilight Series: sail one race or whole series : Link

Thursday night sailing at DIYC in Tampa https://diyc.org/racing/thursday-night-racing/

Hello Sailors!

Here is the update for March.

SPSA  February Recap: a great month for sailing in Tampa Bay

SPSA sails SPYC John Jennings Regatta on 2/1:

Cruisers, racers, & one design boats got in on the action at this annual event.  Congrats to Sprite, Charisma, for completing the long course.  And to Tack Tick and L30 #15 going 2^nd and 3^rd in the spinnaker A fleet.  Moby Quick and the Salt 70’s also got 2 & 3 in J70 class, and Pig Headed and Sizzle placing respectfully in the Windmill fleet.  Congrats to all who sailed that day.  Results.

Our 4^th annual "Off the Wall" casual pursuit-style race 2/2 :

Designed to introduce new racers to the joy of racing.  We had 13 boats this year, with 2 new to racing.  The winds were light, and the course was shortened at Little J.   The post-race event was held at St Pete Sailing Center. See rundown of scores here.

February King of the Bay:  

Only one boat submitted results for the coveted KOB trophy this month.  The mighty Opal won’t be denied greatness.  Each time Opal submits a winning time, it’s faster than the last.  This time is one for the record books.  Knocking themselves out of the number 10 spot in the top ten fastest runs, they placed 5^th, with a corrected time of 42:55.  The fastest time this season, so far…who’s next?  Scores and info on the King of the Bay contest can be found at this link.

SPSA Spring Series 2/8

This series races had a slow start, but the wind picked up and two races were put on by the new RC boat.   The oldest boat, Obsession and the newest boat, the L30 battled for spinnaker fleet glory with the L30 winning the tie breaker getting 1^st on the day.  Charisma kept it up with 2 more bullets for the series. And Fiddlesticks wins 1^st in cruising class, with other boats having close scoring between them.  Post-race awards were at Localz.  Check out the scoring for yourself.

SPSA sails the Helly Hansen & TSS 60^th Gasparilla:

Both regattas were well attended, and were benchmarks of hospitality.  You can see the results at these links.  HH, and TSS.  And some pictures here.  The HH Sponsor, Sailing World also does a great job with videos, and the website.  Check them out and see if you made the cut.  If you missed this year’s regatta, don’t miss the next one.

Upcoming Events:

SPYC Twilight Friday night series:

You will see lots of SPSA members sailing the SPYC Twilights, come and join the fun.  The series runs from March until September every year.  This year it will be split into 2 separate series, and will have an overall winner.  Check out info and sign up today, it starts this Friday 3/14.  Don’t miss out on the magic of the Twilight series.  https://theclubspot.com/regatta/NBrUn0G0Xo

SPSA Spring Series 3/15 & St Pat’s Post-race party:

Continue the fun, and race the SPSA spring series. This one has a post-race St Pat’s themed event at the Big Catch ~3pm.  Come dressed up and ready, as the RC will be deciding on the best dressed boat, and best dressed crew.  There will be shenanigans.    

SPSA Dolphins Cruising:   

SPSA Dolphins are gearing up for cruising season after the storms in the fall.  If you need more info check out this website.   See the calendar for upcoming events and click for the descriptions.   Sign up for email info etc here.    Next event, this weekend!  Anchor out at the South Basin near Albert Whitted Field, Dock Party 3/14.  And join the SPSA racers at the Big Catch for St Patty’s Social and Awards 3/15.

WWSTB Movie Night 3/19:

Join Women Who Sail Tampa Bay for movie night at Green Light Cinema. We have rented the theater and will be watching The Race to Alaska, a fun movie for anyone who loves adventure. There will be a pre-movie social hour to meet & greet the sailors. More info at their website.

See you all out on the Bay!
Brian Conlin

SPSA Commodore

Hello Sailors!

Here is the update for February.

SPSA  January Recap: 

SPSA Full Moon Pursuit Race:

With a cold front bearing down on Tampa Bay we changed the date from Saturday to Sunday.  This moon was the wolf moon, and it did not disappoint.  The bay was still at the start and you could hear the sailors howling and some were even singing. The breeze picked up slightly and the boats that sailed were able to complete the course under the moonlight.  Results are posted. Post-race activities were on Bumbugo. Be sure not to miss the next full moon race.

SPSA Dolphins Cruising:   

The SPSA Dolphins sailed away at the Clearwater sound.  Two boats and around 16 sailors enjoyed the concert and the iconic band STYX.   It was cold, but worth it.

SPSA Spring Series kickoff & Chili Cook-Off  

Nineteen boats showed up at the start line situated by the St Pete Pier, and put on a show for all to see.  Photos from the RC can be seen here, and race results at this link.  The post race Chili Cook off saw 13 entries, a record for entries.  58 votes later the chili champion was decided. 

King of the Bay:  January’s KOB had the most entries per month ever, with 8 times submitted. Check out the results and ask the sailors all about it.  There were some windy days on the bay this month, and the competition was close.  Alas, Bumbugo wins the KOB!, with the fastest time in January, beating Obsession by 37 seconds. This also knocked Obsession out of the 10^th all time , and Opal down a notch only one second behind Bumbugo’s January corrected time. Scores and info on the King of the Bay contest can be found at this link.

SPSA sails beyond the bay:  SPSA members took part in The Salt Pines Cup, a 100nm race from St Pete to Clearwater.  Rodion Luka (L30), and Jeff Lewis (Mirage 33) took first in their classes.  Other SPSA members  filled out crews throughout the fleet.   Team Obsession took 1^st in Spin C at the DIYC Commodore’s Cup, and with the best score among the boats up to 30 feet with a symmetrical rig on the Drop-mark course won the Frank Selph Memorial Trophy.

Upcoming Events:

SPSA Spring Series 2/8

This weekend join the fleet for round two of the spring series.  Post-race awards at Localz ~3pm.  If you can’t sail, you can still join the after party.  *No parking at Sailing Center* due to the Opti regatta.

The  Helly Hansen Sailing World ,  There are a few more Sonars and J70s available at SPSC  Register today!

The 60^th Annual TSS Gasparilla Regatta at Apollo Beach is not to be missed!

Here are some online resources for regional PHRF certifications, and the Tampa Bay calendar for more regatta opportunities. 

See you all out on the Bay!
Brian Conlin

SPSA Commodore

Happy New Year Sailors!

Here is the update for January.

SPSA  December Recap: 

Fall Series Races 7&8

This round of racing completed the SPSA Fall Series.  With light winds for most of the fall, this weekend provided a nice breeze to the delight of the fleet.  Tack Tick , Mojo, and Obsession went 1, 2, and 3 in the spinnaker class.  Charisma , Legacy and Endeavor made up the top three for the cruising spinnakers.  Another tie breaker in the JAM fleet saw Desiderata in 1^st, with Libelula in second, and Fantasea in 3^rd.  The post-race event at our club sponsor Localz was well attended, thanks to all who came to celebrate a great day of sailing!  See the results summary on the regatta page here.   Looking at the scoring you can see the potential for tight competition in the upcoming Spring Series.  Get registered today at this link.

SPSA Commodore’s Cup Regatta This Commodore’s Cup saw SPSA racers expanding their horizons with new courses and marks.  Well, some marks didn’t survive the hurricanes, but the sailors were still able to find their way around the bay.   The day started with light winds then building throughout the day. We added a fun class to the event.  The Sonar fleet came out and we saw 5 of 6 available boats, a great showing indeed.  SPSA burgees were handed out to the ‘new to the fleet boats’, Aldonza, and Hopscotch at the post-race event at the Big Catch.  Results are posted

King of the Bay:  December’s KOB winner is the Soverel 26, Obsession.  Two attempts were made to win the monthly crown by Fantasea, and Obsession, but the Soverel 26 prevailed. Who will challenge Obsession for the January KOB Crown?  Scores and info on the King of the Bay contest can be found at this link.

SPSA New Year’s Double Whammy!

If you weren’t there, you missed a real doozy at this year’s SPSA NYE anchor out, New Year’s Day Regatta and Holiday party.  There were sailboats, skiffs, and the SPSA committee boat rafted up on NYE.  There were sunset cocktails and dancing next to Cayennita IV’s boom box.  Some say they heard a conch shell being blown in the distance.  The next day’s pursuit race saw a bit of everything including a 180 degree wind shift in the middle of the race.  And exciting breeze on finish for the fleet.  Check out the great pictures from the RC boat, and results.  The holiday party continued with lots of food and fun complete with white elephant gift exchange. 

Upcoming Events: January is another big month for sailing events in Tampa Bay and beyond

SPSA Full Moon Pursuit Race: *date change to 1/12 Sunday*

This weekend, Sunday 1/12.  Register at this link.  Stay tuned for updated NOR & SI’s.  Course and start times will be posted to the regatta website, and emailed out to the membership.  Enjoy the thrill of sailing under the moonlight on Tampa Bay.  Post-race event TBD.

SPSA Dolphins Cruising:   

Come Sail Away!!! January 10-12, 2025. Cruise to see the band Styx play the iconic song “Come Sail Away” at Clearwater Sound.  Either anchor out and listen from the boat, get a dock slip, come by dinghy, but do not miss this outing! Host boat will be Hula Girl II, with pre-concert docktails around 5pm.   More details on concert tickets and dock reservations here.

SPSA Spring Series kickoff & Chili Cook-off 1/25/25

Don’t miss out on the sailing or the chili.  The competition has already begun as folks are talking a big game for on and off the water.  Register for the spring series here.  And be on the lookout for a RSVP chili sign up online. 

February 2^nd brings back our annual "Off the Wall" casual pursuit-style race is designed to introduce new racers to the joy of racing. Post-race event will be held at St Pete Sailing Center. Register today

Lastly, yes you can sail more! Check out online resources for regional PHRF certifications, and the Tampa Bay calendar for more regatta opportunities.   The John Jennings and Helly Hansen Sailing World Regattas are not to be missed!

See you all out on the Bay!
Brian Conlin

SPSA Commodore

Ho Ho Ho!

Here is the update for December.

SPSA  November Recap: 

Fall Series Races 5&6

This edition of the fall series saw light winds, again.  SPSA RC boat, Cayennita IV was on station and put on a couple of wind appropriate race courses.  The first race had to be shortened, then a second course was moved closer to the area with wind near the airport.   For the racing division 1 & 2 was TackTick, then J70 Bostick. .  3^rd was Sprite winning the 3 way tie for third place.  Cruising Spinnakers scored Charisma in first, Legacy second, then Endeavor third for the day.  The JAM fleet had 3 boats with a 3 way tie for first, it worked out with Desiderata 1^st, Libelula 2^nd, and Bumbugo 3^rd.   All this makes for some exciting racing and series scoring.  Don’t miss out on the last series races for this Fall!

The Annual Emerson Point Cruising Rendezvous:

Despite the cancelling of Kickoff Cruise due to hurricane damage, etc.  SPSA Dolphins Cruising Chair Steve Shortt rallied 8 boats to join in a fun-filled weekend at Emerson Point on the Manatee River.  Steve hosted the cruise on Hula Girl II, new members received SPSA burgees, they shared sailing stories and some rum.

King of the Bay:  November’s KOB winner is the Yankee 30, Opal.  Back to back monthly winner Darrell bested his last time by 9 minutes. Not only is that a remarkable feat, this corrected time made the ninth spot in the Top 10 fastest KOB’s of all time.  Who will challenge Opal for the December KOB Crown?

Scores and info on the King of the Bay contest can be found at this link.

Upcoming Events: December is a big month for sailing events

SPSA Fall Series Races 7&8:

This Saturday 12/7 are the last races of the Fall Series races. If you want to race you can still sign up here. Tony’s RC boat will be out there again to provide race management.  The post-race event will be at the Localz Sports bar around 3pm. Remember if you can’t sail the regatta, you can sail the bar and meet the membership.  Hope to see you there. 

Other things to note for this weekend:  

NO Parking at the Sailing Center (Local Laser District Championship).  Access to Demens Landing and Harborage Marina will also be difficult as:  The Salvation Army Angel Tree Toy Run 10K race will take place on Saturday, December 7th. The event will end at approximately 10:30 AM.  And if you’re feeling festive, the Downtown St. Pete Lighted Boat Parade (not an SPSA sponsored event) is also this Saturday at 6:30pm more info here. It starts in the St Pete Municipal Marina.

SPSA Commodore’s Cup Regatta starts at 1100 on 12/14/24.  More details will be emailed out soon.  Sign up on the scratch sheet at this link.

SPSA Dolphins Cruising:   

SPSA New Year’s Double Whammy!

NYE Anchor out 12/31/24. Join SPSA Dolphins Commodore Robert Kryger & Fleet for New Year’s Eve fireworks in St. Pete.  Sign up here.  

And the SPSA New Years Regatta  & Holiday Party happening the following day, 1/1/25  starting at 1400.  Post-race party at the sailing center.

This next  cruising opportunity requires some advanced planning:

Come Sail Away!!! January 10-12, 2025. Cruise to see the band Styx play the iconic song “Come Sail Away” at Clearwater Sound.  Either anchor out and listen from the boat, get a dock slip, come by dinghy, but do not miss this outing! Host boat will be Vicki & Jack Brennan-on SV/Sonas, with pre-concert Docktails on Hula Girl II.   More details on concert tickets and dock reservations here.

See you all out on the Bay!

Brian Conlin

SPSA Commodore