The weekend of February 13-15th , Ambush participated in the St. Pete Helly Hansen
Sailing World Regatta for the J22 Mid-Winter Championship, with Jackson Miller at the
helm, me trimming and George Darling on foredeck. After the ice storm we were all
thrilled to sail in warm weather!
213 boats competed in the race this year. It’s an incredible site to see 213 sailboats
leave a harbor for their respective racecourses at once. One of the many race sponsors
was Quantum Sails, who set up a practice racecourse on Thursday and offered
coaching for boats. The competition in the J22 fleet was top notch, with several
professional sailors and both world and national champions racing with the fleet.
The first two days of the regatta were lacking in wind and full of fog. A postpone flag
was up until 1 pm both days. The wind filled in enough for a single race on each day
before we joined the festivities at the St. Pete Yacht Club.
The wind did not let us down on day three. There was a brief delay to allow the wind
conditions to improve before we headed out to the course. The wind built consistently
over the next hour, with winds on some courses gusting to 25-plus knots. The wind
combined with the waves made for challenging conditions that we rarely get an
opportunity to learn from on Percy Priest Lake. Traveling to these types of regattas is
always a rewarding experience. The opportunity to sail in different conditions and
against stiff competition always makes you a better sailor.
Alicia Noble