(As reported by guidrynews.com)
Lakewood Yacht Club Race Committee Chairman Dwight Bengtson announced at the Sea Lake Yacht Sales Shoe Regatta awards ceremony that “Tejas”, a J-22 owned by Terry Flynn captured the first over-all winning position which awarded him the coveted Shoe Regatta Challenge Cup.
Held in the ballroom of Lakewood Yacht Club on Sun., May 17, approximately 200 racers were on hand for the ceremony which awarded 31 trophies to the winners. First place winners in all classes received gift cards for the skipper and crew to purchase in-stock shoes from Free-Ur-Feet shoe store in Seabrook. “This is why we call it the Shoe Regatta,” explained Bengtson. First place winners also received a gift certificate from Banks Sails worth $500.
An experienced racer and regatta winner, Flynn has placed first in the J-22 World Championship, earned four first place wins in the North American J-22 Championships, and has also won the J-22 Mid-Winter Championships four times.
When asked about his first place for the Shoe Regatta Challenge Cup, Flynn replied that although it was the first time that his crew of Even Smith and Larry Blankenhagen had raced together, they did a good job. “The wind conditions were unbelievably good on Saturday and even stronger on Sunday,” he related. There were six races total with one thrown out. Not only does Flynn sail for fun, he works for Quantum Sails in Seabrook and is a resident of League City since Hurricane Ike.
Hosted by Lakewood Yacht Club, the Shoe Regatta is presented by Bay Access, Inc., a not-for-profit charitable organization that sponsors amateur and youth sailing. In addition to the Title Sponsors as Sea Lake Yacht Sales, Gold Sponsors were Free-Ur-Feet Sandals & Boat Shoes and Bank Sales with Mount Gay Rum as the Silver Sponsor.
Lakewood racers earned a total of twelve awards. The five first place awards were the following: Bill Zartler on “Solaris, a J/105; Al Goethe on “Hamburg”, a J/109; Uzi Ozeri on “Infinity”, a J80; Ashley Walker on “Tenacity”, Cruising Non-Spinnaker; and Steve Rhyne on “Mojo”, PHRF Spinnaker A. Second place awards went to Tom Sutton on “Leading Edge”, a PHRF Spinnaker B. Third place awards were earned by Al Poindexter on “Andale”; Jack Seitzinger on “Asylum:, Cruising Non Spinnaker; John Barnett on “Sirly”, PHRF Non-Spinnaker A; Laird Cogburn on “Loopy”, PHRF Non-Spinnaker B and John Butler on Millennium Express, PHRF Spinnaker B. One fourth place award went to Tom Macaluso on “Pro-Re Nata”, Cruising Non-Spinnaker.
A special appreciation award was presented to Lakewood member Jack Tshupp who has reported weather conditions for the Lakewood racers for over ten years and who has written numerous weather related articles for Telltales magazine. He is moving to Tucson, AR to be closer to his daughter.
