“HAMBURG” WINS LAKEWOOD’S YACHT OF THE YEAR At Lakewood Yacht Club’s Fall Ball held on Sat., Nov. 15, Commodore Tom Collier announced that racer and member Al Goethe’s J/109 boat “Hamburg” captured the “Yacht of the Year” for 2014. This annual trophy goes to the Lakewood Yacht Club boat that has the best score in club-hosted races on Galveston Bay and of the coast of Galveston. The four regattas are Bay Cup I and II, the Shoe Regatta, and the Heald Bank Regatta in the Gulf of Mexico. When asked about the award, Goethe remarked that it was unexpected. “I was very excited and surprised when Race Committee Chairman Gerhart Wittich called my name for ‘Hamburg’!” he said. “It is a real commitment to race in all four regattas, especially the offshore and overnight Heald Bank Regatta”
Sailing Calendar
Christmas Boat Parade Dec. 13 • Kemah Channel
Goethe credits the steadiness of his crew, most of whom have raced with him for over ten years. He listed them as Andrew Houghton, Steve Guerin, Moray Sandison, with Doug Cummings and Bill Nickle being the newer ones. Goethe grew up in Hamburg, Germany, hence the name of his J/Boat. He cruised with his parents in Holland as a child and did not start racing until moving to Houston in about 1998. Outside of local races on Galveston Bay and in the Gulf of Mexico, he has raced in the J/109 North American Championships in Chicago in 2009 and 2013, coming in second place to the same boat both years. At Lakewood Yacht Club where Goethe is serving his second term on the board of directors, he has been chairman of the national J/Fest South Regatta for three years and served as Flag Officer Treasurer twice. He is married to wife Kathy and they have a daughter Hannah and son Eric, both in college.
LAKEWOOD RACERS FARE WELL IN J/FEST SOUTHWEST REGATTA At the awards ceremony for the 5th Annual J/Fest Southwest Regatta held on Sun. afternoon of Nov. 2, Lakewood Yacht Club racers earned 9 out of the 20 trophies presented, or almost 50%. This national race with sailors coming from as far away as Colorado, was held on Galveston Bay on Sat., Nov. 1 and Sun. Nov. 2, in very windy and challenging conditions.
Double-Handed Regatta Dec.13 • Galveston Bay
HYC Revognah Regatta
Thurs. Jan 1 • Galveston Bay
HOUSTON YACHT CLUB 281-471-1255
Cold Front Youth Race
Dec. 13 & 14 • Galveston Bay
LAKEWOOD YACHT CLUB 281-474-2511
“With 20 knot winds and gusts much more than that, racers had a wild time and loved every minute of it,” remarked J/Fest Regatta Chairman Al Goethe. Fifty eight boats raced in two lines with Line A featuring the J/105’s, J/109’s, J/PHRF Spinnaker Asymmetrical and J/PHRF Spinnaker Symmetrical. Line B featured the J/22’s, J/24’s and the new J/70’s. Friends and family of the racers were aboard the Spectator Boat “Liberty Bell” owned by Paul Dunphey on Sat., Nov. 1. Attending the J/Fest Southwest Regatta for the fifth year in a row was J/Boat co-founder Rodney Johnstone from the northeast. He presented the trophies to the winners on Sun. afternoon. In the J/105 fleet, Lakewood racers John Barnett on “Vici” placed 3rd while Uzi Ozeri came in 2nd on “Infinity”. Lakewood racers swept the J/109 fleet with Dave Christensen, 2nd place, on “Airborne” ; Al Goethe, 1st place on “Hamburg”. Lakewood racer J.D. Hill placed 2nd on J/PHRF Spinnaker Asymmetrical on “Second Star”. On Line B, Marek Valesek of Lakewood placed 2nd for the J/22 fleet while Casey Lambert claimed 1st. In the J/70 fleet, Lakewood racers Chris Lewis came in 3rd whereas Taylor Lutz placed 1st. Making the weekend memorable were numerous sponsors including the City of Seabrook which was the title sponsor. Seabrook Mayor Glenn Royal greeted and congratulated the racers. Afterwards, Goethe awarded Five Year Anniversary Trophies to 11 racers and participants through the years. “This was our most successful J/Fest yet and we look forward to the 6th year in 2015,” concluded Goethe.
THE SCENE
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Icicle Race 1
Sat, Jan 3 • Galveston Bay
Icicle Race 2
Sat, Jan 10 • Galveston Bay
Icicle Race 3
Sat, Jan 17 • Galveston Bay
Icicle Race 4
Sat, Jan 24 • Galveston Bay
Icicle Race 5
Sat, Jan 31 • Galveston Bay
GALVESTON BAY CRUISING ASSOCIATION (GBCA)
DECEMBER 2014