Washington Post – Peggy Lord February 15, 1981 Survivors of the 1981 St. Petersburg-to-Fort Lauderdale race will be spinning yarns and trading hairy sea stories for years after the recent “Florida Fastnet Race,” which finished Friday in Fort Lauderdale.
Stories of dismastings, broaches, general gear failure, torn sails and bruised sailors were common among the participants in this second event of the highly competitive Southern Ocean Racing Conference (SORC. Only 65 of the 79 starting boats completed the 370-mile course, made even longer by having to sail directly into a 35-knot wind much of the time.
Of the 15 boats unable to finish, nine were dismasted and four were disabled. Two boats tragically went on the reefs near Key West. Captain Z, owned by Morton Levine of Nokomis, Fla., took a heavy pounding on the reef and was declared a total loss. Chloe, a 38-foot Kelly design, was able to be salvaged. All disabled vessels and their crews were reported safe in various southern Florida ports.
Overall honors, went to the smallest boat in the fleet, Robin, a nine-year-old, 36-foot sloop designed, built and sailed by Ted Hood of Marblehead,Mass. This was the second time in three years that Hood has sailed Robin to victory in this most demanding of the six races in the SORC.She also placed first in class last week in the St. Petersburg-to-Boca Grand Race.
Sources
Washington Post – Peggy Lord February 15, 1981
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