Competitors List
Skipper
Crew
Boat
1
Bo Kersey
George Kersey
F18
2
Michael Acquart
Conner McGrath
N5.2 SPI
3
Steve Foxall
Arnie Blatt
N20
4
John Tomko
Drew Carlyle
F16
5
Paul Wenzig
John Rider
H18
6
Adam Bohnenblust
Audrey, Bill, Beth
Stil27
7
Robert Eckles
John Brockhaus
H16
8
Rick Benik
Wendy Simkins
H21SC
9
Drew Riddle
H17
10
David Czarnek
Christi Czarnek
P19
11
David McDaniel
Tom Skutca
H20Spi
12
Steve Piche
Kelly Mahoney
F18
13
Ben Tucker
Linda Malone
H18
14
Randy Engemoen
Riley Engemoen
N20
15
David Pressly
David Anderson
H16
16
Jon Domsalla
Sam Domsalla
N20
17
Kirk McMullan
Shay McMullan
H20
18
Todd Gardner
TBD
I17R
19
Michelle Rathkamp
William Weissinger
H16
20
Larry Hurtado
Kevin Cutshall
H18Mag
21
Ernie Kamp
Tiffany Kamp
SC19
22
David Rosborough
Mark Meis
N5.8
23
Mike Rohrer
Chris Holt
F18
24
Kevin Brownlow
Collen Brownlow
H16
25
Blair Monhollon
Matthew Monhollon
H16
26
Jesse Fulmer
Bobby Fulmer
H16Spi
27
Garret Wilson
Culley Traweek
H16
28
John Duck
Blake Morin
H16
29
Jerimy Bean
Lauren Bean
H16
30
Trey Garrison
Ernest Langford
N5.2
31
Dennis Staggs
Joe Younger
N5.0
32
John Morin
Niki Cesarani
H16
33
Jim Gillum
Brad Sheehan
H16
34
Lee Wicklund
David Cerdas
N20
35
Danny Hales
Troy Hales
H18
South Padre to Corpus -- Labor Day Weekend, 2011
Wednesday Sept 7, 2011 -- Results are posted Video will be at: http://www.justin.tv/sgalway/videos Audio will be at: Call in #: (213) 417-9250 Hope to see you guys next year! I will put the order in now for a southerly!!! The Ruff Rider Regatta is getting close, only 2 days left! We are halfway across the King Ranch right now and looking forward to what will become the Ruff Riders people talk about years from now. We are keeping up with the weather and unfavorable wind conditions but as of now we are on schedule for a 9am skipper’s meeting at the mud flats. The registration party is at Louie’s Backyard Friday night 6-9, attendance is required to pick up your registration packet. Fireworks follow afterwards. Due to the north wind which is forecasted there is a very high probability that many boats will finish after dark. It is imperative that you be prepared for this by making sure your GPS has good batteries, you have a suitable flashlight for illuminating your sail if necessary and looking for cans, and you have plenty of food and water onboard for a full day of hard sailing. Course GPS coordinates: Start – At or near 26° 8.573'N, 97° 10.706'W. Marker 115 – At or near 26° 8.273'N, 97° 13.727'W Opening of Land Cut – At or near 26° 48.636'N, 97° 28.219'W Day 1 finish – At or near 26° 59.810'N, 97° 26.941'W Day 2 finish – At or near 27° 37.828'N, 97° 14.521'W See you in SPI Monday August 29, 2011 -- 5 Days to go! Dial the above number and when prompted enter the access code. You will then be automatically joined to the conference. For the sake of everyone on the call, please use the mute button on your phone unless you are actively speaking in the call. This eliminates a bunch of background noise which is very distracting. Anyone in the Houston area is more than welcome to listen in at my house. Email me separately for directions. We are about 10 min west of Katy on I-10, just south of Brookshire. Although our house might be closer to the Austin folks than some of the Houston folks! While on the call please help us keep to the agenda and stay on topic. If the call gets off topic we can table the conversation for the end of the call and move on to the next item on the agenda. Items on the agenda: 1.) General status report 2.) Race committee support. Volunteers. 3.) Halfway point to-do list. 4.) Finish to-do list. 5.) Trophies 6.) T-shirts 7.) Sponsorship leads. 8.) Powerboat commitments. 9.) Open floor. Questions should be directed to Shannon Galway at shannon@ruffrider.net.
The results are posted and the awards are given. Mark this year as closed! Thanks to everyone who logged into the webcast and especially thanks to the crew that showed up for the studio audience, I do it often but really don't like talking to myself... 2011 Results
Photos will be up soon.
Despite the setbacks I had a blast and look forward to next year. Thanks, Shannon.
Tuesday Sept 6, 2011 -- Phew!
Ok, the dust is settled, what a year! This will go down as one of the most difficult Ruff Riders in history. All that participated should feel proud.
A few thanks are in order. HEB was generous and provided food for the halfway point. Eckles Land and Cattle provided a cash donation. South Texas Pools provided aerial photography of the start. The US Coast Guard Auxiliary provided support while on the water. St. Arnolds Brewery provided beer for the halfway point. The Kenedy Memorial Foundation gave us wheeled acess to the halfway point. Louie's Backyard for hosting our registration party. Dennis Banks for providing trophies. And C&C sailmakers for also providing trophies.
A big thanks goes to Andrew and Stephanie for the halfway hospitality. They really knocked it out of the park! Andrea Eckles and Laura Galway were the two scorers and drivers. They hustled all weekend across the Kenedy Ranch. A huge thanks has to go to Scott Kee. I would never have been able to pull this off if it wasn't for his insight. Our two power boats were brought by John Galway and Patricio Brito. I appreciate both being on the water and giving up a holiday weekend to help us out. A power boat to haul supplies was brought by Matt and Justin, thanks guys!
Saturday was forecasted to be a light NW breeze building as it turned N and NE then lightening at it continued to clock to SE. The forecast was not wrong. This made for a hard first couple of hours tacking up the ditch, but then settled into a nice close reach and finally beam to broad reaches for the last boats. The first boat was in at 4:30pm, the last boat was in at 10:20pm. John Tomko on an F16 was first spinnaker boat across the line and Dave Czarnak on a P19 was first non spin over the line. A few boats didn't start, five boats turned around and returned to South Padre, and 28 boats made it to the halfway point.
Dinner at the halfway point was UNBELIEVABLE!!!! I can't imagine how we could have such good food in the middle of nowhere. Somehow Andrew Tatton and Stephanie May pulled it off. A huge hit of the weekend was Kennedy, Aiden, and Savannah our drink runners. These kids did a fantastic job making sure everyone always had a drink in their hands and disposing of empties! The camp was fantastic and just about all details were thought of and covered. We even had some curious coyotes in the night come to visit.
At Sunday mornings skippers meeting it was decided we would continue on to Corpus despite the bleak weather forecast. The forecast was NNE at 10-15 turning N at 15 later in the day. We got an early start in 10kts and the long beat up the ditch began. Not 30 minutes after the start the breeze kicked up a notch and real sailing began. At the end of the landcut the channel veers off 15 degrees which allowed a small respite with a long port tack and short starboard tack. Finishing this day will be no small feat. As most of the fleet was approaching the end of the landcut the wind really turned on, Mike Rohrer termed it "nuclear." There were reported 25-30kt puffs with a steady 20kts in between them. Luckily this only lasted a little while and the breeze laid back down a little. John Tomko made it across the line in 5hr 48min while Drew Riddle on a Hobie 17 crossed in 6hr 42min. Five boats turned around and headed for Port Mansfield or South Padre, a couple boats ducked into Bird Island under thier own power, seven boats were towed to Bird Island, and eleven boats finished under sail. The last boat was off the water towed to Bird Island at 10pm.
The awards presentation was postponed on the beach Sunday and will instead be a webcast from my living room on Wednesday evening at 8pm.
Access Code: 646449#
Thursday Sept 1, 2011 -- 2 Day till launch
In 5 short days we start this year's Ruff Rider Regatta! I have reports that the first boat reached the island today. More will be trickling in over the week with the bulk arriving Friday. I can't wait to see everyone on the mudflats Friday afternoon and at the registration party Friday night.
Just got word that a F16 Viper will compete this year. Can't wait to see that little rocket ship!
Saturday August 13, 2011 -- Late Fee Postponed 1 week
We just aquired a sponsor in the last two days that has now made it possible for the regatta organizers to carry 1 bag per boat to the halfway point. There is no exact size for this bag, but could be best described as a medium duffle. Enough room for a small tent, a change of clothes, a blanket, and a tooth brush. The late fee has been postponed a week in case this was the reason someone chose not to register. The last day to register with no late fee is August 19th.
Please note however, although the late fee will not be charged we cannot guarantee your T-shirt size requests for any entry after August 12th.
Sunday August 7, 2011 -- Late Fee Coming Soon
If you want to save $40 get your registration in by Midnight August 12. After that the registration price goes up.
Wednesday August 3, 2011 -- New Sponsor
Eckles Land & Cattle of Holdenville, OK has signed on as a cash sponsor. We really appreciate the gift!
Sunday July31, 2011 -- Aerial Photography!
South Texas Pools in Harlingen has agreed to provide aerial photography of the start and beginning of the first day. Photos will be available for download after the event free of charge. Check them out at www.southtexaspools.com.
Monday July 25, 2011 -- Volunteer's conference call
We will have a conference call for all volunteers interested in helping out with the event. If you want to help but don't know how, this is the place to be tomorrow evening at 7:30 (Tuesday July 26).
Call in #: (213) 417-9250
Access Code: 646449#
Sunday July 10, 2011 -- Registration is OPEN!
Go to register.ruffrider.net or click the button on the navigation bar to the left.
See you in Padre!
_____________________________________________________________________
Previous Messages --
Thursday June 23, 2011 -- Registration is getting close
Registration will open within the next week or so. Keep your calendar open for Sept 3-4, 2011!
_____________________________________________________________________
Hello fellow Ruff Riders! I just wanted to post a quick note letting everybody know what is in the works Ruff Rider 2011.
As most know, I have assumed the role of “Head Cook and Bottlewasher” for the Ruff Riders Regatta. I am really excited to take on this challenge and can’t wait to see how the next year goes. I have been a little lazy so far, Scott made it look so easy I figured I had nothing to worry about until mid August -- turns out I was wrong, especially when considering my plans. I intended to return the course to Corpus Christi for Ruff Riders 2011. Details of the exact finish location are still being worked out but will be within sight of the JFK bridge. I will warn you now, services provided at the midway point will be adequate but sparse for the first year until we can get our feet under us.
This is no small task and I will not be able to do it alone. I am asking for volunteers to assist in particular tasks. My plan is to assemble a committee of volunteers to share the workload. Areas where help is really needed are beach captains, on the water transport, race committee, and midway workers. Several people that have powerboats which can be used for the weekend are needed. We need to get all the equipment to the halfway point and also have a boat or two for chase boats. We will need spare hands at the midway point who are not sailing that can cook and serve dinner/breakfast. Beach Captains will be responsible for all activities occurring on their particular beach. Start captain will organize the registration, Friday sign in party, and the skippers meeting. Midway captain will organize dinner and breakfast at the midway point. Finish captain will organize the awards and finish activities.
Current Regatta Leadership
Regatta Director – Shannon Galway
Regatta Treasurer – Scott Kee
Start Beach Captain – Scott Kee
Midway Beach Captain – Andrew Tatton
Finish Beach Captain – Dennis Banks
Race Committee -- Open
Midway Workers – Open
Another area where help is DESPERATELY needed is attendance. I need everyone that is receiving this message to spread the word that we need more boats at the start line. The more people that register, the cheaper the registration fee is for everyone.
I look forward to the next year and I encourage anyone that has constructive ideas for this regatta to make them known on the website forum. I really want to make sure this is the regatta you want it to be. I must thank the people that have already volunteered to help and Scott and Ana for making this transition as smooth as possible. I’m glad to be here.
Shannon Galway
Sunday August 7, 2011 -- Late Fee Coming Soon Dial the above number and when prompted enter the access code. You will then be automatically joined to the conference. For the sake of everyone on the call, please use the mute button on your phone unless you are actively speaking in the call. This eliminates a bunch of background noise which is very distracting. Anyone in the Houston area is more than welcome to listen in at my house. Email me separately for directions. We are about 10 min west of Katy on I-10, just south of Brookshire. Although our house might be closer to the Austin folks than some of the Houston folks! While on the call please help us keep to the agenda and stay on topic. If the call gets off topic we can table the conversation for the end of the call and move on to the next item on the agenda. Items on the agenda: 1.) General status report 2.) Race committee support. Volunteers. 3.) Halfway point to-do list. 4.) Finish to-do list. 5.) Trophies 6.) T-shirts 7.) Sponsorship leads. 8.) Powerboat commitments. 9.) Open floor. Questions should be directed to Shannon Galway at shannon@ruffrider.net.
If you want to save $40 get your registration in by Midnight August 12. After that the registration price goes up.
Wednesday August 3, 2011 -- New Sponsor
Eckles Land & Cattle of Holdenville, OK has signed on as a cash sponsor. We really appreciate the gift!
Sunday July31, 2011 -- Aerial Photography!
South Texas Pools in Harlingen has agreed to provide aerial photography of the start and beginning of the first day. Photos will be available for download after the event free of charge. Check them out at www.southtexaspools.com.
Monday July 25, 2011 -- Volunteer's conference call
We will have a conference call for all volunteers interested in helping out with the event. If you want to help but don't know how, this is the place to be tomorrow evening at 7:30 (Tuesday July 26).
Call in #: (213) 417-9250
Access Code: 646449#
Sunday July 10, 2011 -- Registration is OPEN!
Go to register.ruffrider.net or click the button on the navigation bar to the left.
See you in Padre!
_____________________________________________________________________
Previous Messages --
Thursday June 23, 2011 -- Registration is getting close
Registration will open within the next week or so. Keep your calendar open for Sept 3-4, 2011!
_____________________________________________________________________
Hello fellow Ruff Riders! I just wanted to post a quick note letting everybody know what is in the works Ruff Rider 2011.
As most know, I have assumed the role of “Head Cook and Bottlewasher” for the Ruff Riders Regatta. I am really excited to take on this challenge and can’t wait to see how the next year goes. I have been a little lazy so far, Scott made it look so easy I figured I had nothing to worry about until mid August -- turns out I was wrong, especially when considering my plans. I intended to return the course to Corpus Christi for Ruff Riders 2011. Details of the exact finish location are still being worked out but will be within sight of the JFK bridge. I will warn you now, services provided at the midway point will be adequate but sparse for the first year until we can get our feet under us.
This is no small task and I will not be able to do it alone. I am asking for volunteers to assist in particular tasks. My plan is to assemble a committee of volunteers to share the workload. Areas where help is really needed are beach captains, on the water transport, race committee, and midway workers. Several people that have powerboats which can be used for the weekend are needed. We need to get all the equipment to the halfway point and also have a boat or two for chase boats. We will need spare hands at the midway point who are not sailing that can cook and serve dinner/breakfast. Beach Captains will be responsible for all activities occurring on their particular beach. Start captain will organize the registration, Friday sign in party, and the skippers meeting. Midway captain will organize dinner and breakfast at the midway point. Finish captain will organize the awards and finish activities.
Current Regatta Leadership
Regatta Director – Shannon Galway
Regatta Treasurer – Scott Kee
Start Beach Captain – Scott Kee
Midway Beach Captain – Andrew Tatton
Finish Beach Captain – Dennis Banks
Race Committee -- Open
Midway Workers – Open
Another area where help is DESPERATELY needed is attendance. I need everyone that is receiving this message to spread the word that we need more boats at the start line. The more people that register, the cheaper the registration fee is for everyone.
I look forward to the next year and I encourage anyone that has constructive ideas for this regatta to make them known on the website forum. I really want to make sure this is the regatta you want it to be. I must thank the people that have already volunteered to help and Scott and Ana for making this transition as smooth as possible. I’m glad to be here.
Shannon Galway