Friday, April 26, 2013

Sarasota Sailing Squadron Hosts 8th Annual Traditional Small Craft Festival

The 8th Annual Traditional Small Craft Festival, lets call it TSCF, was on the decline the last couple of years and we have high hopes that moving it to the Sarasota Sailing Squadron will bring it back to it's former glory.  David Jennings, Commodore of the SSS wants to host this event on an annual basis and establish it as a premier traditional craft get together.  This first year at the Squadron was pretty low key and more of a get-to-know some of the characters involved with traditional craft in the area.  There were about 20 boats but I never managed to get pictures of all of them 'cause we were all over the place talking about boats or messing about.  The friendly folks and superb facilities of the SSS made for a very fun time. 
Concurrently to the TSCF the SSS was hosting a youth regatta with over 200 optis and lasers launching simultaneously.  That was an impressive sight and added a buzz of activity to the whole weekend.

Just a small sample of the optis launching into a stiff 15-20kn breeze.
 
George Luzier built Baby Doll on the left.  She is 41 years old, strip planked and looks like new.
 
Dennis Bradley's Egret
 
Clayton Seelgen's brand spanking new Caledonia Yawl.  http://sailingseelgens.blogspot.com/
 
Hugh Horton and I jumped in Goat and chased Meade Gougeon around.  Here Hugh and Meade are swapping boats.  Goat could just barely keep up with WoodWind in less than 10kn.
 
Dennis Bradley's recently restored Chapelle Sharpie was out playing with us
 
Watching Hugh take off in WoodWind
 
Hugh in WoodWind
 
Pacing Hugh
 
Back at the SSS docks
 
Great looking ply powerboat
 
Ospreys built a low nest on top of what remains of a recently cut down tree.  They were not very pleased about the hundreds of kids running around.
 
Sunday morning renowned Sarasota boat builder George Luzier came by Baby Doll for a chat.  George is in his late eighties and still building boats!  Here George and Meade talk shop.  George has been using West System for decades.
 
 George Luzier and David Jennings checking out Goat
 
Solving the world's problems at an impromptu lunch aboard Egret
 


4 comments:

  1. I am a Sarasota man. George Luzier built my first pram I think. He is only 10 or 12 years older. I sailed at 8yrs old in the pram fleet at the City Pier. Sailed in many of the Labor Day Regatta's from the Sailing Squadron in most of the class boats of the day. Now in Tallahassee with a 50 year old, 16' cuddy sloop, built in NS by George McVay.

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    1. Hi Joseph, thanks for stopping by. George Luzier certainly has created an impressive legacy.

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  2. Philip Verne Sturges IIIJanuary 25, 2016 at 2:39 PM

    We lived in Bradenton from 1962-1964. My father was an avid sailor and we belonged to the Sarasota Sailing Squadron. I was 8 when I first sailing prams in the bay. My dad was Phil Sturges Jr. and I am Philip Sturges III. I just remember so many good times at the Squadron, though I have to say I was somewhat terrified when I began sailing prams solo in Tampa Bay when I was 8 - especially with the sudden storms that would pop up in the bay at a moment's notice. I was a reluctant sailor then!

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  3. George Luzier is the "real deal." An old-school boatbuilder, of honest boats.
    But he shouldn't be mentioned in the same paragraph with epoxy. His boats were (beautifully) built of resorcinol glue and juniper.

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