The Green Bench Regatta at the St.Petersburg Yacht Club is complete. Originally scheduled for January, the third event of the Florida State Series was reduced to a one-day regatta this Mother’s Day weekend. Sailed Saturday May 9, eight J/24 teams showed up at the 10:00 Competitors’ Meeting eager to compete. RC George Pennington was quick to hoist a two-hour onshore postponement, which turned to three hours. The sea breeze that was reported on the beaches at noon finally made it to the race area at 3:00. A breeze well worth waiting for. Three two-lap windward/leewards with an incoming tide and the offshore shifting breeze changed up the leads throughout the races, though Longshot showed how it is done in the first race. A jubilant Rob Wetmore, sailing Rabblerouser, pulled out the bullet in the second race. Into the evening the racing went on, and John Poulson once again found the groove and clenched the regatta win. Second place overall had a three-way tie, with Liam McCarthy besting Dan Kresge and Jim Lindsay. At the awards presentation (where else but at the SPYC Tiki Bar?), Regatta Organizer and Fleet 169 Chairman Bill McCarthy praised the participation of Fleet 86 who without their participation, this leg of the State Series would never of happened. In reciprocation, Fleet 169 vowed to attend the Davis Island Yacht Club’s Rodeo Regatta set for May 30-31. Thank you Jason Chavez for your diligence in getting boats crew. Melbourne’s Fleet 87 Dragon Point Series started this past weekend with seven boats entered. Three races were sailed in an 8-10 knot seabreeze, with John Tworkowski coming out ahead, followed by Chris Gates and then Dick Tillman. The fleet seemed thin with many of the teams traveling to other regattas this week.