The Carolina Yacht Club has earned the right to display the prestigious St. Petersburg Yacht Club Trophy for excellence in race management for hosting the Laser Masters North American Championship in Wrightsville Beach, May 15-17, 2009.

The announcement came as a surprise to regatta organizers, Chip and Arland Whitesides, who, along with principal race officer, Gifford Usher, accepted the trophy at U.S. Sailing’s annual conference held in League City, Texas, last month.

More than 90 boats from all over North America—including Canada and the Dominican Republic—participated in the race with the club hosting more than 200 sailors and spouses with a team of 40-50 volunteers.

Organizers were rated by participating skippers following the race. Each was mailed a ballot, collected by the CYC and submitted, unopened, to U.S. Sailing.

One sailor reportedly wrote: "In 40-plus years of racing in state, national and world levels, this was quite simply the best regatta I have ever been to. I give an A+ throughout and they went the extra mile in every aspect."

The Laser Masters rotates around the northern hemisphere. Arland Whitesides said hosting a regatta of such magnitude is a lot of work with no sleep, but the sailors love coming to Wrightsville Beach because of its central East Coast location, the opportunity to sail on the ocean and the abundant opportunity to observe marine life—dolphins, sharks and loggerhead sea turtles.

The upper level of the yacht club’s oceanfront deck, she said, is one of the few places on the race circuit where spouses can sit and watch the races from the beach. And, the CYC did not lose any points when organizers had to cancel the last day of the race due to predicted storms seldom witnessed by West Coast sailors but understood by the Texans.

"Even though it was a beautiful sunny day at the beach, we had to cancel the racing and tell the sailors not to go out the inlet into the ocean," Whitesides said. "The local forecaster told us that by the time we got the sailors out into the ocean, a cold front with lightning and rain would hit Wrightsville Beach. Like clockwork, the front rolled over the beach with dangerous lightning, just as the weather service had forecast. That saved 150 people from being in harms’ way," Whitesides said.

The chief safety boat was operated by Sterling Powell, Wrightsville Beach Fire Department Captain, and Dr. Anne Allen, a Wrightsville Beach resident; and for every 10 sailors in the ocean, the CYC provided a motorboat to offer first aid and water.

Many of the regatta volunteers took a day of vacation or a day without pay to help with the race and junior sailors and their parents helped place boats into Banks Channel after school and on Saturday.

As many as 40 travelling sailors were hosted in private homes. Whitesides said, "Locals just opened their houses to these out-of-town strangers, but became friends over the weekend."
The yacht club staff also provided an over-the-top regatta dinner.

Whitesides said, "The St. Petersburg Trophy is given for many reasons…foremost, the race committee has to do an excellent job. The trophy is given also for outstanding work in other areas. Hospitality was our signature feature. The trophy also recognizes exceptional planning. Safety on the water was our big emphasis."

The CYC will be building a special case to display its trophy, meanwhile it will be stored offsite while the club is closed for the winter.