In 2006, a strong cold front arrived Friday evening, along with rain and the promise of very strong winds. The forecast was almost perfectly correct. Drizzle greeted the dawn, but by 10:30, when the slower beach cats started, the skies were clearing and the wind began to pipe up. The first start was for high Portsmouth catamarans, which this year included Hobie 16s, 17s NS 18s. The second fleet started about 40 minutes later, just as the frontal winds were blowing at full strength. The intent of the dual start is to allow all sailors a chance to get to the party, er, finish line at about the same time so as to Laissez le bon temps roulez! without exclusion. 

Team Tybee, John Casey and Ken Pierce, the defending winners from several past races took an immediate lead and never gave it up. As the winds turned to the northwest, some of the teams used spinnakers if their catamarans were equipped. Brian Karr and Aaron Hayson, found the spinnaker increased the speed of turning over much more effectively than it brought the finish line into view and so, along with several other lighter teams, decided to continue, still rapidly, under two sails. Another team, Scott Hubel and Kent Cooper, demonstrated that in strong autumn winds, old yellow spinnakers on masts, like old yellow leaves on trees, may be shredded and torn loose. High winds like this are a boon to small boat teams and their corrected time. The second place team on Saturday was Jim McEwan, sailing a Hobie 16. Several teams raced Blades, a 16 ft catamaran high tech catamaran and earned noticeably high standings on the basis of corrected times. All teams sailed the 30 mile course to Sebastian in under 3 hours. Considering that the wind was gusting to nearly 30 knots, it was gratifying that equipment failure prevented only one team from completing the cruise to Sebastian.

The day ended in Sebastian much differently than it began.  By lunch, the front moved to South Florida.  The catamarans pulled up on a wind sheltered warm beach surrounded by Capt Hirams's dining area.  The rest of the afternoon was a leisurely feast and boat take take down.