Classic South Florida conditions welcomed sailors to the start of the 41st Fort Lauderdale to Key West Race, where 37 teams began the 160-mile course on January 13.

Defending race champion Steve Benjamin hit the line with speed after a gybe-set in his new TP52 Spookie, to win the start for the IRC class, chased closely by the Cookson 50 Privateer, to win a hotly contested start at the coveted pin end.

The J/125 Raisin Cane battled the Swan 80 Chessie for the start of the PHRF A class, with the J boat wanting the pin and getting it.

The breeze built and shifted a bit to the NE as the classes made their way through the sequences, with the multihulls starting in a brisk 12-15 knot breeze.

All 37 starters finished the race on January 14.

David & Peter Askew’s RP74 Wizard took line honors at 02:49:44, with Spookie finishing next, 01:25:33 later, to take the IRC title.

Taking overall honors in PHRF was 24 Heures, Anson Mulder’s Oyster 575, with Jason Carroll’s Gunboat 62 Elvis winning the multihull division.

Event website – Scoreboard

Winning Spookie team

Photos from the start by John Payne.