Rudi Grigoleit, a name not to be forgotten.

A Hail Fellow – Well Met, deep-water sailor and an enthusiastic member of the Friday Harbor Sailing Club.

Upon his demise several years ago, his wife and Chief Mate, Ilse, knowing that Rudi would want to continue his support for the sport of sailboat racing approached the club with a proposal in which she woud provide a trophy and endowment for a regatta. That offer was gratefully accepted by the club and thus was established the Rudi Race.

This past Saturday off Dinner Island in Griffin Bay sailing club Fleet Captain Paul Barger and his wife Mary-Brooke in their new-to-them 26’ sailboat, Bardinet, started a fleet of five boats in this year’s Rudi Race. Normally, the Rudi Race would be a long single race, but with very light winds Capt. Barger selected four short courses to provide more opportunities (chances?) to spread out the competition.

New club racer, Robert Ahbel, in Remedy, a lightweight “J” boat took top honors by winning all four races. In fact, in two of the races he sailed the course in less than half the time it took the last boat (me).

Final results:

PHRF Class: First place, Ahbel. Second place, VanSkyhawk. Third place, tie; Bentzen and Hoeppner.

Cruising Class: One entry, Rust.

— Fred Hoeppner is a competitive sailor and retired Navy captain. He lives on San Juan Island