At the Annual Awards Ceremony held at Lakewood Yacht Club on the morning of Sat., Nov. 14, Fleet Captain Ashley Walker announced that racer and club member Bee Bednar’s J/105 named “Stinger” captured the “Yacht of the Year” award for 2015.   This is the second time that “Stinger” claimed this award as it also won in 2012.

This annual trophy goes to the Lakewood Yacht Club boat that has the best score in club-hosted races on Galveston Bay and off the coast of Galveston in the Gulf of Mexico.  The four regattas in which “Stinger” came in first place were Bay Cup I and II, the Shoe Regatta, and the Heald Bank Regatta in the Gulf of Mexico.

Bednar relates that with a first name like Bee, “Stinger” was a natural name for his J/105.   When asked about winning these races, he stated “maintenance of the boat is the most important thing.   You start to lose the race at the dock.”   He also attributes his winning to a really good crew among which were his son Kevin, Charles Braddus, Marty Pedowicz, Steve Cooper, Pedro Geonatti, Reed Cleckler, Jeff Berger, Alex Freas, and Tony Chiesa.  “It was also great fun to throw out a bullet,” Bednar added. By winning the four races which qualified “Stinger” as “Yacht of the Year”, Bednar also won the Texas Navy Trophy.