HISTORY LESSON:

Here are the team Bios! More to come.

Yellow: Jay Sonnenklar, and Steve Lohmayer

Jay Sonnenklar, (excuse me, the famous Jay Sonnenklar) is 47 years old, resides in Davie, Florida and works in Miami. He has been sailing Catamarans for about 30 years. He has been racing competitively for almost 20 years and has completed 3 Worrell 1000s, and 6 Tybee 500s (winning 2 of them in 04 and 09.) He has competed in Steeplechase for over 10 years, as well as numerous Hogsbreath and Miami Key Largo races. He has also participated in other distance, and short races gaining extensive N20 experience and expertise. He lives with his wife, Laurel Sonnenklar, and is the father of two children: Jared (see below) and Jordan. He has 5 dogs and 2 cats making him not only a "famous" sailor, but also an animal lover.

Steve Lohmayer lives in Tavernier, Florida and has also been racing Catamarans both domestically and internationally for many years. He too boasts extensive experience on the water making him a valuable helmsman to Team Royal Yellow. Jay and Steve have been sailing together since 2006, and this will be their 5th year sailing in the Tybee 500 together. Team Royal Yellow is proud to say they are the oldest team competing in the race for several years running now. As they say... Age before beauty?

Another important member of Team Royal is Chris Runge, more affectionately known as the "Boat Guy." Chris has been going up the coast since 1999, starting as a Race Official for the Worrell 1000. It was on the Worrell 1000 of the year 2000 that he earned the name the "The Boat Guy" from Randy Smyth, a part of Team Blockade Runner.

Chris joined up with us in 2001 as part of Team Castrol and got the "Good Pull" from Jay for pulling the boat across the winning finish line in Tybee.
Chris sailed the Tybee 500 with Terry Greene (along with numerous MKL, Steeplechases and Hogsbreaths) 2.3 times, yes, 2.3 times.

He sees himself as just another sailor and father to his son Kurt and his daughter Amy, and Grandfather of three, Scarlett, Dylan and Landon. He works closely with our Team Manager, Laurel Sonnenklar

Laurel Sonnenklar has been handling the stress of distance races since 2000. She is a valuable asset to the team, a much needed "mother figure" for all the boys as well as a master sherpa. No one has ever made stressed out and worried sick look so good.