J/29 One Designers are heading for the Fishing Bay Yacht Club Invitational this coming weekend, April 18-20  For info contact Case Whittemore at   whittemorec@hotmail.com  or  (804) 285-4632.Sea Star, Cool Change, Rocket J, and Checks in the Mail Get Early Bullets in CCV Spring Series Race #1.  It could not have been a better day for racing.  Popping out in Hampton Roads just like daffodils popped out a week or so earlier, skippers, crew, and boats faced a brisk northeast wind on a frisky sea. Worth every minute of suffering rain, sleet, snow and other general boat yard frustrations to get going NOW!  RESULTS:  PHRF A: 1. Sea Star,  Bumps & Dave Eberwine; 2. Cyrano, Bob Mosby; 3. Bellaris, Claus Jullmann. PHRF B:  1. Cool Change, Rusty Burshell; 2. Rhumb Line, Bill & Lynn Chandler; 3. Strega, Neal Garrett. PHRF C: 1. Rocket J, Bert Johnson; 2. Mike Veraldi, Quickie; 3. roundabout, Alan Bomar. PHRF NS:  1. Checks in the Mail, Jim Williams; 2. Hunter, Justin Morris; 3. Impulse, Tom Peddy. RC Chairman: John McCarthy; Signal Boat Skipper/Official Scorer; Dick Boykin; Mark Boat Skipper: Dave Hamilton

Now that various spring series are underway, savvy racers begin to think about Southern Bay Race Week, aka The Black Seal Cup. In addition to great PHRF and Cruising One Design (COD) racing, the event offers a one design (dinghy) venue.  One Design coordinator for the event, Leigh Morgan, said that three classes already are committed to attending: the 505s, the Hampton One Designs, and the International Canoes. More are planning.  Contact Leigh at  leigh.morgan2@verizon.netThe web site for SBRW-Black Seal Cup is www.blacksealcup.com   Dates for the event at June 13-15, 2003.

In the category of interesting things sailors do to "support their racing habits":  Callinectes' (sailing this year in the PHRF C fleet) skipper and owner, Ben Cuker, is a professor of Marine Science at Hampton University.    As such he is honcho of the MAST (Multicultural Students at Sea Together) program which puts students on a 53 foot sailing vessel for three weeks to explore and study the Chesapeake Bay.  This year's dates are June 16-July 10.  For additional info on the program check the web site at   www.hamptonu.edu/science/masthompage   or call Ben Cuker at (757) 727-5884.

A day of Spring racing can take a toll on crew.  Leaving the post race party yesterday Tom Ryan remarked on the new and lasting relationship he planned to develop.   "I'm going home and meld with my recliner," he said.  Tom crews on Rusty and Naomi Burshell's Cool Change.

Two of Checks-in-the-Mail's (Jim and Barbara Willliams) crew sustained boat bites Sunday, one a ding to the forearm and the other a boom to the head.  Both were "revived" by taking the "post-race hotdogs and beer cure".

Blaine Liner said that Race #1 of the Rappahannock River Yacht Club sponsored Flying Scot Spring Series is set to go Sunday, April 27.  The venue is located in the area of Carters Creek just off the RRYC clubhouse.  Contact: Blaine Liner by email at    liner@Crosslink.net

Independence's crew gets special kudos for earning a 4th place trophy while doctor's orders kept skipper Graham Field temporarily ashore. (He, The Skipper, was heard assisting with docking instructions, however.)

About Time was about perseverance yesterday. Bob Archer and crew overcame a dangling  lower shroud (broken fitting), saved the rig, repaired the damage, and finished the race.  Dean Barker NZL, are you out there?

CCV Course:  Learn to the Basics of Crewing on a Racing Sailboat - A combination of  classroom sessions on 4 consecutive Tuesday evenings (6:30 - 8:30) and on-the-water sessions on each of the 4 following Wednesdays.  Begins Tuesday, May 6 and finishes Wednesday, May 28.  For info call:  (757) 595-4647

BBSA's Willoughby Racers  mid-week racing season open this Thursday Night, April 17. Contact Scott Almond at (757) 467-2123.

Hospice National Championship Regatta "headliner results" say Team San Francisco won, Oswego County, NY, took second, and Southwest Harbor, Maine, was third.  Southern Chesapeake Bay racers have two opportunities to qualify for the 2004 rendition of this great event:  Hampton Roads Hospice Regatta on September 20, 2003, and the Turkey Shoot Hospice Regatta on October 10-12, 2003.

For the past couple of years the southern Bay racing community has been blessed with the addition of Adam Sammis to our ranks.  Adam has crewed on a number of boats, coached scores of high school teams and individual sailors, and run club junior programs.  Very recently Adam lost his brother, Benjamin.  Captain Benjamin W. Sammis, USMC, age 29, gave his life in combat in Iraq.  Thoughts and prayers go out to Adam and the Sammis family.

The 2003 CBYRA Greenbook, which serves the northern Bay racing world, is published, on the street, and available.  Contact the CBYRA office at (410) 269-1194.

MURPHY'S LAW:   Since the racing schedule is light this coming weekend, most good racing beagles will take time to chase Easter bunnies - this could be the year!  Living to race, racing to live.  /s/ Murphy the Racing Beagle

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