Fishing Bay Yacht Club Spring Series begins this coming weekend, April 26 and 27.  Combination of 2 drop mark races on Saturday and one middle distance race on Sunday for PHRF classes.  MORC is expected to be all drop mark courses.  For confirmation and additional info check out the web site at    www.fbyc.net/Events/2003CCV Spring Series Race #2 is this coming Sunday, April 27th.  In the Harbor, all PHRF classes, drop mark courses, sanctioned event, free hot dogs, beer and soft drinks for the competitors following the event courtesy CCV - under the HYC dock tent.  Racers with CCV Racing Memberships are automatically entered. Must have a current, valid 2003 PHRF rating to race. For info or to enter, contact:  John McCarthy, (757) 850-4225.  Entry fees may be paid by the individual race; deadline for receipt of standard CBYRA entry form is 1300 the day before race day.

York River Yacht Club's  Wednesday Night Spring Series opens this week, April 23rd.

Sailboard-ers, aka Wind Surfers, are racers too!  Just ask PRO Dick Boykin, who honcho-ed racing for 34 hearty souls who raced Friday through Sunday, in, around, and during a cold northeaster in Norfolk's Willoughby Bay.  The WET Regatta was part of the national circuit.  The event was organized by WET's Dave Kashy.

One of the southern Bay PHRF A fleet's own, Joe Femino, is with our Navy in Iraqi waters and doing just fine.  Joe raced DILYSI ( Drive It Like You Stole It), his Tripp 33, in Hampton Roads before his orders took him to the Far Side of the world.

Opening Day at Fishing Bay Winners:  Loose Cannon, Strother Scott won PHRF A, Allan Heyward in La Maga, took PHRF B, and David Hazlehurst in Oracle won the PHRF Non-Spin fleet.  Bob Rock, Shamrock, slipped into 2nd overall (combined spinnaker fleet) between Loose Cannon and La Maga in the 3 race series.

This coming Saturday, April 26, comes the 33rd Annual Azalea Festival Regatta.  Open to PHRF Non-Spinnaker, single headsail. For info contact: Dave Nichol at (757) 599-0696.  NOTE:  Skippers Reception/Meeting is Friday, April 25th, 1830-2000, at the Willoughby Harbor Marina Lounge.

Great Scot!  The flying kind will gather for the Flying Scot Spring Series on Sunday, April 27, in Carters Creek just off the Rappahannock River Yacht Club.  For info contact Blaine Liner at   liner@Crosslink.net.

US SAILING TEAM TIES: Most southern Bay area racers know Steve Hunt and Michael Miller are full fledged members of the 2003 US SAILING TEAM; they are the number one team in the men's 470 class.  There is another USA Sailing Team member with strong Chesapeake Bay ties - Geoff Ewenson in the Finn class.  Geoff is Mary Ewenson's husband.  Most southern Bay racers recognize Mary's name as publisher of SpinSheet Magazine and some have met her at regattas and events, many of which SpinSheet helps sponsor, e.g., those great crew's worth of T-shirts prizes at Black Seal Cup - Southern Bay Race Week.

Homies Steve Hunt and Michael Miller finished 13th (1st USA team) among 66 world class 470 sailors in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, Friday at the Princess Sofia Trophy Regatta. Now it is on to Hyeres, France, for the Semaine Olympique Francaise, beginning Thursday, April 24 and running through May 2.

Mother, MAY I please go racing CALENDAR:
May 2-4       Annapolis NOOD
May 3          RRYC/FBYC Spring Series Day 3 (CBYRA sanctioned events 438, 439, 440)
May 3          OPCYC Spring 4
May 4          CCV Spring Series RACE #3 (CBYRA sanctioned event 403)
May 9           2003 Hemingway Ocean Race start (914) 834-8857
MAY 10       Sail Hampton Roads Community Sailing Center - Open House
May 17        FBYC Spring Series Day 4 (CBYRA sanctioned events 443, 444, 445)
May 17        YPYC Spring Regatta (CBYRA sanctioned events 446, 447)
May 17         BBSA Cape Henry Cup (CBYRA sanctioned event 404)
May 18        J/24 Fleet 71 Regatta
May 23        58th Annual Block Island Race (NOT BI Race Week)
May 24        FBYC Race to Urbanna (CBYRA sanctioned event 451)
May 24        OPCYC Spring 5
May 25        RRYC/FBYC River Races (CBYRA sanctioned events 452, 453)
May 31        YRYC York River Cup (CBYRA sanctioned event 405)
May 31        UCYC Spring Regatta (CBYRA sanctioned events 454, 455)
May 31        OPCYC Spring 6
May 31-Jun 1    District 11 LASER CHAMPIONSHIP REGATTA

Also, for local racers going out of the area, Block Island Race Week dates are June 22-27.

MURPHY'S LAW:    So, having spent the weekend embedded with a holiday ham bone  and several jelly beans, I am bulked up to hold down any rail anywhere.  Bring on the salt and spray! Living to race, racing to live./s/ Murphy The Racing Beagle

To subscribe directly, hit your "reply" button, give your name, and say "Sign me up!"  SBRNYCU is free.
You may reprint or forward all or any part of this publication, but please give credit to:
               SOUTHERN BAY RACING NEWS YOU CAN USE, Lin McCarthy, Editor