#247 SOUTHERN BAY RACING NEWS YOU CAN USE

Lin Mccarthy on Monday May 2, 2005 03:47PM

MOTHER'S DAY is this coming Sunday, May 8th.  Take her sailing - you bring all the goodies and treat her like Queen of the Nile!
 
Annapolis NOOD:  Five southern Bay boats went to the 2005 Annapolis NOOD Regatta and of the five, Case Whittemore's Patriot placed highest and collected silverware in his class.  Patriot finished 3rd in a class of  7, dominated by J/29 class president, John Edwards' (Solomons, MD) Rhumb Punch.  In the 23 boat J/24 class, Mike Veraldi, Quicky, finished 11th, and in the J/22s (38 boats), Scott Batchelor finished 12th.  Dennis Hannick, Radio Flyer, was 5th in the 8 boat Tripp 26 fleet, and Pam Burdett, Polar Express, was 24th in the J/105 30 boat fleet. 
FWSailing.jpg
 
In case you had not noticed, there is a 210 foot ketch docked at Norfolk's Waterside (temporarily).  Felicita-West is up from the Caribbean and will be spending, according to skipper Jim Livingston, 4-5 weeks in a local yard undergoing maintenance.  After that, she'll head for the Med where she is managed by the Sparkman  & Stephens charter group.  Felicita carries a crew of 12 and takes up to 12 passengers.  If price for a week long charter concerns you, this is one of those boats about which you probably should not ask!!  But, she is worth the trip to downtown Norfolk for a dockside gander.  Better hurry though; she will head to the nearby yard any day now.
 
Coming Up This WeekSaturday, May 7, Yankee Point YC Spring Regatta.
 
Update on Gary Jobson:  All of those wondering about Gary's well-being can be especially happy for him this morning.  Seems he's doing pretty good. Gary won the Etchells Fleet at the Annapolis NOOD.
 
Expatriate homie, Frank Schinco (Avanti, Taylor 40, then ID35), who now hails from Saginaw, Michigan, is quoted in a Sailing World article (May issue) on the "comeback" of the 1D35 class. There are two other very notable southern Bay homies who sailed very successfully in the 1D35 class in its heyday (2000 - 2002) - Sledd Shelhorse (Avalanche) and Nick Worth (Widowmaker) brought home their shares of silver.
 
Word is  that by now, most Chesapeake Bay J/105s (with shallow-draft keels) will have swapped out their old keels for deep keels favored off the Chesapeake.  The change preserves re-sale value and, most say, makes for a much better racer.  Thirty  J/105s raced at this past weekend's NOOD Regatta in Annapolis. 
 
When racers hit Block Island Race Week (June 19 - 24) this summer, they'll see the new (to the USA) IRC handicap rating system at work.  BIRW says any boat with a PHRF rating of 90 or faster will be racing IRC.  And, if the boat's rating is 91-175, it can race PHRF, but to be scored for the overall trophy in the "Around the Island Race", a boat will need to provide an IRC certificate.
 
Media Watch:   Great coverage in Friday's SPORTS SECTION of The Daily Press (Newport News, VA) on the Hampton University Sailing Team.  It would be nice to have a sailing - racing article on a regular basis (like every Thursday) in the local papers like the DP, Norfolk's Virginian Pilot, and the Richmond Times Dispatch.  Call them and let them know your feelings.  Give them positive reasons for coverage of your sport.      DP: (757) 247-4630; VP: (757) 446-2366; TD: (804) 649-6341                                                                                          
 
Expect Fireworks!  There will be fireworks Saturday of Southern Bay Race Week.  However, these fireworks will not be during the racing.  They come courtesy of the Hampton Blackbeard Pirate Festival which is happening a block away for regatta headquarters the same weekend on the Hampton River.  More fun!  2005 Southern Bay Race Week (Friday - Sunday, June 3-5 );  for info check out the web pages at  www.hamptonyc.com  (click on the SBRW logo).  Formula for fun: 6 great races + 3 great parties =  an event you must not miss.
 
There's a popular website that several racers are checking out these days.  SailFlow provides a computer model wind report/forecast for very specific, as in Hampton Flats, Willoughby Spit, 3rd (CBBT) Island, etc., areas.  See the info and options at www.SailFlow.com 
 
Tomorrow is the day, IF you are one of the ones all set to attend the CCV "Learn to Crew on a Racing Sailboat"  Course.  If you are just now getting your act together in this regard, call right now, Neal Garrett at (757) 245-2665.  Classroom session every Tuesday evening in May; on-the-water (on a racing sailboat) every Wednesday evening in May.  First set of sessions is tomorrow - a very few spots are still available - call Neal now!
 
Twenty+ skippers and crew  attended the inaugural CCV New Racing Skippers Clinic on Saturday. The morning classroom session went well with Bill Peach and John McCarthy instructing.  However, the 3 foot chop and howling 20+ gusts from the SSW changed the planned afternoon on-the-water session from a learning environment to something along "survival test" lines.  The participants, guiding seasoned skippers, and race committee decided not to risk breaking people or boats and returned to the docks.  Kudos to Ben Cuker, for developing the clinic concept and honcho-ing the entire event.
Fishing Bay Yacht Club
Office Mail: Fishing Bay Yacht Club, 2711 Buford Road #309, Bon Air, 23235,
Clubhouse Address: 1525 Fishing Bay Road, Deltaville, VA 23043 (no mail delivery)

Phone Numbers: Club House 804-889-2327

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