# 444 SOUTHERN BAY RACING NEWS YOU CAN USE
on Monday May 18, 2009 11:40AM
The Start of the 60th DOWN THE BAY RACE is this
Friday, May 22nd in Annapolis. The 120 mile dash to Hampton is about
to begin!
60th DOWN THE BAY RACE for the VIRGINIA CRUISING
CUP. May 22-23. For info and details contact either
co-chairman, Vince Behm (Hampton - 757-876-7778) or Wayne Bretsch (Annapolis -
301-332-6773) or go to the event website at www.hamptonyc.com
and click on the DTB logo. Deadline for entries is this
Wednesday, May 20. There are currently 39 entries that are hot to
trot. Even though the start is 4 days away (Friday morning, May 22),
weather watchers are calling for a lovely SSE breeze that should be
quite manageable. Check your most reliable source, though - this IS,
after all, the Chesapeake Bay! Good luck to everyone - see you
in Hampton!
The official Finish Line for DTB will be set up on the seawall at Ft
Monroe. Ft Monroe is open to the public during daylight hours; you do
need a driver's license ID for everyone in the car and your car registration in
order to receive a day pass. May 23, Saturday morning through
mid-afternoon is a likely time to expect boats to be finishing at a fairly
steady pace. Remember, this is a 120 mile SAIL BOAT RACE - not even
Murphy, the Racing Beagle, can accurately predict when finishes will
happen. Finish Times will be posted on DTB Board in HYC Lounge
immediately after the boat hits the line. The Preliminary Scratch Sheet is
posted at the event website now - www.hamptonyc.com (click on the DTB
logo).
When it's gustin' near 30 knots, the gritty go
racing... and that is exactly what four 505s and three J24s
did yesterday during the gullywashers and temperature drops! They
refused to let the annual HYC Trapeze Regatta be washed
away. They got in 4 races in record time (30 knots definitely will
speed things up a bit). Sailing 505s and tuning up for the 505
Worlds this August were Keith David / Jesse Falsone, Jeff Ewenson /
Tyler Moore, Henry Amthor / Dustin Romey, and
Chris Behm / Chris Rasmussen. And, getting
the jump on competition for Southern Bay Race Week were J/24 teams on
USA 193 (Trip Behm), Roundabout
(Alan Bomar), and Silver Surfer (Pete
Longhini), finishing overall in that order. Good on them
all! The intrepid, sopping wet, but undaunted race committee was headed by
Bob Thomas, along with mark boat Black Dog (Dave Hamilton), and
safety/crash boat (Brian Deibler).
THE HUNTER gets a favorable wind late to
take CAPE HENRY CUP! Justin Morris' Hunter 26.5 rambled home to
win the PHRF C fleet by the largest corrected margin and the 2009 Cape
Henry Cup. A race that included a beautiful downwind start,
short windless spells, sea breezes, and threatening thunderstorms as the last
fleets finished brought back memories of all the unpredictable things the Cape
Henry Cup can be. A total of 44 boats, 35 PHRF racers and 9 cruising fleet
boats started the race Saturday morning. The three PHRF spinnaker fleets,
A, B, and C went the long course (27.4 miles) making the turning mark just
inside the mouth of the Bay, and the PHRF Non-Spin and Cruising Fleet sailed
the 20.3 "inside" course. PRELIMINARY RESULTS: PHRF A
(7 boats): 1.Sea Star, Dave Eberwine;
2.Feather, Phil Briggs; 3.Mirage,
Christian Schaumloffel. PHRF B (12
boats): 1.Callinectes, Ben Cuker;
2.Turbo's Tub, MD Riley; 3.Cool Change,
Rusty Burshell. PHRF C (4 boats): 1.The
Hunter, Justin Morris; 2.Spray, Bumps
Eberwine; 3.Lona B, Carey
Hardesty. PHRF Non-Spin (12 boats):
1.Kingfisher, Dixon Wilde; 2.Black Widow,
Leo Wardrup; 3.Bobinski, Bob
Hausmann. Cruising Fleet (9 boats):
1.Anjalei, Jim Forrester; 2.Moonwind,
Mark Merrick; 3.Lamour, John
Moore. Principal Race Officer - Scott
Almond. Awards to be presented at the BBSA Meeting and
traditional Pot Luck Supper, Tuesday, May 19, 6:30pm at the Old Dominion
University Sailing Center. For info contact Scott Almond at (757)
471-2663.
SOUTHERN BAY RACE WEEK for the BLACK SEAL
CUP. May 29 -31.
Preliminary Scratch Sheet is posted at the website now. Note
that PHRF A Fleet as well as PHRF B Fleet each will be split to
improve the quality of racing. Watch for a special SBRW edition of
SBRNYCU for details on splits as well as event updates. For
info and entry forms: Lin McCarthy at (757) 850-4225, or
email at mcbear@earthlink.net or
check out the event website at www.blacksealcup.com
or www.hamptonyc.com
(click on SBRW website). The $50
late entry fee for SBRW kicks in this week; Friday, May 22, is
the last day for the regular fee. Don't get run over by
that train - get your entry in NOW!
HULL #1 of the brand spankin' new
Santa Cruz 37 design will race Down the Bay this coming weekend
and stay in Hampton Roads for the heated competition in Southern Bay Race Week
(May 29-31) The Santa Cruz carries a PHRF rating of 30 and will be
in the Hampton River area during the week between events and during the
SBRW regatta. For info contact Robert Percival at (410)
867-2631 or (410) 562-1255.
SBRW officials have announced that the J24
One-Design Fleet has made for Southern Bay Race Week. So far,
four local Hampton Roads boats, Quicky, Mike
Veraldi (Virginia Beach) roundabout,
Alan Bomar (Williamsburg), USA
193, Tripp Behm (Hampton), and Blue Bus,
Chris Johnson (Hampton), will be on the line along with Bash,
Ron Medlin (Goldsboro, NC).
Brian Bennett, the Viper 640 rep, was in Hampton
this past weekend. He gave introductory rides to sailors who were
interested in testing out this fast craft. The first two racers to take
Brian up on his offer may surprise you. Bright and early Saturday morning,
grinning from ear to ear as they glided out Hampton River, were two of our
southern Bay best, Ron McLean (Meridian 2 main trimmer and
Sledd Shelhorse's main man) and Nick Worth, both of whom competed
very successfully on the big boat, big time circuit, sat elbows to rib
cages in the Viper 640 go fast machine. For more info on the
Vipers contact Brian Bennett at (401) 683-8260 or email brian@rondarboats.com.
MERRIMAC MEMORIAL REGATTA, Saturday, May 23 - "A
small boat race for sailors of all ages" organized by
Portsmouth Boat Club. For details go to www.portsmouthboatclub.org
or contact Rodney Paice at (757) 971-0202. Look for
fleets to include Moths, Lasers, multi-hulls, others and an open fleet for
Portsmouth Yardstick boats. It all happens at the Portsmouth City Park
(launch at small boat ramp). This event has shown steady growth,
especially the past few years. Perfect for small boat sailing families as
well as any "big kid" dinghy racers.
If you are suddenly near the
Northern Neck on Saturday, May 30, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00
p.m. and would like to attend the YPYC's "Suddenly
Alone" seminar, which tells your spouse (or crew
member) what they need to know when faced with an emergency at sea,
please contact: Ruth Bush at 804-435-7776. The
seminar, moderated by John McConnico, will be held at the Yankee Point
Marina and is FREE.
JUNE is great on the southern Bay - race every time
you can. Here are a few of the opportunities coming
up!
June 6 Hometown Regatta
(PBC) - Larry Bryant, 757-472-5969 or Dave Bennett, 757-676-1047
June 6 Cut Channel Race (FBYC) -
John Beery
June 5-7 10th Anniversary of City of
Hampton's Blackbeard Festival - 757-727-0900
June 13 Hampton Roads Hospice (HYC) - Glenn
Giles, 757-851-9690
June 13 YPYC Spring Singlehanded
Race
June 20 YPYC Women's Regatta
June 20 Cock Island Race (Portsmouth
Parks & Rec, PBC) - R.Spratley, 757-393-8481 or L. Bryant,
757-472-5969
June 27 The Executive Cup (CNU Sailing
Foundation)
MURPHY'S LAW: Yrs
Truly, the Racing Beagle, didn't even have to
go to the boat ramp to launch yesterday. Just woke up, rolled over,
and zoomed down the gutter to the storm drain - arrived in the creek race
ready and rumblin' ! Ya gotta stay positive when dealing with Mom
Nature! /S/ Murphy the Racing Beagle, the
sailing spirit in us all.
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