#544 SOUTHERN BAY RACING NEWS YOU CAN USE

Lin Mccarthy on Tuesday June 7, 2011 11:15AM

 
AFTERTHOUGHT,  J109, from Raleigh, North Carolina, owed and skippered by Craig Wright, won THE BLACK SEAL CUP, for best overall performance at SOUTHERN BAY RACE WEEK 2011.  In the largest of the handicap and one-design fleets, PHRF A2 (12 boats), Afterthought  had only one blemish, a 2nd which was a throw-out, in her string of finishes for SBRW (1-[2]-1-1-1-1).  The regatta, which is sailed in Hampton Roads, drew 98 keel boats from the mid-Atlantic and as far away as Maine.  Tom Hall, from Scarborough, Maine, brought his Elliott 770 to Hampton and dominated the SBRW PHRF B1 fleet.   On Friday, the first day of racing, the fleet raced in the Harbor, after a long-range recon race committee launch reported rolling waves as high as skyscrapers in the Bay itself.  Chessie was in a snit.  Racing breezes and smooth surfaces made for three opening day races in the same waters where the Civil War Battle of the Ironclads took place in 1862.  Saturday morning the seas in the Bay off Norfolk's Ocean View had abated and the fleet got in three races in conditions that rewarded, in addition to other skills, attention to wind shifts and Bay currents.  On Sunday morning, Mother Nature threw a curve. While the racers eat breakfast, downpours as thick as their pancake syrup hit the area.  Racing was postponed ashore and not much later warnings of expected severe thunderstorms kept officials from sending the fleet out.  Rather the party tent was activated and by noon the Gosling's Black Seal Rum was offsetting the dampness.  Awards were presented, boats traveling by trailer were readied, and delivery crews studied the green glob on the weather channel.  SBRW 2011 is in the books and a rousing success.
 
SBRW RESULTS:  PHRF A1: 1.Wairere, Pete Hunter, Kill Devil Hills, NC; 2.Meridian 2, Sledd Shelhorse, Virginia Beach; 3. Voodoo 2, Leroi Lissenden and Scott Birch, Richmond.  PHRF J35 One-Design: 1.Maggie, Peter Scheidt, Highland, MD; 2.T-Bone, Bruce Artman, Tracy's Landing, MD; 3.Bump in the Night, Maury Niebur, West River, MD.  PHRF A2: 1.Afterthought, Craig Wright, Raleigh, NC - also, winner of the Black Seal Cup; 2.Sea Star, Dave Eberwine, Suffolk;  3.The Riddler, Clarke McKinney, Solomons, MD.  PHRF B1: 1.Seven, Tom Hall, Scarborough, ME;  2.Gremlin, Greg Cutter and Carie Curry, Norfolk;  3.Rumble, Ben Weeks and Michele Cochran, Yorktown.  PHRF B2: 1.(tiebreaker)USA 90, Dave McConaughy, Newport News;  2.(tiebreaker) Stingray, Don DeLoatch, Virginia Beach;  3.Easy Button, David and Jacki Meiser, Solomons, Md.  J105 One-Design: 1.Veloce, Marty Hublitz and Eddie Hornick, Roanoke;  2.Inevitable, Mike Karn, Richmond;  3.Loose Cannon, Strother Scott, Maidens.  J24 One-Design: 1.Quicky, Mike Veraldi, Virginia Beach;  2.USA 840, Neil Ford and Elisabeth Biondi, Hampton; 3.Chop Chop, Rodney Paice, Portsmouth.  PHRF C1: 1.Horizon, Bob Fleck, Hardyville;  2.Swamp Rat, Mike Klopf, Hampton; 3.Spray, Bumps Eberwine, Suffolk.  PHRF C2: 1.Not So Blue, Pete Wallio, Hampton; 2.Prophet, Noel Clinard, Richmond; 3.Sub-Surface, Brendan Drinkwater, Virginia Beach.  PHRF Non-Spin: 1.Virginia H, Andy Armstrong, Hampton;  2.Midnight Mistress, Jake and Pat Brodersen, Gloucester; 3.Black Widow, Leo Wardrup, Virginia Beach.  Cruising A: 1.Whisper, Larry Bryant, Portsmouth; 2.Faith, Jerry Lotz, Suffolk; 3.Black Dog, Jim Beaudry, Newport News.  Cruising B: 1.Restless VIII, Sonny Smith, Norfolk; 2.Mortar Offer, Kent Utley, Suffolk; 3.Bay Dreamer II, John and Mary Bergman, Norfolk.
Event Chairman - Jack Pope;  Event PRO and East Course- John McCarthy;  Race Officer West Course - Brian Deibler;  Race Officer Cruising Course - John Ritter;  Official Scorer - Dariene DeRyder;  Signal Boat Captains - Eric Matherne, Brian Deibler, Cindy Flowe;  Mark Boat Captains - Bill Gibbings, Dave Hamilton, Tom Fowler, Jerry Olson, Rick Klein;  Support Boat Captain - Marshall Findley.  
Save the date for SBRW 2012 - Opening Night / Skippers Meeting Thursday, May 31 with Racing, Parties and Awards, Friday, June 1 thru Sunday, June 3.   Y'all come racing!
Get the boat in order - here comes the HARBORFEST HOMETOWNE REGATTA, THIS Saturday, June 11.  Sponsored by Portsmouth Boat Club and open to all PHRF classes (PHRF Non-Spin allows 2 headsails) as well as a cruising fleet (allowed one headsail only).  The race starts in the Elizabeth River and finishes where it starts.  This is a good tune-up for racers who are eyeing The Cock Island Race the following weekend (June 17-18).  There is a 4pm time limit on this race to assure that everyone has time to get to the post-race party at PBC (5-7pm) at the PBC Clubhouse.  Hurry and get your entry in TODAY, June 6.  For info and entry, please contact Larry Bryant at 757-472-5969  or Dave Bennett at 757-676-1047. 
 
COCK ISLAND RACE - June 17-18.  Word is that all entries were due no later than June 3rd (last Friday).  HOWEVER, if you are the cow's tail (last part over the fence), you may want to try your excuse out on Rene Spratley at Portsmouth Parks and Rec (757) 393-8481 or talk to the Principal Race Officer, Larry Bryant (757) 472-5969.  Excuses should be designed to elicit mercy, not [necessarily] guffaws!
 
Saturday morning, around 0730, Donnybrook, the beautiful 72 footer that just last week was in  Hampton, having won line honors in the Down the Bay Race, had an unplanned encounter with the Baltimore Channel Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel  island rocks.   She was headed out the Bay in the Annapolis - Newport Race.  The sailors aboard Donnybrook aboard are ok, although word is one crewman suffered a broken arm, and the boat is now back in Annapolis. 
 
On this coming weekend:
Fishing Bay YC - Moonlight Regatta (Saturday) - www.fbyc.net
Rappahannock River YC - Inaugural Cape Dory Typhoon Nationals (Saturday and Sunday)
Yankee Point YC - Singlehanded Regatta (Saturday)
 
At SBRW this past weekend there was discussion of the official event organizing and race committee shirts - they were pink. It was reported that some of the men were a bit uncomfortable when they were faced with wearing a pink shirt. The day was saved by racer  Brad Miller, Schiehallion,  who explained that the ladies were wearing pink, but the gentlemen were obviously wearing salmon.  Perception really is everything!
 
 VIMS Benefit Event - a Poker Run for paddle boats, dinghies, jet skis and other motor craft.  Saturday, June 18 - 0900 through 1500 - at Salt Ponds Marina (Hampton).  If you want to play and help the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, contact Bill Walsh at 800-55404581 or 757-880-8820. 
 
MURPHY'S LAW:  Some people see the Harborfest Hometowne Regatta as a warm-up for the Cock Island Race.  Both races are run essentially in the Elizabeth River, although the HHR is likely to go out into Hampton Roads Harbor, around Craney Island's edges and beyond.  Yrs Truly, the Racing Beagle, sees the true warm-up to be the HHR post-race party at PBC on Elm Street.    Remember, Cock Island is known as two great parties interrupted by a race !    /S/  Murphy the Racing Beagle, the sailing spirit in us all.
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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