HAMPTON ROADS SUNFISH CHALLENGE AND DISTANCE DINGHY RACE.  "The name of this event is the Sunfish CHALLENGE  . . . . it's supposed to be a challenge!"  [or words to that effect] said Jonathan Romero as he emphatically stated that a little bit of late summer rain was not going to postpone this almost 8 mile dinghy race from Willoughby Bay to the ODU Sailing Center at the mouth of the Lafayette River.     John Wandling, who raced in the Sunfish class against his son Joe Wandling and others, summed up the day:   ". . .race conditions over the 7 mile course were light rain, and a light to moderate NE wind made most of it a reach against a half-knot ebb.  Most boats finished within three hours.  This was a lot more fun than it looked.  If you have to have two boats, make one of 'em a Sunfish."                     Class Winners (partial listing, available at publication):  SUNFISH Recreational-Daniel Resio; SUNFISH Racing-BR Flowers; SUNFISH Novice-Barbara Guinn.  OPEN (5 boats)-Tony Thornton in a Mutineer;   FORCE 5 (5 boats)-Russell McCormack;  MOTH - Joe Bousquet.  Event Chairman- Jonathan Romero   Watch the Portsmouth Boat Club website for complete final results on the event page.

The Hustle Award is one of the special awards given at the HR Sunfish & Distance Dinghy Race. This year it went to Stephen Ormsbee (sailing in the Sunfish Novice class).  Jon Romero said,  "Steve lost his mainsheet line just before leaving the dock for the start.  Finally he was able to scrounge a line from a crabpot and made it to the starting line just as his class started. "

RUMBLE takes YORK RIVER CUP.   Ben Weeks and crew on Rumble (J29) are winners of the 26th York River Cup.  Conditions on the river were better than expected, with only light rain on the course Saturday afternoon. Results: PHRF A/B/C (4 boats), 1. Ben Weeks, Rumble (2-1), 2. Mike Austin, Movin' On (1-2); PHRF Non-spin (3 boats) 1. George Jones, Poco Loco (1-1), 2. Joran Gendell, Elixir (2-2).  Event Chairman - Steve Bowen.

HOSPICE TURKEY SHOOT REGATTA -     Friday, October 7 (welcome and check-in social),  Saturday and Sunday, October 8-9 (racing, wide spread socializing, and major fun!).   NOTICE:  There is a PHRF Fleet at the Turkey Shoot.  The winner of this fleet receives a berth to the 2012 National Hospice Regatta.   The TURKEY SHOOT REGATTA is for mono-hull (at least 18 feet long) boats that are "of a classic design"; i.e. the boat's design is at least 25 years old.  That includes a whole lot of boats, for instance J24s.  The TURKEY SHOOT offers racing for PHRF racers in the regatta's Lightning Fleet and for  slightly more casual racers (racing cruisers) in the  Flying Cloud Fleet.  There are awards galore and special recognitions, e.g. the most Beautiful Boat Award (voted on by race spectators) and the Woobly Compass Award (for the best overall among the wooden boats).  Saturday's race is around drop marks and Sunday's race is a  mid-distance pursuit course. Courses will be  announced each day at the morning Skippers Meeting.  This is a great opportunity for racers of all kinds to enjoy Yankee Point and racing on the Rappahannock, and to help with critical support of the Northern Neck Hospices:  Hospice Support Services of the Northern Neck (Warsaw); Hospice Support Care of Middlesex County (Urbanna); Riverside Hospice Agencies (Tappahannock).  These are the folks who say, "WE CANNOT DIRECT THE WIND, BUT WE CAN ADJUST THE SAILS"  To enter, please click on www.turkeyshootregatta.org , print down the entry form and send it with your entry fee to the address on the form.  For logistics questions and general details please contact 2011 Event Chairman, Karen Knull at karen@yankeepointmarina.com ;  for questions regarding the racing, please contact 2011 Principal Race Officer, John McCarthy at (757) 850-4225.  Please help "adjust the sails" - enter today!

CCV FALL SERIES, Race #3, this coming SUNDAY, in Hampton Roads Harbor, is a mid-distance race around (mostly) fixed marks.  This race counts toward the CCV High Point Championship, the CCV Fall Series, and the CBYRA Region 4 High Point standings.   Racers who hold a CCV Racing Membership are entered automatically; all others must enter no later than Saturday, October 1, 2011.  Entries will be accepted for a single day of racing or for the entire Series.  For details, contact John McCarthy at (757) 850-4225.   Day 3 (Races #4 & #5) of the Series is scheduled for Sunday, October 16.   All are sanctioned races and all racing is in Hampton Roads harbor.

TOMORROW  (Tuesday, Sept 27th)  is the deadline for entries for NEPTUNE'S ATLANTIC REGATTA (Saturday, October 1, 2011).  This is the race from Little Creek to the oceanfront.  It's a staggered start race (pursuit race), where the slower boats start first.  First to finish really does win 'cause the handicap corrections are all made up front in the starting times. First flag for the first starter(s) is 0925.  For details and to enter go to www.broadbaysailing.org or call Scott Almond at (757) 471-2663.  Dinghy sailors interested in the small boat side of this event should contact Greg Lanese at (757) 425-0131 or go to the Broad Bay Sailing Association webpage (see above).

Media Watch:  In perfect timing for the TURKEY SHOOT REGATTA (October 7-9) the October issue of  Chesapeake Bay Magazine has a lengthy article ("Ain't Nobody Here But Us Turkeys") with numerous pictures of the 2010 regatta.  The author is Nica Waters, who, along with Jeremy Waters, will be "going for it" again this year in their Bristol Channel Cutter, Calypso.  Jeremy and Rod Bruckdorfer took the pictures.

Those who also raced on the "dark and stormy day" Saturday before this past: 

    **At the Mothboat Nationals in Elizabeth City the wind and rain didn't slow them down one bit. One Moth-er did say that the BBQ and lit fireplace eased the tempo Saturday night, though. RESULTS: Generation 1 - 1.Walt Collins, 2.George Albaugh, and 3.John Pugh. Generation 2 -  1. Jeff Linton, 2,Mike Parsons, and 3.John Zselezzky. Jeff Linton the 2011 Classic Mothboat National Champion.

    **At the Rappahannock River Yacht Club Commodore's Cup they combined the PHRF fleets, so everyone sailed non-spinnaker and they got the races in.  The Cape Dory Typhoon Class did their thing too.  RESULTS: PHRF - 1.Tom Chapman, Hot Air; 2.Pete Knight, Salute; 3.Dwight Timm, Silver Fox.   Typhoon One-Design: 1.Dave Raffetto, Dea Latis; 2.Ned Crockett, Ladybug; 3.Chuck Carmichael, Creampuff.

Time to get smart on  RESCUE 21 - NEW DISTRESS SIGNAL PROGRAM  

MESSAGE RELAY BY THE NATIONAL BOATING FEDERATION
September 1, 2011 Alert 04-11  Washington, DC
MARINER'S SAFETY ENDANGERED WHEN VHF RADIO DISTRESS ALERTS BY DIGITAL SELECTIVE CALLING (DSC) LACK LOCATION AND IDENTIFICATION INFORMATION
As the Coast Guard's new marine radio network Rescue 21 becomes operational throughout the U.S., rescue centers can now receive instant distress alerts from commonly used DSC-capable VHF marine radios. However, approximately 90% of VHF DSC distress alerts received by the Coast Guard do not contain position information, and approximately 60% do not contain a registered identity. The Coast Guard cannot effectively respond to a DSC distress alertsent from such a radio.
This means that search and rescue efforts may normally be suspended when:
   . no communications with the distressed vessel can be established,
   . no further information or means of contacting the vessel can be obtained from other sources, and
   . no position information is known.
HELP US HELP YOU - FIRST Obtain a Maritime Mobile Installation Identity (MMSI) and enter it into your radio. MMSI numbers are issued by the Federal Communications Commission if your vessel otherwise requires a station license, or BOATUS, (http://www.boatus.com/mmsi), Sea Tow (http://www.seatow.com/mmsi), or the U.S. Power Squadrons (http://www.usps.org/php/mmsi).  Ensure any information originally provided is updated as changes occur. FCC regulations require that DSC-equipped radios "use MMSIs assigned by the Commission or its designees" (47 CFR 80.103(b)).     THEN Interconnect your radio to a GPS receiver using a two-wire NMEA 0183This interface on all DSC equipped marine radios and on most GPS receivers.  Instructions should be provided in the radio and GPS operators manual.Further information is provided and will be routinely updated in  http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=mtDsc.

The Chilly Chili Bowl Regatta drew 18 small boats out Sunday in Fishing Bay.  The results of the racing in the Chili Bowl are included in the FBYC Flying Scot and Front Runners classes Fall Series Standings.  RESULTS: Flying Scot (11 boats) - 1.John Wake; 2.Mike Miller; 3.Len Guenther.  Front Runner (4 boats) - 1.Lee Farinholt; 2.Matt Braun.  Sakonnet (3 boats) - 1.David Lee; 2. Herb Davis.   Race Officer - Miles Booth

HYC Singlehand Race - Word  [unofficial] is 11 boats started this annual race and Dixon Wilde, Kingfisher (C&C 99) won.  Pete Wallio in his J/22, Not So Blue, took second and Phil Briggs in Feather (J36) finished third.    Race Officer was Marshall Findley.

FBYC Fall Series Update:  After three races on Saturday, the number of completed races in the Series stands at 5, Sam Mitchener in Double Eagle has a commanding lead in PHRF A, Dave Hinckle in Elancer is at the top of PHRF B, and Bob Fleck is a mere 2 points ahead of Noel Clinard in PHRF C.  Race Officer - Tom O'Connell.  FBYC Fall Series continues on Sunday, October 2 - check for details and entry at the Fishing Bay Yacht Club website at www.fbyc.net

MURPHY'S LAW:  Yrs Truly, the Racing Beagle,  given the frequent spates (of rain), has come upon some rain related sailing protocols to which we should adhere.  Always carry your seaboots under your arm, not over your shoulder, and never-ever take an umbrella aboard the boat.  And, use this sailors' memory tool:  Rainbow to windward, foul fall the day; Rainbow to leeward, damp runs away.   These precautions may keep you from mildew-ing.  ARG!  /S/  Murphy the Racing Beagle, the sailing spirit in us all.