4TH OF JULY – INDEPENDENCE DAY – Celebrate yours – go sailing!
 
As southern Bay racers we sometimes suffer tornados, hurricanes, storm surges, nor’easters,  thunder boomers, hot spells, windless days, and gales.  All of which are cancelled out by one day as glorious as this past Wednesday, when close to 40 boats raced in Hampton Roads and more raced in other groups including those off Little Creek, in the York River, and elsewhere.  All were accompanied by race committees and spectator fleets.  Mid-week casual racing at its most enjoyable.  Get it  while you can!
SCREWPILE LIGHTHOUSE CHALLENGE entries hit 109 and still climbing!  SPLC continues to accept entries until noon, Wednesday, July 11th.  Regatta check-in is Saturday, July 14th and racing begins on Sunday, July 15th and continues through Tuesday, July 17th.  Thus far, southern Bay racers heading up the Bay to Solomons include Leo Wardrup (Black Widow), Mike Karn (Inevitable), Brad Miller (Schiehallion), Dave Wilbar (Special K), Miles Booth (Shenanigan), Sam Mitchener (Double Eagle),  Sledd Shelhorse (Meridian X), Dennis Hannick (Goin’), Rob Whittet and Steve Utley (Wavelength), Pat and Jake Brodersen (Midnight Mistress), and Leroi Lissenden (Voodoo 2).  The time has come to confirm your ressies, gather the crew, find your swim suit (for the post-race gathering IN the Holiday Inn pool),  dig out your most seasoned red rum hat, and find your current tables (for the delivery).   Be ready to ride the bubble up the Bay to SCREWPILE!  For entry form and regatta details, click on www.splc.us   or call  (301) 862-3100.
CCV MOONLIGHT TRIANGLE RACE -  BOW DOWN,  MARGARITA,  ROCKET J,  BLACK WIDOW  and  ANJALEI  take top spots in their fleets. Twenty-four (24) valiant southern Bay racers ventured out for an evening moonlit race when there was very little likelihood that the moon would be visible through the building boomer clouds.  All 24 returned, just ahead of the bad weather, and all but one finished the race.  The race committee sent all the fleets on a 14.80 nm course and everyone was finished before 10pm.  RESULTS:  PHRF A (4 boats)- 1.Martin Casey, Bow Down (Olson 30); 2.Phil Briggs, Feather (J36).  PHRF B (10 boats)- 1.Harry Tenney, Margarita (Roberts 42); 2.Bob Archer, Bad Habit (Pearson Flyer); 3.Rusty Burshell, Cool Change (J30).  PHRF C (4 boats)- 1.Neil Ford and Lis Biondi, Rocket J (J24);  2.Justin Morris, The Hunter (Hunter 26.5).  PHRF Non-Spin (4 boats)- 1.Leo Wardrup, Black Widow (Irwin 38); 2.Vicki Zimmerman, Bona Dea (Hunter 37.5).  Cruising Fleet (2 boats)- 1.Jim Forrester, Anjalei (Catalina 38).  Principal Race Officer – Richard Payne.  The Moonlight Triangle is one of two mid-summer races that count toward the annual CCV High Point Standings. The other is the CCV Founders Race, set this year for Sunday, August 12th.
In Deltaville, Fishing Bay YC considered starting the FBYC Moonlight Regatta (scheduled to begin at 7:30pm Saturday), but the impending awful weather called a halt to those plans.
COMING UP THIS WEEKEND are the 14th Annual Southern Chesapeake Leukemia Cup Regatta – sponsored by Fishing Bay Yacht Club and Stingray Harbour Yacht Club in Deltaville, VA, and  the Veterans Cup – administered by Langley Yacht Club.   Please see info, details, and contact information listed in the July racing item below in this issue.
At a recent southern Bay regatta, the Typhoon Nationals hosted at Rappahannock River Yacht Club, a crew on the winning boat kept a list of closest competitors, using a waterproof Sharpie@, on his wrist.  A picture taken after the racing was done indicates that the wrist list reflected the exact order of finish for the championship.  One fellow competitor quipped, “I should have concentrated more on moving up the wrist!”
Sailors, and especially racers, are a talented group of folks, and not all of those talents involve sailing.  As an example, consider Tom Roberts, our southern Bay CBYRA Region 4 scorer, who tallies all the CBYRA High Point standings at the end of every year.  Tom is also a thespian and is currently displaying his talents in the performance of the  musical 1776. Tom plays Dr. Lyman Hall, new delegate from Georgia.  The last performance is TOMORROW, Tuesday, July 3, 7:30pm at the Kimball Theatre in Merchants Square in Williamsburg.  Tickets available at 1-800-447-8679 (HISTORY)
 
Two Wooden HODs for sale: From Rachael Blake comes word that the Watermen's Museum will be selling two recently donated wooden Hampton One-Designs to benefit their programs.  One is blue and one is yellow and the yellow one came to the Museum from Maryland and, it is said, has a good racing history.  If you are interested in finding out more information, please contact the Watermen's Museum Executive Director David H. Niebuhr at 757-887-2641.
 
Holy Cow!  Boats that do 20 knots in 10 knots of wind.  Starting lines and boundaries painted ON  the water.  Blinking lights that indicate “you fouled”.   So, the televised version of the “NEW” America’s Cup racing- in-the-box format was momentarily breathtaking.  Pretty exciting stuff – fast boats, confined spaces, great visual and audio electronic coverage.  Maybe this will engage the public in our sport.  However, a number of grassroots racing skippers, in casual conversation, indicated it was  “. . .interesting, but, you know, it does not resemble anything I am doing out there. . .”   So, for now, to some it is “fun to watch, but. . .”
Hampton One-Design Regatta – Hampton One-Designs, Lasers, and Albacores raced on Saturday and Sunday in Hampton Roads.  Complete results were not available.  However, for the Sunday HOD race, which was a point to point race, Charlie McCoy finished first, Will and Mary Roberts took second, and Steve Taylor third of the 5 boats racing.
July is absolutely packed with good racing opportunities:
Jul 6-8  14th Annual Southern Chesapeake Leukemia Cup Regatta – sponsored by Fishing Bay Yacht Club and Stingray Harbour Yacht Club in Deltaville, VA.  Sailing legend, Gary Jobson, will be at the Friday night skipper check-in, racing on Saturday and Sunday for PHRF, J105 one-design, Cruising, and classic classes.  Awards, socials, shore side activities and on Saturday – live music by Premiere.  For details and to register, go to www.leukemiacup.org/va
Jul 7     Veterans Cup – administered by Langley Yacht Club.  Entrants need not be affiliated with the Armed Forces to participate.  Racing for PHRF, One-Design and Cruising classes. Racing is the Bay off Buckroe.  Skippers check-in (6:30 – 7:30pm) Friday, July 6 followed by skippers meeting at 7:30pm at Water’s Edge Grill at Salt Ponds Marina, Hampton.  Post race social and awards.  Entries are due THIS THURSDAY – contact Gary Herbert at (757) 846-4166
Jul 14   Little Bay Challenge – All fleets are non-spinnaker, single headsail only.  Entry is FREE if received by 1200 hours on July 13 ($10 late fee after that).  Skippers meeting 1100 hours at Willoughby Harbor Marina on race day, first flag at 1300 hours, and post-race social at 1900 hours at Rebel Marine.   Broad Bay Sailing Association and Portsmouth Boat Club sponsor this event.  Details and on line registration is available at www.broadbaysailing.org or by contacting Scott Almond at (757)471-2663
Jul 15-17  SCREWPILE LIGHTHOUSE CHALLENGE _ Three days of racing for PHRF and one-design classes.  Check-in on Saturday (1400-1700) at regatta headquarters, Holiday Inn Select, Solomons, MD.  Racing runs Sunday thru Tuesday post-race parties, entertainment, and awards.  Entries will be accepted until Wednesday, July 11th.  For forms and info, please go to www.splc.us  or email chairman@screwpile.net
Jul 21   Hometowne Regatta – sponsored by Portsmouth Boat Club.  Racing for PHRF and Cruising classes.  Go to www.portsmouthboatclub.org  for Notice of Race, Sailing Instructions, Sponsor Applications, CCV Marks, Entry Form, and a link to online registration. This is a one stop shop for the Hometowne Regatta. There is no skippers meeting for this race, so please visit the website. Online registration is open now.  The scratch sheet will be posted soon.  Entries are due by 5:00pm, Monday, July 16th.  Contact: Larry Bryant (757) 472-5969  or  Dave Bennett (757) 676-1047.  There is an official hat and T-shirt included with each entry fee.  The artwork on the trophies and the T-shirts is by artist and sailor J.Robert Burnell.
Jul 28-29  HYC Match Race Challenge – sponsored by Hampton Yacht Club.  This is a special match racing event for J-24s – bring your own boat and race with your own crew.  Fully umpired match racing.  Saturday:  match race clinic and rules briefing, followed by round robin racing, and beer and burger party. Sunday: Championship round, hot dogs and beer followed by awards.  All boats are guaranteed 8 races – each boat races in each flight – no boat is eliminated early.  Open to all class legal J-24s.  Entry fee of $125 is all-inclusive: free launching and dockage at HYC; all racing, clinics and briefings; burger and beer party on Saturday; hot dogs, beer and awards on Sunday.  Go to www.hamptonyc.com  and click on the Match Race Challenge logo on the right, or call Lin or John McCarthy at (757) 850-4225. 
 
SBRW After the Tornado:  The following information already has gone out to each SBRW 2012 skipper from Southern Bay Race Week officials.   For all racers, the condensed information is repeated here:  “… as part of moving on, we need to wrap up our shortened, but forever memorable, SBRW 2012.  To that end we want you to know the following:
On July 22, Sunday afternoon, 3 to 6pm, at Hampton Yacht Club, there will be a presentation of SBRW 2012 Overall Fleet awards as well as the Black Seal Cup;
A specially designed Hampton Tornado Survivor T-Shirt has been commissioned and one will be sent to every SBRW 2012 skipper; it should arrive within 3 weeks;
SBRW 2013 will offer very special Tornado Discounts on entry fees for all returning 2012 boats; as we work through paying off the expenses incurred this year (even though the tornado shortened the event, it did not shorten our list of obligations), our goal is to be able to offset a meaningful amount of the entry fee for each skipper next year.”
 
Racers of the Future:  Sixty-two (62) young racers took to the course a weekend ago (June 24-25) in the Commonwealth of Virginia Junior Championship Regatta, hosted at Fishing Bay Yacht Club. Among those having especially good regattas were fleet winners:  420 (10 boats) – Andrew Schoene;  Laser Radial (16 boats) – Mathew Schofield;  Optimist  Overall (36 boats) and Red (8 boats) – Hannah Steadman;  Optimist Blue (15 boats) – Gray Benson;  Optimist White (13 boats) – Caroline Benson.
 
MURPHY'S LAW:  In the pre-America’s Cup racing in Newport, the racers donned helmets and wore tech shirts over their PFD’s.  It gave them a combination Pillsbury Doughboy–Michelinman  look. The Murphster has one of those close fitting tech shirts. It was not a happy moment when someone assumed  Yours Truly, the Racing Beagle was wearing a PDF at the post-race party. An ugly 4-letter word reared its head – D-I-E-T.  Argh!   /S/  Murphy the Racing Beagle, the sailing spirit in us all.
 
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SOUTHERN BAY RACING NEWS YOU CAN USE,  Lin McCarthy, Editor