The last boats in the Smith Point Race (part of the FBYC Distance Series) finished Sunday morning just before 0200.  A total of 13 raced through the night.  Brad Miller, Schiehallion, was recognized as the racer who has sailed in and finished the most Smith Point races, 8 of the 9. He was recipient of the FBYC Smith Point Crab Society award.  RESULTS: PHRF A (3 boats)-1.Craig Wright, Afterthought; 2.Rob Whittet and Steve Utley, Wavelength.  PHRF B (3 boats)-1.Eric Powers, Nereid.  PHRF C (3 boats)-1.Lewis Thatcher, Catitude; 2.Paul Wash, Cheeky Monkey.   PHRF Non-Spin (4 boats)-1.Frank Murphy, Last Boat III; 2.George Burke, Reveille.  Principal Race Officer – Mike Dale.

CORRECTION:  HANS LASSEN is the winner of the San Juan 21 National [East Coast] Championship in the Working Sails Division of the class.  The class sailed in the 73^rd Annual One-Design Regatta at Fishing Bay Yacht Club, Aug 11-12.  Thanks to fellow San Juan 21 competitor Doug Longhini whose eagle eyes saw the error in SBRNYCU 603 and mentioned it.

FEATHER REPEATS IN CAPE CHARLES CUP RACING FLEET; SURELY BOO CAPTURES CRUISING DIVISION.   Phil Briggs and his Feather crew won the 2012 Cape Charles Cup for the PHRF division this past weekend and Dave Bettis, Surely Boo, won the same trophy for the Cruising Division of the event.  Feather won the racing division in 2011 also.  Saturday’s race from Little Creek to Cape Charles was up in the air until early Saturday morning as to “go – no go”  status because of a threatening cold front.  But, race they did and, after the long haul up wind, 28 racers of 36 entered along with 15 cruisers of 49 entered finished within the time limit.  Everyone switched into party mode at Bay Creek Marina and Resort for the festivities.   Sunday morning as the fleet approached the starting area a forecast of mid-day severe weather on the Bay resulted in the Sunday race being abandoned.  The Saturday results become the overalls.  RESULTS:PHRF A (7 boats):Cape Charles Cup Overall and PHRF A winner – Phil Briggs, Feather; 2.PeteHunter, Wairere; 3.Martin Casey, Bow Down.   PHRF B (7 boats): 1.Ben Weeks and Michele Cochran, Rumble;  2.Bob Archer, Bad Habit; 3.Butch Patterson and Larry Boone, Schock Full o’ Nuts.  PHRFC (8 boats): 1.Neil Ford and Lis Biondi, Rocket J; 2.Justin and Elizabeth Morris, The Hunter;  3.Steve Ritz, Excelsior.  PHRF Non-Spin (2HS)(5 boats): 1.Walter Boatwright, Puff Card; 2.Mike Brannon, Virginia Lee; 3.Leo Wardrup, Black Widow.  PHRF Non-Spin (1 HS)(9 boats): 1.Bob Lindsay, Natty Bloh;  2.Bob Howell, Cymru; 3.Larry Baun, Baserunner.  Cruising Fleet A (16 boats):Cape Charles Cup Cruising Overall and Cruising Fleet A winner– Dave Bettis, Surely Boo; 2. Karl Petersen, Valkyrie; 3.James Beaudry, Black Dog.Cruising Fleet B (15 boats): 1.Len Peterman, Inspiration; 2.Jim Borberg, Dreamtime; 3.Tom Pantelides, Mazi.  Cruising Fleet C (18 boats): 1.James Wright, Aria; 2.Randy Goodman, Red Frog; 3.Hank Giffin, Coeur D’ Alene.  Event Chairman-Hank Giffin; Principal Race Officer-John McCarthy; Official Scorer-Scott Almond.

To see some great action shots of Saturday’s Cape Charles Cup Race, go to  www.PhotoBoat.Com  and click on the event.  Allen and Daniela Clark got the shots from their ribbie in 15 to 20 knot winds and 3-4 ft seas in the middle of the Bay. 

2012 Tom Brady Masters Race – THIS SUNDAY, Aug 26^th.  This is a race that has special conditions.  The skipper and everyone on board must be at least 55 years old as of race day.  The boat must be at least 10 years old.  No spinnakers are allowed and no double headsails may be flown.  Entries are due no later than 1100 on race day.  Skippers meeting at high noon (1200) at Hampton Yacht Club on race day.  Must have a current PHRF certificate; however, PHRF Equipment Category 5P is acceptable as well as, of course, 4P.  For info and entry, contact John Blais at (757) 357-0621.   This is the race where it is proved without a doubt that , “There is no substitute for experience!”

Performance sailing. . .for the rest of us!”  is the tag line for the Raider Sailboat, a new 16’ racing dinghy that is being built in Florida and marketed nationwide.  Word around the water is that there will be several Raiders at the Hampton Roads Sunfish Challenge and Distance Dinghy Race (September 22^nd).  One of those coming is Joe Waters of Waters Sails in Lexington, SC.  Joe is a Raider dealer, but is most famous on the southern Chesapeake for his domination of the “big boats” at the annual Hospice Turkey Shoot Regatta each October on the Rappahannock River (Lancaster, VA / hosted at Yankee Point Marina).  Raiders come in 3 models and range from $8,300 to $9,850.  Highway trailers, covers and bags, and blade bags are options and cost extra.  If you are interested in sailing one while Joe is here for the HRSC&DDR, contact Joe Waters at  803-957-5638.  Word is there are 6 Raider sailors already committed to HRSC&DDR and 3 more are possible. 

Pete Hunter’s Wairere flew home to Hampton from Cape Charles on Sunday through the thunderstorms and the rain.  Rumor has it that the Thompson 30 hit 14.5 knots in one gust.

Mike Klopf is working hard to have Swamp Rat ready for her return to racing this fall.  Mike sails Swamp Rat in the PHRF C Fleet and this summer has been crewing, when work permitted, with Bumps Eberwine on Spray.

At the Rappahannock River YC Invitational on Saturday and Sunday, Gene Kendall and Heidi Christensen of Selby Bay, Maryland, won the Flying Scot fleet and Hal Starke and crew Ron Mihills won the tie breaker for 2^nd place.  In the Typhoon Class, Tom Watkins and crew Mike Kennedy were first  overall and Ned Crockett and Branch Crockett won the tie breaker for 2^nd place over Frank Birdsall and Tom Richardson for 3^rd and  Lance Franke and Gary Hooper for 4^th. 

Sailin’ thru college:  Any number of our young racing sailors are getting ready to go back to college where they are members of the sailing team.  This year at the Hampton One-Design Nationals, there were no fewer than 8 young racers who will continue sailing at college and one who is new to sailing. Here they are: 

• John Stokes - Harvard sail team - Academic All-American and Honorable Mention College All-American; high school sail team captain - Mid-Atlantic Champion skipper 4 years in a row, State Champion skipper 4 years in row; All-Virginia Team, Virginia High School Sailor of the Year as a senior;
• Gordon Wolcott - 4th year UVA; sail team member; high school sail team captain - Mid-Atlantic Champion skipper 4 years in a row, State Champion skipper 4 years in row; All-Virginia Team, Virginia High School Sailor of the Year as a senior;
• Kav Stokes - rising sophomore at Sewanee University; high school sail sail team co-captain; Atlantic Coast Champion skipper 1 year; Mid-Atlantic Champion skipper 2 years; State Champion skipper 4 years; All-Virginia Team;
• Billy Van Buren - rising sophomore at College of Charleston; sail team; qualified as skipper for Mid-Atlantic Championship 2 years and Atlantic Coast Championship; All Virginia Team;
• Perrin Priest - rising sophomore at VMI; high school sail team; qualified for Mid-Atlantic Championship and Atlantic Coast Championships;
• Ian Stokes – recent high school grad who is headed to UCLA Santa Barbara where he plans to sail on sailing team; high school sail team co-captain; Atlantic Coast Champion skipper 1 year; Mid-Atlantic Champion skipper 2 years; State Champion skipper 4 years; All Virginia Team, Virginia High School Sailor of Year; Sailboard World Championship qualifier; Sailboard Olympic Development Team; Opti Nationals Champion; several Opti National Teams;
• Anderson Granger – recent high school grad headed to UVA where he plans to sail; high school sail team co-captain; Atlantic Coast Champion skipper 1 year; Mid-Atlantic Champion skipper 2 years; State Champion skipper 4 years; All-Virginia Team;
• Rose Patterson - headed to Va Tech; high school sail team; qualified for Mid-Atlantic Championship and Atlantic Coast Championships;
• Sam Hitch - headed to UVA - new to sailing, but outstanding soccer player and lettered in wrestling, basketball, track

MURPHY'S LAW:  Coming home yesterday from Cape Charles was something – it really did rain buckets full.  It was wetter than wet out there.  Yrs Truly, the Racing Beagle, spent the evening Clorox@ sponging mildew from under the claws and  fluff drying the beagle fur coat.    /S/  Murphy the Racing Beagle, the sailing spirit in us all.