Keep your eyes on these southern Bay youngsters, who distinguished themselves by finishing in their fleet top 10 at the recent Junior Olympics in Baltimore. In the 51 boat Optimist Fleet, Brenton Amthor took 1^st  overall and won the Chesapeake Bay Optimist Open Championship Trophy; Garett Levy finished 4^th and Trent Levy 7^th.  Among the 45 Laser Radials, Alexander Hanna finished 2^nd, Hannah Steadman was 6^th (and top girl) and Gray Kiger was 7^th.  Among the 21 C420s, Jacob Marquardt and Anna Patterson were 7^th and Victor Lane and Nicholas Baker were 9^th.

10 knots steady from the West makes for a nice racing day and that’s how the FOUNDERS RACE turned out yesterday.  Twenty-four (24) boats raced off Ocean View and 21 finished.  RESULTS:  PHRF A (7 boats): 1.Phil Briggs, Feather; 2.John and Beverly Blais, Stardancer; 3.Bob Mosby, Cyrano.  PHRF B (10 boats) – protest pends: 1.Rusty Burshell, Cool Change; 2.Ben Weeks and Michele Cochran, Rumble; 3.Bob Archer, Bad Habit.  PHRF C (5 boats): 1.Neil Ford and Lis Biondi, Rocket J; 2.Bumps Eberwine, Spray; 3.Alan Bomar, Roundabout 2.  PHRF Non-Spin (2 boats): 1.Butch Patterson and Larry Boone, Schock Full o’ Nuts.  Principal Race Officer – Bob Thomas.  Mark Boat – Dave Hamilton.  CCV races resume with Day 1 of the Fall Series on Sunday, September 15^th.

What’s in a name?  An [almost] famous name has been at the helm of Ben Cuker’s Callinectes for two recent races.  Patrick O’Brien brought her in 3^rd  in the Moonlight Triangle a couple of weeks ago and 4th in yesterday’s CCV Founders Race.  Patty has been standing in for Ben Cuker who is working in a program in the west end of Bali where he is helping teach biodiversity and ecology courses and supervise student research.  (Note: Patrick O’Brian, for those unfamiliar, is a well know author of seafaring novels.)

COMING UP THIS COMING WEEK: 

    Screwpile Lighthouse Challenge (July 21-23) late fee for entries kicks in after Wednesday, July 10.  Southern Bay and beyond boats, Wairere, skipper Pete Hunter, and Afterthought, skipper Craig Wright have joined the 50+ already entered at Screwpile. Click on www.splc.us for forms and info.

    15^th Annual Southern Chesapeake Leukemia Cup Regatta – Racing Saturday and Sunday, July 13-14. Contact – Judy Buis at (804) 725-0218, Carolyn Norton Schmalenberger at (804) 776-9211, or Debbie Bridwell at (804) 673-5690, x-6704.  Administered by Fishing Bay Yacht Club and Stingray Point Regatta.  Racing area is in the Chesapeake Bay off Stingray Point (Deltaville).

    Col “Armie” Armstrong Memorial Veterans Cup Regatta – Saturday, July 13.  Contact – John Ritter (757) 329-6992 – Administered by Langley Yacht Club.  Racing area is in the Chesapeake Bay off Bukroe (Hampton).

This past week, Robert Suhay  made the trip from Norfolk to Annapolis in his Laser. He said, “ It took 31 hours from the ODU  ramp to the dinghy ramp at the Severn River Yacht Club -- where really cool, friendly and welcoming people hang out (thanks for the much needed beer at the end of the trip).”  Robert arrived at SRYC on July 4^th.  Robert said he had a lot of help from friends and family:  Lisa interpreted his texts, Leon loaned him the boat, Mike rescued him from Annapolis during the July 4^th fireworks mayhem, Gregg Lanese got him out of the  Annapolis area, Doug loaned his radio and GPS, Mitch, Charles and Cara  involved him in ODU sailing, Neil Ford and Liz Biondi provided a special briefing from their Down the Bay experiences and many, many others supported his sailing through the years.

BIG BLUE SAILING ACADEMY is offering a July Racing Series or Open Sailing on Tuesday evenings (6pm until. . .) at the ODU Sailing Center in Laser (standard or radial), FJ, or 420.  Individuals may bring their own boats if they desire.  Daily racing debriefs will be provided by the staff after boats and equipment are stored for the evening.  Participants must be self-sufficient sailors experienced and capable of rigging, launching, and sailing small racing dinghies. Fee is $10 per person per boat or $5 to race your own boat.  To register go to www.BigBlueSailingAcademy.com .  For  info contact Mitch Brindley at Mitch@bigbluesailingacademy.com or 757-287-1201. 

A couple of weeks ago, the 2013 BERMUDA 1-2  took place.  This is a race that appeals to those who have a special cut to their jib.  The event began in 1977 and is organized by Goat Island Yacht Club and Newport (RI) Yacht Club with support from the Rhode Island State Yachting Committee, the City of Newport, RI, and the town of St. George’s, Bermuda.  The first leg of the race, which must be sailed singlehanded,  is from Newport, RI, to St. George’s, Bermuda, by any course.  The second leg of the race, which must be sailed doublehanded, is from St. George’s to Newport.   The distance of each leg is 635 nm.  So, when southern Bay racer, Craig Olson (Williamsburg/HYC) got the call from his buddy, Brian  Flynn to be half of the doublehanded team for the Bermuda to Newport leg  on Island Girl, an Islander 36, he took up the challenge.  The twosome finished first in their class for the leg and the boat finished 9^th overall for the combined legs among 15 boats.  Word is that Brian has some roots in the southern Bay too, as he in days passed, sailed with Sanford Richardson, Kahuna. KUDOS to both intrepid racers.

INDEPENDENCE is for sale.  Graham Field, long time skipper, owner, and southern Bay racer, would like to sell his Islander 36, INDEPENDENCE. She has been a familiar sight in the PHRF B fleet.  If you are interested, call Graham at 9757) 488-3931.

Walt Collins sailed his 20-something year old Classic Moth in the Hampton Annual One Design Regatta and finished 2^nd. The forward cockpit of his boat resembles an artist’s pallet – a display of splotches of bright colors that is eye catching and distinctive.  Walt explained that his boat  “ was made in Sweden for one of the US women sailors to try out for the ‘92 Olympics . . . the MFR (Finessa) put the splotches on to help the competitor find her boat easier among many similar Finessa hulls delivered for that set of games.”

MURPHY'S LAW:  The Sweden sailing folks who put the paint splotches on the Classic Moth for identity purposes may have been on to something (see item above).  Yrs Truly, the Racing Beagle, is considering day-glo orange  milk bones and beagle tails graphics on the hull to make finding the boat easier after post-race parties and/or for early morning boat times in general.     /S/  Murphy the Racing Beagle, the sailing spirit in us all.