On August 9-10, FBYC held its 69th Annual One Design Regatta. Over 80 boats attended including four 420s, six Albacores, twenty-three Flying Scots, nine Front Runners, seven Mobjacks, four Hampton One Designs, twelve Lasers, five Laser Radials (including four Juniors of which three were Girls) and thirteen Optis (of Fleets, two were Red, seven were Blue, four were White and one was Green). Joining the regatta for the first time were four San Juan 21s, led from afar by FBYC’s Mike Chesser. The Mobjacks combined the Event with their 2008 National Regatta, beginning early on Friday for a three day championship regatta for that class.

The regatta was sailed on three courses with separate Race Committees chaired by Rick Klein, David Hazlehurst and Joe Roos. The Albacores, 420s, Lasers, Radials, and the Optis, sailed in the Piankatank River and in Fishing Bay both days, with Sunday having a light thermal breeze. The Flying Scots, Front Runners, Hamptons, Mobjacks, and San Juan 21s were able to race only on Saturday in light and radically shifty winds in Hills Bay, but were becalmed throughout the day Sunday, precluding a single start. Right on its own perverse schedule, a thunderstorm passed to the South and a massive sea breeze kicked in just as the boats were recovered and blew through the porch with a vengeance throughout the awards.

The socializing on Saturday night was enhanced by the “Brain Freeze” Margarita machine operated by John and Maury Hubbard and the splendid Shish-ka-bob chicken dinner purveyed by Arthur and Betsy McCray and their volunteer catering crew. Distinctive regatta apparel was sold by Durwood and Deborah Usry and their crew of volunteers. Later, it was learned that some of the regatta tee shirt and micro fiber designs had not been cured fully by the manufacturing process so the black ink in the designs bled, resulting in a “partial regatta wear recall” by the Event Chair. If you have found that your regatta wear ink bled, you may return it to Noel Clinard at his address in the Year Book and obtain a full replacement. Please be sure to attach your name and address to the returned garment.

Despite the light and shifty winds, awards were made across all the classes, including each and every Opti sailor who participated. The full results are available on the club website, but class winners were: Flying Scot - David Neff, Front Runner - Bobby Phillips, Mobjack - Len Guenther, Hampton One Design - Latane Montague, Albacore - Robert Bear, San Juan 21 - Hans Lassen, 420 - Tony Protogyrou, Laser - Erich Hesse, Laser Radial, Laser Radial Junior, Laser Radial Junior Girl’s - Madeleine Alderman, Opti Blue and Opti Overall - Graeme Alderman, Opti Red - Conrad Roos, Opti White - Stephen McCray, Opti Green - Luke Hayes.

This regatta was made possible by a massive club member volunteer effort other than that mentioned above. Registration was led by Cathy and David Clark and Patricia Montague. Breakfast was provided by Meg Clinard. Bar ticket sales and bar tenders were organized by Mike and Amy Miller. The boats were smoothly launched by four shiny new John Deere and Massey Ferguson Tractors driven by a crew of volunteers under the direction of Doug Anderson and clean-up was handled by a group of Cruisers led by Ed O’Connor, Cruising Division Commander. Thanks to them and the other volunteers filling over 104 volunteer positions with over 80 persons serving multiple roles for making the regatta a success..