2024 RACING PROGRAM
FBYC Article III - Object of the Club shall be the development of the art and science of sailing, the acquisition of knowledge of the theory and practice of seamanship, navigation, meteorology, aerodynamics, yacht design, and construction and allied subjects; and the furthering of this purpose by the promotion and encouragement of races, regattas and cruises .
Offshore Division events will consist of three major club series for PHRF rated sailboats: Spring series, Fall series, and the Long-Distance series. Opening Day will start the year in middle of April. The season will officially end with the traditional festivities of Closing Day. There will be two additional winter races after Closing Day events. The Stingray Point Regatta will continue as a three-day event. A government mark race will be held the first day, followed by two days of around-the-buoys racing. This event is expected to again attract a large contingent of racers from around the Bay over Labor Day weekend to race for the Brent Halsey, Jr. Memorial Trophy and 2024 Southern Bay PHRF Championship. The Offshore Division has introduced a new Cruising Class with courses specially laid out for boats oriented more towards cruising activities. Cruising Class handicaps can be obtained from PHRF or FBYC will provide a provisional rating. All of our racing events will present the opportunity to include our new members as well as sailors from our crew training program as part of our racing teams. Participation of FBYC boats in regattas and series around the Bay and beyond will continue to be strong.
One-Design Division: The One-Design season is set to be an exciting one and will include our newest fleet, the Melges 15. The season starts in April with a One-Design Opening Day Regatta beginning the Spring Series for Flying Scots (FS), Melges 15, Portsmouth Handicap (PORT) and ILCA Dinghy/Lasers. Five Club series ILCA Dinghy/Laser events will be spaced throughout the year. We will again host the Chesapeake Bay Laser Masters Championship with the event moving back to its previous October time slot. The annual Long-Distance race will be held on Thursday, July 4th. Three Summer Seabreeze regattas will be held over August and September. The Jere Dennison Legacy Regatta is set for August; skippers must be 60 or older but are allowed to have crew of any age. The 85th Annual One-Design Regatta will remain retain its July 20/21st slot, and a large turnout is expected to be on hand. The One-Design Fall Series (FS,Melges, PORT and ILCA Dinghy/Lasers) begins in September and continues through October. Our traveling One-Designers will again represent FBYC in regattas all over the eastern region of the country, and we wish them well. It requires a lot of effort on the part of our volunteers to conduct all of our racing programs. Let's all make a concerted effort to have numbers of boats on the starting line, which will help sustain the high quality of racing at FBYC.
Junior Programs: The FBYC Junior Programs have continued to evolve, and FBYC’s racing Juniors have become a regular presence not only on the Chesapeake Bay, but also across the country and around the world. The 2024 summer program will include six major components designed to accommodate a wide range of ages, sailing skills and abilities, and individual goals for sailors aged 6-18. As in past years, Opti Kids, Junior Week and Sailing School provide different platforms for sailing instruction. The Development Team has grown since its original focus as a stepping stone into Opti racing to become a force of its own. The focus of this team is to develop the sailor’s skills and confidence on the water, including introducing racing techniques. The Opti, Laser and 420 race teams have grown into regional and nationally renowned organizations, attracting the best international coaches. Most years since 2007, a Fishing Bay Yacht Club team member has won either the Opti, Laser Radial or 420 division of the Chesapeake Bay Yacht Racing Association High Points Series. Our world-class coaching staff and our quality Club resources – boats, staff, and volunteers – all combine to ensure that our Junior Program maintains the high standard our Junior sailors deserve.
RACE DAY ORGANIZATION
Our racing (and other) events are managed by members who agree to serve as Chairs and recruit sufficient volunteers to help carry out their responsibilities. Responsibilities of the individual event Chair assignments are as follows:
Event Chair: Event Chairs have the overall responsibility to plan, market, staff, and manage all aspects - except the racing itself - of our larger sailing and non-sailing events. For regular race days, we only have a Race Chair and a Social Chair, saving Event Chairs for large events.
Race Committee Chair: The Race Committee Chair is the Principal Race Officer (PRO) for the day’s/regatta’s racing and is responsible for running the Race Committee and ensuring that the racing is conducted safely and in accordance with any Notice of Race and the Event and/or Special Sailing Instructions. The PRO is also responsible for ensuring race results are turned in to the Division Lt. Commander for scoring, appointing a protest committee (if needed), and presenting awards following most events. The PRO is expected to recruit an adequate number of assistants to operate and staff the signal and mark boats. The PRO will act as the official liaison with the United States Coast Guard for the day’s regatta. If any event is cancelled, the PRO should notify the Coast Guard at (757) 374-3408 (USCG Waterways Duty Cellphone) or via VHS Channel 16 and also notify the Fleet Captain.
Junior Race Committee Chair: Junior Race Committee Chairs run the Junior Race courses. Junior Race Committee Chair will serve as the Principal Race Officer and will be responsible for safely conducting all races in accordance with any Notice of Race and the General and Special Sailing Instructions.
Social Chair: For the typical weekend series race, where there is no Event Chair assigned, the Social Chair is responsible for after-race refreshments (generally soft drinks, beer, and snacks.) For larger events, the Social Chair works with the Event Chair, taking responsibility for food, beverages, and entertainment, as well as lining up volunteers to assist as needed to take care of the social activities for the event.