The Annual Regatta

Jere Dennison

This month, FBYC will be hosting its 65^th Annual Regatta. 65 years is a long time...even older than your Historian...so perhaps a notable anniversary. The Club’s first annual regatta was held over Labor Day in 1939 and was a rather humble affair. Then we were The Urbanna Sailing Association nearing the end of our inaugural sailing season on Urbanna Creek. After combing through our archives, I can find neither the results nor a program for this first regatta. However, there is a mention in the 1939-41 history recorded by Mac Wellford, founder and historian at the time:

"The next morning, which was Labor Day (1939), the Urbanna Sailing Association had agreed to run off a sailing regatta for Urbanna’s Middlesex Historic Day celebration. Trophies for this were donated by the town’s Woman’s Club, and the regatta was particularly successful, with a turnout of some thirty-odd racing boats. Classes were held for Hampton One Designs and Snipes, for 25 feet and under, and 18 feet and under."

By the next year, the Club had incorporated, changed its name to the Urbanna Yacht Club, Inc., and affiliated with CBYRA. Flushed with success in its initial year of racing, plans for the 1940 regatta were completed in a much more organized fashion and a formal program of sailing instructions published. Fortunately, we have one very well preserved copy of this program for the second annual regatta in our archive, the cover of which is reproduced herein. Note the proscription of motor powered vessels. Urbanna in this era also hosted major hydroplane races on its creek and so we wanted to leave no doubt as to the type of racing boats allowed at this event.

Your Historian/Archivist wishes to thank the following individuals for items recently donated to be hung in the main clubhouse:

• Dr. George Burke for the Kaptain Krunch edition of the Mr. Roberts II life ring that he won in the raffle at the Leukemia Cup Auction. The life ring now hangs in the bar area.
• Bob Kates for the enlarged photograph from a 1954 postcard depicting the yacht club pier during the annual regatta. Bob mounted the photograph behind an old and suitably patinated 6-pane window sash that now hangs on the landing to the second floor of the clubhouse.