#146 SOUTHERN BAY RACING NEWS YOU CAN US

Lin Mccarthy on Monday April 7, 2003 12:21PM

FBYC Opening Day Regatta - This coming Saturday and Sunday, April 12 and 13.  MORC, PHRF Spinnaker and Non-Spinnaker fleets.  Three races are planned; all are CBYRA sanctioned.  Point of Contact: John Wake, (804) 673-6007.

Gettin' it together on the Rivah:  Rappahannock River area Flying Scot racers shared in a real treat Sunday. Greg Fisher, 4 time national champion, was featured clinician at a seminar put together by Tom Norris of Rappahannock River YC and Debbie Cycotte of Fishing Bay YC. Ron Mihills (RRYC) reports that sailors from no less than 5 different FS fleets participated.  The site of the seminar was moved to Fishing Bay when RRYC ran out of standing room during the registration stage.The Now That's Tuff Award goes to Mike Veraldi and crew on J/24 Quickie.  They were racing at J/24 Fleet 71's regatta off Hampton Flats on Saturday when the angry front rolled through (35+ knots with gusts, 25 degree temperature drop, and 180 degree wind shift), and came back out Sunday morning in the cold, cold, blustery 22-25+ knots at  the CCV Tune-Up regatta Sunday.

TIME TO GO RACING!  CCV SPRING SERIES RACE #1 - This coming Sunday, April 13.  Entry deadline is Saturday, April 12th, 1300 hours.  Entries and fees for the Series and/or individual races go to RC chairman John McCarthy, 17 Southall Landings, Hampton, VA 23664-1766 - contact him at (757) 850-4225.  Sailors who took out a CCV Racing Membership are entered automatically in the Series.  You must have a current, valid PHRF rating to race.  Starts will be provided for PHRF A, B, C, and Non-Spin (2 headsail) fleets.  All  three CCV Spring Series races are held in the Harbor. All are CBYRA sanctioned races.

COMING UP VERY SOON:  Day after tomorrow, HYC Wednesday Night Series, opens.  Racers do have to submit a standard entry form and must pick up a copy of the Race Circular.  Go by the HYC office to do this.  There is no charge for entry.  Race Series chairman is Tom Ryan, (757) 426-7666 - call him for info.

Here's a really good idea put forth by Jack Huenerberg - Include your email address on your race entry form, even if the form does not provide a space. This makes it possible for race administrators to communicate easily with entrants before and/or after the event, if necessary.  Jack's idea is under consideration by CBYRA and may (probably will) be incorporated in the 2004 CBYRA Standard Entry Form (2003 publications with the form are already out there.)

More than 225 skippers and crew attended the 2003 CCV Racing Rules Clinic at The Mariners' Museum last Tuesday night.  Olympic hopeful Steve Hunt (of the Hunt-Miller 470 team) was introduced by USA Sailing Team coach Gary Bodie.  Steve treated the racers to a masterful mix of racing rules and his sailing experiences and Olympic hopes.  Sort of like a great rum drink that has nutritional value too!

By the way, if you were so unfortunate as to not be able to attend the CCV Racing Rules Clinic and therefore did not pick up the 2003 CCV Racing Guide,  CCV officials say members' copies will be available for pick up at Batten Pocket on Bridge Street, Hampton.  Call first to make sure the Guides have been delivered - Batten Pocket (757) 723-1855.  If you want to join CCV so you can get a copy of the Guide (Club membership is $25 and includes a copy of the Guide), contact CCV Secretary -Treasurer Dave Taylor at (757) 723-0625).

Special Helpful Hint for Racers and Race Managers:  Particularily in multiple fleet races, as the race goes on and the faster boats begin "lapping" the other boats, it becomes difficult for the RC to move the weather mark without causing confusion.  Therefore, the CCV General Sailing Instruction provides a way for the RC to move the weather mark for the LAST weather leg only (page 36; illus. page 38). This is done by the RC displaying Code Flag "C" over Code Flag "Q" and showing the magnetic bearing to the new mark.  Keep in mind that this change applies only to the last weather leg for each fleet.

 This is a good time to send well wishes to the Battlewagon brigade, John Hanna and company,  and the Turkey Shoot Regatta winners,  Jerry Latell and crew, which includes Phil and Arabella Denvir, as they ready for this coming weekend National Hospice Championship Regatta in Annapolis.  They will be competing in J/105s for the coveted title.

A sure sign that the racing season is upon us is the SpinSheet Crew Listing Party.  Set for April 19th, 5-7 PM in Annapolis at J/Port (213 Eastern Avenue).  This is a famous party that brings together sailors looking for a ride with skippers looking for crew.  It is free and open to the public.  Check out  www.spinsheet.com  (see the "Go Sailing" button on the navigation bar) or pick up the April 2003 issue of SpinSheet and turn to the inside back cover.

VAROOOOOM! Think February 2004.  Think racing, of the car kind. Think of support for the Hunt-Miller Olympic Campaign.  Put it all together for $5.  Here's how it works:  You can enter a drawing for 2 February 2004 Daytona 500 Tickets and 2 Pre-Race Passes by sending a check made payable to: USSF/Hunt-Miller Campaign.  Send your check and entry(s) with your name, address, and phone number to:  Hunt/Miller Campaign Coordinators, c/o Kay and Tim Crist, 3802 Degrasse Drive, Charlotte, NC 28269.  Your name will be entered for each $5 ticket purchased.  Get on this now,  because the deadline for the drawing is "postmarked by MAY 31, 2003".  The drawing will take place June 8, 2003.  Proceeds benefit the Hunt/Miller Olympic Sailing Campaign.

A couple of 505s spotted out practicing/tuning up Sunday in Hampton Roads.   Also spotted, USSA Sailing Team Coach Gary Bodie "observing" - a busman's holiday?

We are in the midst of Spring Monsoons on the southern Chesapeake. So, keep your power dry and think about July 20-21-22.  Those are the dates of the Screwpile Lighthouse Challenge.  It'll warm your heart cockles.

Remember Tucker Thompson?  He is the well known sailor who was the guest clinician at last years CCV Racing Rules Clinic and has sailed in regattas in the southern Bay on various occasions.  On April 19th he will head up the Tucker's Tips Big Boat Racing Clinic in Annapolis.  The format includes instruction on skills at the bow, mast, pit, trimmer, and tactician positions.  For more info and/or to register call Tucker at (410) 353-3332.

USCG MSO Info Hotline:  For port safety, closure, and opening information, you can dial the US Coast Guard Maritime Safety Operation Information Line at  1-800-682-1796.

Racers and Race Committees - HEADS-up:  There is only one list of PHRF Ratings that is current and valid and that is the PHRF of the Chesapeake  PHRF VALID RATING LIST 2003. Ratings in other publications or web sites, e.g. CCV Guide, last year's regatta finishes, any magazine's top ten list of inaccurate information, your and anyone else's club directory, do not count as current or valid.  Save a lot of post race angst by checking, before the race,  the PHRF web site and following the prompts for the current valid list at   http://www.phrfchesbay.com   These PHRF folk do a really good job of keeping the list up to date - they update every Friday throughout the racing season!

Laser District 11 Championships - May 31 - June 1 - contact George Panayides,  gpanayid@wrsystems.com   or Leigh Morgan,  leigh.morgan2@verizon.net

MURPHY'S LAW:   Here comes the nitty-gritty. We are going r-a-c-i-n-g!  The Murphster reminds everyone to mind your flags and signals. It's a good time, during the anticipated mid-week northeaster, to study up on page 38 of the CCV 2003 Racing Guide. Note the illustration of  "course change applies to LAST weather leg only".  Don't try the  "but, the dog eat my homework" excuse after the race at the party either.  All hot racing dogs eat franks (not homework)  before and after races. See you under the tent!!  Living to race, racing to live. /s/ Murphy the Racing Beagle

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                 SOUTHERN BAY RACING NEWS YOU CAN USE, Lin McCarthy, Editor
 

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