#228 SOUTHERN BAY RACING NEWS YOU CAN USE
on Monday December 6, 2004 08:50AM
Schooner Virginia
christening set for this Friday, December 10, 11:45 am, Otter
Berth, next to Waterside at downtown Norfolk. The
Virginia has been under construction for just over two years, but the
progress from dream to vision to reality has taken a lot longer than that.
NOW SHE IS REAL. Governor Mark Warner and the State's First Lady Lisa
Collis will be in Norfolk along with Gary Jobson and Capt. Bill
Pinkney. You need to be at this historic event too. The
christening will be a traditional ceremony. There will be exhibits and
demonstrations Friday and Saturday. Visit our schooner. For detailed
info check the web site at www.schoonervirginia.org or call
the Virginia Maritime Heritage Foundation at (757) 627-7400.
GABOON SPITTOON GOES TO
BEN WEEKS' J/29, RUMBLE. Rumble did just
that. She rumbled across the finish line of this annual classic with 26
seconds to spare before the deadline of 1630. Ben Weeks'
J/29 led the fleet home after a staggered start (pursuit race) that sent 29
boats out Hampton River and around a course in Hampton Roads before finishing at
the HYC docks. The first boat had to beat the deadline in order for the
rest of the finishers to be scored. In winning the overall trophy, the
famous Gaboon Spittoon, Rumble also, of course, was first in B
Fleet. Mirage, Christian Schaumloffel's Hobie
33, was the first PHRF A fleet boat to finish (2nd overall), and Bob
Archer's Capri 25, About Time, was the first PHRF C fleet boat
in (8th overall). The second place boats in A, B, and C respectively
were: Feather, Phil Briggs, J/36;
Rockette, Chuck Monsees, J/29; Quicky,
Mike Veraldi, J/24. Finishing 3rd in A, B, and C
respectively were: Polar Express, Pam
Burdett, J/105; Cool Change, Rusty Burshell,
J/30; and Callinectes, Ben Cuker, Cal 30-3.
Event chairman: Phil Briggs.
The Belle of
Virginia, Hoen Hudson's Island Packet 380, won her class
in the Caribbean 1500. And, she came in 7th overall in her fleet
of 24. Crewbie, Blaine Liner, reported that they
experienced "...gusts of 45 knots [during] 36 hours of 35 knot
sustained winds right off the stern after passing through the Gulf
Stream." Blaine said the boat hit 11.4 knots (hull speed is 7.5). In
short, they had a great trip. Belle and her skipper and crew hail
from Rappahannock River Yacht Club.
REMIND YOUR CLUB'S
SCHEDULER: CBYRA Region 4 Scheduling Meeting Wednesday,
December 15th, at HYC, 7:00 pm. This is where the heart and soul of the
2005 "big boat", i.e. PHRF, MORC, COD, schedule is established for 2005.
Make sure your club representative is there with your club's/organization's
wishes and desires for dates for your events. For additional info
contact: Lin McCarthy at (757) 850-4225 or email at mcbear@earthlink.net.
The Traveler,
CBYRA's newsletter has struck a partnership with SpinSheet
Magazine. CBYRA will communicate with sailors baywide
through monthly publication of news and notices in SpinSheet.
Feeling among organization officials is that this, combined with the
organization's website at www.cbyra.org , will prove especially
effective and user friendly for members. John Dodge and
the 2004 executive board deserve credit for having pursued this effort at
improved communication with the membership. Check out page 82 of the December
issue of SpinSheet.
This past weekend at Gibson Island
Yacht Club, one of the Bay's most notable racers, Ham Palmer,
celebrated his 90th birthday. Mr. Palmer, in his younger
days, was a resident of Newport News and then Hampton and is well know to many
southern Bay homies. The attendees at the CBYRA annual meeting honored Mr.
Palmer with a "Happy Birthday" serenade. He replied with a good
natured aw shucks saying, "Anybody can get to be 90, if you live that
long!"
CBYRA Annual Meeting
- The annual meeting went as planned at Gibson Island Yacht Club
Saturday. Within the southern Region (Region 4 = south of the Potomac and
part of North Carolina), Tom Roberts, moves into the Region 4 VP seat
vacated by Lin McCarthy, and Lin moves to "big boat" scheduler for the
region. Here are your 2005 CBYRA
officials: CBYRA President, Todd Lochner; Vice
President for Region 4 is Tom Roberts; Scheduler for Region 4 (Handicap Classes)
is Lin McCarthy; Tom Roberts does double duty for CBYRA serving also as
One-Design (small boats) Scheduler for the entire Bay. Executive
Vice President is Angelo Buscemi, Treasurer is Richard Emmett, and Secretary is
Gilbert Renault.
There is a new (to America) handicap system receiving
some attention of late. The IRC handicap system is being tested
at some of the higher end regattas. There are more than 9,000 boats racing
under this system outside the USA. One of the main administrative
differences between this system and PHRF is that there is no local board
involved in assigning the ratings. Unendorsed ratings, which would apply
to most grassroots racers with boats that rate out in PHRF at over
100, are based on a written application. The rating is
rendered from the main office in England. It takes from 2 to 3 weeks to
get the rating; cost is figured by the foot (around $4 per foot). Watch
current sailing publications for detailed info on the system and expect to see
the IRC system given a "trial use" in more of the larger regattas in
2005.
Regatta Dollars: For 2005 CBYRA has
revised and improved its system of distributing funds to member organizations
for regatta support. In the past organizations had
to submit their requests for monetary assistance with full
documentation by April 30. CBYRA has changed the requirement so that
an organization may submit to CBYRA a written notice of intention to
request funds and the approximate amount no later than March
30. The club then has until two months prior to the date of the event
to provide complete information.
MURPHY'S
LAW: Great Uncle McMurphster, from whom I got my racing
gene, would have loved the Gaboon Race. He could hit a moving spittoon at
three boat lengths provided it was to leeward, of course. Red Man would
have been his ammo of choice... until the Coors Light came out after the
race! Good on ya, Gabooners. /S/ Murphy the Racing Beagle,
the sailing spirit in us all.
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