# 428 SOUTHERN BAY RACING NEWS YOU CAN USE
on Monday January 26, 2009 07:58AM
DOWN THE BAY RACE BUZZZZZZZZZZZ: Early
information on the re-instituted DOWN THE BAY RACE FOR THE VIRGINIA CRUISING
CUP (May 22 start date) is buzzing around. This will be the
60th rendition of this old, old event where racers will
compete non-stop from just below the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to Hampton
Roads. The course will cover the 120 mile distance from
Annapolis to Hampton on the Chesapeake Bay. Classes include IRC, PHRF
A,B,C, Non-Spinnaker (double headsail), and any one-design classes with 5 or
more boats entered. The first warning signal will be at 1030, Friday, May
22, 2009. The website is building at www.hamptonyc.com/downthebay
Hampton Yacht Club and Storm Trysail -Chesapeake
Station are administering this event. Event Co-Chairmen are
Vince Behm (757) 876-7778 and Wayne Bretsch (301) 332-6773.
JUNIOR PROGRAM ADMINISTRATORS: Please note that
David Houck is the CBYRA Junior Division Chair for 2009.
He can be reached at (202) 365-2255 and his email address
is davidhouck@yahoo.com
Ninety-plus (90+) southern Bay racers
spent Saturday at the MURPHY RULES-2009 hosted at Norfolk Yacht and Country
Club. John McCarthy led the filled-to-capacity
seminar that included racers from more than 12 southern Bay yacht clubs and
sailing organizations. "It was a great day and this group in
particular made it a lot of fun," McCarthy said. Southern Bay
Racing News You Can Use is sponsoring a second session of this seminar at
Hampton Yacht Club on March 21st. A very limited number of spaces remain
available. For information, please contact Lin McCarthy at (757) 850-4225
or email mcbear@earthlink.net
BLOCKHEADS, look at this! Every year
SAIL Magazine presents their Freeman K. Pittman INNOVATION
AWARDS. For 2009 one of the awards in the Racing and Safety Category
went to the new Harken TTR Airblocks. "Titanium roller
bearings...Torlon ball bearings..titanium inner and outer races... and soft
strop attachments [which] allow the block to articulate freely under
load," is the description of this space age marvel.
Great, you say, and the crew, of course, is all for it. Ready to stroke
the check? Better whoa up a minute - Would be purchasers are advised to
"Call for custom pricing." Just how
much do you have in your wallet?!! (see SAIL
Magazine, February 2009 issue, page 41)
KWRW Notes: 156 boats from 22
states and 14 countries had a great Key West Race Week this year. Of
special interest to southern Bay racers: Peter Hunter's
Thompson 30, Wairere, (Kill Devil Hill, NC) took a 1st and
a 2nd in the last two of 10 races to move up to 2nd overall in
PHRF-1. Jeremiah Dull, who at one time crewed on
Dave Taylor's previous boat, Midmorning Buzz, was part
of the Wairere crew at KWRW. Another, Tarheel State boat,
Ken Womack's Beneteau 36.7, Blueprint (Oriental, NC)
finished 4th overall in PHRF-2. In the J/105 fleet, Carl
Gitchell's Tenacious (winner of the SBRW Black Seal Cup in
2008) finished 5th overall among 13 J/105s racing.
Worth Harris' Rum at Six (Beaufort, NC) was 7th
overall. Southern Bay-ites, Pat Hillard and
his wife are on a year long cruise and happened upon Key West Race Week on
opening day. They reported that they "... had to tack twice to stay
off the race course..." but, that it was a lovely sight. Pat
confirmed it was blowing like stink, 20-30 knots, at one point later in the
week.
ELVIS-like appearance in Key West:
An alert racer reported to SBRNYCU a Murphy sighting from
KWRC - here are his words: "I think I saw Murphy roaming the tent and
trying to squeeze into some Slam foulies... maybe it was just a rum
mirage!"
US SAILING RACE MANAGEMENT
SEMINAR scheduled for February 14-15, 2009, (0900-1330) at Hampton
Yacht Club in Hampton, VA. OPEN TO ALL. This seminar is
designed for people who have some race committee experience,
but newcomers certainly are also welcome. Topics include: race
committee objectives, responsibilities, jobs, equipment, starting system,
setting the course, mark boat operations, before the start, during the race,
finishing and scoring. There is a wealth of information that will be
extremely helpful to anyone serving on a race committee.
The seminar fee is $50 for US SAILING members and $60 for
non-members. Lunch, both days, and materials are included in the
fee. If you wish additional details concerning the seminar, you may go to
the Hampton Yacht Club website at http://hamptonyc.com and click on the
seminar icon, or contact Lin McCarthy at (757) 850-4225 or email at mcbear@earthlink.net
The
Hampton One-Design class will hold it’s 75th
National Championship Regatta August 13 – 16, 2009 at Hampton Yacht Club.
But the class members can’t wait that long to get the party started, so to kick
things off in high style, the Tidewater Boat Club (Norfolk) is hosting the
75th HOD Season Kick-Off
Party Sat, Feb 7 at 5:30. Reservations
required; cost is $25/person for a great home cooked meal. If interested
in volunteering with the 75th Regatta, in racing a Hampton this
season, or just curious to see what dinghy sailors do in the winter, please make
plans to attend this casual event by the giant fireplace at TBC. Send
check for $25/person to: Charles McCoy, 500 E. Plume St, Suite 105, Norfolk, VA
23510. Make your ressies now (by February 1st would be helpful to event
planners) - this is going to be fun!
AT THE TOP OF THE LIST - First to Enter! It's
official - Sledd Shelhorse and the Meridian 2 team are
the first officially entered in the 2009 DOWN THE BAY RACE FOR THE VIRGINIA
CRUISING CUP. And, Bob Archer and the Bad
Habit team are the first boat signed, sealed, and entered in SOUTHERN BAY
RACE WEEK. Now, these people obviously have a racing fixation and...
they're doing something to fix it!