The "little boats" found enough wind on the Rapp River on Saturday to get their planned one day 11 boat Laser regatta in  and on Sunday to get the 5 Front Runners and 8 Flying Scots around the course.  RESULTS: - LASERS : 1. Dan Herlihy, 2.Jon Deutsch, 3. Len Guenther.  FRONT RUNNERS:  1. Matt Braun, 2. Mark Stephens. FLYING SCOT: 1. Len Guenther, 2.John Wake, 3.John Berry.  The One-Design Regatta was hosted by Fishing Bay Yacht Club.

The 13th Annual Southern Chesapeake Bay Leukemia Cup Regatta (July 9-10) at Fishing Bay/Deltaville  is building to a crescendo.  You can enter on line at www.leukemiacup.org/va  Or, mail your entry and fees to Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, ATTN: Leukemia Cup Regatta, 551 Staples Mill Road, Suite 202B, Richmond, VA 23228.  Get your entry in before Friday, June 17th to have your boat name on the regatta T-shirt.  For info, contact Judy Buis at (804) 627-0440, x-6711.  This event is administered by Stingray Point Marina and Fishing Bay Yacht Club.

From the Annapolis to Newport Race:  [As of Wednesday morning, June 8th]. . .  All boats have finished or retired.  The last boat finished about 6:15 this morning (Wed, June 8).  The light winds resulted in quite a few retirements as people ran out of time.  There were 14 retirements.  The final results are posted here.  The list of prize winners is posted here.  Results of the yacht club team competition are posted here.  Principal Race Officer - Chip Thayer, AYC

CAPE DORY TYPHOON NATIONAL REGATTA.  The inaugural National Regatta for the Typhoon class will always be remembered as a three day battle with Mother Nature and, even more, for exceptional event planning and shoreside activities.  First, the weather - it was brutal on the Rappahannock River this past weekend.  Mom Nature threw delightfully tantalizing moderate breezes  at the racers each morning. . . between 8 and 9  while they were eating the regatta breakfast  and readying their boats.  But, by race time, the breeze did a disappearing act and stayed gone until dinner time when the class was gathering again for socials and cook-outs, etc.  Then, each evening came the lightning, thunder, and torrents of rain.  The host Rappahannock River Yacht Club members and volunteers were the epitome of determination.  The parties just got better, the food just got more plentiful and the hospitality became even more intense.  And, finally on Sunday morning, the Typhoons pulled one on Mother Nature.  They slipped out early, ahead of the original schedule, and squeezed in a race that made for the championship.  It is especially fitting that the event coordinator, Ron Mihills won the championship fleet and is therefore the 2011 Typhoon National Champion.   A total of 32 Typhoons were at the nationals, 19 in the Championship fleet and 13 in the Corinthian fleet.   Placing second and third respectively in the Championship fleet were  Gary Hooper and Norm Smith.  In the Corinthian fleet, John Friday took first place, followed by Bill Turenne and Lance Franke in that order.  Event Chairman, Ron Mihills.  Principal Race Officer: John McCarthy 

FBYC Moonlight Regatta - cancelled due to inclement weather Saturday  (fierce thunderstorms in Rapp River area)

SCREWPILE LIGHTHOUSE CHALLENGE  July 17, 18 & 19, 2011.  Solomons, Maryland.  This is one of the  MUST events on the Chesapeake Bay for racers.  It is a gathering of racers from the northern Bay, the middle Bay,  and the southern Bay.  Top-flight racing, parties, organization, and fun!  The Southern Bay Brigade is building right now.  Here's who is already in:  Voodoo 2,  Lissenden/Birch/Krusheinisky;  Goin', Dennis Hannick;  Bobinski, Bob Hausmann;  Black Widow, Leo Wardrup;  Double Eagle, Sam Mitchener;  Midnight Mistress, Jake & Pat Brodersen;  and, Stardancer, John & Beverly Blais.   To enter click here on  www.splc.us , and follow the prompts to the entry form.  Fill it out, print it, and mail it with your entry fee.  SCREWPILE is closer than you think!!!

Make your ressies now for SCREWPILE:  Regatta headquarters is at the Holiday Inn Solomons. The festivities will take place at the waterside courtyard – convenient to the cabana bar, swimming pool, and guest rooms.  The hotel has blocked off 250 rooms for the growing number of racers – just be sure to use the code “RG7” when reserving your room(s) for the special discounted rate. Call them direct at 1-800-356-2009.

HARBORFEST HOMETOWNE REGATTA.   TANTRUM, Doug Savage, won the HHR perpetual trophy, the Garland G. Culver award, by winning his fleet (PHRF B) by the largest corrected time.   The HHR was sailed Saturday in light winds, starting in the Elizabeth River.  The PHRF A and PHRF B classes both went almost 12 miles while all the other fleets sailed a 9.10 nm course.  Portsmouth Boat Club sponsors the race each year and this year it coincided with Norfolk's Harborfest Festival.  Thirty-two (32) boats started the race and everyone finished before the 4 pm deadline.  RESULTS: PHRF A (4 boats): 1. Mirage, Christian Schaumloffel;  2.Feather, Phil Briggs;  3.Kingfisher, Dixon Wilde.  PHRF B (4 boats): 1.Tantrum, Doug Savage;  2.Ganar!, Dave Bouchard;  3.Faith, Jerry Lotz.  PHRF C (4 boats):  1.Spray, Bumps Eberwine;  2.Chop Chop, Rodney Paice;  3.Surprise, Bob Thomas.   PHRF Non-Spin (boats): 1.Treaty of Ghent, Will Roberts / Jim Williams;  2.Black Widow, Leo Wardrup;  3.Puff Card, Walter Boatwright.  Cruising 1 (5 boats): 1.Zing, Doug Creecy;  2.Solas, Robert Burnell;  3.Four Play, James Backus.   Cruising 2 (7 boats):  1.Finns, Tom Edwards; 2.Content, Ron Peterman;  3.Traumerei, Stephen Ormsbee.  Principal Race Officer - Larry Bryant. 

To Fiddler's Green:   Martin W. Steffens.  We lost Marty Steffens on June 1st.  He was 81. Many sailors were among those at the memorial service held this past Friday to honor Marty.  Marty had been a key member of the southern Bay sailing community for a long time.  In fact, prior to the very recent discovery of his devastating illness, Marty had expected to captain his trawler, Traveler, as one of the signal boats for Southern Bay Race Week.  When he knew he could not, he sent his daughter Cindy Flowe and his grandson Austin Flowe to fulfill his commitment.  That is how Marty was - 100% first class.  His word was his bond and he never compromised on it.   Marty's personal resume is outstanding, his life exemplary. Marty was an accomplished sailor and he held a 50T. USGD license with sail endorsement and was  certified as a Keelboat Sailing Instructor by  both US Sailing and the American Sailing Association. Marty was a member of St. John's Episcopal Church, Hampton Yacht Club, Broad Bay Sailing Association., The Cruising Club of VA and was a founding member of the Hampton Roads Community Sailing Association. He was a docent at the Mariner's Museum for 15 years and a volunteer for Meals on Wheels.  Thoughts and prayers are extended to Marty's wife Judy and his family.  We shall all miss him.

From San Diego, location of the 2011 Etchells Worlds comes this:  Bill Hardesty won the regatta by such a great margin that he and his crew did not even need to sail the final day.  Bill's crew included southern Bay standout  Steve Hunt (calling tactics), along with Mandi Markee and Craig Leweck.  The 2011 champions beat former champion Vince Brun and also some guy named Dennis Connor.

EXECUTIVE CUP - scheduled for June 25, 2011 - cancelled

There's a lot to do between now and SCREWPILE:

COCK ISLAND RACE  -  THIS COMING WEEKEND - June 17-18; info contact Portsmouth Parks & Rec (757) 393-8481

VIRGINIA JUNIOR STATE CHAMPIONSHIP REGATTA - June 25-26; Fishing Bay Yacht Club, www.fbyc.net

Cut Channel Race - July 2; Fishing Bay Yacht Club, www.fbyc.net

BAY OPEN JUNIOR OLYMPICS - July 1-3, Hampton Yacht Club, www.hamptonyc.com 

Veterans Cup - July 9;  Langley Yacht Club, contact  Annette Connors at (757) 327-151

SOUTHERN CHESAPEAKE LEUKEMIA CUP - July 9-10;  Fishing Bay Yacht Club, http://www.leukemiacup.org/va

York River Moonlight Race - July 15;  York River Yacht Club, contact Steve Bowen (757)869-7830 

Little Bay Challenge - July 16; BBSA and PBC, contact Scott Almond (757) 471-2663.

Collegiate Sailing:    At SBRW 2011 one of the boats, John Haracivet's Midnight Rider, was crewed with collegiate sailors.  In John's case they were from the College of William and Mary Sailing Team.  From all reports, the Tribe sailors had a great time and so did John.  Here is a prime example of an opportunity for yacht clubs / sailing associations to interact  with young adults to the good of both.  Collegiate sailors are the future "big boat" racers and club members.   Reach out often to collegiate programs.  We have many fine programs in the southern Bay area - Old Dominion University, Hampton University, Christopher Newport University, and The College of William and Mary are all within easy striking distance of Hampton Roads. UVA and Virginia Tech have teams too. The William and Mary sailors had a great time crewing on a "big boat" - they left their contact info.  Website- http://williamandmarysailing.wordpress.com/
Sponsorship Proposal- http://williamandmarysailing.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/sailing-sponsorship-proposal-final.pdf
Team Information Letter- http://williamandmarysailing.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/sailingrecruitmentfinal.pdf

Contact the team- williamandmarysailing@gmail.com

From the 2011 HOSPICE TURKEY SHOOT Principal Race Officer, Phil Denvir, comes word that the regatta is now open for entries.  Go to www.turkeyshootregatta.org   to print down your entry form, fill it out and mail it in.   

MURPHY'S LAW:  Sure, it's been summer time sizzling hot and sometimes breathless.  Getting to the race course can be difficult, even for the small boats.  Yrs Truly, the Racing Beagle,  has devised a personal equivalent of the sailboat  auxiliary motor.  The Murphster purchased one of those small, battery powered fans, strapped it to the ample beagle waist, stepped into the water and hit the "go" switch.  With the tail as a rudder, it was pure "zoom zoom!"       /S/  Murphy the Racing Beagle, the sailing spirit in us all.