The Fishing Bay Yacht Club Spring Series opened yesterday (results not available as of publication ).  The FBYC Spring Series continues on Saturday, April 21. Go to  www.fbyc.net  for info and to enter.

Don't let   SBRW 2012  EARLY BIRD ENTRY SPECIAL $$SAVINGS   fly away !  

The deadline to save $10 on your entry fee and receive 10 free regatta drink tickets is ONE WEEK  (APRIL 23rd)  FROM TODAY!  For entry form and details click on  www.blacksealcup.com.  Or, call 757-850-4225.  Y'all come racing!

HERE WE GO!  This coming Sunday, April 22, CCV Spring Series (Races 1 and 2) opens the Hampton Roads area PHRF class racing season.  The CCV Spring Series is held over three Sundays - April 22 (Races #1 and #2), April 29 ( one middle distance race - #3), and May 6 (Races 4# and #5).  Racers who have taken a CCV Racing Membership are automatically entered.  ALL others, CCV Club members and non-CCV members alike,  must submit an entry form and fees to Principal Race Officer John McCarthy, 4401 Chesapeake Avenue, Hampton, VA 23669 by the deadline on the day preceding the Race Day.  All racing for this Series is in Hampton Roads Harbor.  For info and/or details, contact John McCarthy at (757) 850-4225 or  mcbear@earthlink.net .

While you are out there practicing or before the race starts  DO A MAN OVERBOARD DRILL or two... or three!  And, do it with the spinnaker up!  And, before you leave the dock, check your fire extinguishers shelf life  - when you need them, . . . you need them to work! 

Rust Shakers - Job done.  The first PHRF racing day of the season was Saturday in Fishing Bay (Opening Day) and Sunday in Hampton Roads.  These are the events where crew, boat, skipper, and support teams test out equipment, people and ideas.    On Sunday, for the CCV Tune-Up  Races, conditions were absolutely beautiful - wind in high teens with warm air temps -  21 boats  took part in the mid-day racing.  Spinnaker boats combined in one fleet and non-spins and cruisers formed another.  No corrected times are figured, but the order of finish for each of the two races was posted.  Bottom line:  Although two boats "got into some thin water", most finished the day without equipment and/or people breakdowns - that was the real tale of how well it went.  The fleet looks ready!  Tom Connors was Principal Race Officer.   

Geoff Ewenson and Tyler Moore won the 505 Regatta hosted this weekend at Hampton Yacht Club.  The 5 competing teams got in 8 races over two days.   Dustin Romey and Henry Amthor  took 2nd and brothers Jay Smith and Charles Smith  finished in 3rd place.  Bob Thomas was Principal Race Officer for the event.

FLYING SCOTS Fleet 185 (RRYC) begin their Spring Series on Sunday April 29 and runs May 6, May 20, and May 27.  They skip Sunday, May 13th, for MOTHERS DAY.   If you are interested in the Flying Scot Fleet in Irvington, please contact Fleet Captain, Burke Johnson at 757-989-2631 or check out the fleet website, including calendar, at  http://rryc.org/flyingscots.asp 

Premier Sailing adds new staff.   Ingrid Peake of Deltaville has joined Premier Sailing as Office Manager.  Peake has plenty of sailing experience and business ownership on her resume, and she brings a lot of organizational skills and also artwork expertise to the business.  "I am so happy to have Ingrid join our team," said Premier Sailing owner Arabella Denvir.  "Without Philip here we have so many gaps to fill and Ingrid will be a major part of our new structure".

Collegiate Sailing:  America Trophy Regatta - Old Dominion University coed sailing team earned a spot at the ICSA National Championship Semifinals after finishing fifth in an 18-team field at the America Trophy Regatta, which concluded Sunday, on Lake Seneca in New York. Sailing for the Monarchs in the A-Division race was junior skipper Dillon Paiva and sophomore crew Chloe Constants who took sixth with 62 points. Sophomore skipper Brady Stagg and senior crew Emily Reich also placed sixth in the B-Division race with 67 points. Georgetown won the event and was followed by St. Mary’s College (Md.), host Hobart and William Smith, Navy and ODU rounding out the top five. The semifinals will take place on May 12-13 in Annapolis, Md.  (Info provided by ODU Sports Information)

The 63rd DOWN THE BAY RACE FOR THE VIRGINIA CRUISING CUP is closer than you think.  The start of this 120+ miles dash down the Chesapeake Bay from Annapolis to Hampton is Friday, May 25th (the Friday of Memorial Day Weekend).  For race details and to register (on-line), click on www.hamptonyc.com and then click on the event logo.

SEA SCOUT WEEKEND,  April 20-22 at US Coast Guard Station, Portsmouth, Virginia.  This is for  Sea Scouts and Venturers - Cardinal Wardroom, Sea Scout Academy.  Between 80-90 Sea Scouts from NC, VA & MD are expected to attend this combination classroom and on-the-water event.    For info, please contact Kent Glover, Commodore Tidewater Flotilla,  akglover@juno.com

SBRW 2012 favorite PHOTOBOAT is offering a SPRING SPECIAL on picture prices through APRIL 18 - THAT"S THIS WEDNESDAY.  Save 15% when you order at www.PhotoBoat.com   The Code is  Spring12    PHOTOBOAT will be on the water at all three SBRW courses again this June 1-3, 2012. 

And, speaking of pictures, you need to look good for the action shots on the course and in the party tents, so. . .    get a price break on your SBRW2012 official gear by  ordering this month.  Order SBRW  Coral Reef Sailing Apparel on-line now.  Take $5 off orders of $50 or more, coupon code: SBRWROCKS5  Take $10 off orders of $100 or more, coupon code: SBRWROCKS10    The pre-order deadline is April 30, 2012;  this is when the coupons expire.  Click http://coralreefsailing.net/southern_bay_race_week1      When PhotoBoat goes for the close-up, it's good to look good! 

MURPHY'S LAW:  Yrs Truly, the Racing Beagle, is breaking out the red (for port) and green (for starboard) Converse hightop sneakers for the racing season.  Yep - that's 4 pairs of sneaks.  Do the beagle math and break out the VISA card!   /S/  Murphy the Racing Beagle, the sailing spirit in us all.

To SUBSCRIBE directly, send an email to mcbear@earthlink.net , put SBRNYCU on the subject line, give your name, and say, "Sign me up!"  SBRNYCU is free.  If you wish to UNSUBSCRIBE, send an email to  mcbear@earthlink.net  and put UNSUBSCRIBE on the Subject line OR, simply hit "reply" and put UNSUBSCRIBE on the subject line. The postal address associated with this email is:  SBRNYCU, 4401 Chesapeake Avenue, Hampton, VA 23669.   You may reprint or forward all or any part of this publication as long as you give credit to: 

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