LAST CALL BEFORE ENTRY LATE FEE KICKS IN AFTER THIS WEDNESDAY, MAY 23.    SOUTHERN BAY RACE WEEK for the BLACK SEAL CUP:   Racing for all PHRF, One-Design, and Cruising boats. Skippers meeting and welcome/check-in for all on Thursday evening, May 31; Racing for PHRF and One-Design June 1-2-3; and, for Cruising racing on Saturday and Sunday only, June 2 and 3. PHRF and One-Design = $150; Cruising = $99 Late entry fee of $50) kicks in after May 23. Regatta info, fees and forms are available at www.blacksealcup.com or by calling 757-850-4225. Regatta Headquarters at Hampton Yacht Club, three racing courses in the Bay off Ocean View (Norfolk). Y’ALL COME RACING!

SBRW also:  One-Design Classes must make (at least 5 entries complete) no later than THIS WEDNESDAY, May 23rd.   Preliminary fleet splits are available at www.blacksealcup.com .

CAPE HENRY CUP:  J. Wright’s ARIA wins the 2012 Cape Henry Cup!  It was WINDY – 22 knts with gusts to 30 at the south island of the CBBT – Saturday morning, so Cape Henry Cup officials activated the “alternate course” plan  and moved into the better, but not entirely hospitable, confines of Hampton Roads harbor. The seas at the mouth of the Bay were reported to be running more than 6 feet. In the harbor racers faced challenging, but entirely do-able conditions.  One salt-water drenched racer did report that  “. . . I have never gotten this wet sailing. . .” on a big boat.  Racers and boats held up well, although three did come in early due to equipment failures (halyard, deck gear, etc) that made caution the better part of valor.  Twenty-eight (28) boats raced.  RESULTS: PHRF A (8 boats) – 1.Phil Briggs, Feather; 2.Bob Mosby, Cyrano; 3.David Eberwine, Sea Star.  PHRF B (6 boats) – 1.Ben Cuker, Callinectes; 2.Harry Tenney; Margarita; 3.Graham Field, Independence.  PHRF C (4 boats) – 1.Justin Morris, The Hunter; 2. Bumps Eberwine, Spray.  PHRF Non-Spin (5 boats) – 1.Leo Wardrup, Black Widow; 2.MD Riley, Turbo’s Tub; 3.David Hughes, Jammin’.  Cruising (6 boats) – 1.J Wright, Aria; 2.Moore/Atkinson; Trouble; 3.Rick Perkins, Levante.  Principal Race Officer – Scott Almond.  The Broad Bay Sailing Association (BBSA) Cape Henry Cup awards presentation is tomorrow, Tuesday, May 22nd at the Old Dominion University Sailing Center – festivities begin at 6:30pm with a casual social and then pot luck supper as the fare. Awards will be presented around 7:30pm. For details, please contact Scott or Megan Almond at (757) 471-2663. 
 
FBYC Spring Series concludes:  AFTERTHOUGHT, LOOSE CANNON, NEREID, PROPHET, and REVEILLE claim fleet top spots.   On the last day of the Series, thirteen (13) boats sailed two (2) races in 3-4 ft seas and 17-19 knots with gusts to 25.  Only one broken halyard reported, but the report came after the post-race iced down beer, the salsa and the onion soup dips and awards presentations. Everyone knows onion soup dip eases the pain and blur the memory of tough sailing!  SERIES RESULTS:  PHRF A (9 boats) – 1.Craig Wright, Afterthought; 2.Sam Mitchener, Double Eagle. 3.Utley/Whittet, Wavelength.  J105 (4 boats) – 1.Strother Scott, Loose Cannon; 2.Catherine Clark, Corryvreckan.  PHRF B (6 boats) -1.Eric Powers, Nereid; 2.Miles Booth, Shenanigan; 3.David Hinckle, Elancer.  PHRF C (11 boats) – 1.Noel Clinard, Prophet; 2.Sam Marshall, Play It Again; 3.Bob Fleck, Horizon.   For the final day of racing, Principal Race Officer, Mike Toms; Mark Boat, Richard Biggs and Rick Klein.
 
Wooden Boat Magazine’s WOOD Regatta at Rock Hall this weekend attracted around 30 wooden one designs and one-of-a kind wooden sailboats under 30 feet from all over the east coast. There were 16 boats in the “A” fleet which featured Thistles (including two past National Champions), Lightnings, Windmills, Wayfarers, the Paper Jet skiff recently featured in Wooden Boat magazine, and several Custom designs. Five (5) Hampton One Designs made the trip and raced. It was a family affair with the Montagues, Ballantines, and Kistlers all sailing with children ranging from 5-9 years old.
 
This coming FRIDAY, May 25th is the start of the 63rd DOWN THE BAY RACE for the VIRGINIA CRUISING CUP.  The boats start their 123 mile dash down the Chesapeake from Annapolis to Hampton Friday morning – first warning is at 1000 hours.  The finish line will be set up on the Fort Monroe Seawall from the wee hours Saturday morning until late in the afternoon or when all the boats finish, whichever happens first!  Anyone interested in seeing the boats finish, is welcome to come spectate on the seawall.   Late Entries for this event will be accepted until Wednesday, May 23rd.  For info, please contact event chairman Chauncey Wu at (757) 890-2687 or email downthebay@hamptonyc.com
 
The Fishing Bay Yacht Club’s annual Fishing Bay to Urbanna race takes place on Saturday, May 26th.  This is the best way to get to Urbanna – racing a sailboat – and to enjoy a scrumptuous family picnic at historic Rosegill.  There will be music, refreshments, and lots of fun for juniors, too.  You bring your picnic blanket and chairs;  the meal will be catered!  Register right away – plans are becoming firm. For details and info and to enter, please go to www.fbyc.net. 
 
Portsmouth Boat Club sponsors their annual MERRIMAC MEMORIAL REGATTA this coming Saturday, May 26th.  This is billed as a small boat race for sailors of all ages.  The event begins at the Portsmouth City Park small dinghy boat ramp – skippers meeting is at 9:00am and the first start is 10:00am.  Register on line at http://www.portsmouthboatclub.org (go to the “racing” page).  Anticipated classes are Laser, Moth, multi-hull, Flying Junior, Sunfish, and an Open division.  Portsmouth Yardstick will be used for ratings.  There will be a social/lunch (burgers and hot dogs on the grill, cold drinks, chips, cold salads, and more).  Each $20 entry includes two lunch tickets – additional lunch tickets are $5 each.  Bring your boat and . . . your lawn chairs and camera!
 
Portsmouth Boat Club wrapped up their 7 race Spring Barnacle Series this past weekend.  Tim Savage in his Tartan 10, Tantrum  (1–[12dnf]-1-1-1-1-4) won the Non-Spin A Fleet and Rodney Paice in his “old” boat, Wiki Wiki (1-1-1-1-[2]-1-2) won the Non-Spin B Fleet.  Nineteen (19) boats raced in the series. 
 
J24’s tried  2-on-2 team racing yesterday on Hampton Flats.   Racing Tide (Will Bomar) & roundabout (Alan Bomar) won the 3 race set over Rocket J (Neil & Liz Biondi Ford) and Vortex (Greg Lanese). Rusty Burshell handled the race committee chores. Some more good racing opportunities for J24s coming up:
**** Fri-Sun, Jun 1-3 - SOUTHERN BAY RACE WEEK offers three days of J24 one-design racing (and great parties) - Lin McCarthy (757) 850-4225 or www.blacksealcup.com
**** Saturday, June 23 - Hanbury Cup and Captain's Cup sponsored CNSF, hosted by HYC - includes a One-Design J24 Collegiate Class - Maxwell Plarr at sailcnu@gmail.com.
**** Sat-Sun, July 28-29 - HYC MATCH RACE CHALLENGE, bring and race your own J24 with your own crew - fully umpired match racing, parties, trophies, and guaranteed 8 races. John McCarthy (757) 850-4225 or www.hamptonyc.com click on event logo.
 
MURPHY'S LAW:   It occurs to Yrs Truly, the Racing Beagle, that those who waited until this week to travel UP the Bay to do the DOWN The Bay Race this coming Friday,  may suffer from advanced mildew coloration and severe toejamitis.  The prediction is for a “sometimes” wet ride, going or coming or both.   Carry on, me buckos, ‘tis all part of the legend building process!  Until your foulies resemble worn madras and your boat shoes grow fur, you have not done a real Down the Bay!      /S/  Murphy the Racing Beagle, the sailing spirit in us all.
 
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SOUTHERN BAY RACING NEWS YOU CAN USE,  Lin McCarthy, Editor