The FBYC Spring Series fleets got in two  4+ nm races yesterday.  In the PHRF A fleet (6 boats), Craig Wright’s Afterthought won the tie for 1^st for the day (3-1), over Sam Mitchener’s Double Eagle (2-2).  Double Eagle had stand-in skippers, Mayo Tabb and Mark Stephens, as Sam has suffered the recent, unexpected lost of his wife, Cary.   Glenn Doncaster, Nanqu, took 3^rd for the day (1-4).  In PHRF B (4 boats), Bob Fleck, Mad Hatter, took two bullets (1-1) for 1^st place and Brad Davis, Bad Dog won the tie breaker for 2^nd  (3-2), over Eric Powers, Nereid (2-3), 3^rd.  In PHRF C (4 boats), Bundy, Blue Moon, took 1^st for the day (1-2) and Paul Wash, Cheeky Monkey, won the tie breaker for 2^nd (4-1), forcing Brad Miller, Schiehallion, to 3^rd (2-3).  Mike Dale’s Juggernaut was the only boat to sail in the PHRF Non-Spin fleet.  Principal Race Officer for the day was Mike Chesser.  FBYC Spring Series resumes on May 11^th. www.fbyc.net

SBRW J70 One-Design Class racing at SBRW.  This past week J70 entries reached the number required (minimum of 5) for a SBRW One-Design Class.  Southern Bay area J70 skippers, Noel Clinard (FBYC), Lud Kimbrough (FBYC), Ron Johnson (HYC), Basil Rowland (BBSA), and Jay Matteson (CCV), are all set and will be racing at SBRW.  All are coming off this past weekend of racing at Charleston Race Week where 55 J70s raced and 16 were scored also in the Corinthian Fleet.  Lud and Blake Kimbrough had the best showing of boats with southern Bay ties – 22^nd overall and 6^th in the Corinthian Fleet followed by Ron Thompson at 26^th  overall and 7^th in Corinthian.  Google Charleston Race Week  for complete results.   In order to have an OD start at SBRW, One-Design Classes must make (5 entries minimum) by May 20^th  .

Two J24s with southern Bay and beyond ties finished in the top 10 in the Charleston Race Week  26 boat J24 class.  Ron Medlin, Jr, (Wilmington, NC) sailed Bash to third place overall and Clark Dennison (FBYC, Richmond) finished 7^th overall in Kobayashi Maru.

Don’t let the SBRW EARLY BIRD deal fly away!  The deadline for special fee and regatta drink tickets is THIS FRIDAY. EARLY BIRD ENTRIES – Entries received  by April 26, 2013,  get special fee of $140 (Early Bird Cruising, $89) and 10 free regatta beverage tickets.   And, remember the $40 TOWNEBANK TORNADO DISCOUNT  for all SBRW 2011 and/or SBRW 2012 returning boats - delete $40 from appropriate fee.   www.blacksealcup.com

The middle day of the 3-day CCV Spring Series looked daunting to a small chunk of the fleet.  Actually, the wind was not often more than high teens, but early morning weather forecasts warned of possible gusts to 30.  Of the 27 boats in the starting area, 3 suffered equipment damage prior to the start and did not race.   Sixteen (16) of the starters were evenly divided between the PHRF A and PHRF B fleets, and all 16 finished the 14.5 nm long course around the Hampton Roads harbor.  Four (4) of the 6 PHRF C starters and the two (2) PHRF Non-Spin boats all sailed a 9.30 nm course.   It was tough racing -  cold and wet and windy (although sunny) and plenty of racers brought in the ache of heretofore unused muscles.  RESULTS – PHRF A (10 boats): 1.Sledd Shelhorse, Meridian X; 2.Dave Eberwine, Sea Star; 3.Bob Mosby, Cyrano.  PHRF B (9 boats): 1.Rusty Burshell, Cool Change; 2.Bob Archer, Bad Habit; 3.Ben Weeks and Michele Cochran, Rumble.  PHRF C (6 boats): 1.Alan Bomar, roundabout; 2.Pete Wallio, Not So Blue; 3.Justin Morris, The Hunter.   PHRF Non-Spin (2 boats): 1.Jake Brodersen, Midnight Mistress; 2.Leo Wardrup, Black Widow.   Principal Race Officer – John McCarthy;  Scorer – John Ritter.    This Series takes next weekend off and returns for the final day of racing (Races #4 and #5) on Sunday, May 5^th – same time and Bat Channel.  For info, please contact John McCarthy, 757-850-4225, mcbear@earthlink.net

PHOTOBOAT will be on the water at Southern Bay Race Week 2013.  Sign up at  http://photo-boat.com/southern-bay-race-week-2009.html  and they will look for your boat specifically and send you a link to the photos they take.  Get on their list now!!!

It’s time to play “Mother, MAY I . . . go racing?”.  Coming up in MAY:

• May  1  Wednesday      YPRCC Wednesday Night Series begins
• May  3  Fri – Sun          NOOD Regatta - Annapolis
• May  3  Friday               DOWN THE BAY entry deadline (late fee kicks in)  www.hamptonyc.com/hamptonyc.com
• May  5  Sunday             CCV Spring Series –Day 3, Races 4 and 5  John McCarthy, 757-850-4225
• May 11 Saturday           FBYC Spring Series, Day 3, www.fbyc.net
• May 11 Saturday           YPRCC Spring Regatta
• May 12 Sunday             Mothers Day
• May 18 Saturday           BBSA Cape Henry Cup  Scott Almond,  757-471-2663
• May 18 Saturday           RRYC Spring Regatta
• May 18 Saturday           FBYC Spring Series, Day 4, www.fbyc.net
• May 19 Sunday             Fleet 71/HYC J24 Spring Regatta
• May 20 Monday             SOUTHERN BAY RACE WEEK  One-Design Class  (5 minimum entries) deadline
• May 24 Friday               DOWN THE BAY start in Annapolis
• May 24 Friday               SOUTHERN BAY RACE WEEK entry deadline (late fee kicks in)  Lin McCarthy 757-850-4225
• May 25 Saturday           FBYC Fishing Bay to Urbanna, www.fbyc.net 
• May 27 Monday             Memorial Day Holiday
• May 30 Saturday           SOUTHERN BAY RACE WEEK – Welcome and Check-in
• May 31-June 2  Fri-Sun SOUTHERN BAY RACE WEEK -  Racing, parties, fun!

HEADS-UP!  37^th Annual Harborfest – Yacht Club Rendezvous “Cruiser’s Party” - Friday, June 7 through Sunday, June 9 in downtown Norfolk.  The “Rendezvous Fleet”(members of all yacht clubs) will dock in Freemason Harbor.   For $85 per boat – up to 4 days/nights of docking; 2 Harborfest T-shirts; 1 burgee; 1 boater bag; 5 distinctive boating events  and more.  DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION IS MAY 6^TH  (first come, first served).  For info please contact Dawana Jennings at djennings@festevents.org or 757-424-4449.   This is for sail and power boaters.

Collegiate Update.  The Old Dominion University women’s sailing team earned a spot in the 2013 ICSA/Sperry Topsider Women’s National Championships for the fifth consecutive year by taking fifth place at the MAISA Women’s Championships over the weekend at Hampton University.  This coming weekend, on April 27-28, the ICSA Dingy National Semifinals, hosted by ODU and Hampton University, will be sailed in Hampton Roads.       Weekend before this past, at the CNU Sailing Center, Christopher Newport University hosted the 2013 Leroy Grant Regatta for the benefit of the William & Mary, Penn State, Villanova, Maryland, Ocean County, Hampton, Queens, and Syracuse sailing teams. The two fleets of eight 420s and eight FJs were sailed in unified starts that produced sixteen boat starting lines, the challenge of winning the division, and taking “first to finish” honors, as well as offering an interesting comparison of the FJ and 420 in varying wind conditions. A and B divisions swapped boats half way through the event and scoring was by division.   Villanova won the regatta, Queens was 2^nd, and the College of William and Mary  took 3^rd.  Hampton University finished 7^th overall.  Members of the CNU Sailing Team managed the regatta with the watchful and appreciated  guidance of CNU Sailing Master, Dan Winters.   Others of the CNU team were sailing in the MAISA Conference Championship Regatta at the US Naval Academy.

Recent entries to SBRW include:  Peter Morrison’s (Norfolk) S2 9.1, Orion, racing in PHRF B;  also in PHRF B, Rusty Burshell’s (Yorktown) J30, Cool Change;  Don Barfield – Steve Smith Syndicate (Aylett), Macgregor 26 CB, Checko, racing in PHRF C;  Kent Utley’s (Suffolk), C&C 30-2, Mortar Offer, will be in the SBRW Cruising fleet and so will Jim Chapman’s (Virginia Beach), J37C, Jeneral’s Lady.  Y’ALL COME RACING!  And, don’t miss the Early Bird Entry special deal which ends April 26^th.  www.blacksealcup.com  or call Lin McCarthy, 757-850-4225.

MURPHY'S LAW:  Yesterday Yrs Truly, the Racing Beagle, noticed, while on the race course, that the Virginia watermen have activated the Annual Crab Re-location Program.  The crab pots are in position to move our blue lovelies from the Bay to the table. Yum-yum!  A sure sign of southern Bay summer!   /S/  Murphy the Racing Beagle, the sailing spirit in us all.