74^th Annual One Design Regatta at Fishing Bay Yacht Club – Saturday-Sunday, August 10-11.  This event has been a mainstay of small boat racing on the southern Bay for a long time and it’s shaping up that way again this year.  So far, registrations reflect a predominance of Flying Scots and include Frontrunners, Typhoons, San Juan 21s, Lasers, and on the junior side of the house, Opti’s and Laser Radials.  There will be plenty of racing along with socials, food, drink, and entertainment on Saturday night.  For details and to register on-line, go to www.fbyc.net.  Or, call Event Chairman John Wake at (804)305-1343.

Thunderstorms cut  CUT CHANNEL RACE short.  Seventeen (17) racers set out from Fishing Bay Saturday for their annual  Cut Channel Race, part of the club’s distance race series.  The intrepid fleet sailed in the face of warnings of light winds and/or thunderstorms.  As it turned out they had some of both.  Principal Race Officer Noel Clinard said he shortened the race when boomers brought downpours and some lightning.  The race was shortened (to 17.7nm) at the foot of Cut Channel which left the fleet a 12 mile slog across the bay to home.  RESULTS:  PHRF B (6 boats): 1.Bob Fleck, Mad Hatter; 2.Wayland Rennie, Trilogy; 3.Miles Booth, Shenanigan.  PHRF C (4 boats): 1.Brad Miller, Schiehallion; 2.Paul and Julie Wash, Cheeky Monkey; 3.Lew Thatcher, Catitude. PHRF Non-Spin (6 boats): 1. Mike Dale, Juggernaut; 2.Douglas Anderson, Red Sky; 3.Michael Shaner, Sherpa.    Craig Wright, Afterthought, was the only PHRF A boat that did the race.  Principal Race Officer, Noel Clinard.  The next race in the FBYC LD Series is  Smith Point Race on August 24^th.

2013 VIRGINIA GOVERNOR’S CUP.  There were 55 entries, along with 23 Optimist Division sailors, in the 2013 Virginia Governor’s Cup, hosted this past weekend at Ware River Yacht Club.  In addition to hosting the Hampton One Design National Championship, WRYC provided one-design racing for 8 classes over the two days.  One-Design Class Winners:  Albacore: Bob Bear; Buccaneer: Jimmy Yurko; HOD: Latane Montague;  International Moth: John Zseleczky;  Laser: Richard Biggs; Laser Radial: Alexander Hanna;  420: Victor Layne; Optimist: John Vail.  Event Chairman – Clayton James.    As winner of the *class with the largest number of qualified starts (Laser Radial), Alexander Hanna also is the 2013 recipient of the Virginia Governor’s Cup.  *NOTE: HOD class excluded from eligibility for Gov. Cup because of national championship status.

The 2013 HOD National Champion is Latane Montague.  Latane was undefeated – finished 1^st – in each of the 5 races contested by the 11 boat fleet at the Virginia Governors Cup. This makes Latane’s win his 7^th HOD National Championship, the all time highest number of titles.  Crewing with Latane were Jackson Montague on two days and Leigh Chapman on Sunday.   Gordon Wolcott with crew sister Sarah Wolcott finished 2^nd overall among the HODs and Randy Stokes and sister Ann Stokes were 3^rd overall.  Colin Voigt won the Outstanding Crew Award; he sailed with Bill Van Buren.  Joe Morgan and crew Bill Taylor won the Willy Hurst Novice Trophy.

The Virginia Governor’s Cup has a lot of skippers who return year after year.  One in particular, Hampton Roads racer Emory Nemeth missed the Governor’s Cup this year in favor of a grand adventure.   Emory says that he and his crew, Caitlin, are preparing the boat, a Tasar, “. . .to go cross country to Cascade Locks, aka the Gorge, [where they will be racing in] the Tasar Worlds in August.”  He says, “The sad part will be missing one of our favorite regattas the Virginia Governors Cup.”    NOTE: The Tasar is a 4.5 m high performance sailing dinghy, designed to be sailed and raced by a man and a women.  A light weight, low drag, planing hull, a rotating mast, and a jib and fully battened mainsail with efficient sail controls provide exhilarating sailing without the need for spinnaker or trapeze.

Congratulations to southern Bay Opti racer Boyd Bragg.  Boyd finished 29^th overall in the 117 boat Opti fleet at the Volvo Gill Optimist British National & Open Championships  in Scotland. He was the 4^rd American after 11 races were tallied with two throw-outs.  The weather in Scotland was extreme some days – extremely light and then extremely heavy.  The main junior fleet sailed in 27 knot winds and heavy rain on Thursday.  Heavy conditions were so bad Friday, the last scheduled day of the regatta, that racing was abandoned after only one race. Boyd is the son of Bo and Camilla Bragg and sails out of Rappahannock River and Fishing Bay Yacht Clubs. Details and results are at http://www.kbsuk.com/optimist/iocaevents/index.asp?EventID=45 

TOM BRADY MASTERS’ RACE Sunday, August 11^th.  There’s no substitute for experience!  And, those old enough to race in the annual Tom Brady Masters’ Race will be out to prove that axiom.  The skipper and everyone on the boat must be at least 55 as of race day. And, the boat must be at least 10 years old.  No spinnakers and no double headsail rigs are allowed.  The boat must have a current PHRF certificate and 5P equipment category is allowed.  The Skippers Meeting is at high noon on race day at host Hampton Yacht Club and fleet splits will be announced then.  There will be a post-race social at HYC and  food and beverages will be provided for racers and their guests.  To enter (no later that 1100 on race day), contact John Blais at (757)357-0621.

Walker Yacht Tenders, dinghies, Breeze sailboat kits, paddle boards and more.  This spring Jeremy Churchill brought his LIGHTHOUSE INFLATABLES products to Southern Bay Race Week for the racers to have a look-see.  Now he has issued an invitation to interested boaters to attend a Wine and Cheese Event on Wednesday, August 14^th for 4pm to 7:30pm.  The event will take place at 2906 Elmhurst Lane in Portsmouth.  To attend you must RSVP by August 12^th to 757-465-2216 and you must be at least 21 years old to attend.   www.lighthouseinflatables.com

Entries close on August 12^th  for the 10^th ANNUAL CAPE CHARLES CUP ( August 17-18) - A lot of fun for racers and cruisers alike. Enjoy the regatta dinner/party/live entertainment on Saturday night between races at the beautiful Kings Creek Marina on the Eastern Shore at Cape Charles.  Cape Charles Cup has two point-to-point races (Norfolk to Cape Charles and Cape Charles to Hampton) with an overnight stop at Kings Creek Marina on the Eastern Shore (docking is also available at very nearby downtown Cape Charles).To make slip reservations for Saturday night at Kings Creek Marina, call (757) 331-8640 – you must be entered in the event to be able to reserve a slip.  To dock at Cape Charles Harbor (in town), call (757) 331-2357.  There will be shuttle service available to and from Cape Charles Marina to Kings Creek Marina.  FOR ENTRY INFO, NOTICE OF RACE, SAILING INSTRUCTIONS AND DETAILS, click on www.CCCup.net or contact event chairman Hank Giffin at (757) 375-1491.

Coming up this coming weekend - August 9-11:

Aug 10-11         Sat-Sun            74^th Annual One Design Regatta, FBYC   Contact John Wake, (804) 305-1343  www.fbyc.net

Aug 10              Saturday           Annual Tri-Services Regatta (limited to LYC, NNSA, & OPCYC members’ boats).  Contact John Ritter (LYC) at (757) 329-6992

Aug 11              Sunday             Tom Brady Masters Race  (special age requirements on boat, skipper and crew)  Contact John Blais at (757) 357-0621