Open House Regatta - Cloudy Skies and Bright Smiles
on Tuesday May 31, 2016 10:54PM
The skies might have been cloudy this weekend but there were bright smiles among the racing and rafting boats and party goers at the Open House Regatta & Party this weekend. The day started with a 6.7nm race out of Fishing Bay to where the Piankatank meets the Chesapeake and back again. Winds ranged from a few knots to into the low teens and there was close racing among the boats ranging from 12-43'.
Using a progressive start - each boat had their own starting time based on their handicap with the faster boats starting last. First boat over the line wins it - and it would be a race to the very end with Mad Hatter and Cheeky Monkey battling it out in the final boat lengths with the Hatter getting the better of the Monkey. J/24 Kobayashi Maru would be 3rd followed by J/70 Nostalgia and 505 Leeward Apparel. Results here.
Big thanks to PRO Jim Raper who had just gotten off his own boat the day before racing it to Hampton to come and run the races. He was helped by Cathy Clark, Ruthanna Jenkins, Stephanie Jeffrey, Andrea Winner, Glenn Doncaster and Matson Roberts.
As the racers finished up they joined the raft up already in progress where everyone hung out, swam and enjoyed the afternoon in a sunflower of over 22 boats. Thanks Waddy Garrett for his coordinating in putting that together and Jon Deutsch and Eric Powers for scaling the mast for pictures.
Following racing it would take 3 pigs and a lot of other food to feed the revelers and the Jackass Flats band kept everyone entertained well into the night. Thanks to Paul & Julie Ann Wash and their helpers for putting on a great meal and a great night!
PICTURES by Andrea Winner, Aaron Sutton, Jon Deutsch
Tags: openhouse