For additional information contact:  Lin McCarthy, (757) 850-4225

Southern Bay Racing News You Can Use   # 476

SBRNYCU is an independent weekly publication of southern Chesapeake Bay racing happenings. Founded in April, 2000.

Try sailing - it's NOT easy! - Bill Schanen, SAILING Magazine

They are racing in Key West!  What a way to start your Monday morning!

SAILING ICON  GARY JOBSON  will be here THIS THURSDAY, January 21, 2010   7:30 P.M. Huntington Room at The Mariners' Museum.  If you relish "sailing insider" information, this is a wonderful opportunity to rub elbows with Gary Jobson.   AS A SPECIAL TREAT GARY WILL  BE BRINGING SOME ACTION VIDEO OF THE AMERICA'S CUP  MULTIHULLS - 90 FOOT LOA!  Gary is President of US SAILING, a world class sailor, television commentator and author, has written 16 sailing books and is Editor at Large of Sailing World and Cruising World magazines. He has won many championships in one design classes, the America's Cup with Ted Turner in 1977, the infamous Fastnet Race and many of the world's ocean races.  This award-winning sailor has been ESPN's sailing commentator since 1985. Gary is also the National Chairman of The Leukemia Cup Regatta, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's sailing program. Doors open at 6:30 P.M., light reception to follow lecture.   FOR TICKETS CALL TMM at 757-591-7792. $15 for Mariners’ Museum Members, $20 for non-members. Do not miss this!

Key West Race Week (KWRW) (Jan 18-22, 2010) - These lucky dogs and lots of others are in Key  West this morning:  Travis Weisleder's J105, Lucky Dog, sails out of Fishing Bay and  will compete in the J105 one-design class.  The Lucky Dog  team is skipper Travis Weisleder and John and Sharon Wake, Rob Whittemore and Clark Dennison.    Teamwork,  Robin Team's J/122 comes to KWRW out of Beaufort, North Carolina, and is coming off a division win in Lauderdale-Key West last week.   Also, from North Carolina, Kent Mitchell's (Bald Head Island) Cape Fear 38, My Velocity, is entered in the PHRF Class. Ken Saylor of North Sails Hampton will be tactician on L'Outrage  (Bruce Gardner, Annapolis).  L'Outrage finished 2nd in her division in the Lauderdale-KW Race.  Vela Veloce (Richard Orland,  Saint John, Canada- IRC class) will have Mark Wheeler aboard as navigator at KWRW; they finished 2nd in Lauderdale-KW.   From Beaufort, NC, a well known and appreciated southern Bay expatriate, Steve Hunt, will be at KWRW racing in the mega competitive Melges 24 class as tactician on Alan Field's WTF from Marina del Rey, California.

Southern Bay and Beyond Racers in Lauderdale to Key West - how'd we do?  Robin Team's  J122, TEAMWORK, did just fine, finishing 1st in the IRC B fleet.  Teamwork is out of Lexington, North Carolina.  Southern Bay racer Mark Wheeler was navigator on Richard Orland's Southern Cross 52, Vela Veloce  (New Brunswick, Canada).  Vela raced in the IRC A fleet and finished a mere 57 seconds (corrected) behind the fleet winner, Privateer. MERIDIAN, Sledd Shelhorse's Farr 36 from Virginia Beach/Hampton, finished 4th in the PHRF A fleet.  In the PHRF C fleet, Ken Saylor sailed as tactician on Bruce Gardner's L'Outrage (Annapolis) and she finished 2nd in her fleet.  Christian Schaumloffel's Hobie 33, MIRAGE, from Virginia Beach/Hampton,  finished 4th in PHRF C.   Mirage will sail next in the St Petersburg NOOD in mid-February.

MURPHY RACING SEMINAR 2010 - Rules Around the Race Course   February 20, 2010.   

Understand the racing rules so that they work  FOR  you on the race course.   And, yes, there have been a few changes , effective January 1, 2010,  to the current Racing Rules of Sailing.  Get the skinny on the changes, clear up any  "rules fog" and  learn a lot more.   MURPHY 2010 is a unique presentation given from the racers' perspective;  the rules will be easier to understand as to how they apply in specific situations around the race course.  Saturday, February 20, 2010, 9am-3:30pm. at  Norfolk Yacht & Country Club.    MURPHY 2010 registration fees remain the same as 2009 - $40 per person ($35 for immediate family member of attendee).  Fee includes coffee and pastries at registration, lunch, and break refreshments, and all seminar materials.  MURPHY 2010 is great for skippers AND crew.    To PRE-REGISTER  BY E-MAIL, send your name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address to  mcbear@earthlink.net   Put MURPHY RACING-2010 on the subject line.  You can also PRE-REGISTER BY PHONE by calling (757) 850-4225.  Smarter racers race smart, and that's a good thing!

The 2nd New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup will be sailed in Newport, Rhode Island, September 10-17, 2011.   NYYC, in response to overwhelming response to the first Invitational, has set up a Qualifying Series, which will be held in Newport in September of this year.  NYYC has invited 26 United States yacht clubs to compete for one of three berths allotted in the actual Invitational in 2011.  Among the 26  invited to the Qualifying Series is Fishing Bay Yacht Club, Deltaville, VA.  This Qualifying Series is the only opportunity for USA yacht clubs to earn a place at the table.   Our southern Bay brethren will be sailing in Sonars and J/22s as they try to capture one of the 3 invitations up for grabs.  The 2011 Invitational will include, in addition to the 3 Qualifying Series teams,  the top six teams from 2009 (New York, Royal Canadian, Japan Sailing Federation, Nylandska Jaktklubben, Royal Cork of Ireland, and Royal Bermuda), and at least 10 other international team that will be invited this Spring. 

Check the water temperature  BEFORE you jump in . . . even at Key West!  The Mirage crew sailed the Lauderdale-KW Race in Gulf Stream water temperatures of 70 degrees most of the way.  But, a dip at Key West at the finish  proved to be a chilling experience.  "The water was like at home, at Virginia Beach," according to Christian Schaumloffel.

STRICTLY SAIL Boat Shows.  If you missed a SAIL boat show earlier this year, you have two opportunities coming up:  Strictly Sail Chicago is January 28-31, 2010; and Strictly Sail Miami is February 11-15, 2010.  Tickets and detail are available at  www.StrictlySail.com    Either show could be the makings of a road trip with racing buds.

MURPHY'S LAW:  A few weeks from now, when the  gazillions of humans take the annual POLAR PLUNGE in the Atlantic Ocean at Virginia Beach, Yrs Truly the Racing Beagle, will not be with them.  I do not look like a Polar Bear and I refuse to act like one!  Look for me on the beach blanket with the umbrella drink and shades.  Ooh-La-La.  /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.  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