Tomorrow is our club regatta. I have participated the last 3 years and brought home a trophy the last 2. I readied the Orion this evening, but depending on conditions, I may sail the 19. Below are the very stringent rules.
The 2026 Gerry Crowley Memorial REGRETTA
REGATTA RACING INSTRUCTIONS:
The overriding objective of this regatta is to have fun while being safe. Fun includes using one or all three of your "cheats". Turn the engine on; skip a marker but don't take the race seriously. Enjoy being on the water.
The race will be held on the Neuse River off Oriental, NC on
Wednesday, 16 September 2026. Start time will be at 11:00 am.
The course will utilize government marks (Oriental 1, Adams Creek #1AC and Garbacon Shoal #7). The actual route will be determined the day of the race. The course will be announced at 10:40 am &10:50 am via VHF and will depend on wind direction.
The event will be "PURSUIT STYLE", which means there will be staggered start times. Start times are as follows:
Boats 20' and under @11:00.
Boats 21' to/including 30' @11:05.
Boats 31' to/including 40' @11:10.
Boats 41' and above will start on Thursday, September 17th
VHF communication for this event will be on channel 78, not 16.
The "committee boat" will be anchored near Oriental 1. The start line and finish line will be the space between the "committee boat" and the marker.
Please consider inviting new SCOO members or senior members who no longer have a boat to join your crew. Share the fun.
AFTER-RACE SOCIAL EVENT INSTRUCTIONS:
The highly anticipated social for this event will start at 4:30 pm at the Whittaker Point Marina. To avoid excessive media attention, we will have a potluck. Please bring a dish to share as well as your own plates and utensils. Water will be available. Should you desire something stronger after this grueling race BYOB.
As always, the highlight of this particular social is the awarding of trophies. Any race protest will be duly noted, automatically denied and the person(s) making the protest immediately disqualified from
receiving any trophy for the next 10 -12 years.
Please show some respect to the judges and do not offer bribes* in public. All bribes must be made before the judges enter into deliberation. This last limitation does not include any and all offers of alcoholic beverages. All decisions are final.
*(bitcoin preferred)
I did put the word out Ibwould be soloing, but surprisingly, no one has taken me up on my offer. Obviously the word has spread of my lack of sailing skills.
LOL, sailing skills? this event does not seem to be in need of them, but more so cunning and strategy. And you should try to find a crew member. I'm sure the use of water balloon slingshots attached to the boom are now considered enviornmentally taboo, however you will need someone to man the long range water cannon for those that would even consider passing you.
I'm about halfway through the course. Only 7 boats this year and everyone seemed surprised I was soloing. A pod of dolphins was following me to the start so I took as a good omen. I was the second boat across the starting line, but fell to last place I the first 10 minutes. I caught up by taking a different tack than the fleet, but I messed up a tack and lost a lot of time. We're on the down wind part of the course and I don't care much for down wind sailing so the auto helm is doing the work, but it keeps going off course. We're in the ICW and there is a huge barge in the fleet and 2 large motor vessel on my stern. I haven't injured myself yet, although blood has been drawn.
LET US KNOW IF YOU EVER GET HOME
I did! But not without mishap. I lost my new SCOO (sailing club of oriental) hat. The last leg was fun. I hope the video turned out. The NE wind was a blowing and I almost had the toe rail buried. The genny was dipping into the water! Never done that before. Well, without going over. Awards ceremony and picnic is at 4:30.
With only 7 boats at the start and 5 finishing, they had more trophies than participants. Although I was the last to cross the finish line, I still got a trophy. Jerry Crowley made all the trophies years ago and passed away in 2024. Awardies return them the previous month before the next years regatta and they are reissued.
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Hey Carl,
Way to participate!!! In all seriousness It sounds like a great time.