Sailors, Get Ready And Sail For A Cause

Posted

Long before we turn the clocks and the sunlight grows longer, skippers and crew start thinking about sailing on Wednesday nights. One preseason Round Bay Sailing Association (RBSA) activity is the annual skippers meeting, held April 3, to discuss logistics, racing buoys, race committee duties and other RBSA business. Another is to review the racing rules for the season. This year, in their every-four-year cycle, the racing rules of sailing were revised and updated. In order to keep skippers and crew abreast of the rules and changes, RBSA is hosting an educational session on April 13 as part of preseason training. RBSA racing on the Severn River starts April 21, 2021. If you are interested in joining us, please check the website at www.roundbaysailing.com.

In addition to preparing for the Wednesday night racing series, skippers and crew are considering and planning for the charity races sailed on the Chesapeake Bay each year. One RBSA skipper, Dan Flagler, won the “Triple Crown of charity sailing” in both 2020 and 2019! The Triple Crown involves sailing in all three charity races of the season: the Leukemia Cup Regatta, the CRAB Cup (Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating) and the Hospice Cup. The skipper who finishes highest in all three races, and who also raises the most funds, wins the trophy, a beauty, created by Weems and Plath.

A portion of race entry fees goes toward the charities, but fundraising by the skippers amounts to significant donations to these worthy charities. According to Flagler, there is no minimum amount of fundraising that a skipper must accrue, but skippers must race in all three charity regattas to compete for the cup. For the 2020 Triple Crown, Flagler raised $11,860 for the three charities — quite an impressive campaign.

This year, the charity races are scheduled as follows: Leukemia Cup Regatta June 19, CRAB Cup August 21 and Hospice Cup September 18. These are fun races and help skippers and crew not only compete on the race course but also compete for worthy causes. RBSA encourages skippers to plan for and compete in the Triple Crown.

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here