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23/Feb/2009
Down the Bay Race Revival to offer IRC in the Chesapeake Bay
HAMPTON - The Down the Bay Race is back after a 10 year hiatus. On May 22, Friday of Memorial Day Weekend, the starting gun will send boats off on a 120 nautical mile, non-stop race down the Chesapeake Bay from Annapolis, Maryland, to Hampton, Virginia. This race will mark the 60th running of the event and the first since 1999. Hampton Yacht Club and the Storm Trysail Club-Chesapeake Station have teamed up to revive this old Chesapeake Bay favorite.
There are various reasons for doing Down the Bay. Some IRC racers may chose to do the Down the Bay Race as a tune-up for the Annapolis to Newport Race two weeks later. A shakedown racing the length of the Chesapeake almost to the Virginia Capes will be an obvious benefit to any crew, especially the navigator. Some will do this race to be a part of Chesapeake Bay history. Down the Bay was born 75 years ago in 1934. Some may do the Down the Bay race as a feeder race for the Southern Bay Race Week 2009 but most will do it simply because they are sailboat racers and this is a challenging race with a taste of adventure. Everyone, no matter the reason, will find a night of racing on the Chesapeake followed by a plentiful serving of southern Bay hospitality at Hampton entirely worthwhile.
The 60th Down the Bay Race for the Virginia Cruising Cup will be run on Memorial Day Weekend. Classes will be IRC, PHRF, Non-Spinnaker (double headsail allowed) and any one-design class with 5 or more boats. Check-in will be at Annapolis Yacht Club from 1500 until 1800 with a pre-race party to follow on Thursday, May 21, 2009. The first warning will be at 1030, Friday, May 22, 2009, and the post-race party and awards presentation will be at Hampton Yacht Club on Saturday, May 23rd, starting at 1800.
For information and entry form go to the website at www.hamptonyc.com/downthebay. Event Chairmen are Vince Behm, (757)876-7778 and Wayne Bretsch (301) 332-6773.
Media Contact: Contact: Lin McCarthy - mcbear@earthlink.net - (757) 850-4225
Interested in using IRC?
Owners and Organizing Authorities wishing to adopt IRC for their events should contact US-IRC Executive Director Luiz E. Kahl for help with the process luiz@us-irc.org.
The US SAILING Offshore office administers the IRC rule in the US. Yacht owners should contact Eric Baittinger at irc@ussailing.org for help with certificate application or with rating questions.
For all US-IRC latest news, events and seminars check out the US-IRC web site at www.us-irc.org and go racing with us.
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