A Great Time Down in Crab Country

By Dave Brawner

Seventeen skippers made a good decision to take part in the Cambridge Model Yacht Club's annual regatta and crab feast.  The pond is just off the banks of the Choptank River on Maryland's Eastern Shore.  Our RD for the weekend was "General" Jim Coll who runs a regatta with the same authority of Frank Angel.  Also, his knowledge of the wind patterns of the pond is amazing.  It was advisable to listen to what he was saying.

Our eventual champion almost didn't race.  As Mark Rinehart was setting up his boat, he came to point where you get the transmitter which was about the time he realized that is was sitting in the back of his car which was parked at Bob Kjellberg's house an hour and a half away.  Hmmm...  He thought he had his excuse to sit this one out and help Jim run the races.  Bob Kjellberg came prepared with an extra transmitter that got Mark going again.  It should be noted that Mark used that transmitter while shutting Bob out of the starting line not once, but twice.

The pond is skinny and runs perpendicular to the river bank/beach.  The interesting part is the large tree at what is usually the windward end of the pond.  It casts a shadow around 90% of the area around the windward mark.  The key was to find the 10% with air.  Many of us will be in therapy for years getting over that.  Everyone got caught in that hole generally followed with the statement "there was air here a minute ago".

Our course on Saturday was a box with a mid-course start.  Sometimes we went to the right and sometimes went to the left.  It would be safe to say that the starting line was a bit tighter than what we are used to.  That could come from Jim's Victoria background.  With that said, the starts were some of the cleanest I have seen at a regatta.  Jim knows his stuff.

I am trying to remember some of the details from Saturday's racing but it's just a blur.  Maybe I am trying to forget how many times we had to work through that hole at the windward mark.  Let's move onto something more fun...the crab feast.  Scott Todd and Sara had all of us over for crabs on Saturday night.  It just doesn't get any better than sitting around with the other skippers, the spouses and kids picking crabs, drinking beer and telling lies.  Eating crabs on the Eastern Shore is sort of like playing a pick up softball game at Fenway Park.  This is crab country and we amongst the pros.  Scott's family has been catching crabs for generations and Joe Brooks family has been processing them just as long.  Scott and Sara, thank you for having us over.  We can sail anywhere but  a night like that can only happen in Cambridge.

Sailing on Sunday started with the three tops boats within 5 points.  Danny Thomas had the lead followed by Mark Rinehart and myself.  Ivor Walton, who sat just off the pace in fourth, started with two bullets on Sunday to tighten the race.  Mark found his groove later in the morning and just didn't slow down while the rest of us spent time in the hole. 

The "bus people", Doug Wotring, Pete & Matt Houghton, had a race where they all port tacked the fleet at the start and sailed away.  While they were eventually caught, it was beautiful while it lasted.  Matt had one other move of note late in the day.  He headed left with a group of boats who eventually tacked away to come back to the middle of the pond.  Matt pushed that side a few inches too far and was swallowed up by the rocky bank with a resonating clunk.

Tom Causin of Ashburn MYC fame has officially been sucked into racing EC12's with us.  He showed his skills quite often with his patented move along the right bank to the starboard lay line just outside the trees wind shadow. 

Scott Todd had problems with breakdowns throughout the weekend including one I hadn't heard off before.  Somehow a wire from his receiver got eaten by his winch.  A spare boat was quickly delivered by Jack Rosemere.  The other locals, Joe Brooks, Babe Wroten and Dave Brohawn sailed one day each. 

Thanks to all who helped put this regatta together.  We had a great time.  And yes Scott, we'll be back next year.

Pictures by Matt Houghton