Beginning Friday 19 July, 2024 the Weta Mid-Atlantic Fleet began a fun filled, interesting weekend at Fishing Bay Yacht Club in Deltaville, VA.  It was the fleet’s second annual trip to the club’s Annual One Design Regatta.  Deltaville is a small town bordered by the Rappahannock River to the North, the Piantank River to the South, and the Chesapeake bay to the East.

Four of the six of us ventured out for a sunset sail on Friday in 8-12 knots of wind.  It was a superior opportunity to do some upwind and downwind speed tests.  It was also a great time for the lake sailors amongst us to get some feel for the swell and chop. Steve Cardoze once again demonstrated his dominant downwind speed. Bill Croughwell was learning from the master and made some big improvements in our practice session. Steve has been instrumental in my Weta learning.  He is always willing to share advice, but he also listens patiently to my crazy interpretations of what I think is happening. And...He gently helps me find my way back when I've misinterpreted my data.

After sailing, several of us went out to dinner just ahead of Deltaville rolling up the sidewalks.

Saturday morning came with rain, but some wind.  With tell-tales matted to the sails, fog, and a driving rain race one began.  Those of us who wear glasses were alternating between glasses off and staring through water droplets as we battled the elements.  Stuart Burnett jumped off to a lead. 

He and Waldo Rodriquez battled it out to the first mark with me trailing.  Waldo in “Tropical Green” was the first to round.  On the first downwind leg, Bill went screaming past me and ran down Stuart.  But at the leeward mark I was right behind Bill, and Stuart was right behind me. 

Tropical Green was still in the lead.  Bill overshot the mark and it took him a while to furl.  I pulled ahead of him.  Now it was time to catch Tropical Green.  Waldo still led at the windward mark.  On the last downwind we met at the leeward mark and I edged ahead as he had to deal with a Melges 15 who was spinnaker shrimping.

I covered him upwind to the finish line.  Whew!  What a race!

Race 2 was a little sporty.  A lot of boats capsized on the race course.  There was a lot of radio talk about a broken boom, parts being fished out of the water, boats retiring, etc.  All 5 Weta’s remained upright and racing.  The wind that knocked down so many boats hit me at the first leeward mark.  I did a bad gennaker furl and spent the upwind leg flogging my gennaker.  Bill Croughwell also had a gennaker furl issue at the leeward mark, but he out sailed me in the “gennaker creating too much drag” upwind leg competition. It was a mistake filled race for me and I finished 5th.  After 2 races, it was very tight.  Bill Croughwell was in first.  There was a three way tie for second.  Two points separated first from fifth.

Finally in race 3, the rain subsided, and tale-tells were flowing again.  Race 3 was set to be shorter (one lap instead of two). Stuart led at the windward mark, but I was right behind him.  I managed to edge ahead of him on the downwind leg and covered on the way back upwind to be the first Weta across the finish line.  We were hoping to get a fourth race in, but a lightning strike fourteen miles away sent us back to the yacht club.

Day one ended with a wonderful barbecue and fried chicken dinner put on by Fishing Bay Yacht Club.  Discussions percolated on the days events.  The Weta field was very tight.  One point separated first and a two-way tie for second.  The field was within five points of each other.  I was exhausted and went to the hotel room early to dream of exciting Sunday races.

Sunday brought sunshine!  Hooray!  The wind forecast was, however, light.  6 Weta’s left the beach hopeful that the forecast was wrong.  I worked on different helm balance ideas as we had the long downwind sail to the race course.  We got to the course and the race committee was diligently setting up the course.  As the minutes went by the three knot wind, which wasn’t enough to race in, slowly died.  We basked in the sun and chatted across the calm water. 

I jumped in a couple of times to work on my at sea man overboard self-recovery processes.  Eventually the race committee called it and we started drifting back towards the yacht club as the RC began picking up boats in tow.  On the tow in, I was the last in line and messed around some with fore and aft position on the boat.  There’s always an opportunity to learn in this very fun boat.

Fishing Bay Yacht Club puts on a wonderful event.  I look forward to my return.

1st - Chuck Carroll

2nd - Stuart Burnett

3rd - Bill Croughwell

Official Results (https://www.regattanetwork.com/clubmgmt/applet_regatta_results.php?regatta_id=28290&show_sub_class=1&show_sex=1)