(Annapolis, MD)- This coming weekend, the Severn Sailing Association is
holding its annual pre-Halloween bash for the J/22 and J/24 classes on
Chesapeake Bay. Always a popular event for the past few decades, the
event marks the end of the fall season in the northeast (along with the
famous Lake George Regatta) and provides teams an opportunity to catch
up before heading south for Midwinter regattas in Florida. The J/24s will be enjoying their 39th J/24 East Coast Championship, celebrating 40 years of J/Boats, too! The magic number seems to be twenty-four! For, that many boats have registered to race in this year’s event! Teams are coming from as far away as Bermuda, Nova Scotia, Florida, Maine, New York and the usual suspects from the local Chesapeake Bay fleet.
For starters, famous Portland, Maine transplant, Tony Parker, will be sailing his BANGOR PACKET as a member of Annapolis YC. Recently, they just finished 1 pt out of first place at the recent J/24 World Championship in Toronto, Ontario; Tony’s crew will be hoping to close the season with a solid performance. Another long-time class veteran, Al Constants from Seawanhaka Corinthian YC in Oyster Bay, NY will be sailing with a fast crew. Then, long-time Bermuda class champion, Trevor Boyce will be sailing NO SKIRT REQUIRED for the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club. Another “Maine-iac”, top woman J/24 skipper Erica Beck-Spencer will be guiding the SEA BAGS WOMENS SAILING TEAM around the track with an all-women’s crew. Another veteran crew is Travis Odenbach’s HONEY BADGER team from Rochester YC in Rochester, NY. Finally, the fun-loving crew on Evan Petley-Jones’ LIFTED from Royal Halifax Yacht Squadron will be looking forward to a good racing before winter closes in on them up in Halifax! For all the J/24 crews, what is also on the line are qualifying slots for the 2018 J/24 World Championship.
The J/22s will be sailing their Mid-Atlantic Championship on the same race track as the J/24s. The twenty-one boat fleet is quite talented with World and North American Champions in the mix. Locally, the hot teams are hoping to be a factor on the leaderboard; such as Chris Wilson’s LIL PUFFY, Brad Julian’s USA 677, Jeff Todd’s HOT TODDY, Kevin Doyle’s ZOEY, Sandy Adzick’s HOT TICKET, and Chris Junge’s CORNER OF SANITY & HELL. Top visiting crews include Mike Marshall’s BAD NEWS from Newport, RI and Cory Sertl’s LUCY from Jamestown, RI and Rochester YC.
For more regatta information, please contact Pat FitzGerald at pfitzgerald@comcast.net or Kelly Brice FitzGerald at 443-600-1182. For more J/24 East Coast and J/22 Mid-Atlantic Coast Championship sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.
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