Hampton One Design Archives

Link to 2003, 2004, or prior years' archives.

Headlines from 2005

Congratulations CBYRA Competitors

Boom Raising Proposal Passes Unanimously

Cambridge Annual Back to Two Days

New Judson Hampton On the Way

Nationals Result: Wheeler & Cobb Victorious

Fishing Bay a "Summery Mix" of Conditions

HOD 722 in Familiar Spot, Under New Mgmt

Caught on Film, Cambridge Group Shot 2005

2005 Nationals NOR Has Been Published

Montague Squeeks Past Wheeler at HYC

Wheeler and Cobb Ace Double Header

Last weekend, Mark Wheeler along with returning HOD superstar crew Anna Cobb dominated a small but quality fleet of Southern Bay Hampton sailors.  Saturday’s 45^th Annual Broad Bay Regatta was held on ODU’s training waters in the lee of the Norfolk Southern coal piers.  In addition to the six Hamptons, the course was shared with 4 Sharks (catamarans).  Where were the Mobjacks?  Five windward-leeward races were sailed in about 6 knots of breeze where good starts, tactics, boat handling and finding the occasional puffs were the keys to success.  One of the highlights of the day saw Bryant McGann and Stewart Leeth pull off a perfect start, exhibit excellent boat speed and handling, culminating in his first victory as a Hampton skipper.  Competitors were also treated to the spectacle of over 100 PHRF boats racing for the Cock Island Cup in the Norfolk shipping channel.  The relative quiet was occasionally interrupted by five short blasts from inbound merchants. Charlie and John McCoy, Frank and Anne Murphy, Gary and Bonnie Van Tassel, Bryant McGann and Stewart Leeth, and Gordy Stokes and his niece rounded out the competition.  The awards presentation followed a sandwiches and BBQ held in the ODU Sailing Center.

In contrast to Saturday’s sunny condition, five HOD’s, about thirty Optimists, and four 420’s endured the “light rain” (note, Regatta Chairman Eddie Wolcott’s assessment from the enclosed confines of the committee boat).  As a “dry run” for the upcoming Optimist Nationals in Norfolk, 6 trapezoids were sailed in a shifty 8-10 knot breeze.  Mark and Anna dominated the fleet with 6 bullets.  The trapezoid with a gate at the bottom of the course made for some interesting tactical decisions and was a welcome change to the usual windward-leeward.  Gordy and Kerri were second followed by Charlie and John McCoy who have the distinction of having perfect attendance at all HOD regattas held so far and have won 2 of the 5.  Gary and Bonnie VanTassel and Frank and Anne Murphy rounded out the standings.

Mrs.Clara Wolcott generously provided beverages, burgers and dogs after the regatta in the NYCC ballroom.  This was followed by the presentation of the Wolcott Memorial Trophy to Mark and Anna.  HOD 717 took home the hardware for the third time.

From this Month's Spinsheet: The HOD in the Spotlight

In the early 1930’s member’s of the Hampton Yacht Club’s Star fleet became frustrated with the expense of maintaining a keel boat, and its tendency to run aground in the shallow waters of Hampton Roads.  By 1934 there was a consensus that a new one-design should be selected that was more suited to the summer breezes and shallow waters of the Chesapeake.  A committee was formed to select the boat for the club.  The committee examined all the small boats in existence and rejected each of them as either too expensive, or too crude.  The committee was about to give up on the whole endeavor when local boat-builder Vincent Serio presented the committee with the plans for an 18-foot sloop with a powerful sail plan and graceful over hangs.  The committee was thoroughly impressed and the Hampton One-Design was born.  The first boat was ordered by a member of the selection committee, and was delivered in February, 1935.  Hampton One-Design (HOD) #1 was moored at the Hampton Yacht Club that Spring and left with sails aboard so that any interested member could take her for a test sail.  The first Hampton caused tremendous excitement at the club.  People of all ages were captivated by the beautiful lines and intrigued by the unique feeling of piloting a craft that lay so close to the water. 

The class growth was explosive and extraordinary.  By the summer of 1935 Serio had built five more, and by 1938 77 wooden boats had been built.  And in a span of just 15 years, the Hampton became the largest one-design class the Bay has ever known.  By 1950, over 500 wooden Hamptons had been built, and the term “Best on the Bay” was coined by the sailing press.  This was the golden era of One-design classes and the Chesapeake had chosen the Hampton One-Design.

While the HOD’s roots were at HYC, the boat was quickly adopted by all the major yacht clubs on the Bay, Northern and Southern Bay alike, as the one-design of choice.  By 1950, there were active fleets with 5 or more active boats at 15 clubs.  Fleets were located at: Annapolis YC (25 active boats in 1956); Broad Bay, Chester River, Cambridge, Corsica River, Fishing Bay, Hampton (28 active boats in 1961), Langley, Lake Murray, Norfolk (35 boats in 1960), Kerr Lake, Potomac River (16 active boats in 1959), Portsmouth, St. Mary’s River, and South River. 

The Hampton has evolved with the times and today represents a classic hull design coupled with a thoroughly modern trapeze dingy rig.  Today, more than 700 Hampton One-Designs have been built, and new boat construction continues.  The Class has averaged three new boats-built per-year for the last 10 years.  The latest, Hampton #728, is due to be launched in August.  The class currently has two active builders.  The Matthews Brothers produce high-tech fully cored vinylester/glass boats on the Eastern Shore, while David Judson builds both plywood and cedar strip-planked versions in Matthews, Virginia.  The woodies are competitive.  Latane Montague, sailed one of Judson’s first new-generation wooden boats to victory in the 2003 HOD Nationals.

While the Hampton is a classic design, it is sailed by racers of all ages and backgrounds.  Collegiate all-Americans compete against wily veterans that remain competitive into their late 60s, and coed/husband-wife teams are typical.  The average age in the Hampton class has fallen dramatically over the last decade as the class has experienced a renaissance based on the beauty of the design, the strength and breadth of the Bay-wide racing circuit and the warmth and collegiality of the class members.

Today, Hampton racing still takes place all over the Chesapeake.  The core fleets at HYC, NY&CC and PRSA are very strong and have maintained an active racing circuit at most of the Bay’s sailing clubs, even where home-fleets no longer exist.  The Hampton Traveling Racing Circuit features 17 different events from Norfolk & Hampton on the Southern Bay to Cambridge, Rock Hall & PRSA on the Upper-Bay.  In the summer there is a Hampton regatta somewhere on the Bay 3 out of 4 weekends per-month.  And although the class no longer gets 70 boats at its annual National Championship, it still regularly leads all other double-handed classes in CBYRA High-point participation and is once again growing.  In 1999, the Potomac River Fleet was re-established at PRSA, and is now up to 14 boats.    That’s not bad for a class that only exists here on the Chesapeake.

Montagues Victorious at Rock Hall Annual

Hampton Class Series Summary

Pl S# Skipper        1 2 3 4 5 T

-----------------------------------

1 727 Montague       2 1 2 1 1 7

2 706 Twinn          3 5 1 3 3 15

3 514 McCoy          1 4 5 4 2 16

4 724 Cassidy        5 2 3 2 5 17

5 710 Ballantine     6 3 6 5 4 24

6 600 Kistler        4 6 4 6 6 26

7 681 Bavin          8 8 8 8 8 40 

Charlie McCoy Wins First Regatta of the Year (UPDATED)

Results of Boom Boost Experiment Now On Line

The HOD News That I Know

January 20, 2005. The latest Hampton One Design news brings the sadness, gladness, and camraderie. The HOD Class was saddened at the news that Bill Doughtery has died. Although I did not know him, his legacy was communicated to me through Latane and others class memebers who have been helpful and friendly to newcomers. Latane wrote the fleet with a heartfelt memorial to Bill, which made me wish very much to have known him.

The class welcomes Trevor Pardee with cheer and excitement. He has bought Devon Sweeny's 722 and doesn't look to be fiddling around. I reach this conclusion from his former crew listing on the HOD website from 2002, which, for what its worth, read:

I am seeking to join a serious racing program and make a significant commitment. I have sailed dinghies and big boats all over for the past 35 years. New to area, now living in Virginia Beach, would like to begin practicing this fall with intent to begin competing next spring. Previously owned two Shields, an International 470, two Lasers and a Dyer Dhow. Served as Captain on a Swan 47 during the summer of 1984. Employed as Head Instructor at Edgewood Yacht Club, Narragansett Bay, in 1980. I hope to gain some HOD experience before buying one in the not to distant future.

The not to distant future is now!

Headlines from 2004

Smiles of Nationals Victors Cap Fun Weekend

Eddie Wolcott and Corey Clement won this years HOD National Champtionship at the Tred Avon Yacht Club. Last year's champion, Latane Montauge, with crew Dorothy Ballard, were close behind Eddie in second place. With a twenty boat fleet, trophies went to the top seven: 3rd place Hanna & Hanna, 4th R. Stokes and David Richard, 5th McCoy & McCoy, 6th Wheeler & Wheeler, 7th G. Stokes & K. Stokes.

Sean Reilly and Kate Peske won the Hurst trophy. In their strong second race, they finished one place behind Eddie Wolcott.

More news from nationals and complete results in a day or so . . .

Cambridge Results Are Up on the Schedule/Results Page

Quick and Dirty Update: Results from NYCC & HYC

I have posted the results I have from the Hampton Annual (thanks, Charlie!) and the Wolcott Memorial. There are also some price changes on the Market page. Finally, the Notice of Race for Ware River is up on their website. The regatta is scheduled for August 7-8 and should be an excellent event as usual. Register early so the club can coordinate food and staffing: Forms are available at the bottom of this page.

Results Posted for HYC Black Seal and Rock Hall Regattas

Rock Hall Annual Regatta June 20 -- Bill Carnell and Lars Florio had a lot to smile about this weekend after they got their hands on the serious hardware, which had been discovered last year in someone's Rock Hall attic. Bill and Lars fought hard in conditions that ranged plenty of air on Saturday to zephyr hunting on Sunday. Every place counted, and in the end they eked out win on first places when Sean Reilly and Kate Peske tied their score with bullet in race 6. Ian Twinn and Nancy Younan took home goblets for third. Ed Cassidy, Kathy Bowdring, Tom Ballantine(who has some advice about being teabagged), Steve Kistler, Steven Propst, and Bill Bavin with crew Ted Allen were all out on the water. Jocelyn, with two weeks to go, Vicky, and Kirsi came up to enjoy the day. Cheryl Taylor, just back from the Women's Sailing Clinic and the Hampton Yacht Club crewed for Stephen Propst and said she had a great time despite the bruises on top of her sailing clinic bruises. Cheryl's contact information will be up on the Crew List shortly. Click here for full results and Click here for full group photo.

4th Annual Black Seal Cup June 5-6 by Leigh Morgan - Saturday morning was beautiful and sunny, with a tingle of excitement from all 7 competitors in the HOD parking lot. Jeff Harrell was pulled out of some sort of sailing-retirement-home and was found suiting up to crew for brother-Chris. Sure was great to see the dynamic duo together again! Does the fact that I told them I still remember them as little kids qualify me for the aforementioned retirement home? Frank Murphy had recruited another of the HOD-famous Vail clan to crew, and I think Scott Vail was more excited than anyone else on the lot judging from his ear-to-ear grin!

As planned, the RC banged off a short race at 11am to get the ball rolling. By the time the Hamptons started, unfortunately, the breeze had shifted left and we had a bit of a parade around the course. The Hannas shot off into the distance and won the race by a considerable margin. We sailed three more double-lap windward-leeward courses on Hampton Flats as the breeze steadily built and clocked around from the southwest to the northwest. I say "we", but of course, I had a bit of trouble finishing that last race as the result of a graceful capsize about 4 boat lengths from the finish. I guess I should have been suspicious when Dave kept talking about the water temps and how nice the spray felt. I didn't know he was that determined to test it out! The Hannas clearly won the day with a 1,1,3,1 in breeze that topped out with gusts over 20mph.

Sunday was cool and crisp, and I think the coolness helped sooth everyone's bruises from the day before! Despite our sore tailbones and intense rum hangovers, everyone sailed for the race course and the 10am warning gun. By 10am, however, only a smattering of the early birds had reached the course. Eddie, Frank and Leigh brought up the rear, moving with blazing speed and a flood current despite the complete lack of wind. The forecast didn't look good, but we all tried out our optimism boots and sailed on. The Hamptons managed two semi-painful races, with a quick first race in a super light breeze that nonetheless seemed determined to stick around. The current proved to be a big factor as always at Hampton. But alas, the breeze was not to be and it died completely by the middle of the 2nd race requiring a shortened course at the 2nd windward mark. The last leeward mark rounding of Race 6 saw the whole fleet rounding as a large conglomerate. Mark and Kathy sailed up the very light windward leg fast enough to beat all comers, with Sean Reilly/Kate Peske nipping at their heels for a fantastic 2nd place finish in that race. Check out the results

From Advice Page: Thunderstorm Movement - Is it a threat?

[Mark Wheeler wrote this piece for the website's"Tip of the Week" on May 12, 2001. Some recent race conditions (which HOD sailors handled in stride, see next article) have emphasized its importance and currency. Also check out this article on heavy air boat handling.]

During the summer, there are many times that you see a dark storm on the horizon which you are rightfully concerned about.  If you are thinking about going out, should you or if you are already out on the water should you head in . We had this at the Wolcott Memorial last year and at the Nationals two years ago.  Because of the relatively slow speed that we can sail and the high winds associated with these storms it takes a little bit of planning to be safe.

Storms are either frontal related or just isolated storms produced by convective energy. [Link to animation ]  If they are frontal, then they will travel with the front.  The Chesapeake Bay area generally has fronts that pass from the NW to the SE.  Take a look at a weather map before the days racing do determine any frontal threats.  The speed and direction the fronts are moving is easily forecasted.  The second type of storm is the isolated buildup that we see so often during our summers.  These storms move with the winds aloft.  Although the jet stream will push the top of the largest storms off in their direction, it is not the controlling factor in storm movement.  Most of the mass of a buildup is in its lower portion.  Because of this, it is the 5000 foot winds aloft and the 10000 foot winds aloft charts that need to be studied.  These two wind directions generally will not be that far apart from each other.  The storms will follow this wind direction.  Armed with this knowledge you can make sound, safe decisions.  (All of these links are on the sailing links page under weather.)

Montague, D.C. Fleet Have Strong Start: Doc Gilbert Results

Have you ever wondered how your Hampton would handle a squall with 30kt + winds? The Potomac Hampton one-design fleet found out last Saturday at the Potomac Cup as they kicked off the Hampton One-design sailing season with a bang! [Photo of Hampton start at Potomac Cup.]

6 intrepid HOD sailors from PRSA joined about 30 Lightnings from up and down the East Coast for two-days of racing on big 1-mile-leg W-L-W-L-W courses on a wide-open stretch of the Potomac between Fort Belvoir and Quantico. The courses were set with an offset mark at the top and a leeward gate. The start line was a comfortable ten minute sail form the docks. The forecast was crummy, but the day started off mostly sunny with winds between 10-12 kts, steady out of the south. That would change radically by race #3. Click here to read the rest of the story

Isabel 2003

ZCZC MIATCPAT3 ALL
TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM
BULLETIN
HURRICANE ISABEL INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY NUMBER  50B
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
3 PM EDT THU SEP 18 2003

...ISABEL MOVING INLAND...MADE LANDFALL AT 1 PM NEAR DRUM INLET...

A HURRICANE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM CAPE FEAR NORTH CAROLINA
TO CHINCOTEAGUE VIRGINIA...INCLUDING PAMLICO AND ALBEMARLE SOUNDS...
AND THE CHESAPEAKE BAY SOUTH OF SMITH POINT.

A TROPICAL STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT NORTH OF CHINCOTEAGUE TO
MORICHES INLET NEW YORK...INCLUDING DELAWARE BAY. A TROPICAL STORM
WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT SOUTH OF CAPE FEAR TO SOUTH SANTEE RIVER
SOUTH CAROLINA...FOR THE CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM SMITH POINT
NORTHWARD...AND FOR THE TIDAL POTOMAC.

AT 3 PM EDT...1900Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE ISABEL WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 35.4 NORTH... LONGITUDE 76.6 WEST OR ABOUT 50 MILES
EAST-SOUTHEAST OF GREENVILLE NORTH CAROLINA.  ISABEL MADE LANDFALL
AT 1 PM EDT NEAR DRUM INLET...BETWEEN CAPE LOOKOUT AND OCRACOKE
ISLAND NORTH CAROLINA.

ISABEL HAS A VERY LARGE EYE...AND WINDS WITHIN THE EYE WILL
DIMINISH...BEFORE INCREASING RAPIDLY AS THE BACK EDGE OF THE EYE
PASSES BY.  PEOPLE ARE STRONGLY CAUTIONED NOT TO VENTURE OUT DURING
THE EYE PASSAGE UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.

ISABEL IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 20 MPH AND THIS MOTION IS
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TODAY WITH A TURN TO THE NORTH-NORTHWEST
OVERNIGHT. ON THE FORECAST TRACK...THE CENTER OF ISABEL IS EXPECTED
TO CONTINUE MOVING INLAND OVER EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND
SOUTHEASTERN VIRGINIA OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 95 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS. ALTHOUGH
ISABEL WILL WEAKEN AS IT MOVES INLAND...UNUSUALLY STRONG
WINDS...WITH GUSTS TO HURRICANE FORCE...MAY BE EXPERIENCED FAR
INLAND OVER THE ELEVATED TERRAIN OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA AND
MARYLAND...AS WELL AS ON HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS AND OTHER STRUCTURES.

HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES FROM THE
CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 345
MILES.

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