Hampton One Design Regatta Circuit Guide
Choose from the following list of regatta venues:
| Rock Hall Y.C. PRSA (Washington) PRSA (Leesylvania) |
Tred Avon Y.C. Cambridge Y.C. Fishing Bay Yacht Club |
Ware River Y.C. Hampton Y.C. Norfolk Yacht & Country Club |
Or click on light blue map locations for venue & regatta descriptions
Hampton Yacht Club
The Hampton Yacht Club is where it all began and hosts three premier HOD regattas. The racing and socializing are exquisitely orchestrated by HOD sailor Leigh Morgan, who is the HYC's Small Boat Fleet Captain. Competing in one of the HYC Regattas is all but mandatory for those seeking the most fun out of their summer! The Point to Point (Jun 4) and Black Seal/Serio (Jun 5-6) etc. etc. Seven weeks later, the Hampton Annual (Jul 24-25) is the place to be. It is one of the summer's biggest events and usually attracts around 20 boats from all over the Bay. Plus, there are always great post-race festivities, often including beer and dancing on the waterfront. Those who can't get enough partake of some late night bar hopping downtown, just a short walk from the club. This year the Trapeze Invitational (Oct 2-3) is newly scheduled for the Fall. Taking advantage of steady breezes and still-warm water, this looks to be an exciting, challenging event, with all the invited classes putting a body on the wire.
Facilities and Venue
The Hampton Yacht Club is located on Hampton Creek. The clubhouse has an air-conditioned, full-service bar & grill, and showers that are open to all competitors. Be sure to check out the subscriber-only regional wind gauge. Hamptons are launched from two one-ton electric hoists. The racing venue is in Hampton Roads. The starting area is about a 1 1/2 mile sail from the clubhouse in an area known as Hampton Flats which was the sight of the famous Civil War naval battle between the Monitor and Merrimac. The club reports typical race conditions as 6-12 knots from the southwest and current generally under 1 1/2 knots. Count on the R/C to a quality job. The tiny downside: An awkward tie-up situation once your boat is launched.Accommodations and Other Attractions
HYC is in downtown Hampton, a short walk from the new Virginia Air & Space museum and numerous shops and restaurants. Camping is available at Gosnold's Hope Park about 5 miles from the club. A number of motels are nearby, including: Strawberry Banks Motel, (757) 723-6061, Ft. Monroe Exit off I-64 about a mile from the club; Radisson Hotel, (757) 727-9700 less than a half-mile from club in downtown Hampton. Those interested in information about billeting with local fleet members should call the regatta contact listed below.Directions, Contacts, and Links
Use
Mapquest to get close
then follow these directions. Take I-64 to the
Hampton University/downtown Hampton exit and go toward downtown Hampton
on
Settler's Landing Road. Cross bridge over Hampton Creek, turn left at
Bridge
Street. Go 1/2 mile, turn left into Club parking lot at the cannon. The
regatta contact is Leigh Morgan (757) 726-9649. For general
information, the
Yacht Club Office number is (757) 722-0711. Click here for the Hampton Yacht Club
web
site.
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Rock Hall Yacht Club
Facilities and Venue
The RHYC's location on Langford Bay is a big draw. Steady breezes without a big fetch make for smooth racing. The club has recently installed a brand-new crane for launching, although the old ramp is still workable at high tide. In the past a few folks used a public ramp about an eighth of a mile form the club. There is a cozy Clubhouse, offering a bar, a regatta dinner, restrooms and a shower. Camping is actively encouraged. The huge lawn, streching down from the club building is gorgeous and strangely luxurious. The racing here is generally very well run and the trophies are excellent -- particularly the "Governor's Cup," a Hampton One Design trophoy recently discovered in a Rock Hall Attic.Accommodations and Other Attractions
Some believe this is the best regatta for camping. Past race notices list nearby hotels. Rock Hall is in a rural, historic area of Maryland, worth exploring. The Kent County office of tourism maintains a website of things to see and do. Generally, Rock Hall attacts a strong contingent of Washington, D.C. Hampton Sailors who'd love to see more of our friends form the southern bay.Directions, Contacts, & Links
Potomac River Sailing Association (Washington)
The Potomac River Sailing
Association
serves racing sailors based at the Washington Sailing
Marina, a
National Park Service facility. PRSA is host to the President's Cup
and
the Leukemia Cup held together on a single weekend (Sep 11-12, '03).
These events offer good sailing from an outstanding facility in the
shadow of
Washington's most famous monuments. The D.C. Hampton Fleet
always
puts on a fine spread for its guests from the rest of the Bay.
Facilities and Venue
The shore side facilities for the President's Cup and Leukemia CUp are excellent, including what may be the the best small boat launch of any HOD Regatta (three one-ton cranes, each with two adjacent 50' floating docks for tie up, plus a ramp). The marina includes a small store (offering beer, snacks, and some hardware), a restaurant, and a snack shop. For the regatta, there is usually a dinner and inexpensive beer and wine. The Leukemia Cup is a charity event, better known for keelboat regattas. Nevertheless, the PRSA cup has been highly successful in the past. Because it is a charity event, the registration fee is around $100.Racing on the Potomac can be fantastic, but the venue is not close to the ocean, so the winds can be flukey. Best bets are for wind from the north or south (up or down river). Wind blowing across the river leads to short, awkward beats. In summertime, the river's current is tame, with little run-off to drive it. There are, however, significant tides. Last year, and hopefully in the future, Hugh Elliot was the principal race officer. Mr. Elliot is a U.S. Sailing certified race official and runs smooth, efficient, competitive racing, even in trying conditions.
Accommodations and Other Attractions
The Washington Sailing Marina is ten minutes from downtown D.C. and five minutes from the middle of Alexandria. The local HOD fleet members are enthusiastic about hosting guests from around the Bay. There are also many hotels and B&B's in the area. The District offers great touring options including the monuments seen from the race course, the Smithsonian, and numerous other museums. There is almost always a great party on Saturday night, hosted by one of the local fleet memebers.Dirctions, Contacts, and Links
|
Potomac River Sailing Association (Leesylvania, Va.)
The Doc Gilbert Potomac Cup (click here for notice of race) is an annual regatta hosted by Lightning Class Fleet 50. Fleet 50, which sails with the DC Hamptons out of the Potomac River Sailing Association , has invited the HODs for the last several years, to good effect. The regatta is consistently well run and spring is one of the best times of year to sail on the Potomac. Leesylvania is a terrific venue, near Potomac Mills (so you can swing by Ikea and put modular drawers in your boat). Heineken will be kicking in some beer in 2004 and the excellent dinner, lunch, breakfast, t-shirt, registration, park-entry combos make for an economical weekend. Last year, we had a wild time with a very strong wind coming through and dumping a couple of Hamptons on the second day. The rest of us, however, had a blast in kay-razy planing conditions. The Potomac breezes so far this spring have been more moderate, but plentiful.Facilities and Venue
Leesylvania State Park offers a wide stretch of the Potomac for sailing (see aerial photo) served by a full-on state park. Isabel did a number on the launch facilities last year, but the word is that the two boat ramps are back in service with temporary docks that should serve sailors well. Parking is never a problem and the area is nestled in a very attractive forest.Accommodations and Other Attractions
Come on up to Northern Virginia/D.C. and stay with your friends from D.C. Hampton Fleet. Email Tom Ballantine who will match you up with a guest room. There are also plenty of hotel options and camping at the park is available for those who have been indoors too long this winter, listed in the notice of race.Directions & Contacts
Directions are most easily found here or here.Click here for the PRSA web page.
Click here for the DCHOD web page.
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Tred Avon Yacht Club (Oxford, Md.)
Facilities and Venue
Accommodations and Other Attractions
Directions & Contacts
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Cambridge Yacht Club
Facilities and Venue
Located in Cambridge Maryland, the C.Y.C. is home to the Admiral Byrd Series for Hampton One Designs. It is a widely attended regatta. The club is very attractive with good parking. Launch is by a single crane. Once launched, dinghies hang off of bollards at the end of the club's slips.
The racing has had some unusual features in the past. The RC has delighted in starting races with a shotgun and pre-race warnings have been made by megaphone -- don't wander too far from the committee boat. In 2003, a non-standard starting sequence was used and, according to the 2004 sailing instructions, it appears that rule 61.1(a) has been altered to require boats of less than boats of less than 6 meters to display a protest flag for a valid protest.
In 2003, the racing was excellent, as these photos indicate. There is plenty of room for excellent courses. This regatta is usually a highlight of the season.
Accommodations and Other Attractions
There are several excellent B&B's in the area as well as regular hotels. It has also been possible to camp near the yacht club in the past.Directions & Contacts
Get mapquest directions to clubYacht club phone: 410-228-2141
Click here for the Cambridge Y.C. web page.
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Fishing Bay Yacht Club (Deltaville, Va.)
Facilities and Venue
Accommodations and Other Attractions
Directions & Contacts
Click here for the FBYC web page.Back Home Top
Ware River Yacht Club (Gloucester, Va.)
Facilities and Venue
Site of the 2003 Nationals, the
Ware River Yacht Club is a wonderful,
rural venue.
With a comfortable, air-conditioned yacht club, generous and friendly
members, and first class race committee, regattas at Ware River are
excellent. Launch is by ramp, and the river is shallow near shore. Keep
your anchor handy for rigging and/or to hold your boat off the finger
pier.
Accommodations and Other Attractions
There are nearby bed and breakfast options and Ware River offers good camping. Some have slept out at the end of the pier where an evening breeze allowed sleep under the stars without mosquitoes.Directions & Contacts
WRYC web page.Back Home Top
Norfolk Yacht & Country Club
Facilities and Venue
NYCC has some of the nicest club facilities on the Bay. Hamptons are launched from wide concrete launch-ramps with adjacent piers. The race course is in the Elizabeth and Lafayette rivers, a short sail from the clubhouse, and can be seen from the clubhouse. The water depth in the course area ranges from 3 1/2 feet to 40 feet. The Club reports typical conditions as southwest at 10-15, or northeast at 15-20 knots, with current under 1 1/2 knots. There is plenty of large commercial ship traffic that provides both an exciting backdrop to the racing, as well as an occasional tactical obstacle.Accommodations and Other Attractions
Directions, Contacts, & Links
Click here for the NYCC website.Back Home Top