Blue Crab Regatta – Sept 4-5, 2021
The 2021 edition of the Thistle Blue Crab Regatta was missing two key elements this year. The founder of the event, Don Moore was not in attendance, and with crabs topping $290/bushel, there were no crabs. Eight Thistles made it to the starting line after an onshore postponement and one false start waiting for the wind to fill in. PRO Joe Van Gieson set a two lap windward leeward course in Race Area C off of Bembe Beach. The Snipes, who were also scheduled to race, decided to stay ashore, as did the Annapolis Yacht Club, which issued an early N over H and sent the racers there home early. The first race was shortened to one lap, but ended up being abandoned after the fact due to procedural errors. Race 2 was changed to a one lap windward, finish downwind, which despite the incoming tide against an easterly wind (or lack thereof) direction, still proved challenging. For Race 3, the southerly started to fill in, and we had a solid 5-8 knot breeze, the best of the weekend.
Instead of a crab feast Saturday evening, we had numerous appetizers from Botanas Fajardo, and dinners were ordered off their menu. Dessert consisting of homemade peach and blueberry pies from Cairn Krafft’s kitchen was served with ice cream afterwards.
Sunday, the forecast was for more breeze, although somebody apparently forgot to put the coins in the wind machine. Race 4 (first of Sunday) was started with the wind around 185, but with 30-degree oscillations. The expected southerly started going west, and the course was shifted dramatically for Race 5. After the bottom fell out on the wind, the course for Race 5 was shortened to one lap.
SSA non-resident member Brent Barbehenn, sailing with Kaitlyn Norton and Mike Levy (both Thistle owners), showed us why he is a multiple time national champion (in Thistles and Jet-14’s) and won, posting a 2-2-1-1. New SSA and Fleet 34 member, Vince Yannelli, sailing with Lilla Salvesen, and Hannah Hess (on Sunday) finished second.
Charlie Krafft sailing with his wife Cairn and Foster Stolte on Saturday and Sam Maddox on Sunday took third. Bill Lawson with LeAnn Myhre on Saturday and adding Kathy Brinsfield on Sunday finished 4th. John Majane with Jim and Kate Schmicker took 6th, and Bill Krafft, sailing with new SSA member, Cody Richardson, and Molly Ratz finished 7th. The Watsons, new owners of Don Moore’s Showboat, sailed their first Thistle regatta with David and his daughter Sarah trading helming duties on Saturday, sailing 2 up. Sarah’s twin sister, Natalie, joined them on Sunday while their mother, Cate, helped on the RC, while capturing go pro video of action around the committee boat. Ed John was sidelined, recovering from knee replacement surgery, but has plans to be back on the water for many of the Thistle East Coast Fall Series events, including the Oyster Roast on Columbus Day weekend.
This event was registered with Sailors for the Sea as a Gold level Clean Regatta. Real silverware, glass canning jars for beverages, compost pails, post-event separation of recyclable from non-recyclable items – pays to pay attention to what can be recycled in Annapolis – signage on the trash and recycling containers, and elimination of single use-water bottles are all part of this initiative spearheaded for Fleet 34 by Cairn Krafft and our Green Team. (Photos by Cairn Krafft)