Picking your way up to weather out there was treacherous, sometimes exhilarating and sometimes devastating. Each race was won by a different boat and the top boats (except for steady John Manderson) had 1st or 2nd places followed by a plunge down the fleet.

A light, spotty and unusual SE breeze was all we were going to get on Saturday and the RC courageously and competently managed to conduct two challenging races. All 13 Star boats left the line after an hour’s wait for the fitful breeze to cover the course. The left side of the course seemed to pay as the breeze trended towards the East, out of the Chester River. Interestingly, the tide ran strongly out of the Chester also, making a flow direction diagonally across the Bay. John Manderson figured it out though, followed by Tom Price and Will Swigart who made late race gains by venturing far left.

The second race started in a more promising breeze from the same quadrant. It proved equally as challenging as it moved from between 150 to 90 degrees and refused to build. Max velocity was about 6 kts. The runs were hot and noisy as the slack rigs shook in the slight motorboat chop. It was a great time to see the speed differences in windward and leeward heel and when to transition. Crews splayed out across the foredecks as if on a “time out” from their skippers. John Macausland finished in the lead, followed by John Manderson. Murray Leigh sailed an excellent race to take 3rd place.

Sunday’s forecast was for a developing thermal but unfortunately, later in the day. After a 2 hr delay enough wind had filled in to conduct a race. It was a bit east of what usually indicates a sea breeze but we came to play with what we have. Some trusted the right in hopes of the increasing thermal and some played the odds by sticking to the left side that paid off so well on Saturday. On the last beat, the right finally worked as Keith Donald, Henry Filter and Tom Price roared in on the new wind. Both crew on the high side for the first time in the weekend!

As the fleet sailed in with the now delightful southerly, the Stars with their huge twisted mainsails and narrow hulls looked very much like they have looked reaching back to Gibson Island for the best part of a century.

John Manderson was the overall winner, showing consistency with a 1, 2, 4 finish, followed by Keith Donald in 2nd and Henry Filter in 3rd both tied with 14 pts. Tom Price followed closely with 15 pts and John MCausland with 16 (who fell into the minefield after an excellent first day). Master Trophy winner and Novice winner was Keith Donald, sailing as if he had a lifetime experience in Stars. Keith Donald also won the Blue Chip award for the highest score in Sunday’s racing. The tricky conditions made for an interesting if challenging regatta. July is a uniquely “Chesapeake Bay” month to run sailboat races and only Star boats could have had such viable racing in the light conditions.