Today was one of those days that showed the full range of what fall sailing on the Chesapeake can deliver. Out at Stingray Point, it was blowing a solid 16-20 knots from the NNE – rough and choppy enough to make you grateful to be inside Fishing Bay instead. Inside, we had a much more manageable 8–12 knots, still puffy in the middle but without the waves.
Seven Flying Scots turned out for four races on an H course. I was on the mark boat with Bob, and we stayed busy all afternoon setting marks, watching the shifts, and keeping an eye on the fleet. Midway through the day, one of the Scots capsized, and we had to jump into rescue mode. After the boat was upright and the sailors couldn’t get back in I climbed aboard to pull them out of the water and back onto the boat.
By the end of the day, the sailors got in four good races, and the race committee team had a good time being on the water. I got some good pictures and video of the sailing.
The 44th Chesapeake Bay ILCA Masters Championship wrapped up this weekend with three races on Saturday — the only races we managed to fit in before the wind completely disappeared.
As the event chairman, my regatta began weeks earlier: coordinating volunteers, designing t-shirts, getting registration open, and finally pulling together all the last-minute details that make the weekend run smoothly. By Thursday evening, I was at the club unloading gear and taking in a spectacular sunset over Fishing Bay – a calm start to what would turn out to be a very light-air weekend.
Friday was all about setup and organization. Competitors started rolling in by afternoon, and I spent much of the day helping sailors unload and get settled. That evening, I helped make race committee lunches and run through a few “what if” plans with the PRO – particularly what we’d do if Saturday morning brought the forecasted calm.
Sure enough, Saturday morning delivered exactly what we expected: no wind. Working with our PRO, we made an early call to postpone racing before the skippers’ meeting so no one had to rush to rig up. The forecast hinted at a late-afternoon breeze, so we mapped out the latest possible start time that would still get everyone home before dark.
Luck was on our side — around 1:30 p.m., a light easterly began to fill in. We dropped the postponement flag and got the first race off at 2:30. It wasn’t perfect breeze, but it was steady enough to race without a guessing game over wind direction.
The first race was a one-lap, modified windward-leeward. I didn’t get off the line well – squeezed out mid-line – but found clear air to the right and salvaged a mid-fleet finish in 16th. Up front, Dave Chapin, Alex Jacob, and Rob Whittemore showed great pace in the tricky conditions.
Race two started with more pressure and tighter racing. I got off cleanly about two-thirds down the line, tacked back to the right early, and rounded the top mark in fourth. I lost a few boats upwind after sailing into a patch of nothing, but clawed back one or two on the final downwind to finish ninth. Mike C and Laura were right in the mix – it was great, close racing all around.
For the third and final race, the course shifted slightly right. I went hard right on the beat, but couldn’t quite make it pay off. Rob W nailed this one, sailing a textbook race to take the win. With daylight fading, that was it for the day – three solid races in the books.
Back ashore, Alain and his team served up a fantastic dinner that evening. Alain’s longtime friend Michel shared stories of how he first got Alain into sailing decades ago ago. We lingered over good food and conversation before heading to the camping area to unwind under clear skies.
Sunday morning dawned calm once again. We postponed and waited, but it soon became clear the breeze wasn’t coming. Racing was abandoned, and Saturday’s results stood – putting me as the top Apprentice Master in the ILCA 7 fleet.
Huge thanks to Rick and the race committee for making the most of the conditions and running great races when we had the chance. Thanks also to Alain, Michel, John G., Janice, Jess, Sabri, Britt, and everyone else who made things run smoothly off the water.
Even with the light winds, the 44th Chesapeake Bay ILCA Masters Championship was a success – a weekend of good sailing, good food, and even better company.
Rain cleared the way for a nice sailing day – albeit a cloudy one with some puffy conditions. Four ILCA sailors made it out for what would be 3 races before rain chased everyone off the course.
The first race started with winds in the low teens out of the East with a course set just south west of Stove Point on the Piankatank River. I had a great start at the boat. Len had a better first leg out to the left side of the course and lead at the first windward mark. As we were coming to the final hundred yards of the downwind leg I set a course to intersect with Len while on Leeward pushing him out to the right and once we neared the 3-length circle and went for the finish, I was able to blanket him just enough to finish ahead by a foot or so. Mike was not far behind as was Holly.
By the second race the wind eased a bit with 10-12 knots out of the same direction. Len had a better start at the boat and just stayed ahead the entire upwind. Downwind he caught a nice puff on the right and took that to the finish without any challenge from me.
In the 3rd race I started mid-line with Len just below me. Seeing I wasn’t going to get by him, I tacked to the right out into the river where I found more pressure. I carried that into the top mark with a nice lead and then went the same way Len did downwind to catch the wind/wave angle and took off to finish 1st.
All throughout the afternoon rain threatened and we could even see i 2-3 miles west of us raining on the Piankatank and we only got a few sprinkles where we were. But after 3 races we weren’t going to try our luck with more rain and were safely ashore and packed up as the rain did eventually come. Thanks to Donna and crew for running our races!
We were among the 7 boats in the PHRF-A fleet. The first two races were sailed in 7-10 knots.
By the time we got to the 3rd race the wind was 5-7 – enough to race, but not fast. The current helped everyone to a general recall and after we got a successful start the wind continued to drop and the RC wisely shortened the race at the first leward mark.
The 3rd Annual Rescue Regatta brought together 30 boats for a day of racing and fundraising off Stingray Point, all in support of the Middlesex County Volunteer Rescue Squad. With sunny skies and steady 7-9 knot winds, conditions were ideal for the pursuit-style race that began at the mouth of the Piankatank River.
Luna firing her cannon as she crosses the starting line.
Unlike traditional handicap racing, pursuit races start with the slower-rated boats first and the faster-rated boats later. Finishing order reflects actual placement, eliminating the need for post-race time calculations.
I sailed aboard Battle Rhythm alongside Todd, April, David, Len, Dennis, Dwight, Case, Jen, and Heidi. We were among the last to start, with only one boat –Afterthought– beginning just behind us. Equipped with larger overlapping headsails, Afterthought overtook us early on the first leg.
That first upwind leg stretched more than four miles out into the Chesapeake Bay. As we settled into our pace, we began catching some of the early starters, rounding the first mark just behind a small group of boats.
The second leg-a continued upwind stretch up into the Rappahannock River-gave us a few more opportunities to gain ground. We picked off a handful of boats along the way and ultimately finished in 15th place.
With the race complete, we hoisted the spinnaker for a relaxed sail back around Stingray Point. Back on shore, the day wrapped up with pool time, followed by dinner, a silent auction, awards, and a party at the rescue squad – capping off a great day on the water for a worthy cause.
The 86th Annual One Design Regatta at Fishing Bay Yacht Club began under light and challenging conditions on Saturday. With little wind at the scheduled start time, racing was postponed for about an hour before the race committee was able to get one race underway in the Piankatank River. Even then, the breeze faded significantly as the final fleets were finishing. After waiting on the water for another two hours with no wind in sight, the remainder of the day’s racing was abandoned and competitors were towed back to shore.
The ILCA fleet saw 10 boats on the line. James and David established an early lead in the opening race and maintained their advantage throughout. Conditions proved difficult, and I struggled to stay in the breeze and find favorable shifts, finishing 8th.
Sunday brought a much-improved forecast and racing began an hour earlier. I launched early and had time for a short practice lap before the first start. The fleet completed a short H3 course before waiting for the other classes to finish and for the course to be adjusted as the wind shifted right.
Throughout the day, I began to feel more comfortable in the boat. Early races were marked by inconsistent decisions and sailing out of phase, but by the final race, things began to click. I had a strong start and was first to the weather mark, though Dave passed on the reach and maintained his lead. On the final downwind leg, James caught up and edged ahead at the finish.
Despite the ups and downs, I finished 4th overall, narrowly securing the position. Thanks to Rick, Holly, Mason, Craig, and the entire race committee team for making the regatta possible.
Twenty-four boats, including two Lasers, lined up under sunny skies and light winds for a distance race on the Piankatank this July 4th at Fishing Bay Yacht Club. With breeze holding steady around 5–6 knots from the NNE, the fleet saw a short postponement before starting under a single unified start. The course (#4) would take the fleet from Godfrey Bay – out around Stove Point and back.
After the start I favored the left side of the course sailing toward Stove Point and picking up a bit more pressure. However, once past the point, an adverse current set in and allowed boats on the right to gain an advantage by the time we reached the Piankatank 8 mark.
The leg to mark B was a close reach, where I managed to close the gap on Scuba Cat. On the return leg, the Flying Scots began to reel me in and momentarily pulled ahead.
The final two legs from Piankatank 8 to the finish were broad reaches in continued light air. I was able to regain ground on the Flying Scots and ultimately pull back in front of Scuba Cat.
Out of the 23 boats that finished the race, I crossed 14th but placed 7th overall on corrected time. Thanks to Miles, Frank and everyone on the RC for running our race!
My quest for the longest lasting battery in an action camera has brought me to the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro and I tested 11 batteries to see how long they would last. Why do I care about long battery life? I race sailboats and when I’m sailing I can’t always stop and change a battery in the middle of a race and sometimes I don’t even have a pocket to keep one in let alone keep it dry.
In looking at the cameras on the market the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro had the best specs for how long it would last using the settings I would want to use while sailing. I wanted to see how long I could expect the two different batteries that are offered by DJI and several different batteries by 3rd party manufactures.
DJI offers the DJI Osmo Action Extreme battery with 1770 mAh that they sold with the Action 3 and 4 and it’s compatible with the Action 5 Pro. And when they came out with the Action 5 Pro, they also came out with an Extreme Plus battery with 1950 mAh. The batteries look identical aside from the very tiny mAh number on the back and the much more obvious 1950 mAh label on the top.
How long does the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro Battery Last?
Across all of the manufactures, the camera filmed on average for 129.4 minutes. But the DJI batteries far out performed the after market batteries by almost 30 minutes in the case of the Extreme Plus.
Average Duration
DJI Extreme Plus
150.4 min
DJI Extreme
138.8 min
Aftermarket Batteries
122.4 min
Which Battery Lasted Longest?
If battery life is of the utmost importance – you’ll want to go with the DJI Extreme Plus Batteries. If you want to save some money, don’t need as long of a duration or can switch batteries easily then the aftermarket batteries will work fine.
Here’s the average runtime for each of the brands:
And here you can see the individual performance of each of the batteries. Note the range between the minimum and maximum test along with the average. The DJI Batteries (Extreme & Extreme Plus) minimum performance was at or above the max of most of the 3rd party batteries.
Using the settings I’d most likely be using for sailing – 4k 30 fps with RockSteady and Horizon Steady on and in the wide view – I set the camera up in my living room to look at my backyard until it ran out of battery. I did this at least 11 times for each battery to get the data. All of the batteries were charged using the same 3-battery charger and the DJI firmware was 10.00.11.62 or 1.00.12.12.
If you are interested in the battery life of other cameras, check out the tests I did for the Insta360 X4 or Insta360 Ace Pro.
Disclaimers: I purchased the camera and some of the batteries myself. Other batteries were received through the Amazon Vine Voices Program. As an affiliate in Amazon’s program I may receive a commission for product links.
I’d never sailed this far before. The Annapolis to Newport Race—475 nautical miles from the Chesapeake Bay to Newport, Rhode Island—was the challenge I’d been looking for this summer. Aboard the J/42 DIANTHUS, we were racing in a fleet of 14 boats in the PHRF class, part of a larger group of 71 total entries. We expected the race to take about four days.
Friday – Off to a Light Start
DIANTHUS at Annapolis City Dock
Our start was one of four that day just outside Annapolis Harbor. Winds were light, 5–7 knots out of the SSE. We executed a clean dip start on the third gun, timing the line perfectly and heading upwind while blocking several port tackers trying to squeeze in at the pin.
Looking down the line at the start of PHRF
We short-tacked around Thomas Point Light and chose to hug the western side of the Bay while many competitors went east. As storms built over the Eastern Shore, we found ourselves with better pressure and less rain. By afternoon, we had 8–12 knots and made solid progress. But by evening, the wind faded again.
Dianthus rounding Thomas Point Light
Saturday – Rain, Current, and a Spinnaker Sunset
When I came up for my midnight watch early Saturday morning, the boat had barely moved in the still air under a full moon.
Sunrise brought a fresh breeze as we neared the Potomac. We dodged a fast-moving RoRo ship and short-tacked near Cape Charles to stay out of the adverse current.
Rain returned just 15 miles from the Bay entrance—and with it, a total shutoff in wind. As the storms passed, the breeze filled from behind. Soon we were back under spinnaker in 20 knots of wind with a sunset on one side and a rainbow on the other.
We switched to an asymmetrical kite heading toward Chesapeake Light, then changed to the #1 genoa as the wind died again. We drifted toward the light while listening to VHF chatter from a dredging barge surprised to find a “sailboat party” in his spoil area.
Sunday – Into the Atlantic
By early morning we’d rounded Chesapeake Light and were close-hauled in 6–8 knots, tracking north up the coast. By midday, seas had become confused and choppy. As the wind built into the evening, we changed to a smaller genoa and eventually reefed the main. The maneuvers were tricky in the dark, and a couple of us got seasick in the rougher conditions.
Monday – A Leak, A Lull, and some Light Relief
Morning revealed a bit more water in the bilge than expected—eventually traced to a leaking anchor locker. We bailed, let the bilge pump catch up, and got back to full sail… just in time for the wind to shut off again.
For hours, we bobbed in less than 4 knots of wind. With 130nm to go, our hopes of finishing Tuesday morning faded. Now we were aiming for early Wednesday.
Tuesday – Chasing Breeze and Making Decisions
By noon, a few hours of glorious beam reaching had us pointing straight at Newport at 6 knots—but the breeze didn’t last. Afternoon brought rain and hard choices: how to round Block Island. As night fell, we flew the symmetrical spinnaker heading east.
Wednesday – Rounding Block Island and Finish
Just after midnight, we were east of Block Island under spinnaker in winds near 20 knots and boat speeds pushing double digits. Then – bam – a 50° wind shift hidden in fog and darkness slammed us.
We broached.
The boom dragged in the water, the boat laid over, and we slid sideways toward Block Island just 3.5 miles away. A nearby channel marker was the only visible reference.
After a tense few minutes, we regained control and set up for a spinnaker drop—requiring full crew on deck and a headsail hoist before we could safely douse the kite. We reefed and continued, now beating away from danger.
And then… the wind died again.
With a strong opposing current threatening to push us back into open ocean, we made the hard call to go the long way around Block Island. Boats we’d passed earlier were catching up fast.
By sunrise we’d rounded Block and entered Block Island Sound. We hoisted the spinnaker one last time for the final four hours. At last, we crossed the finish line off Castle Hill just before noon.
Docking in Newport, surrounded by anchored boats and fellow racers, we toasted the end of a long, unforgettable journey. Sure, we would’ve liked less drifting and more breeze—but we made it, boat and crew intact.
Huge thanks to Dave and Carol for preparing DIANTHUS and leading the crew. It was a blast to sail with them, along with Wendy, John, and Mike. For my first offshore race, I couldn’t have asked for a more thrilling, humbling, and rewarding experience.
