Category: Life
Chesapeake Bay Laser Masters Championship Trophy
The Chesapeake Bay Laser Masters Championship has been sailed by Laser sailors over the age of 35 since 1981. In the early years of the regatta Alain Vincey had beautiful plates made that were given to the competitors as prizes. The last of these plates was made into a perpetual trophy for the regatta. About 10 years ago the trophy fell over, and the ceramic plate was shattered. The plate was painstakingly repaired and has hung in the clubhouse ever since.
As great of a trophy as it was, I wanted to be sure the plate would be protected and that the regatta would have a trophy that would last for years to come. With those goals in mind, I planned a trophy that looks like a serving tray with sides that would protect the plate mounted to it. And although I’m not yet of age to sail in Masters regattas, I made sure there would enough room for winners to cover well past the time that I ‘age out’ of Laser masters sailing.
The trophy was built at the beginning of October out of 13 pieces of 3/4″ mahogany.
Next chocks were made to hold the plate in place and the plaques were aligned and drilled.
The trophy was then finished in a natural glossy finish.
Then the rope border was mounted.
Finally the plate and plaques were mounted to complete the trophy.
Winners at the 30th Chesapeake Bay Laser Masters Championship on October 15-16, 2011.
More pictures of the trophy and the build process can be seen here.
I want to thank my father, Stan, for his help and tools. And thanks to Alain Vincey for the kicking off the regatta years ago and providing the plate and original trophy for it.
30th Chesapeake Bay Laser Master’s Championship
This weekend Fishing Bay Yacht Club hosted the 30th Chesapeake Bay Laser Masters Championship for Laser sailors 35 years of age and old. Since I don’t yet meet the requirements to sail, I’ve been made the event chairman. The event went off without a hitch and 36 sailors participated. The RC did a fabulous job getting 7 races in, including 3 in 20+ knots of wind on Saturday. Alain’s pork Ossobuco was fantastic as all of his meals were. I just want to thank everyone who helped out and all of the sailors who came.
Results and photos have been posted. Here are a few of my favorite photos:
Building the Laser Radial District 11 Championship Trophy
District 11 has a new perpetual trophy to honor the Laser Radial District 11 Champions. It was built around the original Standard Laser District 11 Championship trophy and features the names of the 7 champions we’ve had so far.
The original Standard Laser District 11 Championship trophy was built in 1979 by Mike Waters using a relief of a Laser created by his wife, Jane Waters. Over the years this trophy was lost to time and in the mid-1990’s a new Standard Laser District 11 Championship trophy was created. The original trophy was found about 5 years ago and the champions listed on it were used to populate the new trophy going back to 1972.
The original trophy was given to me when I became District Secretary and I thought it was a shame not to put such a nice piece of art to use and to loose a valuable contribution to our District. We’ve started to have a consistent showing of Radials at our District Championship. I thought – why not recognize Laser Radial champions and give Radials a trophy to sail for.
The new Laser Radial District 11 trophy was designed to use the relief in the original trophy. Since Mike was a boat builder and used the best boat-building adhesives to affix the relief to the original board, it would have been too difficult to separate the relief from the board without breaking it. So the new trophy had to be built around it.
The new trophy would feature the relief in the center, a plaque with the name of the trophy at the top, room for the 7 known Laser Radial District 11 Champions and room for the next 36.
Construction of the trophy began at the end of August. First the old board was cut away around the relief. Then mahogany boards were joined and a hole cut for the relief.
Next a groove was routed around the edge and a frame was added to cover the threshold between the new wood and the old board that the relief was affixed to.
Then the trophy was polyurethaned and the plaques were mounted to it.
The final touch was adding the rope to complete the trophy.
More pictures of the trophy and the build process can be seen here.
I want to thank my father, Stan, for his help and tools. I also want to thank Mike Waters and his wife for creating the original trophy and for the fleets and individuals who have helped fund the materials to build the trophy.
ECU vs UNC Football Tailgate in Greenville
This weekend was the ECU vs UNC football game and as usual the tailgate was a blast. Check out this highlight video:
Photos can be found starting here.
2011 Crab Claw Regatta
The racing at the Crab Claw Regatta at Severn Sailing Association was marred only by a lack of wind this weekend. On Saturday we had just enough wind to get out to the course and sail 1 shortened race. On Sunday we ‘sailed’ out to the course in almost no wind and after waiting around for 2 hours we abandoned having not sailed a race.
In the one race we did sail, I got a good start on the favored port end and headed out to the left with the leaders. I came right a little too early and was 9th around the top mark. Downwind I picked up a couple boats and then the wind went right for the shortened course upwind to the finish and I was able to pick off one more boat to finish in 6th.
Even thought the sailing wasn’t so great, the weekend was still a fun time hanging out with the Laser sailors and catching up Saturday night with Lud and Blake who were delivering Impulse from Newport to Deltaville.
2011 FBYC Laser Fall Regatta
The weather for Sunday at Fishing Bay Yacht Club started out a little questionable. The wind was blowing 20-25 out of the North at the buoy at the point. There were 5 of us there to sail and we all decided to take radials out. We raced inside Fishing Bay in winds in the teens and the Radial sails made for good close racing without any of us being over powered and having to fight the boat.
Ron Thompson and I traded for the lead throughout the races today. Richard Biggs was not far behind pouncing on any mistakes we made. With shifty winds in Fishing Bay there were plenty of passing lanes by picking the right shifts both upwind and down.
After 5 races in about 2 hours with off-and-on rain we called it day and retired to the clubhouse for chilli. All-in-all it was a fun day of sailing and I had to work hard to finish 1-1-2-1-1. I’m glad this weekend went how it did and I’m even more ready to head up to SSA next weekend for the Crab Claw regatta.
*Photo by Lud Kimbrough
SMSA Dinghy Regatta
Southern Maryland Sailing Association on Solomon’s Island in Maryland had a Laser regatta this weekend. Despite leaving a little late, I managed to make the first start on time time. I haven’t been in the Laser for 4 weeks now, so it was good to be sailing again. I didn’t quite have my mojo back in the first race and ended up 3rd. Julio Vargas had some great downwind speed and pulled right away from us.
By the second race the wind was blowing 15ish with occasional sprinkles and overcast skies. I had a good start and had my boat speed working. I got to the layline out on the right and just stayed out in front of everyone. For the 3rd race of the day I was in a close heat with Steve Barrett all the way around the course. I followed him until I was able to pass him upwind on the final beat and led to the finish.
The RC tried to start a 4th race, but the Navy was out testing an RC submersible in the area and told us we had to vacate the area. By then the breeze was nearing 20 which made for a fun ride in. With a 3-1-1 it was a fun day on the water and nice to have some close, competitive racing with the Laser sailors at SMSA in preparation for the Crab Claw regatta at SSA next weekend. I’ll miss the second day of the regatta while I sail in FBYC’s Laser Fall series tomorrow.
ECU vs Virginia Tech in Greenville
Saturday was ECU’s home opener against Virginia Tech. It was also our opening home tailgate and we even welcomed a number of VT fans to join us. Our team didn’t get the result on the field we wanted, but we had a fun time anyway.
More photos start here.
ECU Football Tailgate Playlist
It’s hard to find good lists of tailgate playlists on the web so here’s mine. It’s been a work in progress over the past few years and it’s been used at many East Carolina University football games.
EDIT: 2017 Football Tailgate Playlist Published
| Song | Artist | Album |
| A Pirate Looks at Forty | Jimmy Buffett | Songs You Know By Heart [1990] |
| All I Do Is Win (feat. T-Pain, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg & Rick Ross) | DJ Khaled | All I Do Is Win (feat. T-Pain, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg & Rick Ross) – Single |
| All Right Now | Free | 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of Free |
| All Star | Smash Mouth | Astro Lounge |
| All Summer Long (Vocal Version) | Hit Masters | All Summer Long – Single |
| American Woman | Lenny Kravitz | OST Austin Power |
| Any Way You Want It | Journey | Journey: Greatest Hits |
| Back In Black | AC/dB | AC/DC Tribute: Best of Back In Black – EP |
| Born to Be Wild | Steppenwolf | Steppenwolf Live |
| Closing Time | Semisonic | Feeling Strangely Fine |
| Comin’ to Your City | Big & Rich | Comin’ to Your City – Single |
| Don’t Stop Believin’ | Journey | Journey: Greatest Hits |
| East Carolina University Victory | 1999 ECU Marching Pirates | |
| ECU Alma Mater | ||
| Eye of the Tiger | Survivor | Survivor: Greatest Hits |
| Free Fallin’ | Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers | Greatest Hits |
| Hells Bells | AC/dB | AC/DC Tribute: Best of Back In Black – EP |
| He’s a Pirate | Klaus Badelt | Pirates of the Caribbean (Original Soundtrack) |
| I get knocked down | Smash Mouth | |
| I Gotta Feeling | Black Eyed Peas | The E.N.D. (The Energy Never Dies) |
| I Love Rock ‘N Roll | Joan Jett & The Blackhearts | I Love Rock ‘N Roll (Remastered) |
| It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere | Alan Jackson/Jimmy Buffett | Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 |
| It’s My Life | Bon Jovi | Now, Vol. 6 |
| Jock Jams – Ya’ll Ready For Th | Jock Jams – | |
| Jump | Van Halen | The Best of Van Halen, Vol. 1 |
| Let It Rock | Kevin Rudolf & Lil Wayne | In the City (Bonus Track Version) |
| Let’s Go | Trick Daddy | Let’s Go – Single |
| Let’s Groove | Earth, Wind & Fire | Earth, Wind & Fire: Greatest Hits |
| Margaritaville | Jimmy Buffett | Songs You Know By Heart [1990] |
| Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye | Steam | 45’s On CD – Volume III (’66-‘ |
| Party In the U.S.A. | Miley Cyrus | Party In the U.S.A. – Single |
| Pour Some Sugar on Me | Def Leppard | Hysteria |
| Purple & Gold (East Carolina University) | Udon Cheek | |
| Purple Haze | Jimi Hendrix Experience | The Ultimate Experience |
| Right Now | Van Halen | The Best of Both Worlds |
| Rock and Roll All Nite | KISS | Dressed to Kill (Remastered) |
| Sweet Child o’ Mine | Guns N’ Roses | Greatest Hits (U.S. Version) |
| Sweet Home Alabama | Lynyrd Skynyrd | 20th Century Masters – The Millennium Collection: The Best of Lynyrd Skynyrd |
| Take Me Home Tonight | Eddie Money | The Best of Eddie Money |
| Two Tickets to Paradise | Eddie Money | The Best of Eddie Money |
| We Are The Champions | Queen | Greatest Hits |
| Welcome to the Jungle | Guns N’ Roses | Greatest Hits (U.S. Version) |
| You Really Got Me | Van Halen | The Best of Both Worlds |
| You Shook Me All Night Long | AC/dB | Greatest Hits of AC/DC Tribute – EP |