Union Bank One Design Regatta
Fifth Regatta of the Carolina Series

The racing action was hot and the weather was unseasonably cool, but welcome, for the Union Bank One Design Regatta. Host Blackbeard Sailing Club was physically devastated by Hurricane Florence last September. But the club has recovered and their legendary hospitality has not diminished. Sailors were welcome to camp on the club's grounds with full access to the club's facilities.

Race one Saturday was, in a word, wet. But the breeze was 8-10 out of the N,NE which was just about perfect. That is until the third race. Once the sailors has started race 3 the wind shifted to the left brought on by a wall of rain marching towards the race course. Race committee contemplated changing course in response to the wind shift, but were rightfully concerned that the change mark would have been totally obscured by the rain, which it turned out it would have, so the decision was made to race on. The course was not perfectly square, but the competitors finished happy and very wet. 

Blackbeard's hospitality was on full display after racing serving a traditional North Carolina BBQ and Fried Chicken meal with all the fixins. The finale was an ice cream bar with gobs of toppings.

Sunday the wind was forecast to be up, 12-18, with much higher puffs. Race committee set the same course as on Saturday and got two highly competitive races completed before sending the sailors in. Highly competitive is not an exaggeration. For example, a tie-breaker was required between 1st /2nd and 2nd/3rd in the Flying Scot fleet. The Wayfarer and San Juan WS fleets also had tie breakers.

PRO - Bill Jarvis