Press Release:

By Tom Wicks, (2024 Hospice Turkey Shoot Regatta Committee--Publicist)

Bob and Lisa Fleck in Orion win the 29th Annual Hospice Turkey Shoot

Mother Nature had other plans for the fleet assembled for this annual regatta to benefit Hospice, and she allowed only one day of racing instead of our usual two.  Saturday’s wind forecast predicted winds building from 6 knots from the North at the start, to 13 knots as the race went on.  When the Signal boat was setting up the starting line, still a cloudy morning,  the expected 6 knots was coming in.  After the first eight divisions started, the wind lightened and after the Typhoon division started the wind went to nothing.  With the flooding current running west the boats in the last division were being driven away from the starting line.  After about 20 minutes a light wind came in from the south giving the last division a chance to get across the starting line.  

Eighty seven boats registered for the Regatta and 71 made it to the starting line. This was the 29th running of the Hospice Turkey Shoot Regatta whose proceeds go to Hospice Support Service of the Northern Neck and Riverside Volunteer Hospice. There were two courses for Saturday, the faster A Fleet raced a seven leg triangle course of 12 nautical miles while the B Fleet raced a four leg 6.7 nautical mile course. 

As the clouds cleared, and the sun came out brightly the predicted North wind stared coming in at the top of the course. The Flecks in Orion had made the strategic decision to head toward the West shore of the Corrotoman which turned out to be the right move.  Asked after the race why he headed so far to the West of the weather mark, Bob Fleck said he that was where the new wind would come in.  Boy was he right! We could see from the Signal boat Orion accelerate toward the weather mark and leave the rest of the fleet in the dust. The new North wind moved slowly down the course, coming in from the Northwest, driving the rest of the competitors to the weather mark.  Boats on the East, up-current from the first mark, in what seemed like a good position were now watching helplessly as the boats on the Northwest drove past them.  The wind kept building up to 18 knots and then coming down to 10-12 by the end of the race.

Although it started a little iffy when the wind came in it turned out to be a beautiful race day enjoyed by all competitors.  At the social and dinner back on shore after the race boats that got the wind first were explaining how they knew where to go, some skeptical competitors suspected many of them just got lucky!

Luna, the Colonial Seaport Foundation’s 18th century Bermuda sloop, 46 ft. on deck with a 78-ft sparred length is not a great light air boat but fun to see on the course and was well-sailed by John Collamore. Coming to the finish line Jerry Latell noted that, “Luna was sailing closer to the wind than many of the boats.”  As they crossed the finish line cheering we realized why, they were sailing with an assist by keeping their engine running.  So, although disqualified, Luna’s crew had a great day on the water. The Tides Inn hosted Luna for the regatta.

Due to lack of wind Sunday, the traditional Pursuit Race was cancelled. After a long day on the water Saturday, the racers did not seem too disappointed.

The overall winner of the Virginia Spirit Trophy, was Orion, a Thomas 35 owned and sailed by Bob and Lisa Fleck of the Fishing Bay Yacht Club (FBYC).  Worthy of note the Fleck’s became the only team to win the Hospice Turkey Shoot Regatta four times!  Compliments of the Tides Inn (tidesinn.com), the Fleck’s also received a prize of a free room and slip for the 2025 regatta. In addition, they will receive a plaque engraved with an image of their boat compliments of AGA Correa and Sons.

 Other overall winners were:

Second Place Overall, was Roadrunner, a San Juan 21, sailed by Hans Lassen and Mike Chesser, of the Blackbeard Sailing Club from New Bern, NC and FBYC respectively. This is the second year in a row that Roadrunner has placed second overall.

Third Place Overall, was won by L’eudanse, a Santana 35, skippered by Tim Scheid.

 The Corinthian award, awarded for the best performing cruising boat, sponsored by Ed Tillett (Managing Editor of Waterway Guide Media), was won by Rick Pethoud in his Beneteau 45F5, Valkyrie.

 And the Most Beautiful Boat Award, voted by observers on the Race Committee, was Shaun Thaxter’s Etchells, Clementine, who will receive an engraved plaque with an image of his boat compliments of AGA Correa and Sons.

The John and Carol-Jean McConnico Trophy, awarded to the Yacht Club or Marina with the best fleet finishes of their top three boats was won by FBYC by one point over RRYC.

Division 1 was won by Valkyrie, Rick Pethoud; second, Rhapsody, Jim Raper and third Skyelark, Tom Richardson and Glenn Oxford.

Division 2: First, Acadia, Larry Davis; second, Irrational Exuberance, Jesse Swartz; third Elizabeth Jane, Jerry Guthrie.

Division 3: First, Catitude, Lew Thatcher; second, Femme De La Mer, Lee Fisher; and third, Trilogy, Randy Alley.

Division 4: First, Orion, Bob and Lisa Fleck; second L’eaudanse, Tim Scheid and third, Goin’, Dennis Hannick.

Division 5: First, Roadrunner, Larson and Chesser; second, Nauti Buoy, Dunbrack and Donofrio; and third, Freedom, Glenn Solt.

Division 6: First, Resolute, Jake Pender; second, Encore, Hal Starke Jr; and third, Elixir, Joran Gendell.

Division 7: First, White Hawk, Robert Brodsky; second John Bee, Marco Monti; and third Aerial, Warren Hottle.

Division 8: First, Pacem, Robin Meigel; second, Cbrese, Dawn Calabrese; and third Life of Riley, Eddy Whichard.

Division 9: The Typhoon fleet, first, Radio Flyer, Mike Kennedy; second, Ad Astra, Arabella Denvir; and third Friday’s Child, John Friday.

Division 10 (Wooden boats): First , Bayadere, Jack Geier; second, Talelayo, Krister Allen; and third, Rights of Man, Burke Johnson.

The racers were treated with a cocktail party on Friday evening with music, breakfast both mornings, dinner on Saturday.

Jointly hosted by Rappahannock River Yacht Club (RRYC) and Yankee Point Yacht Club on the grounds of  RRYC both clubs are grateful to Russell Harper for generous use of his property along the Carters Creek so competitors could park close to the Club.

At the awards ceremony CO-PRO’s Tom Chapman and Jerry Latell, and the racers thanked the many race committee members who help make this event work: Karl and Nancy Hamm who provide the Signal Boat, Karibbe Kat, Vicky Foley, Lynn Richardson, Lyne Hornick, Libby McClary, Charles Springett, Tom Wilson, Roy Combs, Betsy and Peter Larabee, Ed Peake and Steve Reiss. Tom Wicks, (HTSR publicity director) and Bob Waldrop for photographs. Mitch Bober and Charlie Costello who operated Dwindle Down as one Photo Boat as well as Ed Peake of RRYC who skippered a second boat Wildfire from RRYC, allowing Bob Waldrop to also photograph racers.  Thanks also to RRYC’s Shaun Thaxter who leads the water taxi service and Kimberly Vail who leads the registration process.  In addition, thanks went out to Frannie Bernard and her catering crew as well as RRYC’s John Arsenault who secured the parking and arranged ground transportation.

And this regatta and campaign would not be the success it was without the generous donation of time, talent, services, money, gifts and awards of all the volunteers, participants, sailors and donors. 

John and Carole Jean McConnico, the regatta founders, wish to thank everyone on the 2024 HTSR Committee and the support team members who helped make this regatta and campaign such a success. 

According to Co-event Chairs John Tidwell and Tom Chapman the regatta is a joint organizing effort of the Rappahannock River Yacht Club (rryc.org), the Yankee Point Yacht Club (yprcc.org), Russ Harper, the Town of Irvington and Lancaster County, VA community and Riverside and Northern Neck, VA Hospice Services, this regatta is the high point of this annual fund-raising campaign to benefit Hospice services and is a big success.  Called a Turkey Shoot at its inception as it was then held the day after Thanksgiving, it was moved to early October to attract more racers due to warmer weather and separation from a major holiday. Additional results may be found at Yachtscoring,com.

Reporting by Tom Chapman and Jerry Latell. Photo credits as noted.