Press Release:

By Tom Wicks, (2025 Hospice Turkey Shoot Regatta Committee--Publicist)

Come to the “Best” and largest Hospice Regatta on the Bay, where as many as 142 classic monohulls have competed, where any boat, any design, can win and where many will leave with an award, bragging rights and memories of a beautiful and exciting event—and for the benefit of local hospice services.   This regatta-- now a cultural event, in its 30th year in Hospice--was cofounded by local legend and ocean sailor John McConnico, his wife Carole Jean and his racing soul-mate Chuck Harney in 1989 to race classic designs near Thanksgiving—"The Turkey Shoot” –but moved back to warmer weather by the time it joined Hospice in 1996. With John passing away recently, in his honor, among other praises, mono-hull designs of any age will be allowed.

Now co-sponsored by the Rappahannock River Yacht Club of Irvington along with the Yankee Point Yacht Club of Lancaster, it will be staged in Carter Creek in Irvington. You can see the NOR at Yachtscoring.com and more at our new site at https://www.hospiceturkeyshootregatta.com/

What makes this regatta so exciting?  The unpredictability! The Saturday races are only part, where division winners are celebrating over drinks at dinner, and favorites like 4-time winner Bob Fleck will be ready to rumble again, but the Sunday pursuit race raises the temperature as the overall winner might be anyone, even a classic wooden boat sailed so smartly that the two-day scoring has them first. In 2019, the beautiful 1926  Herreshoff 27 S-sloop Dolcefariente was sailed skillfully, surprised many and took overall!  Many of the best boats and crew will be here, both in wooden and glass hulls and you won’t be disappointed.

Come, sail, win --your picture in SpinSheet!--or just be there, support Hospice and enjoy this event. 

We will greatly miss John McConnico but we feel that he will be watching, cheering, seeing who wins the coveted top Virginia Spirit trophy, his namesake-the John and Carole Jean McConnico Yacht Club trophy, the Corinthian Award,  the Wobbly Compass Award and the Most Beautiful Boat trophy.