2025 FBYC Closing Day Race
Fishing Bay Yacht Club wrapped up the season with the annual Closing Day Pursuit Race – a day that started with a steady breeze and the expectation that it would fade as the afternoon went on. I sailed aboard the J/92 Sting with Mark and Brad, joining a solid fleet to close out another great year on the water.
About two-thirds of the fleet started ahead of us, giving us plenty of targets to chase as we crossed the line. We tried to get a jump with the Code 0 at the start, but quickly realized we couldn’t hold the upwind angle we needed, so we doused it and switched back to the jib.
The first leg took us NNE toward the entrance of the Piankatank River in patchy breeze. We found lanes of pressure where we could, steadily working our way through the fleet. Once around the mark, we headed upwind on the opposite tack, sailing past Stingray Point and into the middle of the Rappahannock. By that point, we had passed a few boats, while some of the faster ones – like Afterthought and Orion – slipped by us.
As we approached the turning mark, a small cluster of boats just ahead made for some tight maneuvering. The leg back out into the bay was initially too high for a spinnaker, so we close reached on starboard through a mix of downwind and upwind traffic. We managed to slip by Shenanigan and the J/32, keeping Chilcoot in sight while Nanuq closed in from behind.
Once the angle opened up, we hoisted the spinnaker – after a quick fix to a rigging mix-up – and continued downwind. Back inside the Piankatank, we passed Morningtide, but Nanuq eventually caught and passed us as the breeze began to fade. The dying wind made it tough for some of the later boats to finish, but we held on to cross the line in 8th place.
Racing wrapped up with oysters, food, and great camaraderie back at the clubhouse.
Leave a Reply