Weeknight Racing 2018 Kick Off

We're all fired up about weeknight racing 2018 on the Chesapeake!

Many weeknight racing series 2018 began in April up and down the Chesapeake, and the rest begin in May. We reached out to a few devoted weeknight racers who have earned podium finishes to see what gets them fired up about the season. We welcome weeknight racing selfies and stories anytime. Send them to [email protected].

Winning! Oh, and all the friends...

Harald Mangold, skipper of the Cape Fear 38 Xiberger in the Annapolis Yacht Club (AYC) Wednesday Night Series, says, “Wednesday night races are a great challenge, and I have been racing since about 1995, for 10 years with William White on his J/44 Cats Paw (wind, not meow) and since 2005 on Xiberger.”

Do you have a longstanding crew, or does it shift?
Several crew are same for 20-plus years and others have joined, but most have been around for at least 10 years.
Team Xiberger

Do you race weekends, too? Same crew?
Yes, but few. If so, mostly the same crew. We won the AYC Annual (PHRF A2)... yeah!

What is the best part of weeknight racing for you?
It breaks the weekly grind in two nicer halves. Also meeting up with best friends, racing, having a beer, and going out for dinner afterwards.

Outstanding memory from last season?
Winning… oh, and all the friends.

Xiberger Crew Brew. The label reads: "Sail fast, finish strong, enjoy beer with friends, repeat as necessary."

Beer while sailing or only at the dock? What flavor?
Only after racing! Home brews and all kinds of micro brews.

Crew Motto? Stay on the boat

Tristan Keen, skipper of the J/30 Infectious Smile, has been racing Wednesday nights in Annapolis for 15 years with a longstanding crew. 

Team Infectious Smile

Do you race weekends, too? Same crew?
Yes and yes for the most part. 

What is the best part of weeknight racing for you?
Bamboleo Wednesday. 

Outstanding memory from last season?
Unfortunately not a good one. Gave up first place in a race in the last 50 meters. 

Any big “duh!” moments from 2017?
Same answer. Scraped our way through the field to take a pretty good lead only to give it up… all my fault, too. 

Beer while sailing or only at the dock? What flavor?
On the way in... cocktails. Gin Bucket or Mount Gay and Coke

Fave boat snacks?
Cheetos 

If your crew had a one-line motto, what would it be?  
Stay on the boat. 

A great mini-reset

Margaret Podlich has sailed on the Harbor 20 Skimmer with owner Peter Trogdon since last year, her “first in a looong time!” They race weekends as well with the same crew.

Margaret Podlich on Skimmer

Do you have a longstanding crew, or does it shift?
Peter owns the boat and races when he can. Otherwise I grab a friend and get out.

What is the best part of weeknight racing for you?
It's a superb way to break up the work week. It's a great mini-reset, and it's not even the weekend yet! And there is no better way to celebrate summer.

Outstanding memory from last season?
Port tacking the fleet at the start in one knot of breeze.

Any big "duh!" moments from 2017?
Remembering the boat's plug about 10 seconds before it was lowered into the water. (Don't tell the boat's owner!)

Beer while sailing or only at the dock?
A post-race beverage is always nice.  

Fave boat snacks?
Oh, that's what I've been forgetting.

If your crew had a one-line motto, what would it be?
If you haven't laughed yet, there's something wrong with this picture!

Stress relief

Weeknight racing in Annapolis. Photo by SpinSheet

Jeff Borland has been sailing his Etchells Make Mine a Double or other boats (J/30, J/44, J/35, and Mumm 30) in the AYC Wednesday Night Series for 28 years.

Do you have a longstanding crew, or does it shift?
One crew for the last seven years, and it’s the same for weekend racing.

What is the best part of weeknight racing for you?
Stress relief.

Beer while sailing or only at the dock? What flavor?
Absolutely on the boat. Flavor: cold.

Fave boat snacks?
It’s a Wetchells—snacks are beers.

If your crew had a one-line motto, what would it be?  
Make mine a double.

Weeknight Racing Selfies 2018

If you are a weeknight racer anywhere on the Bay (that means you, Baltimore and Southern Bay sailors!), we’d like to see fun post-race selfies of you and your crew to share on spinsheet.com. Send them anytime to [email protected].