The 2015 edition of the Thistle Labor Day regatta, also known as the Eat Moore’s Crabs Regatta, was held September 5 & 6 at Severn Sailing Association in Annapolis. A backdoor cold front passed through the area Friday night leaving us with a forecast for small craft warnings and 10-20 kts. out of the northeast. As with many summer cold fronts on the Chesapeake, the energy dissipated a little more quickly than forecast, but thirteen Thistles were left with a comfortable 10 knot breeze which diminished to 6-8 kts. for the three Saturday races.
The excitement came in race three, when a waterman’s boat and the fleet crossed paths, with Scott Buehler from the New Castle fleet caught in the untenable position of having to head up sharply with the chute up and ultimately tacking to avoid colliding with the intent waterman. Fortunately, no one was injured and after the initial shock and about an hour at the open bar afterwards, the story was easier to retell.
The highlight of the regatta is the crab feast, which once again was underwritten by Don Moore, who insisted upon doing this as long as the regatta carries his name. As Don tells it, about 45 years ago, a group of SSA Thistles, after a less than satisfactory experience at a nearby club’s Labor Day regatta, decided to stay home the next year and start their own event.
Shortly thereafter, SSA and Thistle fleet member Tom Lawton decided to purchase live crabs on the Maine Ave. waterfront in Washington D.C., which he took home and steamed and then brought to the club. Selling them at $0.25 apiece, the fleet was still able to turn quite a handsome profit. A tradition of the Labor Day Crab regatta began and has been maintained ever since.
This year, Doug Freeman and Rosemary Foltis organized the event. 38 diners were treated to two bushels of crabs, courtesy of Don Moore, pizza, salad, apple blueberry cobbler with ice cream, and a three hour open bar with various craft beers. The weather was perfect for the feast.
Sunday, the breeze was still out of the northeast, and according to PRO Tom Donlan, lasted for about half the windward leeward two lap race. The Thistles did manage to finish two races, but the other fleets sailed shortened courses and everyone got towed in, as the wind shut down completely. Results are posted at the SSA web site, severnsailing.org
