Hospice Turkey Shoot Regatta co-chairmen George Bott and Tom Chapman recently announced registration for September 28 through 30 event is now open.
The regatta will be held on the Rappahannock River off Carter Creek.
The Turkey Shoot designed to allow the skilled and the infrequent ‘racer’ to have fun. This is a fund-raising, charitable event, in its 23rd year.
Webmaster Warren Ryan said captains may register their boats at www.turkeyshoot.org. Follow the prompts to Yachtscoring, he said.
There is a discount for early registration and the regatta will use Yachtscoring because it will make registration, ordering, paying for event items and scoring easier and more efficient, he said.
“We found that it works well both for race participants and for organizers,” said Ryan.
The Turkey Shoot is one of the few races specifically for classically designed sailboats and a great many participate. The overall winner of the 2017 Regatta was Jim Engle in Grey Fox, a 1981 Alajuela 38.
To give others a chance to experience the regatta, a recent rule change now allows for a sailboat design that is at least 20 years old.
“This doesn’t mean the boat itself has to be that old, only its design,” said Ryan.
Questions concerning qualifications will be fielded by Chapman or Jerry Latell, professional race officers.
About 90 boats participated in last year’s regatta, said Chapman.
This year’s goal is two-fold, said Bott.
“One goal is to encourage everyone who raced last year to come back again, to defend their titles in some cases and to have a great time sailing,” he said. “And the other goal is to support Hospice Support Services of the Northern Neck and Riverside Hospice agencies.”
Both organizations play important roles within the Northern Neck communities they serve, said Bott.
