The 23rd Hospice Turkey Shoot Regatta was held last weekend on the Rappahannock River. Of the 89 boats registered, 74 showed up, coming from various distances. Racing was held between the Robert O. Norris Jr. Memorial Bridge and Towles Point.
According to co-race chairman Jerry Latell, Saturday racing did not look promising when the fleet headed out to the river with a forecast of less than 3 knots of wind. At about 70 degrees the temperature was perfect, skies sunny.
Just before the scheduled 11 a.m. warning signal for the first fleet Latell decided to put up the postponement signal and the wind started to pick up. With about 5 knots of wind divisions 1 and 2 were started at 11:15 a.m. On Saturday the larger A fleet boats raced a 10-nautical mile course with the B fleet boats racing a 4 nautical mile course due lighter winds. Both courses were triangles with windward finishes and the A Fleet going around the triangle twice.
Sunday winds were better starting at 8-10 knots going from east northeast and shifting to east and lightening over the course of the race…
