by Tom Wicks
Sometimes it just takes patience. The weather forecast for October 4 and 5 called for sunny skies and 75 degrees—but little wind!
The 30th anniversary Hospice Turkey Shoot Regatta was dedicated to the memory of John McConnico, one of the founders of the regatta who crossed the bar earlier this year. Of the 77 boats registered for the regatta, 63 made it to the starting line on Saturday. No doubt the light wind forecast kept some competitors away.
As Saturday morning emerged the race committee (RC) faced a very light and spotty gradient west wind that was forecast to be replaced by a southeast bay breeze sometime in the afternoon. At the skippers’ meeting, RC consultant Jerry Latell announced the 11 a.m. first warning would be delayed until 1 p.m.—no sense having boats bobbing about the Rappahannock River for hours!
The RC headed out for the rescheduled start and drifted about with the predicted 1-2 knot, gusting to 3-knot, west winds waiting for the hoped-for bay breeze. Around 2 p.m. the signal boat could see a breeze….
