July 23, 2001|By Sue du Pont | Sue du Pont,SPECIAL TO THE SUN
ON ANY GIVEN weekend and on many warm summer weeknights on the Chesapeake Bay, white sails appear to float atop the water, pulling dozens, sometimes hundreds, of hulls around courses marked by bright orange buoys.
These sailboat races are most often sponsored and produced by local yacht clubs. Some are more formal than others.
The West River Catamaran Racing Association (WRCRA) based in Galesville in South Anne Arundel County is decidedly on the less formal - but no less competitive - side of racing. The members have a good time and race hard.
Cat sailing is perfect for these thrill-seekers. To understand the excitement, one needs only to watch, or better yet sail, one of these small, dual-hulled rockets in a brisk breeze. The boats are typically sailed by two people who often end up hanging out over the water from a wire attached to the mast.
The first time I went out, we needed three people - not just because I was a novice, but so our weight to help keep the boat from blowing over. We flew!
WRCRA was started in the late 1980s by Roger Holmes and Scott Maury, local boaters who were partners in a catamaran dealership, to build enthusiasm for the waning catamaran racing scene.
"At first we were just a ragtag group with about four boats," says Holmes.
"Over the years we had seven or nine boats. We are now up to about 14 boats on the roster with a core group that has been with us from the beginning."
Holmes remains one of the primary organizers of the association and sells boats under the banner of Chesapeake SuperCat, while Maury has moved on to other things. He is a home inspector and sails an Alberg 30 sailboat out of Galesville.
One of his side projects is Galesville.net, a community Web site.
"I started the site a few years ago to give local businesses an inexpensive way to get a Web presence," said Maury. "The newest member is the Galesville Heritage Society. They are having fun with it, learning to post their events themselves. There is also a link to the catamaran group from Galesville.net."
The catamaran association began sailing from a small beach next to Steamboat Landing restaurant in Galesville. When the property changed hands in the mid-1990s, the group needed to find a new home.
It took a year without water access - and thus no sailing - before members located a new site. Thanks to the generosity of a land owner with whom the group struck a deal, the group remains in Galesville with a place to keep and launch its boats.
Equally important to any group of sailors is a place to eat, drink, make merry and of course tally the results after an exhilarating evening of sailing. It's even better when friends, family and bystanders can watch from that location. Since the group's move to its current launch site, Pirate's Cove restaurant owner Bob Platt has sponsored the group.
Look for the crew at the restaurant Tuesday nights. Those who arrive by the starting time at 6:10 p.m. every Tuesday can catch the start and the finish right in front of Pirate's Cove. Depending upon wind direction and speed, most of the course is in the West River within sight of the marina next door.
Several members of the West River crew race in larger races such as the Chesapeake 100, a race from Sandy Point to Solomons organized by the Catamaran Racing Association of the Chesapeake (CRAC). This two-day race, along with CRAC's Down the Bay race from Sandy Point to Virginia Beach, draws top Atlantic Coast sailors.
Three members of the West River association started the race to Solomons in driving rain and shifting winds last month. Holmes said that he and his crew finished the leg down in about six hours, 15 minutes, while a strong breeze brought them home the next day in about three hours, 20 minutes. They finished fourth in Fleet and in their class.
Not that this should intimidate anyone who might be entertaining the idea of joining this group on its Tuesday evening sailing. It is a laid-back and welcoming group. They taught me how to sail a catamaran, and I crewed a number of years ago. Of various ages, they come from as near as Galesville and from as far as Reston, Va. Most are from Anne Arundel County.
All classes of catamarans are welcome. The boats are handicapped appropriately. "We are a unique group," says Holmes. "We are a grass-roots organization, very democratic. We sometimes call ourselves `the true blazers, not the blue blazers.' Everyone wants to sail well and do well, and they do."
Every Tuesday from May through October, you will find the fleet out on the West River rounding the buoys. Skippers' meetings are at 5:30 p.m.
The club has three seasons each year: the 13 weeks of the spring/summer series is just ending; the summer/fall series, also 13 weeks long, begins July 31 and runs through Oct. 23; and a four-race frostbite series takes place in the brisk winter air.
An annual fleet party is held in February.
Sailors with a boat sitting on a trailer in their driveways or on a nearby beach who are looking for a great excuse to get out on it can contact Roger Holmes at 410-867- 1628 or localcats@aol.com, or Keith Chapman at kbchapman@ erols.com.
Sailors who need a crew or would like to crew can benefit from the association's crew list. At the moment, Chapman said they have more crew than boats, but he encouraged anyone interested to contact him or Holmes.
They also need people willing to serve on a race committee. The race committee is responsible for keeping start and finish times as well as organizing the socializing at Pirate's Cove while the races are under way.
Further information about the West River Catamaran Racing Association can be found at www. wrca.org.
