Solomons Island

A Mayo man was killed yesterday morning in a traffic accident on Solomons Island Road and Virginia Avenue in Edgewater, county police said.Leonard James Brown, 73, of the 4100 block of Shoreham Beach Road was southbound on Solomons Island Road shortly before 5:30 a.m., police said. He drove his 1990 Mercury Topaz onto the right shoulder of the road and plowed into a garbage truck that had stopped to pick up some trash, police said.The three men in the truck were not injured, police said. The garbage truck is owned by Superior Refuse Inc. in Pasadena, police said.

Eastport Yacht Club's 14th annual Solomons Island Invitational Regatta, the overnight event from Annapolis to Solomons, brought the crews of 162 starters out for a wild ride in thundersqualls, rain, and fairly heavy chop last weekend.New this year was an experiment with course lengths. The PHRF A-0 contenders sailed a total of 67 miles, rounding Point No Point Horn before turning back up the Bay to enter the Patuxent to the finish line, while the PHRF C, PHRF D, and Alberg 30 contestants sailed a 45-mile course straight into the Patuxent from the Bay, rather than using the traditional 55-mile course that carried the rest of the fleet around Hooper Island Light before heading back across the Bay and up the Patuxent.

Restaurants in Annapolis, Solomons Island and Ocean City have joined a state program to reduce alcohol-related boating accidents by offering free, nonalcoholic drinks and prizes to sober skippers.The program, called Designated Skippers, operates much like the Designated Driver program. Boaters choose someone from their party who pledges to drive the boat and to abstain from alcoholic beverages while they are on the water.The designated skipper gets a yellow, dated wristband that entitles him or her to free, nonalcoholic drinks.

Annapolis police are investigating the death of a 64-year-old man whose body was found yesterday in a bathtub in an apartment on West Street.Employees at Carroll Hynson & Son Real Estate and Bail Bonds, 95 West St., called police about noon to report a peculiar odor coming from an apartment upstairs.When police entered the second-floor apartment, they found the man's body in the tub, a shirt draped over his face.Police spokesman Shelley White said that there were no visible wounds and that the man apparently had been dead about a week.

SOLOMONS ISLAND -- Annapolitan Peter Gordon's Farr 44, Gaucho -- with 1992 Olympic silver medalist Jim Brady of Annapolis at the helm -- took the overall performance trophy yesterday as Yachting Race Week at Solomons Island came to a close.The Gaucho crew turned in a perfect five-ace series, repeating the accomplishment of a clean sweep in the boat's debut regatta, Yachting Race Week at Key West in January 1992.Eighty boats participated in the three-day event that had two IMS and five PHRF divisions.

As the sun rose over the Patuxent River finish line Saturday morning, the Eastport Yacht Club's Race Committee was already calling this year's 12th annual Solomons Island race one of the fastest ever.The 55-mile race, which drew 176 starters, began on the Severn River Friday evening, went down the bay to round Hooper Island Light before heading up the Patuxent to the finish at Solomons. The bulk of the fleet had finished the course by the time the wind went light at about 7 a.m. Saturday, although a couple of stragglers were still heading in near 9.The 12- to 18-knot-plus southerly breeze gradually shifted westward during the night, so for most of the sailors it was on the nose the whole way, and foredeck crews had little more to do all night but block the waves splashing over the bow as they sat on the rail.

Maryland's Public Service Commission might expedite its review of calling areas proposed by Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Co. because one proposal -- to expand calling in the Solomon's Island area -- requires federal approvals.At yesterday's conference to establish a schedule for C&P's rate reduction case, Chairman Frank Heintz said the commission "may want to consider" quickly the part involving expanded calling areas. In its recently filed proposal, C&P said it wants to expand the calling areas for several communities in rural Maryland.

SOLOMONS -- With Hurricane Bob safely north of the Chesapeake Bay well before the start of racing yesterday, the third annual Audi-Yachting Race Week at Solomons Island was off to a nearly perfect start, with moderate and relatively steady breezes and flat water to assist the fleet of 71 starters around the course.Although heavier air from the passing storm had been expected, winds were 17 to 18 knots out of the northwest at the 10 a.m. start, and dropped off gradually into the 8- to 10-knot range while shifting gradually to the west, persistently favoring the left side of the beats on the flat triangular course.

SOLOMONS ISLAND -- When the first starting gun goes off over the waters of the Chesapeake Bay at about 10 a.m. today, the third annual Audi-Yachting Race Week at Solomons will be off and running for five days of racing.Seventy-one yachts, ranging in size from three J/24s to North sailmaker Jim Allsopp's Holland 50, Ichiban, will be competing for daily and series class trophies as well as two coveted overall performance trophies: the Audi Quattro and Yachting Magazine Chelsea Clock awards.

Not to offend Maryland farmers, but nearly 1,100 cyclists are praying for a very dry week. After the miserable downpours of the past two years, perhaps the third time is the charm for Cycle Across Maryland, which began yesterday and will conclude Saturday. The riders are just as concerned with the weather as with the 350 miles that lie ahead.Yesterday was check-in day, and the blue skies on Solomons Island stood in sharp contrast with last year's gray skies in Havre de Grace. While forecasts remained mixed, the riders all share the dream of clear skies and dry roads.