Update: Round Bay Sailing Association

The Round Bay Sailing Association (RBSA) fleet was in full race mode in July. At the start of racing season in late April, Governor Larry Hogan’s orders did not permit recreational boating, so RBSA canceled the first series of six races. Then, at the end of May, the governor opened recreational boating and series 2 racing began. RBSA has since completed series 2; the results for the six races in the series are included below (click to enlarge the image).

Because of the pandemic, RBSA skippers have made some changes while still accomplishing some of the overall goals of the club – to keep crews healthy, to have fun, and to improve sailing. Don Snelgrove, skipper of Himmel and commodore of the club, explained that given how pervasive and pernicious the coronavirus is, RBSA took the cancellation of series 1 to figure out the best way to manage racing during the pandemic. RBSA recommends that skippers and crew make adjustments to onboard social interaction, and acknowledges that skippers are responsible for the safety of their crew. The idea is to be as competitive as possible while adhering to the guidelines. Given that the pandemic situation is constantly changing, Don and the RBSA board are monitoring the governor’s orders and state stance.

RBSA has three classes of boats: A fleet, B fleet and Chesapeake class. Each class has its own start time on Wednesday evenings. Fleet A (PHRF scores of 154 and lower) and Fleet B (PHRF scores of 155 and higher) are handicapped using the Performance Handicap Racing Fleet or PHRF system. The Chesapeake class is for more casual or novice racers on Round Bay. Boats in the Chesapeake class are scored using a Round Bay Handicap System or RBHS refined by a Round Bay sailor, which allows racers to compare their current performance to their own previous race performance. The RBHS encourages casual and novice sailors to keep racing and to improve performance each week.

Come join us! Visit the RBSA website at www.roundbaysailing.com. There you will find FAQs, like how to join and who can race, as well as membership forms and a section for crew wanted/crew available. The website also includes information on sailing instructions, race events, charts and typical race courses, as well as links to useful weather apps to help you plan for each race. Full web access, to include race replays, requires a membership and a small annual fee. Please email info@roundbaysailing.com with any questions.