THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 1, 1994 TAG: 9409010705
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C9 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB HUTCHINSON, OUTDOORS EDITOR
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Short : 50 lines
When the first Norfolk Yacht and Country Club regatta was sailed, Gurley Ritter was a kid who competed in a tiny Moth-class boat.
That was 49 years ago, in 1945. Now, says the retired oil company executive from Norfolk, ``I'm too old to race, so I'm helping run the regatta.
``I believe it's more fun.''
This year's 50th annual regatta, expected to be one of the biggest in decades, kicks off Friday with a port-to-port race from the Hampton Yacht Club on Hampton Creek to the Norfolk Yacht and Country Club on the Lafayette River.
That race will be open only to Hampton one-design class boats, long the darling of the adult racing/ sailing set at the Norfolk Club. Ritter himself campaigned in a Hampton for about 35 years.
The field is expected to include several former national champions from Norfolk, including Charles McCoy, Bobby Harrell and Eddie Wolcott Jr., also the current titlist.
Hamptons will also be competing in the Virginia State Championships, with the Governor's Cup going to the winner. The award was inaugurated that first year, when Colgate W. Darden of Norfolk was governor of Virginia.
Darden presented the award for many years after leaving office.
After that, the trophy was presented for several years by his widow, Constance Dupont Darden. Now in her 90s, Constance Darden plans to be at this year's presentation and could take part in the ceremony.
The real racing starts Saturday, with two heats scheduled for the 100 boats expected. The first will be at 10:30 a.m., the second at 2:30 p.m. A final race will be sailed Sunday morning, starting at 10. Saturday's skippers meeting will be at 8:30.
The boats will compete on two courses. Hampton, International 5-0-5, Mobjack, Flying Scot and Flying Junior classes will go bow-to-bow on a course on the Edgewater Flats, where the Lafayette spills into the Elizabeth River.
Smaller boats, including Classic Moth, Laser, Optimist and Sunfish will race on a shorter course in front of the club, at the foot of the Hampton Boulevard Bridge.
``We're looking for a big turnout, probably around 100 boats altogether,'' Ritter said. ``This year the Classic Moths are coming for the first time in quite a while. We expect about 20 of them.
``That should be a great experience, since the Moth is the boat so many of us were in when we learned how to sail so many years ago.'' by CNB