One of my very best memories from night racing on the Chesapeake is that of a fresh smell of coffee and bacon cooking and the quick-flashing little red light emanating from the narrow entrance of Black Hole Creek on the Magothy River. After a long night of calm, a fierce thunderstorm, then falling temperatures, and a windy run back from Poole’s Island in the Potapskut Sailing Association (PSA) Overnight Race, this haven of peace and hot food provided by the host club was as close to heaven as you get at 3 a.m. And with a little luck of clear skies, a waxing half-moon will provide nature’s light show included with the price of admission.
The upcoming PSA Moonlight Race June 11 is somewhat abridged and decaffeinated but reasonable version of the former longer and sometimes brutal overnight event. It’s a wonderful evening tour of the Upper Bay, starting well before dark and generally finishing before midnight.
For those new to nighttime racing, it’s the perfect introduction. The lights of the Bay Bridge, Rock Hall, and Baltimore always orient you, and the start and finish are at the “can’t be missed” Baltimore Light. The race takes you from Baltimore Light down toward Sandy Point, across the Bay to Swan Point, then northwest over to the large Craighill Channel lighthouse, southward toward Love Point, then back to finish at Baltimore Light. The RC reserves making a game-time decision for the multihull A fleet as to skipping the longer run up to Poole’s Island Light that the race used to include. The long course to Poole’s Island is 38 nautical miles and the short course 23 nm, both qualifying as distance races for one-design and PHRF fleets.
Did I mention the breakfast and free docking overnight back at PSA? A hearty breakfast, fresh coffee, and Bloody Marys await skippers and crew at the clubhouse. A few Magothy sailors find the time to put their boats away and arrive by land yacht instead. Either way, it’s a perfect end to a great evening sail.
Besides the novelty of sleeping aboard your race boat afterwards and sailing a reasonable length race during the twilight and evening, I can guarantee the savory aroma that awaits you, motoring in after the finish, and its memory trigger you can keep forever.
PSA’s quaint clubhouse charm is a reminder of how the roots of many clubs focused more on the sport than lavish social affairs. And the hospitality is second to none! For more information, contact PSA’s race chair Peter Swartz, [email protected].
