Southern Bay Race Week Famous for its Hospitality

Virginia's famous Southern Bay Race Week took place June 2nd through June 5th and featured a total of 85 boats from around the bay this year!

Southern Bay Race Week is sponsored by the Hampton Yacht Club and is held every year on the weekend following Memorial Day. This year's regatta was marked by several consecutive days of perfect weather, which led to a highly productive event that culminated in the completion of multiple races. 

Southern Bay Race Week featured both the traditional PHRF class and the more sophisticated ORC standard of handicap to satisfy a wider range of participants. Races were held in the bay off Buckroe Beach, in the bay off Ocean View, and in Hampton Roads Harbor. The races featured a One Design Circle for J24 and Viper 640 classes. Skipper Ian Hill, in his J111, Super-A Class craft, Sitella, took top honors, snagging the Black Seal Cup for overall boat of the week. On shore, racers were treated to live music and delicious Gosling's Black Seal Bermuda Rum to round out the festivities. 

Participants in Southern Bay Race Week have come to expect top treatment from the organizers of the event. The event offers complementary rafting, free trailer storage, available launch and retrieval hoist service and reduced rates and entry fees for returning racers.

The Hampton Yacht Club enlists hundreds of volunteers each year. The result is a booming event that draws racers from near and far to the lower Chesapeake Bay for this annual weekend of fun and sun.