Evening star., 1939-06-11
Unspoi|ed by Bathing
Beaches, Presents
Ideal Mooring
Storts Sailing Season
Today; 20-Footers
To Be Organized
By MALCOLM LAMBORNE, Jr.

DS MALSOLM LhMbORNf, JT.
Without benefit of drum beating
picturesque Chesapeake Bay port
less than an hours drive from the
Capital, fast is becoming one of the
yacht centers of this area The spot
In question is West River. located
on the western shore of the bay
between South River and Herring
Bay
Still unspoiled by crowded bath
ing beaches, West River. with its
sleepy fishing and boat building viii
lage of GaleSville on one shore and
wellkept summer homes about
Shady Side on the other, provides
all the advantages Of local color
ideal anchorages and accessibility to
nearby cities sought by the present.
day boat owner. True, there are
other and larger centers-Gibson
Island and Annapolis, for instance
yet you will not find a larger and
more assorted feet of pleasure craft
anywhere on the bay than here.
Memorial Day traditionally marks
the openlnG Of yachting's season
nearby, although many boatmen
have acquired deep tans and have
become familiar with the years new
buoys and channels by this time
For several weeks roads and water
ways have been crowded hayward
And no spot is more Of marine
n1nrca tl1a,, LToCt Piy-e,.
West River Opens Season.
This afternoon West River Sail
Ing Club opens its season of Sunday
races as a numbe" of local shippers
far from Surfeited with competition
here under Potomac Sailing River
Sailing Association, prepare to take
up their summer campaign A sec
ond Yachting group, organized only
the last winter vet with a member
ship of more than so. staged their
first rendezvous last week. officially
opening their year. The organi-
~zation. basing across from Chalk
Point on the GaleSville shore, is the
West River Yacht Club.
AS is the sailing club, both groups
are composed in the main of WASH
ingtonianS. Many Capital residents
choose to base their craft there the
year round preferring its clean
waters and the salt air to Washing
tons water front
Its an extensive summer OF COM
petition some 25 small boat sklppers
have mapped out. With the eXcep-
ton of two week ends in August
when the fleet plans to compete in
the Annapolis Yacht Club regatta
and combined regattaS of Tired Avon
and Chesapeake Bay Yacht Clubs
on the Eastern Shore, weekly races
are scheduled until the clubs an
nual Labor Day regatta in Septem-
ber AS in former years, races are
scheduled tor the popular 20toot-
ers. both round and chine bottom
design: the locally designed albatross
class sloop. 16-footers and comets.
Has Own Comet Fleet.
For the first time West River will
have its own comet fleet. Five
former washington sailing enthu-
siasts. led by CLYDE Cruit and Clark
Daniel. organized this spring. Along
with three or four Potomac craft.
including Col. Jack Jacobs Litl and
Ernie Covert's Scandal. the nearby
fleet promises keen sheet handling
For the first five races which will
decide the boat to compete in the
class national championship Just
across the bay at oxford, West River
cometeers will start off 10 minutes
ahead of any other comet entries.
However. all will have a chance at
the clubs trophy.
Judge Prentice EdringtonS Lady
Avon and Dr.. Albert Pagan's Kan
Doc were trailed over this week and
will enter in the 20-foot restricted
division. Newest addition to this
class will be Carlton SINNERS
much-yarned- of Aeolus II recently
launched at Hartge's Boat Yard in
GaleSville.
Again the battle cry for sailors
of the round bottom 20-footerS will
be Beat Vanity" Vanity being the
fast sloop of Commodore Osbourn
OWlngS, who ranks as one of the
best shippers i'll the class on the bay.
Designed by Charles Mower, sister
ship of Vanity will be out in an at
tempt to upset OWings' dope. 1t is
the new Babs. owned by Jack Zim-
mer, former comet sailor. Another
newcomer is Charles Trammell, jr.,
whose 20-footer, however, is not eX-
pected to be ready in time for to-
days opener
If OWings and a group of enthu-
siasts may have their way, bay 20
footerS will be in for a new deal
Initial steps were taken yesterday
at Annapolis Yacht Club to bring
together the many and assorted
boats of that size under one class.
Their aims are TO establish some
sort of uniformity in restrictions
and rules so that eventually there
will be a specific one-design class.
Present plans call for division into
two groups, round and chine bot
tom.
West River Sailing Club last week
reelected Owings as commodore,
Dick Hartge, modest designer of
some of the ports finest sailing
craft, as vice commodore; Cruit,
secretary, and Dan Vaughan, treas
urer.