News

March 29, 2026
2 to 4 p.m. at Marker 20 in Hampton, VA. Free and open to all experience levels. SpinSheet’s Crew Parties are for anyone who’d like to connect with other Chesapeake Bay sailors and sail more often.

Tonight’s Oktoberfest race is canceled due to the wind and weather conditions.

Due to the incoming North Easter storm the race this Sunday Oct. 12th has been canceled.

 Founder’s Race on Sunday Moved into Hampton Roads Harbor
The weather forecast suggests that it will be too windy in the Bay to conduct the race, and under the Severe Weather clause in the CCVR General Sailing Instructions, we will relocate the racing area to Hampton Roads Harbor. This will also be announced on VHF Channel 72 starting at 0930 and repeating
every 10 minutes

The starting mark will be at CCVR Harbor Mark H, RN 20
The courses will still use existing CCVR Racing Marks to construct a roughly combined triangular and windward leeward course; these will be selected from
CCVR Hampton Roads Race Marks List. Courses for each class will be posted on the Course Board on the RC Signal Boat at Harbor Mark H.

The first warning will still be at 1100.

There will be consecutive starts for the following classes:
PHRF A,
Viper/Melges,
PHRF B/C,
PHRF N,
PHRF Cruiser + ORC Performance Cruiser.
IF there are less than at least 2 boats for each class, that class will not have a start and competitors can chose to race in another class assuming they have a rating for this class. The RC will announce 30 minutes prior to the first warning what classes will have starts and a competitor not having a start can immediately contact the RC on Channel 72 to change their class. Otherwise, the remaining parts of the Founder’s NOR will be used.

RC is Greg Cutter and he can be contacted via email (gcutter@odu.edu) or phone/text (757-439-12891)

This year’s CCVR kickoff meeting will be on March 26th 6:30pm at the HYC. Changes in the racing rules, CCVR racing schedule and Mark definitions will be discussed. Register now to get a CCVR book.

It’s my turn to serve as CCVR Commodore, not just to lead this incredible 60+ year organization, but to help facilitate your fun and success in our “seriously competitive” races throughout the year. Like your boat, which relies on a strong team effort, CCVR thrives because of the dedicated individuals who plan races, organize race committees, secure unique trophies, and design post-race gatherings. All of this culminates in our annual Crew and Awards Party, set for Saturday, November 8, 2025, at the Hampton Yacht Club.

We Need Your Help!

• Our current Board members have done an outstanding job, but they need relief. CCVR is your club, and we need YOU to step up and volunteer. Without more support and funding, we simply won’t be able to continue running the best races in the Southern Bay. Right now, we have three key Board positions open:
• Secretary – Records our monthly meetings and maintains club history.
• Membership Director – Tracks current members and recruits new ones.
• At-Large Board Member – Assists with various tasks and provides guidance as needed.

If you’re interested in learning more about these roles, please reach out to me at gcutter@odu.edu, and I’ll be happy to explain the responsibilities and time commitment involved.

Funding and Club Sustainability

• Running a racing club is more than just covering fuel costs for signal and mark boats. Rising expenses include trophies, racing equipment (inflatable marks, etc.), insurance, and beverages for post-race gatherings. Despite these costs, we are NOT increasing membership dues at any level. However, some adjustments are necessary:
• No more food at Day 3 awards for Spring and Fall Series or Founder’s Race.
• Limited beer and wine at events.
• Increased efforts to sell advertising in the CCVR Racing Guide.

One simple way to help is by growing our membership. If you haven’t renewed yet, visit ccvracing.us today. Encourage your crew and friends to join—especially since a $40 membership practically pays for itself! Consider this: if a crew member drinks just one beer or cup of wine at each race (Spring Series x3 + Fall Series x3 + Founder’s Race), that’s $5.70 per drink—cheaper than the HYC bar! And that doesn’t even include the thrill of racing, the fun of the events, or access to the Racing Guide, which provides detailed race info, course matrices, and more. CCVR membership is a fantastic value!

Growing Participation

We remain committed to running great races and increasing participation. Here’s what we’re doing:

• Encouraging PHRF Cruising and ORC Cruiser fleets (spin and non-spin) to join our middle-distance races(Spring and Fall Series Day 2, Moonlight Triangle, Founder’s, and Triple Tunnel Terror Race) by adjusting government mark courses for more triangular layouts.
• Relocating middle-distance races into the Bay (weather permitting) to make it easier for boats from Little Creek to participate.
• Hosting training courses:
• Beginner Crew Training (April-May): $95, includes CCVR membership. Perfect for your “maybe” sailing friends!
• Advanced Crew Training (July): For those looking to sharpen their skills.

With your support, we’ll continue to make CCVR racing the best in the Southern Bay. Let’s work together to grow our club, encourage new racers, and keep the spirit of competition alive!

See you on the water,

Greg Cutter

CCVR Commodore 2025

On Saturday March 1 at Hampton Yacht Club we will host a workshop for all sailors, sailing organizing authorities (think clubs), and potential funders to collaborate on our efforts to work together to build sailing participation and success in the southern Chesapeake Bay. It will be led by Dawn Riley who was on the original all-women crew of Maiden that took second place in their fleet for the 1989 Whitbread Round the World Race, and now director of Oakcliff Sailing in New York that runs training at all levels to help US sailors achieve success. She is running these workshops throughout the US and we are lucky to host the first for the Chesapeake Bay. The workshop is free and open to everyone, although we can only accommodate up to 100 participants so please register now. Registration information and links are in the attached Flyer. Any questions can be directed to Greg Cutter, gcutter@odu.edu.