The Governor’s Cup 2017

The Governor’s Cup regatta, one of my favorites, is hosted annually by the Ware River Yacht Club.  This year I was joined by Connor Burke, William & Mary class of ’15, who operated the pointy end of the boat.  Anxious to put my boat in the water and avoid congestion at the boat ramp, I made the tactical decision to skip the skippers meeting and launch my boat during this lull in activity.  Full of hubris, I boldly asserted “Nobody has ever told me anything at a skippers meeting that I didn’t already know. ”  These words would come back to haunt me later.  In a daring display of tactical acumen, Team Maverick crossed the fleet on port tack at the start and secured the first-place position.  We managed to hang onto this lead until we rounded the windward mark… or so we thought.  To our shock and dismay we soon learned that we had rounded the pin.  With our hopes of being competitive dashed, we slumped into a state of languor that lingered with us for the remainder of the day.

Team Maverick got off to a rocky start on the second day of competition.  It is possible that Team Maverick missed the start of the first race OR it is also possible that Team Maverick simply decided to race in the Portsmouth Yardstick handicap fleet.  The world will never know.    We persevered through these missteps to achieve a rank of 5th out of 8 berths in the regatta, improving on last year’s performance.  We left Governor’s Cup humbled by our experience, and nursing severe sun burns that will most likely cause premature aging down the line.

“The Maverick II” aka “Sweat Equity”

“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever”- Jacques Cousteau

Just months after saying goodbye to “The Maverick” I began to crave the salty ocean spray.  In May of 2017 I undertook the task of restoring a Hampton One Design that had been decaying, exposed to the elements for the better part of the last 15 years.  The boat I had discovered, hull #697, was built in the early 90’s, and once belonged to the late, great Joe Addington.  The hull was covered with mold and organic matter, the mahogany trim was in dire need of attention, and there were several vital parts missing (including the tiller, forestay and jib pole).  Undaunted by these obstacles, my father and I began preparing the vessel for competition.  The closer we looked at the vessel, the more we realized that the flaws in its condition were largely cosmetic.  After a good scrub down (and removing a few pine saplings from the cockpit) we were shocked at how well the the fiberglass hull had withstood the test of time.  We attribute this to the fact that the boat’s previous owner stored the boat with the stern plug removed, which prevented moisture from pooling up in the cockpit.

Since the hull did not require any major fiberglass repairs, the bulk of our effort was expended simply attempting to make the boat look presentable.  The rub-rail was shot, so my father fabricated an entirely new mahogany rub-rail (along with other trim pieces) at his shop.  Sanding and varnishing the boat’s mahogany splashguard was also a crucial step in enhancing the boat’s appearance.  Finally, there was the backbreaking charge of buffing and waxing the boat’s hull.  Despite our best efforts, a chalky white patina lingers over the boat’s yellow and red exterior.  However, the real struggle with outfitting “The Maverick II” was acquiring missing parts and assembling the rig.  We consulted the renown Eddy Williams and asked him to fabricate a new forestay, and we also managed to negotiate a jib pole into the deal.  We purchased a stock J24 tiller and extension and retrofitted it to serve as the boat’s helm.  After several trips to West Marine we equipped the vessel with the necessary lines and halyards.  Finally, after a month of preparation, “The Maverick II” was ready to race.

 

Rock & Roll Half-Marathon 2k16

 

The Rock & Roll Half Marathon took place on Labor Day weekend of 2016.  That very same weekend Virginia Beach was battered by intense Tropical Storm conditions from former Hurricane Hermine.  However howling winds and towering waves were no deterrent to the intrepid runners of the Parker family.  As a matter of fact, this weather phenomenon worked to our advantage.  In the aftermath of the storm cool temperatures (low 70’s) and overcast conditions only fueled our competitive spirit.  Our team consisted of Bill Parker (pictured above right), Elske Parker (pictured above left), and Peter Cammarano (pictured center).  The race kicked off at 7:00 AM and our coral crossed the starting gate at 7:04:30.  From there it was smooth sailing (at least for me and Peter).  We were pumping out 8 minute miles like clock work- on track to beat our goal time of 1:50.  After crossing the Rudee inlet bridge (pictured above) at mile 12 what began as a leisurely 8 minute mile pace turned into strictly grind-it-out conditions.  Peter and I finished less than one minute apart and I recorded a finish time of 1:50:25.  Although I did not break the 1:50 mark, I did manage to beat my personal record by an astounding 9 minutes.  Time will remember this race as a victory for the Parker family team.

 

“The Maverick”

 

The Maverick is an 18′ Hampton One Design sailboat.  She was purchased from the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in rough condition.  My dad (John Parker) and I spent two months repairing and restoring this classic 1976? sailboat.  There is a long list of tasks we had to accomplish to get the boat into the condition seen above.  The list includes:

• Reinforcing soft spots on the deck with 1/4 inch marine plywood
• Additional fiberglass coats applied to the upper deck and side-stay region
• Comprehensive sanding of the deck and hull all the way down to the gelcoat
• Careful sanding of the rub-rail, wave guard, and centerboard trunk trim pieces
• Painting the deck, hull, and bottom at least 3 coats
• Applying 5+ coats of varnish to all trim pieces

“The Maverick” appellation was selected as an homage to the rugged creative spirit embodied by those involved in the restoration and navigation of this vessel.  The Maverick team includes the likes of Chris Anderson (16′), Rose Peterson (16′), Connor Burke (15′), Madeline Bule (16′), and Elske Parker (16′).

Sadly we must say goodbye to this stout vessel.  She has served Team Maverick well, but it is time now to change course.  In order to pursue my dreams and bring my competitive spirit to the next level, I must upgrade to a newer, more advanced Hampton One Design.  Thank you to all who helped bring “The Maverick” into the world and to Lenny for providing a new home for this dingy!

Cape Charles Cup 2016

 

Cape Charles Cup 2016 was one for the record books.  Sailing aboard the notorious vessel “Bad Habit” I served as the mast man and relief skipper.

Day one of the race brought light to moderate breeze which built throughout the day.  It was remarkable that the breeze came from the south, making day one a spinnaker run, which is atypical.  We concluded the race in second place, with the “Black Widow” correcting ahead of us.  After docking in Cape Charles Town Harbor, we celebrated the race with a round of drinks at a local watering hole known as “The Shanty.”

Day two brought about a major windfall for the “Bad Habit” crew.  A weather phenomenon known as a “Bermuda High” caused he breeze to remain southerly for the remainder of the day.*  As a result, most of the fleet held to the right in anticipation of an ebbing tide and weakening pressure.  All but the gutsy crew of “Bad Habit,” who boldly went left.  As the breeze died out on the right side of the course, “Bad Habit” soared across the entire B fleet and began overtaking boats in A fleet.  We finished the regatta having beaten every single boat in both fleets boat-for-boat, save “Sitella” and “Weirere.”

*A Bermuda High Pressure System occurs when a high-pressure system is parked in the Mid-Atlantic Ocean, close to the British Island of Bermuda.  The counter-clockwise rotation of the high-pressure system results in southerly breezes occurring in the Hampton Roads Area

Governor’s Cup 2016

The Governor’s Cup regatta is held annually at the Ware River Yacht Club.  This year’s event was the last hurrah for the  infamous sailing vessel “Maverick.”  I was accompanied by Madeline Bule, Virginia Tech 16′, who crewed aboard my Hampton One Design sailboat.  We were joined by many friends that weekend- in fact too many to list in this post.  However, our performance during Saturday’s  races left much to be desired.  I was rusty (I hadn’t raced my Hampton in over a year) and off my game.  After playing the caboose all day, we made the decision to retire early after suffering extreme sunburns.  Luckily we were invited to a family birthday party to pick crabs and drink beer.  After eating our fill of crabs we joined our amigos at a local oyster roast.  On Sunday we arrived recharged with a whole new outlook.  We reflected on what we needed to do differently and made critical adjustments to our rig.  On day 2 we were able to hang with the fleet, and at one point we even took a flier out left and crossed the entire fleet on port!  We finished strong and gave ourselves something to be proud of.  Thanks Madeline for a great weekend!

Summer 2016- Adventures in Charleston, SC

As spring turned to summer I heard the call of the Sea.  Through my personal network I caught wind of an opportunity down in Charleston, SC.  I was hired by the Carolina Yacht Club to serve as a sailing instructor specializing in Advanced 420 skills, trapeze and spinnaker.  Through another one of my contacts I managed to score an excellent living situation in the heart of midtown.  That is how my adventure in The Holy City began.

I would spend my weekends exploring numerous beaches that surround the City of Charleston.  Sullivan’s Island, Isle of Palms, Edistow Beach and my favorite- Folly Island Beach.  Often I would get up early in the morning and go on long runs down the beach as part of my training for the Rock & Roll Half Marathon.

 

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