Spring brings excellent weather conditions that arguably make it the best time to sail in Annapolis. Make sure your boat is tuned and trimmed properly so you can quickly get where you want to go on the course. Then it’s heads-up sailing to navigate the strong tidal currents and potentially shifty breeze.

Early May might be the ideal time to sail in Annapolis: the average temperature is a pleasant 69 degrees, the average wind direction is west, and the average speed is 7 knots. When you sail in Annapolis, you can almost always count on strong currents and choppy conditions due to motorboat traffic. The current flow in the Chesapeake Bay is tidal − flood tides run south to north and ebb the opposite. Many flowing rivers and large tributaries affect the current in the bay, meaning published tide tables are not 100-percent accurate and highly dependent on location and recent rainfall. It is paramount to keep an eye on the many signs in the bay that can give you hints to the fluctuations in strength and direction of currents, such as the tankers anchored in the shipping channel, the buoys, and the many area crab pots.

These factors make determining when the current will switch in the lighter breezes critical to top finishes. In the spring, the ebb tide is usually much stronger than the flood tide, due to the amount of rainfall and spring tides. Keep an eye on all available signs and remember the current rips in the channel’s deeper water. Also remember to set up your boat for the chop on the weekends. Between swirling currents and boat traffic, smooth water is hard to find in the Chesapeake Bay this time of year.

One of the many challenges Annapolis presents in the spring is the changing wind conditions caused by the approaching frontal systems or the lack of approaching systems. Determining the weather system you are racing in will help you plan which wind direction will prevail in the day’s races.

Here are some tips to understand the local conditions a bit better:

• Clear skies and air temperatures that are warmer than the water temp is a typical spring day, and it’s not a good combination for breeze this time of year. The sea breeze has a hard time developing due to the cooler temperatures, so expect light air overall.

• Southwest is the prevailing wind direction during the year, but southerlies are generally weak in the spring unless accompanied by a frontal system.

• As a front goes through Annapolis, the wind will clock to the west until it reaches the northwest, which is the prevailing cold front direction. Winds will blow from the northwest at 20-knots for a few days and then clock to the northeast and die, depending on the strength of the front.
  
• Westerlies are unstable with 25-degree shifts (or more….) and heavy puffs. Watch for more wind from the Severn River and off the closest weather shoreline.

• Northerlies are somewhat stable in pressure, but with the breeze coming across the land the shifts are fast and typically very large.

• Easterlies are dying breezes and especially weak when following a dying northerly. Often the far right pays because of the new direction and the far left pays because of old pressure. The middle normally suffers.

If you have any questions, reach out to the Quantum Annapolis team or come chat with us during the regatta.

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The Annapolis Yacht Club will host nearly 200 teams from the Chesapeake Bay region and afar as they race for top honors in 14 individual classes of boats. One-design racing is held in identical boats, placing success at the hands of the sailors. As the first major regatta of the Chesapeake’s 2019 season, teams returning experienced from southern winter regattas have an advantage.

Ian Hill, of Chesapeake, Virginia, a skipper in the J/111 fleet, is relatively new to one-design racing, but used the NOOD’s Florida event in February to gain more experience. “These NOOD events are a big draw,” says Hill. “The last one we did, in St. Petersburg [Florida], was incredible. And now, having such a big one-design regatta in our home waters means a lot.” Hill’s crew consists of college friends, all Chesapeake sailors. “We’ve been having the time of our lives out here,” says Hill. “This series allows us to travel to different venues around the country. It doesn’t get much better than this.”

Each event, technical sailing apparel company and title sponsor, Helly Hansen, provides for one or two youth team entries. One of this year’s teams consists of Josh Becker, Emma Sneed, Lucien Parker, Dylan Saxman, guided by coach Geoff Becker of the Severn Sailing Association and racing in the highly competitive J/70 class. “These guys are all still in high school, so the learning curve will be high,” Becker says. “My goal is to be as much of a spectator as possible. The more the team can handle the boat by themselves, the better.”

Josh Becker, of Arnold, Maryland, says he’s crewed for his father often, but adds, “It will be fun to be in control of the team and learn the new boat. It’s great having the NOOD come to Annapolis because we get to sail against people we know. There’s plenty of high school kids in other fleets, so everyone will get a chance to sail.” A second Helly Hansen Junior Crew will be racing in the J/80 fleet.

At each of the NOOD series’ five regattas, organizers select one overall challenger to compete in the Helly Hansen NOOD Caribbean Championship in October. Thomas Kopp, a J/80 class skipper from Detroit, MI, aims to repeat his championship challenge. “Annapolis is a beautiful place to sail,” says Kopp. “It’s always fun being in a place with such a high awareness for the sport.”

Kopp and his teammates were the second-best J/80 in the 2018 NOOD, so they’re looking to win their class this time. “We were very proud of our finish last year. Annapolis has one of the deepest J/80 fleets in the country, and it can get pretty unforgiving out there. So we’ll need to pull out everything this year to do well.”

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Sailing is a pastime that doesn’t discriminate based on age. It’s a competitive outlet where young sail with, against, and alongside elders, as well their peers. And whereas many youth sports segregate kids to the field of play and adults to the sidelines, sailboat racing does not. Sailing is the ultimate lifetime sport. Ask the outstanding youth sailors selected to be members of Helly Hansen’s Junior Crew, which will compete at the 2016 Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta in Annapolis in May.

“There’s small hole in the pipeline of our sport where kids can fall out after junior sailing,” says Dave Reed, Editor of Sailing World, which owns the 26-year NOOD Regatta series. “They come back eventually, but miss out on great years of keelboat team sailing. This initiative will prove the value of having young sailors on the team. They bring infectious curiosity and energy to every race.”

These five sailors, aged 14 to 17 will compete in the J/105 class, against national champions and highly experienced teams, putting their dingy skills to use in the big keelboat:

​Annabelle Hutchinson, Age 17

Born and raised in Annapolis, Annabelle Hutchinson comes from a big sailing family. She has raced competitively on the St. Mary’s High School sailing team since freshman year, and while she loves dinghy sailing, she is very excited to get more experience on keelboats.

​​Andrew Hiller, Age14

Andrew Hiller has been sailing as long as he can remember, mostly in Optis and a local J/70 fleet on Wednesday nights. He also plays Water Polo for Navy.

​​Kate Riley, Age 16

Kate Riley has been sailing dinghies (420s and Optis) since she was about six years old and has been racing on her high school’s sailing team since 8th grade. She has had some experience with sailing keelboats, but she hopes to have more opportunities to do so as her sailing career advances.

Ben Podlich, Age 15

Ben Podlich has been sailing since he was a little kid, and has been racing at the high school level for the past couple years. He loves sailing in dinghies, but gladly takes any opportunity he can get to sail keelboats, as they are the future in terms of sailing as an adult.

They’re not old enough, yet, however, to be given the keys to the Cadillac. Rather, Annapolis YC’s Sailing Director Jane Millman, will oversee the campaign. She will be on board to ensure the safe return of Dr. Alexander’s yacht, More Cowbell.

“I chose sailors who I feel represent what the sport of sailing is about, a Corinthian spirit and willingness to learn in any situation,” says Millman. “By bringing different ages and skill levels together, we will have success in continuing to instill and foster a passion for keelboat sailing at a young age.”

The Helly Hansen Junior Crew is an initiative of the NOOD’s partner, Helly Hansen, which has been making gear for sports and work on the ocean and in the mountains since 1887. They dress world-class sailors, skiers and adventurers with full-protection gear, with the understanding that if you’re not comfortable, you’re not performing at your best. This is especially true on raceboats, so to be sure the Junior Crew are focused on sailing fast and competitive, they will be outfitted with proper Helly Hansen gear.

Follow their weekend on the Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta in Annapolis homepage, and on Twitter and Instagram at #HellyHansen and #HHNOOD.

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A major, 3 alarm fire at Annapolis Yacht Club broke out over the weekend causing damage to the clubhouse. No members were in the club at the time and staff was on premises but no one was injured in the fire. The culprit was determined to be an artificial tree on the third floor. Art, trophies, models important to the history of the club were reported to have been lost or damaged. The clubhouse is closed indefinitely as it will likely take more than a year to rebuild. There is talk of a temporary station for the club to continue racing, but nothing official has been set yet.

With the annual big lights parade put on by Eastport Yacht Club scheduled for the day of the blaze, it was officially cancelled after the fire broke out. Despite the cancellation though, most boats had lights up and around the harbor, a surreal experience with the fire still smoldering on the roof of AYC. Severn Sailing Association members welcomed AYC members to the club to watch the lighted boats.

From Annapolis Yacht Club:

Annapolis, MD (December 13, 2015) — Yesterday the membership of the Annapolis Yacht Club found itself in an extraordinary situation with the fire damage to its main clubhouse. We are grateful for the quick response of both our staff and the first responders, which helped avoid any serious injuries.

The outpouring of support from around the world has been overwhelming and is greatly appreciated. While the extent of the damage to the main clubhouse is still being assessed, in the forefront of our minds is the extraordinary AYC staff, a dedicated and professional group who are at the center of the AYC community.

Annapolis Yacht Club is more than the bricks and mortar of a clubhouse; it is a community. We are committed to re-building in the current location and in the interim are exploring opportunities to re-locate elements of its operation

Thank you for your support at this challenging time.

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