Stedman Smith Cup Race postponed

The beloved Stedman Smith Cup Race 

will be postponed until later this season.

No date has been established at this time.

Jambo skippered 

by Trevor Carouge 

is the defending champion.

Now hear this! NOW HEAR THIS! A message from your Choptank Fleet Captains

Choptank ESSA Fleet,

I hope that this message finds you all well.

Look, nobody really likes the situation that we are finding ourselves in. Governor Hogan’s next move on recreational boating remains as murky as the Choptank River. The overwhelming majority of our fleet is on the hard with no real progress towards being ready for launch – and not by choice. Some yards are operating, some are not. This coupled with the ban on boating makes it really difficult at this point to pin down a ‘go’ date for our races. I have been fielding a lot of phone calls asking about the first race.

That being said, I think that it’s prudent to at least pass a message along to you all obtaining a finite date that you can plan on regardless of Hogan’s next move on recreational boating. I hereby suspend all Choptank ESSA racing through and including May 20^th. If the ban lifts early and your boat is ready, great - go sail. If things continue to roll on the path, and no lift happens, then we will push the suspension date out to say June 17^th (the start of series 2).

Whatever the go date ends up being, Bob and I will have an updated Choptank NORSI out to the fleet at least a week prior. We all need to stay as flexible as possible. There is no rule book on this stuff. If we need to get creative down the road and do some back to back races in the middle of summer to salvage series one, then we will do our best to accomplish that.

A reminder that all race competitors will be taking turns as Committee boat this year. Dates will be chosen randomly. You will not be required to use your sailboat as the craft to put on the race, and you will not be allowed to substitute another person to perform the duty so that you can still race. George “our scorekeeper” will use a standard formula to award points to the designated committee boat that week. 

Committee Boat Scoring:

The boat designated as the Committee Boat will be scored OOD (Officer of the day.) The average points of all scored races less any DNC's for that series. 

Example: a boat that finished 1,2,3, OOD, 4, DNC.  The DNC would be discarded. Scoring: 1+2+3+4=10.  10/4 = 2.5 = OOD.  

For the race that the boat was the RC, the boat would be scored 2.5.

Case of using a borrowed boat for RC duty: The skipper of the designated committee boat must be on board to officiate the Race Committee. If the skipper of the designated RC boat decides to permit his crew to race his/her boat, that boat will not be scored on its finish time. It will be scored OOD.  The 2020 Choptank NORSI will provide more detail. 

All the best,

Trevor

Sailing Books FREE.,

Sailboat racing and Sailing books available.

Contact essasailing38@gmail.com 

Remember this?

WIndy.. Yes! Another reason to stay home today.

Peak gust at 55.5 Knots

Sustained at 35/5 Knots

Stay in Touch, TellTale, April 7, 2020

Click here for a copy of  the TellTale April 7, 2020 

Have you registered for ESSA Commodore emails?  Click here to register.

In an effort to update our roster of members, ESSA has gone electronic.

We need your help

Attached is a link that will take you to a form.

Here's how it works.  Easy Pleasie, Lemon Squeezie!

Click here to access member contact information form

1. Click on the link.   
2. Answer the questions. Some are pull-down menus.
3. When complete go to the second page which is for racing registration.
4. If you are not a racing skipper, there is no need to fill the blanks. Just go to the bottom to SUBMIT.
5. You will receive an email with your completed information.
6. Check it out, you can edit it if something is incorrect. Save it in case something changes.
7. DONE. 

The information will populate an ESSA roster spreadsheet that will be used for correspondence.

Need membership or racing forms?  
Click here for ESSA forms.

ESSA's Racing Schedule

To all ESSA members,

At this time, the ESSA Bridge has made no decision regarding any adjustments to the 2020 Season. The fleet is subject to the Maryland State of Emergency. Until restrictions are lifted, no decision can be made. 
Several options are under consideration.
Stand by, the Commodore will make an announcement at the appropriate time.

STAY SAFE. KEEP A SAFE DISTANCE.

essasailing38@gmail.com

Non-essential boating is not permitted in Maryland

MD. CLARIFIES “NO RECREATIONAL BOATING” ORDER

March 31, 2020

The Chesapeake Bay states are now all under individual Stay at Home orders, with Washington, D.C. following Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware’s COVID-19 pandemic precautions. What exactly the orders mean for various outdoor activities has been tricky to pin down.

The state of Maryland went far enough to specifically forbid recreational boating, prompting questions about what counts as recreational, what falls under the allowance for exercise, and whether fishing counts as an essential food-gathering activity.

Tuesday afternoon the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) weighed in with a Frequently Asked Questions document to help boaters, anglers, hunters and paddlers to understand exactly what’s allowed. DNR cautions, the following is current guidance and subject to change.

In Maryland, recreational boating is “prohibited until the governor lifts the executive order or until the State of Emergency has ended.” But, DNR notes, if you are boating to seek food for you or their family, boating is permitted.

“Boats used to transport essential employees or goods as defined in the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s Guidance on the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce” are also allowed. Individuals who live on their boats can remain on the vessel.

Limited fishing, crabbing, and hunting are allowed if you are seeking food for you or your family, “but the social distancing guidelines and the prohibition on social gatherings must be strictly followed.” Charter boats may still operate as part of the food supply chain, but may not have more than ten people on board at any time.

Fishing in state parks is allowed under the stay-at-home order as long as the individual park is open (DNR recommends checking this site before you go) and you choose a park closest to home to limit your travel.

As for the question of kayaking and paddleboarding, DNR says:

“Since kayaking and paddleboarding are a form of exercise, they are permitted under the executive order.” Again, social distancing rules are in effect.

What about marinas, now that recreational boating isn’t allowed? Certain marine trades and marine services are considered essential by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Those included in the state executive order include “companies engaged in the… distribution, and sale of oil, gas, and propane products” and those that “supply parts, or provide maintenance and repair services for transportation assets and infrastructure including… marine vessels.”

Read DNR’s full document here.

In Virginia, the stay-at-home order does not forbid boating, though the state’s Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (DGIF) asks that people follow social distancing guidelines while boating, fishing, or fishing from a boat–and that includes staying six feet from the other folks on your boat.

Paige Pearson, DGIF spokesperson, tells Bay Bulletin, “Don’t tie up together, don’t go to any islands or sandbars. Stay away from people as much as you can and be cognizant of your surroundings. As for shore fishing, we ask you to maintain the 6′ distance between fisherman and women.”

Pearson points boaters to Governor Ralph Northam’s executive orders, encouraging everyone to become familiar with them. As for water access, she tells us that DGIF is “going case by case for access points and don’t anticipate closing all points at this time.”

If the agency does close any, it will be because they are “way overcrowded,” Pearson says, and the social distancing order isn’t being followed. “Our priority is keeping everyone safe while enjoying the outdoors.”

-Meg Walburn Viviano