THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 9, 1995 TAG: 9507070668
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY REBECCA A. MYERS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 124 lines
JIM HAWKS WILL NEVER forget the first Cock Island Race.
It was the stuff post cards are made of.
Eight years ago, 12 sailboats kicked off the race in a spinnaker start on a gorgeous Saturday morning.
``As I was sailing toward them, they were maneuvering for their start,'' he said.
``They all pulled abreast and as the gun fired, one after the other, their spinnakers would run up and burst open . . .
``And it was really a beautiful, beautiful sight.''
Hawks has sailed in every Cock Island Race since that first one in 1988. For the past two years, the Portsmouth lawyer and City Councilman has chaired the event.
``For folks who do a lot of racing, this is an opportunity where everybody can get together and socialize in a nice atmosphere,'' he said.
``Frequently, you go over for a race on the weekend, you come in, you tie your boat up, and everybody goes their own way.''
The Cock Island Race, however, is different. It's not just a sailboat race. It's a weekend celebration filled with live music, street dancing and socializing.
About 90 percent of the 300 boats expected to register this year have participated in a previous Cock Island Race.
``I've never missed a race,'' said Jim Backus, a Portsmouth lawyer who sails a 30-foot boat called Fourplay.
``The hospitality of this particular race is a big drawing card. The race itself is not a lengthy race or a particularly challenging one, but it's just a good time,'' he said.
Organized by Ports Events and sanctioned by the Cruising Club of Virginia, the Cock Island Race begins Friday with a pre-race rendezvous.
Lewis McGehee will play from 4 to 7 p.m. on the water stage at Portside, while a private welcome party for registered skippers and their crew is held from 5 to 7 p.m. A street dance with Bill Deal and Ammon Tharp will follow from 7 to 10 p.m.
On Saturday, the day of the race, a continental breakfast will be held for the boaters prior to the 9:30 start of the race. The race ends at 4 p.m.
``We have a deadline,'' said Hawks, the co-chair. ``If you haven't crossed the finish line by 4, you might as well start your engine because we don't take any more finishes after that.''
Following the race, Dramtreeo will play from 4 to 7 p.m.; a private race party for the boaters will be held from 5 to 7 p.m.; and a street dance with The Rhythm Kings will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. The band will take a short break around 8 p.m. for an awards presentation on the water stage.
When the Cock Island Race first started eight years ago, about 115 boats participated. Last year, the number boats swelled to 328.
``We're reducing the number of boats that are participating this year,'' said Clyde Winters, chairman of the race committee. ``We've been limited to 300 boats by the Coast Guard.''
Some see limiting the number of boats as practical, but not necessarily crucial.
``I didn't see the number of boats as a problem'' in previous years, said Backus. ``I'm not aware of any near misses or any casualties as a result of the number of boats in the race.''
Brian McCauley of Virginia Beach, another eight-year veteran of the Cock Island Race, agreed.
``I did't think there were too many boats,'' said McCauley, who sails a 37-foot boat called Conspiracy.
``Frankly, I've never had a problem with the number of boats in the race,'' he said. ``I've never had a problem with commercial traffic.''
According to Hawks, there was some talk of moving the start of the race into Hampton Roads, the body of water between the James River Bridge and the Norfolk Naval Base, bound on the south by Craney Island and on the north by Hampton and Newport News.
``The thought was if we started out in Hampton Roads, you'd have so much more room for the 300 boats,'' said Hawks. ``It would be easier to start.''
But as much as Portsmouth people love a party, the idea was quickly nixed.
``There is some sort of benefit for the city of Portsmouth to have all of these boats in the river doing their separate starts right there where it can be viewed from the Seawall by the public,'' said Hawks. ``I think there's a lot of excitement in that.''
The race is unusual in that it is held on a working river, alongside large ships, tugboats and transient traffic. But that doesn't seem to deter any of the sailors who keep coming back year after year.
``That's what we sail in every day anyway,'' said Backus. ``The race course is something that I do every week. So the obstacles are no more, no less of what I'm used to running into.''
If anything, the unusually high number of sailboats in the river at one time may become obstacles themselves.
``From a sailor's point of view, I wouldn't say that the commercial traffic provides any problem,'' said McCauley, the Virginia Beach resident.
``I'd think that the sailboats probably provide some problem for the commercial traffic,'' he said.
The Cock Island Race ranks among the 10 largest sailboat racing events in the world.
``It's the largest race in the Eastern Seaboard that takes place in confined waters like the Elizabeth River,'' said Winters. ``And it's a fun race. Some people are tired of being serious racers.''
That's probably why McCauley keeps coming back.
``For me, the most enjoyable part is the race itself,'' he said. ``But the parties come a close second.'' ILLUSTRATION: File photos
The Billy Bob makes its way to the finish line during a previous
Cock Island Race. About 90 percent of the 300 boats expected to
register this year have participated before.
For some, the annual race means some hard work - trimming sails, for
instance . . .
but for others, well, it's a pleasant excuse for buddies to relax
and catch a few rays. After all, the Cock Island event is not just a
sailboat race. It's a weekend celebration filled with live music,
street dancing and socializing.
``This is an opportunity where everybody can get together and
socialize in a nice atmosphere,'' says chairman Jim Hawks.
``And it's a fun race. Some people are tired of being serious
racers,'' says Clyde Winters, race committee chairman.
by CNB