DATE: Friday, August 1, 1997                TAG: 9708010721

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B9   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY TOM HOLDEN, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:   63 lines

BOATS TO SET SAIL IN RACE ON BAY TO RAISE FUNDS FOR CANCER RESEARCH

The effort to raise money for cancer research takes to the water Saturday when the second annual Little Creek Cup sets sail on the Chesapeake Bay.

This year's race memorializes Dr. John J. Krueger, a cancer victim, avid sailor and respected Virginia Beach civic leader who died in November.

An estimated 70 boats in various classes are expected to compete along an 8-mile, triangular course starting offshore from the entrance to Little Creek and running to Willoughby, then toward the Thimble Shoal channel and back again.

The race, which has grown from about 22 boats last year, is the brainchild of Di Ricks, an employee of the Federal Aviation Administration, whose father died of cancer in 1996.

``When someone close to you has cancer, you just feel so helpless when they seem to have so much courage inside them,'' Ricks said. ``I just wanted to do something to help since I could not make my father's cancer go away.''

During her father's illness, Ricks came to rely upon the American Cancer Society's network of volunteers, who not only helped her family with medical supplies that were not covered by insurance but also offered comfort.

When she decided to stage a sailboat race, Ricks was surprised to learn that of all the varied cancer fund-raising activities nationwide, none centered on sailing.

Ricks, who lives on a sailboat with her husband, thought it a natural event for a waterfront community such as Hampton Roads. But getting local sailors involved was slow going, said Ricks, who spent about two years trying to organize last year's race.

``It did not go over well at first,'' Ricks said. ``Like anything new, it was hard to get them to buy into it.''

Last year's race, the first for the Little Creek competition, raised about $7,000. This year, pledges are running at about $15,000.

``I think we're going to exceed that,'' Ricks said. ``I think we'll get $20,000 to $25,000.''

The first start is 10 a.m. The race should take between two and three hours, depending on the weather. The exact course will be decided by the race committee on Saturday morning, said Bill Mellen, a computer programmer for the Ferguson Group Inc. in Chesapeake.

``We'll start just to the northwest of the Little Creek entrance,'' Mellen said. ``They'll race down to Willoughby toward the Thimble Shoal channel, and back again.''

Sailors will compete in six individual classes: two spinnaker classes, one multi-hull, two non-spinnaker classes, and a casual cruising class for sailors who do not normally compete. Each boat must be 22 feet or longer.

Some of the bigger boats will have up to 12 members on the crew, while smaller ones will have four or six people.

There is more to this fund-raiser than sailing. Two days of parties are planned, with the first taking place at 8 p.m. tonight and the second at 3 p.m. Saturday. Both parties will be at the Bay Point Marina, 9500 30th Bay St., Norfolk. They are open to the public for a small entrance fee.

A handful of prizes will be awarded, including a weekend at Disney World for the top individual fund-raiser. MEMO: To purchase advance tickets with a credit card, call the American

Cancer Society at 853-6638, today only. For other information, call

the Bay Point Marina at 362-8432. ILLUSTRATION: Krueger

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