Nov. 13, 2007 — The 26th Annual Coral Bay Thanksgiving Regatta sets sail Nov. 23 and 24 in Coral Bay, sponsored by the Coral Bay Yacht Club.
The event honors Steve Dawes, who died Sept. 12 at a hospice in Plymouth, England.
"He was always very helpful with the yacht club," said spokeswoman Denise Wright.
Dawes, who served as the yacht club's commodore and vice commodore during his years on St. John, sailed aboard his boat, Equity.
The late sailor was born in 1954 in England and set sail from Plymouth in 1987, according to friend Anne Frick. Along the way he met his wife, Laurie Dawes, who died in 2003. The two settled in Coral Bay.
Dawes is featured on the T-shirt sold in conjunction with the Thanksgiving Regatta, Wright said. The artwork on the T-shirt also includes a Breath, Peter Muilenburg's 42-foot St. John-based ketch, and the race committee boat Shabumi, owned by St. John sailor Dick Burks. Additionally, the art includes a cowhorn, a type of boat built several decades ago on the Coral Bay beach.
The money raised at the event will benefit the St. John Kids and the Sea program, which is based in Coral Bay, Wright said. The entry fee runs $40.
The event kicks off with registration at 8:30 a.m. Nov. 23 at Skinny Legs Bar and Restaurant. The skipper's meeting follows at 9:30 a.m., with the race beginning immediately after the meeting.
The Nov. 23 race is for single-handed boats, multihulls, gaff-rigged boats, Optimists and Lasers.
On Nov. 24, the skipper's meeting starts at 9:30 a.m., with the race following. Saturday's race includes classes for traditional, cruising, racing and multihull boats.
The event wraps up with an awards party that begins at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 24 at Skinny Legs.
It's too early to know who will participate and where the hot contests will be, because most participants don't let anyone know they're coming until the event starts, Wright said.
For more information, call Wright at 776-6036.
Back Talk Share your reaction to this news with other Source readers. Please include headline, your name and city and state/country or island where you reside.
