Andrew steers to 5th place in the Sonar Class.

The 2021 Ya Gotta Regatta was a huge success. The weather cooperated. There was wind (mostly). The turnout was great. And our community achieved our fundraising goal.

The J22s get underway on the 4th start of 5 under blue skies. Photo courtesy of Michael Woollen

The Ya Gotta Regatta began in earnest back in March, when my college mate Dustin Barrall won a community grant from his employer, RMF Engineering, to support The DSC's community programs. Bogged down by the pandemic, Dustin's outreach and RMF's generosity were a critical boost to the early Ya Gotta Regatta effort. Dustin, thank you.

DSC member Jen Gerber followed suit with a grant from RTI International. These gifts, combined with the generous 2020 Ya Gotta Donations from War Horse Cities, Venable Foundation, and the ever-present RCM&D Foundation, kept us on track through the hectic pandemic spring.

Bonnie steers with her son Kendall to 1st place in the Freedom Class. Photo courtesy of Jeny Lewis

Fast forward to 4PM on Saturday, October 2nd. Nearly 200 donors had contributed over $30,000 in individual contributions over the previous five days. Corporate and Foundation gifts poured in through the final hours, adding another $10K to our YGR tally. Nicole wheeled up to accept her first place Hansa Class trophy in front of a roaring crowd; Captain Kirk Culbertson won the Sonar class; and a Junior camper accepted the top fundraising prize. With everyone's support, we did it!

DARK CRYSTAL, 2019 YGR. Dark Crystal was the first PHRF boat to register for the 2021 YGR and the first sailing team to raise $1000 for the event.

The Ya Gotta Regatta did not materialize out of thin air. It took belief and effort from our board, hard work and vision from our staff, and an outpouring of support from volunteers. The success of the event also depended upon the silent angel donors who backed the fundraising efforts when the going got tough.

Ultimately, the success of the regatta was in the hands of the participants... and many of you decided that sailing and celebrating with us was the best way to spend your Saturday. 44 boats participated across seven fleets, and a host of volunteers contributed their support.

Chris Coletta, PRO for the Hansa Class, briefs with Ganesh Mysore and staff as the racing gets underway. Photo courtesy of Andrew Klein

One of those 44 boats was steered by Andrew, who raced sailboats in college. He and his partner drove up from DC, battling traffic as they navigated to The DSC for the first time.

Another was skippered by John, second place finisher in the Hansa class. Unable to find parking, he parked about a mile away and walked down Key Highway to the sailing center. Mind you, John lives with a BKA.

Nicole helmed another boat, taking three bullets in five races for the win in the Hansa class. Elated with the opportunity to compete, she asked Rena to take a video of her as she entered her boat via Hoyer lift so that she could show others what is truly possible in sailing.

Saturday's regatta was special because everyone made the effort... it was a reminder, too, that we are sailing for a purpose at The Downtown Sailing Center. The effort is worth it.

JESTER crew assisted with markset on the J22 course, aided by their noble companion Tippy. Photo courtesy of Jake Jackson-Wolf

The list of folks deserving thanks for the regatta success is large. My big three DSC mentors - Ben, Charley, and Doug - gave steady voice to our efforts. Steve, Bob, George, and Priscilla heaped encouragement upon the staff. Longtime volunteer stalwart, Lisa VanSant, was right there from the beginning when we relaunched our adaptive sailing program.

We could not have managed the day-of logistics without Lisa, Sandy Dawson, Eric Eppler, and Christine Burnett.

Captain Chris Endres departed his homeport at Sunrise to prepare for the 2021 Ya Gotta Regatta. ALWAYS GO was the Signal Boat for the PHRF race.

Team Legacy/Alma Lynn/Whistlejacket/Starbroads fielded four boats in the regatta across three fleets and ultimately drew in more than a thousand dollars in regatta fees and donations. Jill Bradley was the person who introduced me to The DSC, and she continues to involve her entire extended family in the fun(draising).

Kyle Stump and Dark Crystal earned a special shoutout by becoming the first fundraising team to raise a thousand dollars through grassroots efforts this year. Dark Crystal may have placed outside of the top three in 2021, but they were number one in my book, having raised over $1,000 each of the past three regatta editions and signing up first for the regatta.

Bill Hamilton took his board service seriously and solicited corporate sponsorships from near and far. His efforts spurred others to action and hopefully set precedent for future corporate engagement.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation's SNOW GOOSE served as the signal boat for the J22 fleet

Captain Ben Carver of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Snow Goose served as the signal boat for the J/22 class. Team Jester ran markset for that course, while Jordan Stock served as PRO for that fleet.

Captain (yes, Captain) Chris Endres provided Always Go for the PHRF signal boat, which was managed by cruising volunteers Ali, Mike Rennich, and Hank. Anchored well out of the channel, Always Go is likely the most impressive race committee yacht on the Bay.

Amandine, Abe, Shawn & Sam proudly raced and fundraised for community sailing. Photo courtesy Jaz Gardner

The photo boat was provided courtesy of US Sailing. The DSC is partners with US Sailing in the Siebel Sailors program, and US Sailing was kind enough to lend the Siebel Sailors RIB to us for the event. And Charlie Parker lent us his center console for the Sonar & Freedom Class distance races. His generosity freed up our Lost & Found to serve as a utility boat and gave board volunteers Marty Fetsch and John Gelinne some much needed leg room.

Thank you for playing your part in the Ya Gotta Regatta effort. Next year's event is already booked for SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8th, 2022. Next year will be even better and even bigger. The party will be at the BMI Pavilion... and I look forward to seeing you there!

With gratitude and hope,

-Stuart Proctor

Executive Director

October 7th, 202