ST. MARY'S CITY, Md. (July 22, 2008)—Chesapeake Bay sailors and those who just love a good bayside party are gearing up for the August 1 start of the 35th annual Governor's Cup Yacht Race and the August 2 post-race party at St. Mary's College of Maryland. More than 150 yachts are already registered to compete in the bay's #1 ranked regatta, which begins at 6 p.m. in Annapolis on Friday, August 1. Regular registrations will be taken through Saturday. Late registrations will be accepted until July 30 with a $50 fee.
Registration can be performed online at http://smcm.edu/govcup/.
Among this year's competitors are a boat crewed by high school students from St. Mary's County, a Special Olympics crew, two female skippers, and a veteran Governor's Cup skipper, who, at age 81, will once again be at the helm of his sloop.
The 35th annual post-race festivities will feature Key West Race Week performers Joe Bachman and the Crew, who promise to rock the audience from 7 to11 p.m. with tunes from the Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi, and Carrie Underwood. Bachman's seven piece band and six lead singers perform music that spans several generations and everything from rock to R&B to '80s party tunes.
The Nautical Wheelers will entertain on Saturday afternoon from noon to 4 p.m. with Buffett-style island music, country, and classic rock. The race awards ceremony will be held at 5 p.m. in the entertainment tent.
New this year, PhotoBoat, On-the-Water Action Photography, will take pictures during the race. The photos will be available for sale at the post-race party on Saturday.
Bear Creek BBQ, Seaside Seafood, and the Leonardtown Rotary Club, with adult beverages, will be among the vendors at the post-race party.
The race's eight yacht classes for scoring are Multihull, PHRF A-0, PHRF A-1, PHRF A-2, PHRF B, PHRF C/D and PHRF N. Boats can also compete for the Patuxent Partnership trophy and the St. Mary's Alumni class trophy.