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By
Paul W. Gillespie -- The Capital
Rowers compete in the second
paddle boat heat on Spa Creek at the
10th annual Sika-AYC Build-A-Boat
Challenge.
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For
the past 10 years Andy Hughes and the rest of "Team
Voodoo" have battled a string of curses and mishaps
in the Annapolis Yacht Club's build-a-boat regatta,
coming in second place in seven of the past nine races.
One
year, the oars broke in the home stretch. Another
year, a competitor rammed them into a nearby dock
as they were about to cross the finish line. Their
handmade boat even collided with an 85-foot pleasure
craft.
Theirs
was a story of opportunities missed, battles narrowly
lost and glory deprived.
Hoping
to break the curse yesterday, the team ditched painting
"Team Voodoo" on the sides of the yellow
rowboat and instead painted the name Roly Poly to
honor the sandwich shop that sponsored them.
The
change worked. The team captured first place in the
rowboat race, part of the traditional summer event
on Spa Creek.
"It
was a relief," said Mr. Hughes, with team members
swarming around, cheering hugging and congratulating
each other.
The
team was one of 18 syndicates that gathered at the
AYC annex Saturday morning to build their boats for
yesterday's race, officially called the Sika-AYC Build-A-Boat
Challenge.
Strict
rules govern the competition, which allots teams of
eight up to six hours to complete their boat using
identical supplies.
Yesterday's
races, divided between sail and paddle categories,
started at 1:19 p.m. in honor of yacht club's 119th
birthday. The event raised more than $1,000 for the
AYC's junior sailors program.
"It's
pretty neat for the city," said Mr. Hughes. "Everybody
turns out and you can see there's a lot of people
from the community who have gotten involved, not to
mention the entertainment value is high."
As
spectators gathered on the docks and decks of the
yacht club and passersby overlooked the action from
Spa Creek Bridge, Team Voodoo designer Billy Ray Cook
leapt from the dock into Spa Creek as his crew crossed
the finish line, swimming to slap their hands in high-fives.
"It's
nice to know naval architecture counts for something,"
said George Hazen of Annapolis, one of the boat's
designers whose day job is working as a naval architect.
While
the team's other efforts ended up in the dumpster
after previous races, one of the event's organizers
pledged to take the sleek yellow boat and use it as
a garden planter.
Of
course, the afternoon wasn't smooth paddling for Team
Voodoo. In the first heat, the team won, but was disqualified
when they went the wrong way around a marker.
"I
knew something was wrong when I heard 'ERIC!'"
said crew member Eric Brooks, who said he couldn't
see the course marker beyond a passing boat and then
had tunnel vision and just passed it.
The
team was allowed to participate in the consolation
heat, which they won to advance to the final, where
they beat last year's winners, Anne Arundel Medical
Center's team, Sleeper Keepers.
The
sailboat created by Details By Design, with a hand-painted
sail featuring a bikini-clad blonde under a sun and
painted palm fronds on the hull, won its division
for the race as well as the best decorated boat honor.
At
the post-race awards ceremony, Team Voodoo won the
most corrupt team honor, Sleeper Keepers captured
the messiest team award and Team Diesel took home
the best team spirit award in matching neon green
shirts.
Three
hours and six beers into Saturday's construction winning
predictions were already being made. Through the steady
crack of hammers, drills and hacksaws that filled
the hot afternoon air, Team Details sailboat design
was beginning to stand out.
Instead
of the more conventional straight design adopted by
most teams, Team Details opted for a sleek, arching
boat with a bow spirit to increase size of the sail.
Judges noted that its unique design and careful attention
to detail stood out among the competition.
"I
like Team Details, they look pretty slick," said
event chairman Dee Murray. "I think the skill
level continues to improve each year. We had six sailboats
this year, that is the most we've ever had. We're
transitioning to higher quality boats. This is all
the result of 10 years of experience."
In
the water, a fake shark mock-terrorized participants
as they capsized or took on water as the theme from
"Jaws" blasted in the background.
While
the gray shark was obviously fake, Team Diesel's neon
green rowboat had its own fright sight, painted in
the form of a shark-like mouth on the bow of the boat.
"Not
counting us, the average age of our crew was 11,"
said Cami Russack of Annapolis.
Her
son, Morgan, 16, was one of the rowers on the boat,
who said it got pretty tiring after going around the
course multiple times.
"The
kids have gotten bigger so we had to build a bigger
boat," Ms. Russack said.
pholley@capitalgazette.com
Published
July 11, 2005, The Capital, Annapolis, Md.
Copyright © 2005 The Capital, Annapolis, Md.
Reproduced with permission.
