Team members from Hospice of Chesapeake figured a few adjustments to the design of their vessel would ensure them a big win at this year's Build-A-Boat Regatta.
The team placed second last year in the Annapolis Yacht Club's annual event and members thought a sleeker design would be enough to put them over the top.
"We swept up the stern and bow of the boat this year," said hospice volunteer Gray Gentil, shortly before testing the new creation. "I figure that way there's less resistance. It's all about aerodynamics. I think it's going to make a world of a difference."
And quite a difference it made.
Before it could round to port - and only 10 minutes into the race - the Hospiteer sail boat had tipped on its side and sank beneath the waters of Spa Creek.
"I've been worried about that boat," said onlooker Alice Kraus, of Annapolis. "I kept saying 'That boat's going to tip.'"
The Hospiteer was one of 15 boats to race in the 11th annual competition between Eastport Bridge and the Chart House Restaurant yesterday. The race was originally scheduled for last
Sunday, but was postponed for the first time in its history due to lightning and heavy rain.
Two additional syndicates, Whole Foods Market and SAIC, were not able to make the rain date because of scheduling conflicts.
"It was a tough thing to do, but we had to postpone it," said John Groth, chief judge of the event. "But the good news for participants is that they had a whole week for their sealant to dry."
The boats traditionally only have one night for things to set. Syndicates were also allowed to make paint touch-ups to their boats on the morning of the races.
The builders of the Castlebay paddle boat, sponsored by Castlebay Irish Pub, took advantage of the extra time and spruced up the paint job, said team member Dave Openshaw.
"It looked real bad before," Mr. Openshaw said. "Now it's looking pretty snazzy."
The Castlebay team, which has participated in the event for the last five years, decided to make a few changes to their design by cutting off the provided bundle ties after the boat was constructed.
"They say the Sika (Sikaflex) sealant is so good that you wouldn't need the ties," Mr. Openshaw said. "I cut them off without anyone on the team knowing. Now they know and they think I'm crazy."
In the end Mr. Openshaw's teammates' concerns were proven true when they came in last in the first heat.
Many boats in the competition sailed sans bundle ties, which were provided along with plywood, construction grade fir, a caulk gun, tubes of Sikaflex 291 Adhesive Sealant and a blue plastic tarp. The teams of up to eight members had six hours to build either a sail or paddle boat using the provided supplies. They were not allowed to make any changes to the watercrafts after the cut-off time.
Kevin Elion, captain of Voo-Doo, sponsored by Oyster Mortgage, admitted to a bit of cheating to get the job done.
"We had 12 guys working on our boat ... we went beyond the cut-off time," he said, laughing with his teammates. "No seriously, we did."
Having won last year's competition, after placing second in seven of the nine previous races in which they participated, team Voo-Doo was feeling pretty cocky.
"This one's a good one," Mr. Elion said. "Yeah, it's going to win."
And win it did in the second heat of the paddle boat competition, beating the US Naval Academy's Bottoms Up; DarCars' Tsalta, Merrill Lynch's On Fire, and Anne Arundel County's Lady Anne VII.
Anne Arundel Medical Center's Sleeperkeepers took top honors in the first heat of the paddle race, beating City of Annapolis' The Ellen Moyer, Dark 'N Stormy, J & I Committee's Imagine, and Castlebay.
In the end, Voo-Doo fell short in the final round, taking second place overall to team Sleeperkeepers.
"That's karma," said onlooker Kim Owens, of Edgewater, who added team Voo-Doo is known to cheat.
Details of Design's Details took first place in both sailing heats, winning the overall competition for that category. The Admiral's House's Stinger and Hospiteer both capsized in the first heat.
Synnestvedt & Lechner's Optimistic and DMH Enterprizes' Disorderly Conduct came in second and third respectively.
Gina Fitzsimmons, owner of Details of Design, said she was confident coming into the race that the company's boat would win. She said the boat suffered a broken rudder in the first heat, and still managed to win twice in a row.
"Now that's a good boat," she said.
Ms. Kraus said she was rooting for Details primarily for its aesthetics. The sail, featuring a woman laying on a beach next to her boyfriend, was the most elaborate and colorful tarp on the water.
Tom and Chris Reinert, of Edgewater, who were watching the races for their first time, said they were told about the event when staffers from Details of Design delivered their living room furniture that afternoon.
"We decided to come and cheer them on," Mrs. Reinert said.
The Reinerts said they were surprised at how well-made the boats were.
"This is not your normal cardboard box boat races," Mr. Reinert said. "The level of sophistication with these boats is very surprising."
Nevertheless, the boats would unlikely make it much longer than one evening.
"Those boats are going into the dumpster," said Stephen Cooke, who has attended the event for the last six years. "They look pretty, but a couple more hours on the water and they'd all be on the bottom."
Published July 01, 2006, The Capital, Annapolis, Md.
Copyright © 2006 The Capital, Annapolis, Md.
