Attendees spy sails at Hartwell Lake regatta

PHOTO BY NATHAN GRAY, ANDERSON INDEPENDENT MAIL

Brent Benson watched through binoculars Saturday as a sail he made years ago puffed up and pulled a boat across part of Hartwell Lake at a charity regatta.

Benson was a sail maker in Pennsylvania before becoming a snowbird with his sailor wife, Barbara. The two now split their time between boat clubs in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and the Western Carolina Sailing Club in Anderson.

He used to see more of his sails at the annual Hospice Regatta, but sails deteriorate. He spotted only one piece of his handiwork Saturday afternoon.

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Niantic Bay Yacht Club Cocktail Party an Ideal Finish to the Hospice SE CT Regatta Series

L to R – Carol Mahier, Hospice SE CT President & CEO; Organizing Committee – Rachel Rinowski, Rose McWaid, Karen Petrillo, Cathy Landers. Credit Louis Scotto Jr.

The Niantic Bay Yacht Club hosted their annual Cocktail Party and Silent Auction at the home of Walter and Julianne Sullivan overlooking the Niantic Bay.  Guests were invited to wear something white in honor of those touched by Hospice Southeastern Connecticut.  Over 140 people attended the party and many others supported the event with a donation to Hospice SE CT.  Most have had a loved one or friend receive end of life care and bereavement support from this agency.  It was a beautiful night and a wonderful event.

Over $10,000 was donated bringing the total raised from the entire 2012 Regatta Series to over $73,000!  Thanks to the fundraising efforts of the Mystic River Mudheads, Niantic Bay Yacht Club, Stonington Dinghy Club and Thames Yacht Club in conjunction with the generous support of our sponsors, donors and participants, the Hospice SE CT Regatta Series has had its best year in the event’s history.

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DIESEL Wins J/70s Hospice Cup

MIRAGE Nips 105s, AUNT JEAN Dusts 35s
(Annapolis, MD)- This past weekend’s 31st Annual Hospice Cup in Annapolis – one of the country’s oldest and longest-running charity regattas- saw a lot of boats come out and play, especially seven brand new J/70s in their first Chesapeake Bay one-design regatta!  While J/105s posted the biggest class, the J/70′s were turning lots of heads as they worked the waves downwind. Those that came out found great breeze with 12-15 kt southerlies, big waves and not a cloud in the sky.

The Hospice Cup, an annual tradition of mixing sailboat racing and charity, has not always brought good sailing weather to Annapolis. But anyone who participated in this year’s edition of the event on Saturday, September 22 has erased all bad weather from memory… What a day to be on the Bay! Great breeze, tight competition on the race course, fantastic food at the shoreside party, an auction, upbeat live music and all with the best views in Annapolis.

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WCSC Hospice Regatta October 12 – 14, 2012

The 2012 Hospice Regatta is scheduled for October 12-14. Once again we have an outstanding event scheduled with the goal of raising money for the Hospice of the Upstate. Help us support this fantastic facility. There are lots of ways you can help us pull off this big event thru sailing, donations, sponsoring a skipper or just helping out.

If you have not registered, please sign up soon as the Regatta fees go up after October 5th. All information and registration web site links are available on our club website, including the NOR Hospice NOR, Sponsorship package 2012 Sponsorship document, who’s coming list, Hospice 2012 Registrant list, along with other information. Please take the time to register and donate early, Sailing for Others. It’s easy and all online. Save the trees.

This year we have a new event scheduled to get the sailing non racers involved. It’s called a poker run and will be held on Saturday. If you don’t want to race, but want to get out on the water and help support the event, sign up for the Poker run. You can win valuable prizes and recognition for the best hand at the Saturday night raffle.

We always have fantastic raffle items available and this year is no different. We have items such as Air fare tickets, week at the beach/mountains, good looking Zhik sailing gear along with many other cool items that will be available for the drawing or blind auction. Even if you don’t sail in the event you can buy meal tickets and join us for the Raffle.

We need Volunteers

We always have a need for volunteers to help in a number of areas (Race Committee, Registration, Food, Clean up, etc.) and if you would like to help please contact John Kreidler (jakreidler@mindspring.com) or Ronnie Ashmore (sailtanzer@aol.com)

With your help, we look forward to putting on another great Regatta while reaching our goal of $50,000 for the Hospice. Let’s make it happen together. – Ronnie and John

31st Annual Hospice Cup — giving and getting

 

Action from last weekend’s 31st Annual Hospice Cup in Annapolis – one of the country’s oldest and longest-running charity regattas.  Those that came out found great breeze, big waves and not a cloud in the sky.  While J/105s posted the biggest class, there were also seven new J/70′s out turning lots of heads as they worked the waves downwind.  This shot of Scott and Carl Gitchell’s J/105 Tenacious gives you a taste of the challenges that shallow water and big air brings on the Chesapeake.

Nearly 300 more photos up from our friend Dan Phelps are up at www.SpinSheet.com.

Read more — Learn more
Hospice Cup website
National Hospice Regattas Alliance website
National Hospice Regatta Allianceblog
National Hospice Regatta Alliance facebook page

San Diego Regatta raises $240,000 for La Mesa, San Carlos hospice homes

My husband and I were guests on the Patriot, a private yacht owned by Randy Odiorne, on Aug. 24 for the 10th Annual Sharp HospiceCare Benefit Regatta. Starting from the Coronado Yacht Club, Odiorne navigated the Patriot through the sparkling bay towards the colorful parade of race boats.

The event netted over $240,000 for the Homes for Hospice campaign. The money goes to maintain Sharp’s two hospice homes – the Lakeview in La Mesa and the Parkview in San Carlos.The largest fleet of vessels – nearly 40 sailboats – in the event’s history took to San Diego Bay for the all-day regatta. Aboard 25 different luxury yachts, 360 spectators were treated to close-up views of the race. Anarchy, the overall regatta winner, skippered by Scot Tempesta, qualified to compete in the 2013 National Hospice Regatta Championship in St. Petersburg, Florida.“This is always one of the most popular and biggest events at the Coronado Yacht Club,” said Rick Odiorne, owner of the Patriot, one of the spectator yachts.“We at Sharp HospiceCare are truly grateful for the support and generosity we’ve received from the San Diego community, and are thrilled with the success of this event,” said Suzi K. Johnson, vice president of Sharp HospiceCare. “It’s our goal to continue to build awareness about hospice care and help people understand that dying is a process and a natural progression of living.”Sharp HospiceCare provides comprehensive care and compassionate support to patients and their families struggling with a life-limiting illness. Sharp’s two hospice homes are unique living environments – custom-designed and built in established, residential neighborhoods. They are the only places of their kind in San Diego County which combine around-the-clock hospice care with an intimate, comfortable, home-like setting.“The hospice home in La Mesa was the first one of its kind in California,” said Stacy Kadrich, senior marketing and communications specialist at Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa.

Once the regatta was over, race crew joined yacht owners and spectators at the Coronado Yacht Club for a barbecue of pulled pork and chicken, baked beans, salad and bread and ice cream – blue vanilla bean! – from Moo Time Creamery.

Misty and the Moby’s sang 60s and 70s classic rock, inspiring the party-goers to belt out the tunes with them and frolic in front of the million-dollar view of Glorietta Bay. Everyone ate up all the ice cream and danced their seasickness away.

As the music wound down, the sun melted the sky into an orange popsicle. It was time for sober reflection on the purpose of the regatta: to raise money for homes for the terminally ill. Facing the last days of their lives, patients of Sharp HospiceCare get the comfort and care they need at the hospice homes. Family and friends can breathe easier knowing that their loved ones are receiving end-of-life care with the greatest dignity and respect possible. By Cynthia Robertson (Mission Times Courier & La Mesa Courier, San Diego, CA)

For more information about Sharp HospiceCare, visitwww.sharp.com/hospice.

Hospice Cup XXXI overall winners Carl and Scott Gitchell

Previous championship winner Cedric Lewis (left) and co-owner of the J/105 Mirage Fredrik Salvesen (right) recently presented the 2012 Hospice Cup trophy to the Gitchells.

Hospice Cup XXXI overall winners Carl and Scott Gitchell qualified aboard their J/105 Tenacious to represent the Annapolis regatta at the 2013 Hospice Regattas National Championship.  They achieved the best overall score across three consecutive years, with eight other teams close on their heels.

Cedric Lewis, previous championship winner, and co-owner Fredrik Salvesen of the J/105 Mirage recently presented the 2012 Hospice Cup trophy to the Gitchells.

Chesapeake Bay J/105 Fleet 3 has a long history of supporting their local Hospice Cup, as well as of generosity as owners donating their boats the eight years the championship was held in Annapolis.

The Gitchells and their crew will sail against winners of other 2012 hospice regattas in St. Petersburg, Florida next April 11-14, vying for National Championship bragging rights.

HOSPICE CUP XXXI SET FOR SEPTEMBER 22, 2012

 WHAT: The 31st anniversary of Hospice Cup – America’s largest charity sailing regatta– will be held on Saturday, September 22, 2012 in Annapolis, MD.

Supporters can:

• Buy a ticket to attend the Shore Party at Annapolis Sailing School

• Bid on one of the fabulous online auction items

• Donate to online to one of Hospice Cup “FirstGiving” fundraisers (found on www.hospicecup.org)

Sponsors, donors and invited guests will enjoy the races from the decks of a charter boat, complete with open bar and catered lunch. On board race commentators will help bring the race alive as they discuss sailing maneuvers and boat positioning during the race.

After the races, supporters head to the Shore Party at Annapolis Sailing School on Back Creek for live music, live auction, food, drink, and a good times. The highlight of the day is the Awards Ceremony, celebrating the racers and funds raised for Hospice Care.

Tickets tickets for the Shore Party are $85.

Shore Party tickets may be purchased online at www.hospicecup.org or by calling 410-919-8393.

WHEN: Races begin at 11:00 a.m. and end at about 2:30 p.m.  The post race Shore Party is from 3:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

WHERE:  On the Chesapeake Bay in Annapolis, Maryland. The post-race Shore Party will take place on the shores of the Annapolis Sailing School.

WHO:   2012 participating hospices: Capital Caring, Hospice of the Chesapeake, and Montgomery Hospice. These hospices will receive the funds raised at Hospice Cup XXXI to help their patients and families dealing with end-of-life issues.

WHY:  To date, Hospice Cup has raised more than $8 million to support Hospice programs in local communities around the Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. areas.

Hospice Cup funds help to pay the expenses not covered by Medicare or private insurance. These dollars enable the hospices to provide skilled compassionate care, comfort and dignity to the terminally ill, their families and friends, regardless of their ability to pay. Hospice enables patients to carry on alert, pain-controlled lives so their last days may be spent in comfort, at home or in home-like settings. Hospice care concentrates on care, not cure. Bereavement counseling and support groups are part of hospice services after the loss of a loved one.

For more information visit www.hospicecup.org or email: hospicecup@aol.com

Read more — Learn more
Hospice Cup website
National Hospice Regattas Alliance website
National Hospice Regatta Allianceblog
National Hospice Regatta Alliance facebook page