BroadBaySailing.org
Title
Broad Bay Sailing Association
Description
The Broad Bay Sailing Association was formed in 1958 by a group of sailors seeking informal sailboat racing on Linkhorn and Broad Bays in various types of small boats. To add a little spice to their endeavor they built or purchased a few 11 foot Penguins and 16 foot Comets which along with several Hampton One-Designs were the nucleus of the Broad Bay fleet. The emphasis was on Sunday afternoon racing, monthly meetings at the members’ homes, and numerous cookouts at the Narrows to which they generally sailed from points around Linkhorn and Broad Bays (Virginia Beach). The social highlight of the year was the annual Awards Presentation and Change of Command Dinner in January of each year, a tradition which is still being followed.
In 1961 BBSA joined the Chesapeake Bay Yacht Racing Association and in June of that year held the first Broad Bay Regatta. Until 1964 the members did most of their racing on Sundays on Broad Bay with very few going off to other regattas. 1964 saw the low point of racing on Broad Bay; the Association attempting to hold Sunday afternoon races while more members were hitting the regatta circuit. And then a new breed arrived on the scene, the cruising type boats in the 25 foot range which could get under the bridges out to the Chesapeake.
In the late 1960s the Sunday afternoon racing had disappeared, the One Design sailors, who now included Shark Catamaran, Mobjack, Thistle, 505, and Sunfish skippers, were hard on the trail of the regatta circuit silver. Monday morning accounts of regatta activities were filled with the names of Broad Bay skippers who had won in their classes. While the One-Designers were busy gathering their silver the Cruising types were holding informal races in Lynnhaven Roads and forming up cruises to other parts of the Chesapeake Bay.
