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n a few hours of racing Saturday, the young sailors taking part in this year’s Hoop Pole Regatta off of Oriental experienced a big mix of sailing conditions. It blew 5 knots at one point, says Jim Edwards, and 20-25 at another. There were periods of no rain and then the “can’t see through kind” of rain. The was mist as well as a squall that stopped the race for a while.

The skies looked daunting at times, but the racing went on, in the Neuse River. Some capsizing, but all survived.

But only for a while.

The more than three dozen sailors were “troupers” through it all, says Edwards, whose Bow to Stern Boating Center was home base for the race, for this, the second year it’s been held in Oriental.

That masked sailor is Emmie James of Oriental who won all five races in the Opti class and took the big hoop honor for overall performance in the 2015 Hoop Pole Regatta.

18 Flying Juniors competed.

The sailors who ranged in age from 7 to 17, came from Camp Seafarer, Camp Seagull, the Edward Teach Sailing program in New Bern, the Junior Sailing program in Beaufort, and Bow to Stern. They competed on Optimists, Sunfish and Flying Juniors.

The home team. Young sailors and their coaches out of Oriental’s Bow to Stern Boating Center. Holding two hoops – for winning the Optis class and the overall ranking – was Oriental’s Emmie James, near right.

Oriental’s Emmie James, won all five of her races in the Optimist class, and for that won a hoop. (Hoops being the trophy as per the tradition of this race that used to be held on Adams Creek.) James also went home with the big hoop for Best Performance of the Day, a feat the weather made all the more difficult in that smallest class of competing boats.

An Opti sailor surveys the rest of the field.

The first Hoop Pole race in Oriental, last year, was marked by unseasonably cold weather. Coming off of this year’s squally conditions, and looking ahead to next year’s Hoop Pole in Oriental, Edwards says he’s hoping for it to be “rainfree.”

Alexis Edwards and Caroline James of Oriental in close quarters with another Flying Junior on the race course.

Optis and Sunfish and FJ’s competed under sometimes towering skies.

Next page, top finishers rankings and more photos.

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FJ’s at Bow to Stern before heading to the river and the race course.

2015 Hoop Pole Regatta Results

Optimist Division – 6 Boats (Beaufort 4, Bow to Stern 2)
Place Points Captain Program
1. 5 Emmie James Bow to Stern
2. 11 Jeremy Johann Beaufort
3. 20 Garrett Cowman Beaufort

Sunfish – 5 Boats (Beaufort 3, Bow to Stern 2)
Place Points Captain Program
1. 5 John Buckhead Beaufort
2. 12 Misha Klibson Beaufort
3. 16 Joseph Eudy Beaufort

FJ – 18 Boats (Sea Gull 5, Seafarer 5, Beaufort 3, ETSY 1, Bow to Stern 4)
Place Points Captain Program
1. 25 Lanie Healey Beaufort
2. 29 Madison Scott Bow to Stern
3 .39 Casey Daniels Sea Gull
4 .42 Alexis Edwards Bow to Stern

Emmie James – unmasked.

Sniffing which way the wind blows. Among the on-water spectators, a canine.

From South Avenue’s railings the youth race’s boats seemed even smaller. Still, the spot did draw spectators.

Sail boat racing on the horizon …. on September 5, the Greens Creek Challenge, open to sailors of all ages on boats up to 20 feet LOA; on September 12, the Oriental Cup Regatta. This fall, Jim Edwards says, there’ll be sailing programs at three area high schools, involving 30 sailors.

Posted Thursday August 13, 2015 by Melinda Penkava