My initiation as a Moth Boat racer was different than most. I was asked if I was willing to race Wilson Browning's boat in the Commodore MATTHEW FONTAIN MAURY HIGH SCHOOL Regatta by a classmate at MAURY. What made it unusual was that I had never raced a moth before and had only sailed one a friend had purchased from Britty Drake for a few minutes twice. Nor had I participated in the MAURY Regatta before. It was 1962. I was just finishing my senior year at MAURY.

I owned REDCAT, an 11 foot sailing pram (Vee bottom, good rocker, pretty quick), and had been guilty of hanging around the Norfolk Yacht and Country Club even though not a member. I often tied up at the sailing dinghy pier and talked to the member kids at the Moth Boat House. Inside was an assortment of Moths, tender dinghies, and even a couple of SAILFISH. They were arranged in racks on either side of the house. Four wide and three high. That made room for 24 moths when the house was built during the Moth's heydays in the 1940's. There were a couple of moths outside also. Since the racks weren't full, I assumed that inside storage was more expensive. There was a blue one with light showing through split planks in the bottom, several white ones in various conditions of disrepair, and a red one on the top shelf. Some of the kids (most were taking sailing lessons in PENGUINS and SAILFISH) would climb the racks and lounge in the moths or dinghies talking tennis, parties, and of course, girls. Occasionally, one of the boys would lure a girl into the Moth House for necking. On the floor level, covered with canvas mittens were the wonderful Dorr Willey Moth Boats. I had seen them occasionally on the river. They were faster upwind than REDCAT but I could pace them downwind if I had my jib up, and outrun them with my spinnaker made from a parachute section. There were four: HOLY MOSES, EMMALOU, SCAT CAT, and BILLY BRAT. Their immaculate varnished decks and bottoms were visible through the access holes and open bottoms of their mittens. Their side planks were white or light blue. The parallel rows of tan filler circles marked the seams between cedar planks which were almost impossible to see otherwise. Beautiful wooden creations of a master craftsman, with quality and workmanship like the finest furniture. Definitely beyond my budget!

I had owned REDCAT for 4 years and had been racing on Sundays and Holidays (even during the winters) with a group of adults who sailed MIT TECH DINGHIES and occasionally a PENGUIN. They made me sail without my jib or spinnaker(fair). As my skill and speed improved, they insisted I carry a crew to slow me back down(which was also fair because they sailed with crew). Still, REDCAT often triumphed. By 1962, many of the small boat sailors were used to seeing me on the river, and knew I could sail and race. The invitation to the MAURY REGATTA was still a surprise. The event was sponsored by the WEST HIGH-Y, THE fraternity at MAURY. I was going to represent both MAURY and WEST, even though I wasn't a member. It turned out that MOTHS had been one of the Classes in the past, but had failed to muster the required five boats the previous year. The WEST HIGH-Y guys wanted to get them back into the regatta and could do so only if they found another skipper. I was excited about the opportunity, but worried about the responsibility for one of those expensive boats. It helped to remember that I had known Wilson Browning when he was a Boy Scout and I was a Cub some years before.

We went to Wilson's parents home a few days before the race to look at the boat. She was on the glassed-in porch, on her dolly, in her mitten, where she had been for about three years. We uncovered her and found she was also one of the precious Dorr Willies in excellent condition. SEVEN ELEVEN - 1181 was painted each side on her bow deck. After the numbers, there was a pair of dice showing three and four. There were three sails, one each for light, medium, and heavy air. All were about 6 years old, but in excellent shape. Wilson was going to sail a HAMPTON ONE DESIGN in the regatta, as he had the year before, provided that I would sail the MOTH so the class would have the minimum number. We agreed that he would transport SEVEN ELEVEN to the NYCC and I would meet him there Saturday morning.

Saturday was a beautiful day. Sunny, air at 75 degrees F. and winds 5-10 knots, basically from the south and a little shifty. Wilson and I rigged the boat with the light air sail and he went to get his HAMPTON ready. I met some of the competition. If I remember correctly, Bob Steel from GRANBY HIGH was sailing SCAT CAT; Malcolm Fortson from NORFOLK ACADEMY was in BILLY BRAT. Two other GRANBY students were expected to sail up the river in time for the race. One was John Tazewell in SUSIE, which I think was a VENTNOR. I don't remember the other boy's name. His boat was all white, and a design similar, but not identical to the Dorr Willey's. EMMALOU and HOLY MOSES stayed in the Moth House because their owners were still away at college. There were two races Saturday. I had a blast. The lead changed many times during the races, primarily due to shifty winds. I think I got a first and second, with Malcolm and Bob splitting the other first and second. If I won the Sunday race or just beat the closest boy, I would win the Regatta. I didn't sleep very well that night. Actually, I hadn't slept well since I saw SEVEN ELEVEN earlier in the week.

Sunday morning was not like Saturday. The sky was gray, the temperature cool, and the wind was gusty from the northeast. I became really nervous...almost to the point of shaking, every time one of those cold gusts came through. We put the boats over and eventually the race started....downwind. It was hard to hold the boat back, and avoid getting to the line early, but I did it. I built up a lead heading for the first mark. It was going to be a starboard to port gybe. Now I was really nervous. This boat was more tender than REDCAT and I was unfamiliar with how she would react during a gybe in a breeze. I approached the mark and pulled the wishbone tiller over.

A hesitation...a gust... DISASTER...capsized....swimming...got to get to the daggerboard....carefull-don't make her swamp....there goes Bob....she's coming up....there goes Malcolm......climb aboard...there goes John and the other boat...oh well, let's see if we can catch anyone. My mother was ashore and watched in joy as I got off to a great start, horror as I capsized, worry until she saw me climbing back aboard, and relief when I got going again. I picked up John and the other guy from down the river on the next weather leg. I followed Malcolm and Bob on the run toward the point of my previous disaster. I approached wide, waited for a lull........and gybed safely. I caught up to Malcolm and Bob on the reach and rounded right behind them. They had started a tacking duel and let me split off. I got lucky. I found a good shift and beat them both to the finish. I was hooked. I really wanted my own moth, but had no idea how I could afford one. We found a way......but that's another story.