Well this regatta was special for me because I was able to skipper a boat against sailors that I have looked up to for the longest time. Before I start with how the regatta went I just want to say to anyone who skippers an e-scow just to remember your first Easterns and how you felt when you finished it. It was the best regatta I have ever been to sailing a boat that has been a dream to sail.

Day 1

The first morning of the regatta I got up way to early I think it was probably around 630 or so. Went down had a cup of coffee and tried to remember all the things that needed to be completed before the event. Then, I left for the sailing site around 830. When I arrived at Mantoloking Yacht Club, which was hosting the event, I went over to the amazing spread of breakfast items. They had everything an E-Scow sailor could eat in the morning. As I sat down to eat, Chase Hillard, who has the other grant boat walked in and said "you nervous yet I am?" I laughed, trying not to say yes I am super nervous, but I think he could tell we were in the same boat. I walked back to the boat and my crew was there starting to rig. I told them go eat I will finish up, but before they went to get breakfast Colleen had a surprise for all of us. She pulled out of her bag the outfits that we were going to wear for this regatta. They were bight neon-colored t-shirts. I was wearing orange, my bow man Jay was wearing green and the girls had bright pink and yellow tank tops. In addition to the shirts, the girls wore 80s style spandex that were black that had bright colors splattered on them. I knew we wouldn't be missed out on the course.

My entire crew is very good at trying to make me as calm as they can before we go out sailing, so in the middle of the skippers meeting I see my boat being towed my one of the golf carts to the lift I laughed to my self because they were on there game already and it was still early. At this venue they had volunteers moving e-scows in and out of the water via golf carts. It was amazing because it allowed the skippers and crew to watch their boat being pushed to your spot and you could enjoy your beer and not have to push it back. We got out on the water and began our normal tune-up practice before the day. Yet, before we knew it the first race was about to begin and we were a little late. We began racing and went out right figuring since we started at the boat we needed to get some clean air and we tacked out. It was a smart move because we rounded the top mark in about 15 in the 35 boat fleet. Down-wind was Colleen's time to shine. She flies our shoot and I will have to say the two girls on our boat blow the theory that girls won’t be able to sail on scows anymore because of the new shoot. They do amazing work! We ended up passing 9 boats and finished 6th. I was very happy with that performance for the first race. The second race started out even better, as we rounded the top mark in about 5th. We had another great down wind and the next up wind didn’t go so hot and we finished up 9th. It was a great first day and a great night of pig roast and watching Dr. Britton Chance and Runyon Colie numbers being retired at Mantoloking Yacht Club. Looking back, I remember when I was about 6 with watch Mr. Colie sail on the bay and wishing  I would be able to do that when I am his age.

Day 2

Well once again it was a beautiful day on the Barnegat Bay. It was a hot day and all of us locals knew that the sea breeze was going to come in at some time and be strong. Well the day started out with a nice easterly that would eventually turn to a southerly. The first race went ok. We had a good start but couldn’t get the boat going fast enough and ended up with a 13th. After the finish my crew looked at me once again like the "Toms River Tune-Up Regatta" and told me that we were going to win the next race. The girls were yelling at me “lets hear you say it” and I can’t say no to them so they had me yelling “ We are going to win!” At the start we were the one of 3 boats down at the pin, I couldn’t tell you why we were down there but I thought it was favored. We started the race and I looked over my shoulder and I saw the fleet and I said “oh no” this is not good until we tacked over and had the whole fleet in our window and we were winning. What a great feeling to see the entire e-scow fleet in the window. After rounding the windward mark in first, we just extended downwind and kept it up with out any flaws. We finished the race and I was jumping up and down yelling we just won a race. We had won a race at the Easterns it was amazing. I was on the high of my life. Didn’t matter what place we got the rest of the regatta, we had won one and with the outfits we had on everyone knew that the rookies had won. It was great. The next race we got a 15. We came in with smiles on our faces and it was a great day once again on Barnegat Bay we were tied for 5th. The night started with dinner hosted by the Bay Head Yacht Club and a Jersey rock legend band playing. A fun time was had by all, as everyone enjoyed the music and danced the night away

Day 3

After an amazing night it was back to race mode. We got a tow out because there was no wind but it was beginning to fill slowly. The race committee, which was doing an excellent job started a race in no wind which was later cancelled and we waited for the sea breeze to come in. The race began in a nice easterly and everyone was going fast. We rounded the top mark in a not so good spot and we decided to do not jibe out at the mark which in the end paid off we pasted a bunch of boats and ended up on a 13th. The end of the long regatta was at a near and I knew my older brother Carl Horrocks was in a fight for the win. We finished off the last two races a 7th and a 6th which was a great way to finish your first Easterns. But my brother pulled it off for the win. What a great feeling that I finished 7th and he won his first Easterns. But the excitement wasn’t over yet. At the awards I received the rookie award. I was a little chocked up because everyone in the class at the regatta signed the top part of an e-scow sail. Even the legends Runyon Colie and Dr. Britton Chance two people that are legends to the sailing community. I just want to thank the Island Heights sailing Foundation, which started me on my e-scow skippering career and I am the luckiest person alive to be able to do something like this. I hope that the Midwest and other fleets will follow in there footsteps in letting young people be able to sail a boat like this. Its like being given a Nascar for free and have the opportunity to race with a top notch crew. Thanks again to the Bay Head Yacht Club and Mantoloking Yacht Club, the race committee and Art and Russ and well done to everyone that participated in E-scow Easterns! See you next year!

 NCESA OFFICE: P.O. Box 3022, Madison, WI 53704-0022, 608-347-1480, lon@E-Scow.org