9/04/2022: Ida May wins 63rd Annual Deal Island-Chance Lion's Club Skipjack Race

[ida may]

On Labor Day 2022, the skipjack, Ida May, again has won the 63rd Annual Deal Island-Chance Lion's Club Skipjack Race with the legendary, Shawn Ridgley, as Captain.  This continues her unbeaten streak of four races from 2017-2020 that was only interrupted in 2021 by repairs that left her unable to race that year.  Shawn Ridgley is the captain to beat on the Bay, and the Ida May and Shawn will continue on to Cambridge for the race on the 24th of September, where they also have an unbeaten streak of four races to defend.  

The Deal Island Race was a perfect sailing day on the Tangier Sound.  The wind was 10-15 knots and  Capt. Shawn had the Ida May moving up to 7 knots at some points of the race.  The Ida May was not the first to cross the starting line when the gun sounded at 9:30AM.  The Somerset crossed first and the Ida May followed her all the way to the first red buoy near Sharkfin Shoal.  The Somerset was also the first boat to round that first buoy, but the Ida May soon caught her on the long second leg of the course south and never relinquished the lead.  The race was shortened during the race and the new finish line was the red buoy in between South Marsh and Little Deal Island.  The Ida May pulled away from the rest of the boats and won without any close competitors.   Somerset came in second and the Nathan in third.  The owners and crew of the Ida May congratulate Captain Shawn Ridgley on another historic win and wish him many more to come.