9/24/2022: Ida May wins the Choptank Heritage Race in Cambridge MD

[ida may]

With Captain Shawn Ridgley at the helm, the Ida May won the Choptank Heritage Race in Cambridge MD on September 24, 2022.  It was an exciting race and a perfect day to sail: just enough wind but not too much; 5 to 10 knots.  Our start was not very good and we began in last place.  The wind died on us when we were trying to make our tack towards the starting line.  All our momentum was lost and we were unable to turn.  We had to build up momentum again, but again we didn't have enough speed to turn, so we had to try a third time.  Meanwhile, the starting gun had gone off and the other boats were headed toward the starting line.  The HM Krentz was the first to cross the line and built a commanding lead early on.  We, on the Ida May, were getting perilously close to the rocks, but the third try tacking worked, and we made our turn towards the starting line.  We built up speed, put our centerboard down, and made it just inside the starting buoy on our starboard side.  We were in last place and if we were going to win today we would have to pass them all.  We quickly began to catch up to the fleet, steal their wind, and sail by them.  We caught the Nathan, then the Messenger, then the Wilma Lee, then the Rebecca Ruark, and finally, the HM Krentz.  It seemed like the Ida May could point better than the other boats and they had to do much more tacking than we did to reach the same buoys.  Shawn is also an amazing sailor and captain.  The race committee expanded the course, thinking that with the amount of wind there was today, that the race would go by quick, but unfortunately, the Ida May was the only one able to finish the race.  We started at 10 am and finished just a few minutes after noon.  The rest of the boats were still far behind and it looked like there was a race for second between the HM Krentz and the Rebecca Ruark.  The race stopped after we finished the course and wherever the boats were in the race when it stopped was where they placed.  Boththe Krentz and the Rebecca thought they got second but it was the Krentz that got the official recognition.  Rebecca Ruark had to settle for third.  Another great race by the Ida May and Capt. Shawn Ridgley!