Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Welcome back. The Quincy Bay Race Week association keeping up a longtime maritime tradition here in the City of Presidents with the annual regatta. It's coming up this weekend. And we have two folks here that you may recognize from past programs to tell us about the association and about this year's event. So welcome please to Jon Stewart, Frank Hart. Guys, good to see you both.
[00:00:20] Speaker B: Good to see you. Joe. Thanks for having us.
[00:00:22] Speaker A: It's a pleasure always to speak about this. Frank, we are seeing you in front of the camera for a change.
[00:00:27] Speaker B: For a change.
[00:00:28] Speaker A: Volunteer here at QATV and crew member on this program. How are we able to. To do it without you behind the scenes there?
[00:00:33] Speaker B: I think you brought a robot in this time. I thought I saw a strange looking dog walking around.
[00:00:39] Speaker A: But a true testament to your commitment to getting the local programming out to the community. But in particular about this particular event and about the association. So, John, I thought we could maybe start with you, if that's okay.
[00:00:50] Speaker C: Sure.
[00:00:51] Speaker A: President of the association, right?
[00:00:53] Speaker C: PM Nicia. Yes.
[00:00:54] Speaker A: Yes. Congratulations.
[00:00:55] Speaker C: Thank you. It's almost over and for folks who
[00:00:58] Speaker A: aren't aware, although it's been around for a very long time.
[00:01:01] Speaker C: Yeah. 89 years. This is our 89th year. And you know, there's a lot of elders that kept it in place for decades and I've been involved almost 30 years now. Have you? It's a rewarding thing to do.
[00:01:14] Speaker A: What's the history of the association itself?
[00:01:16] Speaker C: It was originally five clubs and that was Swanum, Wollaston, Quincy, Town, river and Marymount. Marymount. Thank you.
[00:01:29] Speaker A: Thank you, Frank.
[00:01:30] Speaker C: Thank you. There are eight now, Right. South Shore is involved and Metropolitan and Braintree Yacht Club. And of course Marymount went away years ago, but they're, they're still thought of and you know, we appreciate the help.
[00:01:44] Speaker A: Sure.
[00:01:44] Speaker C: Keeping this thing together.
[00:01:45] Speaker A: Yeah. So these individual yacht clubs kind of got together, what, 1937.
[00:01:51] Speaker C: Yes. And said, you know, they basically to perpetuate their own existence, you know, make the kids learn how to learn how to boat. And it's something you can do as a family for forever.
[00:02:01] Speaker A: Right.
[00:02:02] Speaker C: And my children get into it and my son raced and became an instructor and it was great for my family. He now owns a boat and we get to have let's fix things discussions as opposed to a father, son.
[00:02:14] Speaker A: Well, that's the bigger picture, right? It is.
[00:02:18] Speaker C: We're caretakers. You know, when I look at the clubs I consider was here before us, somebody had the gall to start it and to put it in place and run it for decades. And we're custodians leave it better than you found it when we're done.
[00:02:33] Speaker A: So was it two things that kind of happened, John? Was it. The association was formed and then you had the first regatta also.
[00:02:39] Speaker C: I believe that happened together.
[00:02:40] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:02:41] Speaker C: The first year was, you know, the eight clubs getting together or the five at the time and saying, you know, we challenge you and you know the definition of two boats going in the same direction, It's a race.
[00:02:51] Speaker A: Right, and make it a race. Yeah, exactly. But it's kind of developed from something that was already in existence on the North Shore. Right?
[00:02:57] Speaker C: Yeah. I mean the. They've been racing for years and the clubs, what it really does, it's a farm team for the next generation of kids coming through or adults. If I look in the wall at Town River Yacht Club, for example, probably two thirds of the last 20 years of Commodores came through the juniors program and sailed and grew to love boating through sailing.
[00:03:19] Speaker A: Right, exactly.
[00:03:21] Speaker C: And to see the kids, day one, their spinning in circles and have no idea what they're doing. And two weeks later, you know it. They're superstars and you know, they get it. They're all alone. They have to figure it out. There's no phone, there's no, you know, you have a coach out there helping you. But at the same time, you know, learning how to adjust your boat to this, to the wind and to the current and it's a. It can be difficult for the kids. And you know, you see them, they come into their own and they gain a little bit of.
A little bit of self knowledge as to where they are. And it's great to watch. It's humbling.
[00:03:56] Speaker A: I would think it'd be very rewarding
[00:03:58] Speaker C: to realize they were school all summer, Right?
[00:04:01] Speaker A: Exactly.
[00:04:01] Speaker C: They're learning everything from the environment to math and bringing up 10 degrees, drop it down 10 degrees, the winds, adjust your boat to the wind into the water and.
[00:04:11] Speaker A: Right. Teamwork as well. Right.
[00:04:13] Speaker C: Camaraderie and communication. And you'll see some of the kids who may not be in the same schools together and they, they know each other better than they do at school.
[00:04:20] Speaker B: That's right.
[00:04:21] Speaker A: Yeah. So it's a bigger picture. And Frank, you're nodding your head the whole time because you've experienced it.
[00:04:28] Speaker B: There was a meeting in 1937. Of the five clubs in 1938, they held the first regatta, but they weren't the first to race in Quincy Bay. Like you say, there's been racing going on there.
Quincy Yacht Club was one of the first ones in the Area. They just celebrated their 150th last year.
And so there was racing going on in the bay and out into Quincy Bay, Massachusetts Bay, with a little bit larger boats.
But they brought this Quincy Bay Race Week association together then.
And in all its years, They've only missed two regattas. One during World War II and one during COVID Right. Yeah, that was it. Other than that, it's been held every year.
[00:05:10] Speaker A: That really is a testament to the importance, I think, that it holds in. In people's lives, but also in the rich history of maritime tradition here in the city, which dates back well before then.
[00:05:22] Speaker C: Oh, yeah.
[00:05:24] Speaker A: For something to last for so long, through so much turmoil and still be very popular speaks volumes, I think, to its importance.
[00:05:33] Speaker B: Yep. And I want to thank QATV for helping when we put that 16 millimeter tape from the 1965 regatta together and digitized it, and it's out on the QATV website now. I sure will find it there. So if anybody wants to see what regatta looked like in 16 millimeter film back then, you're welcome to view it.
[00:05:57] Speaker A: Well, it's a great piece of Quincy history, right? It is, yeah. We're happy to help preserve it as well. So, John, let's talk about this year's regatta.
It's only two days this year, right? Instead of four days.
[00:06:08] Speaker C: Yes, we are. Normally we do the outside line on the weekends and the juniors, the inside line, the smaller boats on a Thursday, Friday. But because of the tall ships and because of the 3rd of July and the way everything dropped in together, the police marine units were a little bit stretched. We always coordinate with them because they are our safety on the water and they keep an eye on these kids and help us out greatly with boat traffic and just minimizing putting the kids in the line of fire.
[00:06:34] Speaker A: So it was a little logistical decision.
[00:06:36] Speaker C: Yeah, we bend to them, you know, we call them and make sure that we coordinate and satisfy their needs.
[00:06:41] Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely. So. So it's July 18th and 19th.
[00:06:45] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:06:45] Speaker A: Right.
[00:06:46] Speaker C: Over at Town River Yacht Club this year.
And, you know, it's. It'll be a fun, fun weekend. It always is. I mean, the kids, you know, we end up with those clubs. And we usually have visitors from other clubs.
Oftentimes the city sailing program will come over from Black's Creek.
Some of the North Shore boats will come down. Oh, they do cottage park. And some of those clubs will send down sailors. And every once in a while we'll get the Dallas river boats to come along. And, you know, the kids don't get out of the river very often and don't, you know, they race each other but they don't race others.
[00:07:20] Speaker A: Different experience too on the ocean.
[00:07:22] Speaker C: It is, it is, yeah. Than the river certainly, you know, there's different currents and you know, different winds.
[00:07:28] Speaker A: Yes, yeah. So two day event, as I mentioned, July 18th at Town River. That's the inside line, which is 18th and 19th. Which is what? Tell me about the inside line first at Town River.
[00:07:38] Speaker C: Yeah, the inside line. Smaller boats, the children's boats, they start off with the turnabouts and the, the optimists go to lasers. Eventually up to 420s.
The Widgeons are sailed by the city of Quincy and Blacks Creek, which are a little bit bigger boat with more people on it. Quincy has one or two of those as well.
So each of the different styles of boats has their own race and categories and awards.
So they start off in a small bathtub and work their way up.
[00:08:05] Speaker B: So this is one design racing, Joe, they call it.
[00:08:08] Speaker A: What is it? One design racing.
[00:08:09] Speaker B: One design racing.
So every boat in the race is the same boat.
It's not like they're competing against different types of boats.
[00:08:17] Speaker A: This is the inside line we're talking
[00:08:19] Speaker B: about and to some extent the outside line too. But we'll talk about the inside one. But just because it's one design racing. So the kids are racing. If you're in an Opti, you're racing against other Optis.
[00:08:33] Speaker A: I see. Okay.
[00:08:33] Speaker B: And then they have different levels of experience within the optis and the N10s, the turnabouts. So you might be, if you're new to it, you're racing against other people that are new to it.
[00:08:45] Speaker A: I see.
[00:08:45] Speaker B: And you're not racing against people that are more experienced than you are.
[00:08:48] Speaker A: They try to keep a level.
[00:08:49] Speaker B: Playing to try to keep it level. Yeah, yeah, very good.
[00:08:52] Speaker A: So what time does the, the July 18th Town River Yacht Club inside line race begin?
[00:08:59] Speaker B: Begins about 10am 10am 9:45 to to 10.
[00:09:04] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:09:05] Speaker B: There's a skippers meeting from 8 to 9 and they'll head out after that.
[00:09:08] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:09:09] Speaker C: And the registration also.
[00:09:10] Speaker A: Okay. And you know, when we talk inside line, outside line, I guess we should explain to folks what that means. You know, it's, there's not an actual line driven in the water.
It's an imaginary line. Right.
[00:09:24] Speaker B: They set up buoys.
[00:09:27] Speaker A: Yes.
[00:09:28] Speaker B: The race marks depending and that depends upon the wind directions.
And they usually race like down and back, I believe John, for the inside.
[00:09:37] Speaker C: Yeah, it varies. Sometimes triangle and sometimes straight line. They Call it a straight line. The sausage. The kids do. And it's triangle sausage or, you know, they have their own terms.
What are we, what are we selling today? Triangle sausage.
[00:09:50] Speaker A: Okay, so, but for, from a viewer's perspective, should they go to the Town River Yacht Club to watch it, they're
[00:09:57] Speaker C: welcome to come along. And the back deck. This year it's happening in front of the club, so they.
[00:10:01] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:10:02] Speaker C: You know, you have really good place to watch. If they want to get out on the docks and watch, they're welcome to do that as well.
[00:10:06] Speaker A: Okay. Where else would it be?
[00:10:08] Speaker C: A good vantage point? Many go out on the water. If you have an inflatable boat or, you know, you can go out and watch your kids out there.
I'm usually in the race committee as well, so I'm out in the water. And again, we adjust the line and the course based on the wind and, you know, set up. The first leg is always into the wind. So you set the course with, you know, have the kids work up to the wind on the first course on the first leg and then turn, make the corner and put up a chute. If you have on a spinnaker sail. Some of them sail with a sinnaker, some do not. So that's the belly sail that you see out there that's usually brightly colored.
[00:10:42] Speaker A: Oh, okay. So it starts at 10. What time does it end?
[00:10:45] Speaker C: It varies. It depends on how many races we can get in. We try to get three to five in.
[00:10:49] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:10:50] Speaker C: We like to give the kids at least three a day so that they, they have a throw out race, so to speak.
You know, if we do it, if we have enough races in, then they can pick one. Whatever their worst race is, they drop.
[00:11:01] Speaker A: Oh, okay.
[00:11:01] Speaker C: You know, gives them an opportunity to, you know, use their best finishes for their scoring ones.
[00:11:06] Speaker A: Sure. And how many boats per race, John?
[00:11:09] Speaker C: It varies. You know, overall, I mean, there were years when we had hundreds and that's kind of dropped down over the years, you know, through Covid and some of the things that we had. It's. But there's 30 to 50 on the water.
[00:11:19] Speaker A: Okay. So it makes quite a spectacle, I'm sure, for sure.
[00:11:23] Speaker C: And you know, it's a lot of different age groups and a lot of different levels of knowledge on the water.
[00:11:28] Speaker A: Yeah. And how many young sailors participate, would you say? Just roughly.
[00:11:32] Speaker C: Probably 70. You know, some of the boats have two to three people on them and you know, there's, there's more than, than one.
The widgeons in particular, they'll have, you know, three to five people per boat. The 420s usually have two to three, and then lasers Optimists have singles, and the turnabouts usually two.
[00:11:51] Speaker A: Okay. This is a race.
[00:11:53] Speaker C: Oh, yeah. Two boats going in the same direction. It's a race.
[00:11:56] Speaker A: Right.
What's the prize for the winner?
[00:11:58] Speaker C: I think it's trophies, basically. And bragging rights.
[00:12:02] Speaker A: Exactly.
[00:12:04] Speaker C: There's one young lady who bumped in over in front of West Augusta one year into Bass Rock, and no one's hit it since. So it's still her rock, Christina's Rock.
So there's bragging rights and there's also, you know, a little bit of competition in there that you hit the rock.
[00:12:18] Speaker A: Friendly rivalry, right?
[00:12:19] Speaker C: It is. It is. It's fun to watch. And, you know, the kids make it their own. Every year is a little bit different.
[00:12:24] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:12:24] Speaker C: You know, it's tumbling.
[00:12:26] Speaker A: That sounds like a lot of fun, actually. And is there an event at the Yacht Club after the inside?
[00:12:31] Speaker C: Yes, we'll have the awards. And then also we have a scholarship ceremony. We have some great benefactors who help us out.
Quincy, sorry.
Liberty Bay Credit Union, in particular, has been with us for years.
Some of the older members who have the ability have donated scholarships as well. There's one out of Braintree Yacht Club, Frank Heron.
The estate of a gentleman from Swanham, Henry Lamb. And Henry was an engineering teacher down at Mass Maritime. And he watched these kids in the water all summer, and then he went and taught them all winter, and he worked hard to make sure a lot of them completed their school.
[00:13:11] Speaker A: Yes,
[00:13:14] Speaker C: he was the man. He helped a lot of these kids out. And you watch, and he's still helping them out. You know, he's not here any longer.
[00:13:19] Speaker A: Scholarship. Right.
[00:13:20] Speaker C: You know, it's humbling to.
And his family. His children have stepped right in and done the same thing. It's very, very nice of them to do it.
[00:13:27] Speaker A: Yeah, very nice.
[00:13:28] Speaker C: Without them, we wouldn't be where we are.
[00:13:30] Speaker A: Sure.
So let's talk. Let's Talk about Sunday, July 19, at Wollaston Yacht Club. Outside line.
[00:13:37] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:13:37] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:13:38] Speaker C: Those are a little bit bigger boats, mostly adults.
They do the Thunderbirds and.
And the Hustlers.
And we're also doing a.
[00:13:48] Speaker B: Well, star boats.
[00:13:49] Speaker A: Starboats.
[00:13:50] Speaker B: That's true. Yeah. Starboats, actually, they usually come over. They come from Cottage Park. They usually come over and have a race on Saturday. They don't do Sunday.
The Hustlers will race Saturday and Sunday.
Thunderbirds will race Saturday and Sunday.
Depends how many show up.
The Hustler class has been around for over 100 years.
[00:14:12] Speaker A: Wow.
[00:14:13] Speaker B: It was very big in Quincy Bay.
And they're still out there now.
[00:14:18] Speaker A: Are these handmade boats? Are these wooden hull boats? You know, what's the.
[00:14:23] Speaker B: That one time.
[00:14:23] Speaker A: Yes, that one's on.
[00:14:25] Speaker B: No, now they're fiberglass.
[00:14:26] Speaker A: Okay. All right.
[00:14:27] Speaker C: Although
[00:14:29] Speaker B: the Thunderbirds. There was some Thunderbirds until fairly recently, there were plywood wooden bows that had fiberglass over them.
[00:14:38] Speaker A: Oh, I see.
[00:14:38] Speaker B: Over the plywood.
But they're pretty much all fiberglass now.
[00:14:42] Speaker A: Sure. Okay.
[00:14:43] Speaker C: And with the kids, the turnabouts, there are still some wooden ones out there. I bet there are. You know, they were designed locally up in the North Shore.
[00:14:50] Speaker A: Neat.
[00:14:51] Speaker C: You know, the N10s. Then there was a couple different variations. The Duplins and Duplans.
[00:14:55] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:14:56] Speaker C: And you know, the differences between the boats are so minute, and yet some hold those minute differences to be very important.
[00:15:05] Speaker A: Oh, I'm sure there's all kinds of sailing lore. Right.
[00:15:08] Speaker C: There's a little bit of different weight, there's a little bit of different. And, you know, it's interesting to watch,
[00:15:13] Speaker A: but there's a lot of skill involved. I mean, this is tremendous seamanship at its best, really.
You're not relying on power or anything.
You are it. Yeah.
[00:15:22] Speaker C: And when the wind turns you over, you know, the kids gotta figure out
[00:15:26] Speaker A: how to get back up. Right.
[00:15:26] Speaker C: Sit, you know, get out there, jump up and down on the end of the Senate board and try and pull it back up. And that's if the tip of the mast isn't in the mud.
[00:15:34] Speaker A: Oh, and you're really in trouble. Yeah. But as you said, the Quincy Police Marine Unit is there to assist.
[00:15:38] Speaker C: Yeah. And they. They are a.
They're just very special group of people.
[00:15:43] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:15:44] Speaker B: We usually get Quincy and sometimes the Weymouth.
[00:15:46] Speaker C: Yep. And Brain Tree has shown up as well.
[00:15:49] Speaker A: Yeah. Excellent.
[00:15:49] Speaker C: So the kids meet the police on a different level, you know.
[00:15:52] Speaker A: Correct.
[00:15:53] Speaker C: It's nice that, you know, they're being pulled out of the water by them. Hey, who are you?
[00:15:57] Speaker A: Right. Exactly.
[00:15:58] Speaker C: Thank you.
[00:15:59] Speaker A: But I guess they learned at that point, too that the boating community, John, is a very tight knit community. Right?
[00:16:05] Speaker C: It is.
[00:16:05] Speaker A: I mean, police, you know, starter sailors, you're all out there together and if
[00:16:10] Speaker C: you see somebody with an issue, you stop and give them a hand.
[00:16:12] Speaker A: Right. Yeah.
[00:16:12] Speaker C: You know, it's.
[00:16:15] Speaker A: Yeah. What time is the outside line races start on Sunday?
[00:16:19] Speaker B: Outside line races will be starting about noon.
[00:16:22] Speaker A: Noontime. Okay.
[00:16:22] Speaker B: It's. They're out of Wollaston Yacht Club, so
[00:16:25] Speaker A: right behind you, there is a picture of it.
[00:16:26] Speaker B: Yeah.
Anywhere on the beach you'll be able to see it. It'll be out towards Hangman's Island.
[00:16:32] Speaker A: Okay. Yep.
[00:16:33] Speaker B: Is where they have it. And they're planning two races on Saturday and one on Sunday.
And then their award ceremony will be Sunday at Wallace.
But also, we didn't have the summer sales list this year.
[00:16:47] Speaker A: That's right.
[00:16:49] Speaker B: So they're going to do a pursuit race, which is for larger boats, different categories, but there's PHRF performance, handicap racing formula.
So every boat has a rating. So what they do in these pursuit races is you get additional time so that to get around the course because your boat's slower than another boat.
So everybody starts at a different time with the idea that everybody finishes at the same time.
So that's being held. And that's for the Remick Trophy, which is what Frank. Which was donated by Frank. Frank Remick of Remick's Department store.
And so that's the trophy that goes to that race.
[00:17:35] Speaker A: Okay. And that's also on Sunday.
[00:17:38] Speaker B: That's just on Sunday.
[00:17:39] Speaker A: Just on Sunday. As part of the outside line.
[00:17:41] Speaker B: Yeah. It'll start a little. Maybe 11:30 ish or something like that. They're gonna start that one a little early, get them away. Then they can do the one design racing.
[00:17:51] Speaker A: Okay.
QuincyBayRaceWeek.com website to go to. Right. To get all the information and maybe be a donor at some point in the near future. John.
[00:18:01] Speaker C: Yeah. We publish a book as well, which is full of people who want, you know, pull an ad and donate some short money to us. And that is probably our biggest fundraiser.
[00:18:11] Speaker A: Is it?
[00:18:12] Speaker C: And it's, you know, it's a lot of work to put together, but, you know, it's nice to get out there and meet all the people that put the ads in and who care about the kids being in the water and listen to their stories of growing up on the water.
[00:18:25] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:18:26] Speaker B: There are links to some videos out on the website, too, from the previous two years. Good to know of racing.
[00:18:32] Speaker A: So excellent.
[00:18:33] Speaker B: We'll be doing videos again this year.
The guy doing the drone, Stefano, said he'll be back and he wants to try to do both the inside and the outside line this year. So looking forward.
[00:18:45] Speaker A: All right.
[00:18:45] Speaker B: First time he ever did it was last year, and it was just what he got.
[00:18:48] Speaker A: Some of the shots were just incredible. Yeah. It. With their own perspective.
[00:18:52] Speaker B: You did a great job.
[00:18:52] Speaker C: It's so much different when you're seeing it from the air than when you're on the water.
And I see it from the race
[00:18:58] Speaker A: committee from the waterside, gentlemen. Thank you both. It's been a lot of fun to talk about this. I wish you fair winds and following seas.
[00:19:07] Speaker B: Thank you, Joe.
[00:19:08] Speaker C: Well, thank you for your time, Joe.
[00:19:09] Speaker A: Oh, you're very welcome.
