Chesapeake
20s
Racing Results and WRSC News throughout World War II
The Home News
Galesville, MD
1944-1946
The Home News was a weekly Galesville publication and sent to residents who were serving in the Armed Forces. The publication was a means of “keeping in touch” for those in the service and supported by volunteer contributions. News about West River Sailing Club and race results on Chesapeake 20s were frequent news item. Many of the service members had raced Chesapeake 20s prior to joining the service and are listed in the mailing list including Johny Coughlin, Carroll Smith, Laurence Hartge, Robert Hartge, Buddy Hartge, John Nairn, Richard Hines, Eldridge Lang, Robert Leatherbury, Nelson Parks, Hugh Wallis, John and Neal Kramer, and others. These servicemen like to learn the lastest Chesapeake 20 results. Excerpts from weekly newsletters:
April 1, 1944: Edmund Hartge has the Ranger ready to go and is cussin the visitors around the boat yard.
April 8, 1944: Laurence Hartge is the first man to enter the armed forces from Galesville. Capt. Oxcar and Miss Alice have given five boys to the service.
May 27, 1944: The first meeting of the WRSC was held at Zang’s Pier on Sunday with the following members present: Dick Hartge, Bud Kline, Elsie Schlegel, Sue Dixon, Ritchies Park, Bobby Harte, Charfles Woodfield, Capt. Oscar Hartge, J. Edw. Smith, Buddy Hartge, Billy Heintz, Vernon Gingell, Jimmy Dunleavy, Louis Zang, Eric Steinlein, Margorie Smith, Edmond Hartge, Walter Windsor and Nelson Smith, Sr. Earnest (Dick) Hartge was elected Commodore; Lous Zang – Vice Commodore, C. Earle Kline, Secretary & Treasurer. Yours Truly and Staff (Mayor Edw. Smith)will undoubtedly be called upon to conduct the races. The first race will be held June 4th from Zang’s Pier, beginning at 3 o’clock instead of 2:30. The entire club will attend the regattas at Annapolis and Oxford, and the skippers will be allowed to miss two more races if they wish to attend other regattas. The West River Sailing Club Regatta will be held, as usual, during the Labor Day weekend. There are forty nine members of the Sailing Club now in the service. Jack Zimmer, skipper of “Babs” is an ensign in the USCG and is stationed in Washington D.C. Jack, we certainly hope you will not let your duties interfere with your sailing, as we are still short of gun shells for starting the races.
June 10, 1944: Last Sunday at 3:00 P.M., the sailboat races got off to an auspicious start with a fine sailing breeze from the east and rather cool weather. The boats started from Zang’s pier, following the course to Scaffold Creek – to Parrish Creek – and back to the starting line. Each boat had about 4 in its crew. When the horn blew (instead of starting gun – saving the shells for ducks) Billy Heintz sailing “Windward” took the lead, with Edmund Hartge, sailing Ranger, next. When the boats sailed out of sight from Zang’s Pier they still held the same positions. But that old reliable sailor, Dick Hartge, passed them somewhere along the course and came in first. As usual, after the race was over, the best sailing was done on the dock, and tomorrow will see all last week’s sailing errors corrected, according to skippers and crews.
The boats finished in the following order:
1 – Chesapeake – Dick Hartge 5 – Vanity – Vernon Gingell
2 – Windward – Billy Heintz 6 – Endeavor – Marguerite Jansky
3-Cuttysark – Buddy Hartge 7- Loch Lomond – Ritchie Park
4-Ranger – Edmund Hartge 8 – Dixie – Louis Zang
June 17, 1944: Sunday was an ideal day for the 2nd sailboat race. There was a fine steady breeze from the nor-east. The course was: from Zang’s Pier to the red flasher on Bear Neck to Middle Ground, back to Bear Neck and ending at Zang’s Pier. Dick Hartge in Chesapeake got away to a fine start, taking the lead. But, Buddy Hartge in Cuttysark beat him over the finish line, by about 10 seconds. All of the boats were well up in the race, finishing pretty close together.
1 - Cuttysark – Buddy Hartge 6 - Vanity – Nelson Smith
2 - Chesapeake – Dick Hartge 7 – Ranger – Capt. Oscar Hartge
3 – Windward – Billy Heintz 8 – Loch Lomond – Ritchie Park
4 – Endeavor – Marguerite Janski 9 – Dixie – Mr. Shepp
5 – Strutaway – Kenneth Boyd
June 24, 1944: Third race of the Summer Series – June 18th. Weather – clear – good sailing breeze from Southeast. Course – Zang’s Pier to Back Bay Beach to Scafford Creek – twice around. Vanity capsized at Back Bay Beach marker, but extreme alertness and good seamanship Vernon Gingell and his crew righted the boat and finished in third place.
1 – Cuttysark – Buddy Hartge 6 – Ranger – Edmund Hartge
2 – Windward – Billy Heintz 7 – Dixie – Mr. Shepp
3 – Vanity – Vernon Gingell 8 – Loch Lomond – Ritchie Park
4 – Chesapeake – Dick Hartge 9 – Strutaway – Kenneth Boyd
5 – Endeavor – Margurite Jansky
July 1, 1944: The fourth race of the summer series was the most exciting, to date. The weather was clear and cool, with a strong north-northwest wind. In fact, the Dixie and Loch Lomond did not sail – the Dixie did not have enough crew and Lock Lomond’s sails were torn. The course was from Zang’s Pier to Scafford Creek to Back Bay Beach – twice around. Vanity led everything right up to the finish line where the Cuttysark on the starboard tack, cut him off and finished first.
1 – Cuttysark – Buddy Hartge 4 – Ranger – Edmund Hartge
2 – Vanity – Vernon Gingell 5 – Chesapeake – Dick Hartge
3 – Windward – Billy Heintz 6 – Endeavor – Marguerite Jansky
July 8, 1944: There was less wind for the fifth race of the Summer Series than there was been to date. There was a very light breeze from the east-northeast. The course was from Zang’s Pier to Cedar Point Buoy, to back Bay Beach and back to Zang’s Pier – once around.
1 – Cuttysark – Buddy Hartge 6 – Babs – Jack Zimmer
2 – Dixie – Mr. Shepp 7 – Endeavor – Marguerite Jansky
3 – Chesapeake – R. Presson 8 – Strutaway – Kenneth Boyd
5 – Vanity – Vernon Gingell
July 15, 1944: For the sixth race of the summer series, there was a strong breeze from the southest. The course was from Zang’s Pier to Rhode River Beacon to Parrish Creek to Scafford Creek, finishing at Zang’s Pier. Dick Hartge in Chesapeake led the pack all the way.
1 – Chesapeake – Dick Hartge 5 - Ranger – Edmund Hartge
2 – Vanity – Vernon Gingell 6 – Loch Lomond – Richie Park
3 – Windward – Billy Heintz 7 – Endeavor – Marguerite Jansky
4 – Cuttysark – Buddy Hartge 8. Strutaway – Kenneth Boyd
July 22, 1944: A good sailing breeze from the southeast was welcomed by the skippers for the seventh race of the summer series. The course was from Zang;s Pier to Back Bay Beach, to Rhode River to Parrish Creek to Scafford Creek ending at Zang’s Pier. Dick Hartge in Chesapeake was again winner.
1 – Chesapeake – Dick Hartge 5 – Cuttysark – Oscar Hartge
2 – Windward – Billy Heintz 6 – Ranger – Edmund Hartge
3 – Vanity – Vernon Gingell 7 – Dixie – Mr. Shepp
4 – Endeavor – Marguerite Janksy 8 - Loch Lomond – Ritchies Park
9 – Strutaway – Kenneith Boyd
July 29, 1944: There was a moderate southeast breeze for the 8th race of the summer series. The course was from Zang’s Pier to Back Bay Beach to Rhode River. This course has become very popular with the sailors when the wind is from the southwest. Buddy Hartge, although not feeling too well after being in the hospital, brought the Cuttysark in winner.
1 – Cuttysark – Buddy Hartge 6 – Endeavor – Marguerite Jansky
2 – Chesapeake – Dick Hartge 7 – Ranger – Edmund Hartge
3 – Vanity – Vernon Gingell 8 – Loch Lomond – Ritchie Park
4 – Windward – Billy Heintz 9 – Strutaway – Kenneth Boyd
5 – Dixie – Mr. Shepp
August 5, 1944: For the 9th race of the summer series there was a moderate southerly breeze. The course was from Zang’s Pier to Rhode River Beacon to Council’s buoy, back to Rhode River, finishing at Zang’s Pier. Billy Heintze brought in Windward as winner.
1 – Windward – Bill Heintz 5 – Cuttysark – Buddy Hartge
2 – Vanity – Vernon Gingell 6 – Endeavor – Marguerite Jansky
3 – Chesapeake – Dick Hartge 7 – Loch Lomond – Ritchie Park
4 – Ranger – Edmund Hartge
August 12, 1944: For the 10th race of the summer series, there was a slight breeze from the north. The course was from Zang’s Pier to Scafford Creek to Back Bay Beach, twice around. Dick Hartge again brought Chesapeake in as winner, to take the lead in the series.
1 – Chesapeake – Dick Hartge 5 – Vanity – Vernon Gingell
2 – Cuttysark – Buddy Hartge 6 – Endeavor – Marguerite Jansky
3 – Windward – Billy Heintz 7 – Loch Lomond – Ritchie Park
4 – Dixie – Frank Tutwiler
August 19, 1944: West River was cleaned out of sailboats on Sunday the 13th, all of them having gone to Oxford for the regatta. To date we have had no unfavorable reports as to the proper decorum of the West River gang. The weather was unusually hot as we suspect, were some of the participants and spectators.
There was only two races on Sunday, Chesapeake and Cuttysark tied for first place in the 20 foot class.
August 20, 1944: There was a moderate southeast breeze for the eleventh race of the summer series. The course ws from Zang’s Pier to Back Bay Beach to Scafford Creek to Parrish Creek, back to Scafford Creek to Back Bay and finishing at Zang’s Pier. Dick Hartge took the lead and increased it, finishing first by 3 minutes and 57 seconds. Incidentally, there is only one more race before the regatta.
1 – Chesapeake – Dick Hartge 6 – Four Aces – Clyde Cruit
2 – Windward – Billy Heintz 7 – Endeavor – Marguerite Jansky
3 – Vanity – Vernon Gingell 8 – Dixie – F. Lutwiler
4 – Cuttyshark – Buddy Hartge 9 – Loch Lomond – Ritchies Park
5 – Edmund Hartge
September 2, 1944: For the 12th and final race of the summer series, there was a light north-northeast breeze. Vernon Gingell brought Vanity in first while its former owner, Ozzie Owings, looked on and cheered from Zang’s Pier.
1 – Vanity – Vernon Gingell 6 –Dixie – Frank Tutwiler
2 – Windward – Billy Heintz 7 – Four Aces – Clyde Cruit
3 – Ranger – Edmund Hartge 8 – Endeavor – Marguerite Jansky
4 – Chesapeake – Louis Zang 9 – Loch Lomond – Ritchie Park
5 – Cuttysark – Oscar Hartge
Enthusiasm is running high around here for the Regatta this weekend and we are all hoping for good sailing weather.
A former commodore of the Sailing Club, Carroll Smith, wrote us from New Guinea criticizing the layout of some of our sailing courses, saying that if we would place a marker at Belgrove and a bush at Cap’n Harvey’s store, we will have taken in all of the surrounding area. But knowing Carroll as we do, we know this is just sarcasm: for these round-about courses have been very popular with both skippers and the shore-bound spectators.
September 9, 1944: The fifteenth Annual Regatta of the West River Sailing Club was held on Saturday and Sunday of the Labor Day weekend with six classes of boats participating in addition to Girls and Boys races which were sailed on the previous Saturday.
The first race was held at 6:00 PM on Saturday. There was a light breeze from the southeast which became practically nothing before the end of the race. The course was from Zang’s Pier to Back Bay Beach to Scafford Creek, ending at Zang’s Pier. On Sunday, the races were started at 10:00 A.M. and 2:30 P.M. respectively. For both races, there was a strong breeze from the northwest, and the course for both morning and afternoon races was from Cedar Point Buoy to Scafford Creek to Parrish Creek – twice around.
1944 Summer Series
1 – Chesapeake - Dick Hartge
2 – Windward – Billy Heintz
3 – Cuttysark – Buddy Hartge
15th Annual Regatta – 1944
1 – Windward – Billy Heintz
2 – Chesapeake – Dick Hartge
3 – Vanity – Vernon Gingell
May 19, 1945: It doesn’t seem possible that the time has come to start publishing Sailing Club news again, but here it is: At the meeting of the West River Sailing Club last Sunday, it was voted to retain last year’s officers for this year, due mainly to war membership shortage. The first race of the season will be held on June 3rd. Races this year will start at 2:30 instead of 3:00 o’clock (as of last year) in order to give some of the sailing service men time to return to their bases. It was also decided that, if possible, some of the races would be started down the River instead of having all of them start off Zang’s Pier.
Considering the limited personnel of the Sailing Club, due to the war, enthusiasm is running high. Already there has been scraping and painting of boats: a little change here, and a slight change there; and most of them are ready and rarin’ to go. The Racing Committee is pressing out the flags, tuning up the horn, and polishing up the old gun just in case somebody should donate some shells.
June 2, 1945: Tomorrow is the big day for the start of the racing season, and enthusiasm is running high. The boats and skippers expected to race this year are: Chesapeake – Dick Hartge; America – Edmond Hartge; Loch Lomond – Ritchie Park; Vanity – Vernon Gingell; Rainbow – Midge Phillips; Cuttysark – Buddy Hartge; Ranger – Louis Zang; Windward – Bill Heintz; Endeavor – Curtis Jansky and Yankee – E. Harder.
With these fine skippers, their crews and their tried and true craft, and the ever faithful racing committee (Cap’n Eddie, Sue Dixon and Betty Jane Dixon), it looks as though we]re in for a might good season.
June 9, 1945: The 1945 Racing Season got off to a fresh breeze start – and what a breeze! Probably the strongest northwest since we have been racing. All of the 16 footers capsized. Consequently, no race was scored. The course was – Cedar Point to Scafford Creek to Parish Creek, twice around, everything to starboard. Billy Heintz really showed the boys how to sail in a breeze.
1 – Windward – Bill Heintz 6 – Ranger – Louis Zang
2 – Cuttysark – Buddy Hartge 7 – Yankee – Earl Harder
3 – America – Edmund Hartge 8 – Rainbow – Midge Phillips
4 – Chesapeake – Dick Hartge 9 – Loch Lomond – Ritchie Park
5 – Vanity – Vernon Gingell 10 – Endeavor – Curtis Jansky
June 16, 1945: The second race of the summer series gave the shore sightseers a chance to view view most of the race. The course was from Zang’s Pier to back Bay Beach to Scafford Creek, twice e around, all markers to port. There was a steady southeast breeze. Chesapeake, sailed by Dick Hartge, came in first to beat Windward, sailed by Bill Heintz, by 57 seconds.
1 – Chesapeake – Dick Hartge 6 – America – Edmund Hartge
2 – Windward – Bill Heintz 7 – Rainbow – Midge Phillips
3 – Ranger – Louis Zang 8 – Four Aces – Clyde Cruitt
4 – Cuttysark - Buddy Hartge 9 – Yankee – Earl Harder
5 – Vanity – Vernon Gingell 10 – Loch Lomond – Ritchie Park
June 23, 1945: The third summer series race looked as though it was going to be one of those hot, drifting matches. The heat stayed, but a light breeze sprang up from the southeast and turned it into a very interesting context. The course was – Cedar Point to Parish Creek to Scafford Creek, twice around, all markers to port.
1 – Windward – Bill Heintz 7 – Vanity – Vernon Gingell
2 – Chesapeake – Dick Hartge 8 – Rainbow – Midge Phillips
3 – Cuttysark – Buddy Hartge 9 – Endeavor – Curtis Jansky
4 – Yankee – Earl Harder 10 – Loch Lomond – Ritchie Park
5 – Ranger – Louis Zang 11 – America – Edmund Hartge
June 30, 1945: Our fourth race started from Zang’s Pier to Back Beach to Scaffold Creek, twice around, everything to port. A slight southeast breeze held.
1 – Chesapeake – Dick Hartge 6 – Rainbow – Midge Phillips
2 – Yankee – W. Lawson 7 – America – Edmund Hartge
3 – Four Aces – Clyde Cruitt 8 – Vanity – Vernon Gingell
4 – Ranger – Louis Zang 9 – Endeavor – Curtis Jansky
5 – Cuttysark – Buddy Hartge
July 7, 1945: The fifth race of the summer series was held down the River. The course was from Cedar Point to the Nun Buoy off Bear Neck to Rhode River Beacon, once around. This course was chosen because at the start of the race there was a light breeze from the southwest and the course was to have been from Cedar P:oint to the Nun Buoy to Middleground: but the wind changed to the south, whereby necessitating changing the course to Rhode River.
It was the closes race of the year, it being practically a photo finish among Chesapeake, Ranger and Mischief. The Mischief won by a few seconds (Mischief, owned and sailed by W. Lawson, was formerly Earl Harder’s Yankee.)
July 14, 1945: Members of the West River Sailing Club attended the Eighth Annual Regatta of the Annapolis Yacht Club on July 7th and 8th. The sixteen foot and twenty food classes raced from West River to Annapolis on Saturday afternoon. Chesapeake, won by Dick Hartge, was winner in the twenty-food class. Chesapeake also won the regatta series.
July 21, 1945: The sailboat races were called off last Sunday because of rain and lack of wind at sailing time. As far as we can learn, this is the second time in history that a series race has been called off.
July 28, 1945: Heavy rains and storms continued thorough last weekend, delaying the start of the 6th race of the summer series. The races began at 4:30, the course being Zang’s Pier to Rhode River Beacon to Back Bay Beach and back to the starting line, everything to port. At the start there was a light northeast breeze which changed to a light southeast before the end of the race. Dick Hartge, sailing Chesapeake, into first place, and was given a close shave by Ranger sailed by Louis Zang.
1 – Chesapeake – Dick Hartge 5 – Mischief – Dr. Lawson
2 – Ranger – Louis Zang 6 – America – Edmond Hartge
3 – Cutty Sark – Buddy Hartge 7 – Vanity – Bob White
4 – Windward – Bill Heintz 8 - Loch Lomond – Ritchie park
August 4, 1945: The seventh race of the summer series started, together with a deluge of rain, promptly at 2:30. Rain continued throughout the race. The course was: Zang’s Pier to Rhode Rive to Back Bay Beach. The breeze was from north-northwest, changing to east as the race progressed. Edmund Hartge sailed the America for the first place.
1 – America – E. Hartge 4 – Rainbow – M. Phillips
2 – Ranger – L. Zang 5 – Cuttyshark – Buddy Hartge
3 – Endeavor – C. Jansky 6 – Chesapeake – D. Hartge
There will be no races on West River this weekend as the Club elected to attend the Oxford Regatta.
August 11, 1945: Because of a Sailing Club meeting called for Sunday afternoon at the close of the races, the 8th race of the Summer Series was called for 2 o’clock instead of the usual 3 o’clock. In the first part of the race, Clyde Cruitt sure threw a scare into the boys as he was ukp front a good part of the way.
1 – Mischief – W. Lawson 6 – America – E. Hartge
2 – Ranger – L. Zang 7 – Cuttysark – B. Hartge
3 – Rainbow – M. Phillips 8 – Four Aces – C. Cruitt
4 – Chesapeake – D. Hartge 9 – Endeavor – C. Jansky
5 – Windward – B. Heintz 10 – Loch Lomond – R. Park (DNF)
August 18, 1945: No race was held here at West River last Sumday as most of the sailboats attended the Tred Avon Club Regatta in Oxford. Several large motor boats and yachts towed the sailboats across the Bay to Oxford on Saturday afternoon and evening, returning on Sunday evening. The winner in the 20 foot class was Rainbow sailed by Midge Phillips.
August 25, 1945: A light easterly breeze held for the ninth race of the summer series. The course was from Zang’s Pier to the Red Beacon off Bear Neck to the Black Buoy at Cedar Point, twice around, with everything to starboard. Windward sailed by Bill Heintz came from behind to win.
1 – Windward – B. Heintz 5 – Endeavor – C. Jansky
2 – Mischief – W. Lawson 6 – Four Aces – C. Cruitt
3 – Chesapeake – D. Hartge 7 – Rainbow – M. Phillips
4 – Ranger – L. Zang 8 – Cuttysark – B. Hartge
September 1, 1945: The 10th and last race of the Summer Series was sailed down the river by the 20 Foot Class, and up the river by the 16 Footers. A strong northwest wind held. Only 5 boats in the 20 foot Class participated. The course: from Cedar Point to Scafford Creek to Parish Creek, once around, with everything to starboard. Capt Louis Zang brought Ranger in first.
1 – Ranger – L. Zang 4 – Mischief – W. Lawson
2 – Cuttysark – B. Hartge 5 – Windward – B. Heintz
3 – Chesapeake – D. Hartge
September 8, 1945:
1945 Summer Series Results
1 – Chesapeake – Dick Hartge
2 – Windward – Billy Heintz
3 – Ranger – Louis Zang
4 – Mischief – Walter Lawson
5 – Cuttysark – Buddy Hartge
6 – America – Edmund Hartge
7 – Rainbow – Midge Phillips
Vanity (Vernon Gingell); Endeavor (Curtis Jansky); Four Aces (Clyde Cruit), Loch Lomond (Ritchies Park) also sailed by missed more than three races, and so could not be considered in the running.
1945 REGATTA
The 16th annual regatta of the West River Sailing Club was held on Saturday and Sunday of the Labor Day weekend, with the Girls and Boys races sailed on Monday. A total of 38 boats sailed in 5 classes represented, which is just about half the number of boats that participated before the war. Even so, we of the club feel that we have been fortunate to be able to continue the summer series and the regatta during the war. With the exception of 2 or 3 times, we ran all the races from Zang’s Pier, thereby eliminating the use of war-time gasoline.
The first race of the Regatta was sailed from Zang’s Pier at 6 p.m. on Saturday. The course – Zang’s Pier to Back Bay Beach to Scafford Creek, twice around. There being a heavy due-south breeze, each skipper tried to pick four of the heaviest crewmen he could find. Edmund Hartge brought the Vanity in first in the 20 ft Class. For the 2nd race, sailed at 10 A.M. on Sunday, there was a fair breeze from the west-southwest. The course: Zang’s Pier to Middleground to Nun Buoy. The winner was Windward – Billy Heintz. The 3rd race was sailed at 3 P.M. Sunday with a fair breeze from the east – southeast. Course: Zang’s Pier to Parrish Creek to Rhode River Beacon, twice around. The winner in 20 footers was Chesapeake – Dick Hartge.
Results
1 – Windward – Billy Heintz
2 – Chesapeake – Dick Hartgge
3 – Babs – Vernon Gingell
December 15, 1945: Dick Hartge, another veteran (World War I) is also back home after sailing an hunting in Florida and Bahamas….Some of the returned veterans (World War II) have been hopefully waiting for Dick to get back to start building 20 Footers. However, there seems to be some doubt as to whether or not the material will be available.