1. Benefit Regatta 2016
Alice, Deni, Elise

2. Where? The Norfolk Yacht Country Club
What? A benefit regatta
Who? Fellows, the school community, and those in the wider community who want to get involved with the Bay
When? Mid-April
Where? The Norfolk Yacht Country Club
Why? To promote Bay awareness, educate anyone willing to learn in an interactive manner
How? With the help of the NA community, resources, and connections
This is just a brief overview of our project. As you probably know, we’re planning to host a benefit regatta at the Norfolk Yacht Club sometime in mid-april. We have a firm grasp of what we want to do, but we’re still coordinating with coaches to find a suitable date that works for everyone. We want to get the fellows, the school community, and those in the area who want to learn more about the Bay involved. Our ultimate goal is to promote more awareness of the human impact on the Bay in a memorable, interactive way. We’ve been planning and doing this with the help of Norfolk Academy’s resources and connections.

3. Preparation and Logistics
Attempted to contact Coach Shinofield
Correspondence with Jim Grady, director of Norfolk Yacht and Country Club
No spring schedule yet
Coach Knape is on board
Partnering with the Norfolk Academy Varsity Sailing Team
We started with an to coach shinofield. we pitched our idea and asked for the schedule but we had no luck with her. We still decided to go ahead and contact Jim Grady, the director of the Club. He seemed excited about our idea and was eager to keep correspondence with us as we made more plans, and mostly wanted to know our plans for the boats and a date. Norfolk Academy owns 12 boats at NYCC which is plenty, but we fell short on the date. This has been our biggest struggle so far. We are banking on Mid april, but as of our latest information, the sailing coaches have not yet finalized the schedule. It is not on the NA website or on the league sailing website. As soon as we have access, we will pick a weekend when the date can work for the sailing team and for us! However, we have talked to coach knape and varsity sailors who are very excited to help us out.

4. Regatta Schedule
8:30- Sailors, coaches, volunteers meet to rig boats, set up, review course
9:00- Sign in, arrive at NYCC, count numbers
9:15/9:30- Opening instructions and announcements, “skipper’s meeting”
10:00- Launch first session on water and begin land activities/presentations
End time TBD, depending on numbers
We’ll start the day by gathering everyone involved at around 830. This will be time to set up, rig boats, check the wind, make course adjustments if necessary. This would also be a great time for the rest of you to get there and set up some on land presentations. We’ll plan on having the rest of the participants arrive starting at 9 until 915 or 930. During this time we will get a check on numbers and begin to pair people up. after that time, Alice, Deni, and I will make some morning announcements and talk about our goal for the day. we’d love to have mr nelson and mrs goodson talk, also coach knape about sailing a little, and we are going to try to get a CBF rep be there to speak as well. in the sailing world this is called a skipper’s meeting. at around 10 or earlier, we will launch our first session on the water. depending on numbers we may have to stagger the launches. We can most likely accommodate max between people on the water at a time. Even on land there will be plenty to see and do. you guys will be showing off your completed projects and gearing up for symposium which will be just around the corner.

5. On-the-water Attractions
weather and wind permitting, we will have four sites on the water where sailors will take their boats. stopping at each of the four sites, or at least slowing down, sailors will know what to say and why these locations are important for the bay.

6. The Hermitage About 100 yards from NYCC
Oyster Balls in the water, large restoration project down the shore
Sailors will talk about the importance of oysters, their role in water filtration, and why populations are just rising after an all time low
Will also share information about the Hermitage’s wetland restoration project and the importance of wetlands to waterways and shorelines
I have been sailing past the hermitage for the past seven years, usually running into the sand bar infront of their oyster balls. however, this summer, I had the awesome opportunity to volunteer at the hermitage for two hours twice a week on wednesday and thursday mornings. I worked ankle deep in the wetland detritus, pulling out invasive grasses, watering plants, maintaining the shorelines, and really getting familiar with bugs. it was hard work but i saw a really important side to the hermitage that i had not known about before. lucky for the sailors, viewing the hermitage from the water provides the perfect venue to teach and learn about oyster restoration and wetland importance.

7. Oyster Reefs
The Elizabeth River Project, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and the City of Norfolk have been working on a comprehensive plan to restore the Lafayette River since 2012
There are two oyster reefs 300 yards from NYCC that can be viewed at low tide
Sailors here will again talk about the importance of oysters to the river, as well as ERP’s plan for restoration and the importance of community involvement
In 2011, the elizabeth river project launched a massive restoration plan to take place in the lafayette river. working with cbf and the city of norfolk, they have set many goals for making the river swimmable and fishable. they are building wetlands, rain gardens, oyster reefs, and installing informative and information signs around the shorelines. They are also getting schools and local businesses on board. This project is massive, and admittedly, I as a chesapeake bay fellow did not know about it until i did research. by showing off the incredibly successful oyster reefs right around the corner from norfolk yacht, we can not only teach people about the importance of oysters and wetlands, but we can make a big push for them to educate themselves on the ERP’s project and the numerous ways they can get involved.

8. ODU Wetlands Adjacent to the ODU Sailing Center on the Elizabeth River
Wetlands part of the ODU Drainage Canal and Wetlands Restoration Project
During this stop, sailors will discuss the importance of wetlands, especially the role of the ODU wetlands in restoring the Elizabeth River
The Elizabeth River Project collaborated with a few others to complete the ODU Drainage Canal and Wetlands Restoration Project to rehabilitate the existing wetlands and create constructed wetlands. The project involved the rehabilitation of a stormwater drainage channel, a check dam to capture sediment, and guide walls to reduce the turbulence of stormwater among other tasks. The project has played a large part in revitalizing the Elizabeth River.

9. Homeowner Shorelines
While passing homeowner shorelines, sailors will discuss erosion, living shorelines, and bulkheads
Sailors will also talk about erosion in Larchmont and the importance of shorelines
NOAA has warned that Hampton Roads, particularly Larchmont, is at the greatest risk from sea-level rise, save for New Orleans. Because Larchmont is so low (and sinking) and the climate has warmed, it’s suffered major erosion from storms and flooding, which also affects property values. As a result, erosion and preventing erosion through shorelines is becoming a more important topic that we need to address and inform others about.

10. Second Semester Plan Work out remaining logistics
Organize and carry out sailor information sessions
Discuss with other schools in the area (i.e. Norfolk Collegiate) about collaboration
Reach out to CBF or Elizabeth River Project
Fundraise to get the day started
Market to school and community
As of now, we want to confirm the remaining loose logistics (confirm a date and work with NYCC as soon as possible).
We also want to gear up for the sailor information sessions. These will take up 1-2 H bells where we will go over the spots and prepare brief lesson plans from our own knowledge and past and current fellows projects about wetlands, oysters, shorelines, pollution, and the watershed.
We also want to collaborate with other local school sailors so that we can have more sailors on the water and as a result, more people on the water.
We also want to reach out to CBF or Elizabeth River Project so we can work together and gain more attention and a larger attendance from the local community, not just the school. However, we will also advertise the event at school, perhaps through a free chapel in the Spring.