Bay Area Houston Magazine

On-the-water racing action during the 2019 Mermaid Regatta held at the Houston Yacht Club. Photo by Dmitriy Yegorov

By Babs Bukowski, DPH, RN

Houston Yacht Club recently held the Mermaid Regatta – a women’s only race. HYC is the only known yacht club at this time to have a Spinnaker fleet in a women’s only regatta. The downwind leg had 17- to 19-knot winds and boat speeds of more than nine knots.

• Winner: Allie Cribbs, helmswoman of S/V Pesto, a J 105, in the Spinnaker class.
• Second place: Lisa Cushing driving S/V #77, J92.

Three minutes and 3 seconds separated these two racers.

Joining Allie Cribbs on the Mermaid throne winning the perpetual trophy were:

• Nicole Laster, racing S/V Bad Girl, a Cal 33-2, PHRF Non-Spinnaker. She was 2 seconds ahead of her next competitor.
• Nancy Welch driving, S/V Mischief, a Catalina 380, HYC Club Handicap. Nancy won same class in 2018.

In sum, there was the 1st spinnaker competition, a photo finish (NS), and repeat winner (Club Handicap)… MER-mazing!

More than 100 women were on-the-water representing at least 12 local, national, and international sailing/yacht clubs. Sailors traveled from Michigan, New Jersey, Illinois, Louisiana, Florida, Virginia, Alabama, and Mississippi.

Following is a list of six upcoming women’s races for 2019:

• May 11, the off-shore Mermaid division of HYC’s Offshore Regatta
• June 1, GBCA’s in-shore Women’s Regatta
• June 15, HYC’s in-shore Catherine Spiller Race
• June 16, HYC’s in-shore Fairfax Moody Race
• Sept. 28, TASS’ in-shore Carol Becker Race
• Oct 10-13 LYC’s off-shore Harvest Moon Regatta’s, Luna Trophy