Summer Solstice Sailabration

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Tiny Village of Whortonsville Temporarily Swells to 3 Times Normal Population

The Whortonsville Yacht & Tractor Club Celebrates it's 8th Annual Summer Solstice Sailabration

Like the swallows to Capistrano, sailors from all over flock to the tiny village of Whortonsville on Broad Creek in Pamlico County each year. This is where the Whortonsville Yacht & Tractor Club hosts their annual Summer Solstice Sailabration. Since the first race, held in 1990, the number of entries has grown from 12 boats to this years record of 54 entries. When you consider the normal population of Whortonsville hovers around 100 the influx of sailors, crew members, families and helpers quickly tripled the average number of people there.

The Summer Solstice Sailabration is a unique race. It stands to reason though because the Whortonsville Yacht and Tractor Club is rather unique also. Where else can you find the combination of yachts and tractors?

The WY&TC and the solstice celebration are the brainchild of Nick and Jeannette Santoro. Nick starts planning for the big day almost a year in advance with a new tee shirt design. The tee shirt is issued each year with a limited run. Demand has always quickly outpaced the supply and past tee shirts have quickly become coveted collectors items. This years tee shirt was no exception, a second run of shirts was sold out faster than the first. The sales of the tee shirts and a modest entry fee is what allows the wonderful party after the race. Jeannette orchestrates the food arrangements and the eager volunteers of Whortonsville who fed over 300 people this year.

A quick look at the race circular might fool you into thinking this was a normal race. On closer examination a few novel twists are revealed such as; “Any participant who interferes with commercial shipping transiting the area will be disqualified, sunk or both”. Then there are the protest procedures that call for a protesting yacht to immediately drop it's main sail and hoist it upside down to indicate they are protesting. (You must also attend the protest hearing held immediately after the race in Florida.) Racers are also requested not to hail the race committee boat unless they were “totally and utterly baffled.” This must have been the case as there was much conversation directed at the RC boat. The confusion was probably caused by the starting order of the boats. The starting sequence is based on a secret formula known only to Nick Santoro. After years of managing this race Nick has developed a scheme for a staggered start where the order appears arbitrary. This year's sequence found boats starting over a period of an hour and forty minutes yet miraculously they all converged at the committee boat close together for a hotly contested finish.

The awards ceremony is the highlight of this longest day of the year. Surrounded by a banquet arranged by the volunteers the racers eagerly awaited the results. And the winners were.. everyone. Every participant won something that will serve as a reminder of their effort. Duct tape, fresh baked bread, burgees, the list of prizes was as exhausting as the choices on the buffet line. When the list of winners was finally distilled down to the first three boats to cross the finish line they were:

First John Hinners & Crew Bristol 26 Bell Bird

Second Conner Atkinson & Crew Hunter 27 Phred Cat

Third David Crawford & Crew Islander 32 Sweet Lady

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