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December's coming to a close and January's on the near horizon, and that can only mean one thing. Well, two things – even the Mayans need a new calendar. But the main topic on our minds at this time of year is the upcoming racing season, in particular the Corinthian Midwinters on January 19-20 and February 16-17. The following is from Leslie Richter, who was married to Rob Moore from Christmas Eve 2009 until his untimely death on January 5, almost a year ago.
The inaugural Rob Moore Memorial Regatta will be held on February 16, 2013, in conjunction with Corinthian Yacht Club’s popular Midwinter Race Series. The event will honor Rob’s legacy in the San Francisco Bay sailing community by promoting a well-run, fun regatta, while raising money for lung cancer research.
As racing editor of Latitude 38 for eighteen years, as a boat owner and racer, and as crew on many large and small racing programs around the country, Rob Moore made innumerable contributions to San Francisco Bay sailing. He was an honorary member of CYC for nearly as long, and actively supported the club’s midwinter and Friday night racing series. As he penned in his “Ten Commandments of Beercan Racing,” first published in Latitude 38 in 1989, Rob believed strongly that sailboat racing should be competitive and fun. He was discouraged by the recent downturn in participation in San Francisco Bay racing, and he was constantly trying to find ways to increase the number of boats on the water. With this in mind the Corinthian YC and the Bay Area Racing Federation have launched a yearly event that will honor Rob’s contributions to our sport with a focus on upholding his Ten Commandments.
Rob was only 58 years old when he succumbed to lung cancer. He was among the 20% of lung cancer victims with no history of smoking. It may be surprising to some that lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S., numbering more than breast, colon, pancreatic, and prostate cancer combined. The five-year survival rate is only 15%, however it receives less than a quarter of the research funding of breast cancer alone. Rob strongly supported efforts to increase funding and awareness for lung cancer. One of his final wishes was to continue that support in a meaningful way – so this event will also be a fund raiser for the National Lung Cancer Partnership. NLCP has consistently received Charity Navigator’s top 4-star rating, and has made great strides in raising awareness and research funding for lung cancer. 100% of all donations will go to NLCP.
The Rob Moore Memorial Regatta will feature a day of competitive racing for one design and PHRF fleets, a special guest speaker, a fund-raising raffle with excellent prizes, excellent performance trophies, dinner and entertainment.
The Bay Area Racing Federation (BARF) was founded in the mid-nineties by a small group of Bay Area sailors as they were concocting home-brewed beer. This crew, frustrated by the politics, handicap games, and the growing cost of racing, wanted to get back to the basics of racing for the fun of it. Thus, this ad-hoc federation was formed. Committees would be formed by the members and led by whoever failed to be present. There would be no dues. Membership was to be granted by other members whenever they felt like it. Nomination and sponsorship processes would not be tolerated. And since Rob Moore missed the elections meeting, and since it was all basically his idea, he was elected commodore. He of course contested the election, but failed to disqualify himself in the re-vote. And so, BARF continues on in the spirit and memory of our friend, the late Robert K. Moore, founding and perpetual Commodore.
– Leslie Richter
The BARF burgee desgin. ©2012 Bay Area Racing Federation
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