History
The Cocktail Class Wooden Boat Racing Association has its origins in the cottage racing clubs of the 1950’s when small towns across the country were hosting outboard races for family built boats and stock outboards. By the mid 1960’s however, cottage racing had all but disappeared as boats and engines became more sophisticated, expensive, faster and dangerous. But the memories of crowded waterfronts, old outboards and competitive races lingered, at least for a few families in the Northern Neck of Virginia in the Chesapeake Bay.
In August 2007, idle reminiscences became an exciting concept during an evening cocktail hour on the banks of the Corrotoman River. By the end of 2007, a hard plan had been forged by the Bluefeld/Granbery/Fitz families to build and race four outboards by Memorial Day, 2008. The boat of choice was the SKUA, designed by Charles McGregor and published in the August 1939 issue of Rudder Magazine. It was the right size, easy to build and looked awesome.
The first boat, “Miss Bud” (#7), was launched on Presidents’ weekend in 2008. Despite the cold weather, sea trials were a huge success and construction of three more boats began in earnest the next day. On Memorial Day 2008, with bunting hung and holiday colors flying, four boats with old outboards, 12 drivers and lots of friends and neighbors held the inaugural race, the “Founders Cup”. The excitement was overwhelming and a set of building plans were developed so others could build boats and share in the fun.
Membership
Membership in the CCWBRA is open to anyone 16 years or older who is
interested in supporting, building, or racing Cocktail Class Racers. Family members, with the same address (two adults and all children ages 12 through 23 ), are eligible to participate in all Association activities, but shall not be a voting
member.
Membership must be current prior to participation in any CCWBRA event.
Each member receives access to our Member Directory and the ability to comment and/or post to the Forum and Classifieds pages. Members are also authorized to vote in the bi-annual election of officers and other ballot initiatives submitted by the Executive Committee.
Join CCWBRA now. Questions regarding membership in CCWBRA may be sent to secretary@ccwbra.com.
Boat Registration
Members may register their boats with the Association and obtain a Member Racing Package for a one-time fee of $50 per boat. The racing package includes the following: assignment of a national racing number exclusive to your boat, official CCWBRA logos for display on each side of your boat, and a Certificate of Racing Eligibility indicating your assigned racing number and stamped with the CCWBRA seal.
Members can transfer a boat’s assigned racing number from one owner to a new owner, with the option to also change the boat name if desired. Click “Transfer Racing Number” link below to complete the Racing Number Transfer Form and then visit the Ship Shop to pay the transfer fee of $25.
Visit our Ship Shop for quick, electronic payment to register a boat or to transfer a number. Questions regarding boat registration may be to sent secretary@ccwbra.com.
Our Leadership
The CCWBRA Executive Committee 2025. Please click the name to email.
Committee Chairs – click on the position to send an email, or complete our contact form and we’ll ensure your message gets to the committee chair.
| Appeals | Peter Urbani |
| Design | Keith Carew |
| Digital Manager / Photo Drop | Rick Loewen |
| Engines | Charlie Iliff |
| Events | Lena Cantera |
| Membership | Lou Linden |
| Newsletter | Lou Linden |
| Rules | Tara Carew and Jim Schmicker |
| Safety | Tom Kerr |
| Ship Store | Ray Crowley |
| Youth | Dave Eves |
Regional Fleet Captains – click on the position to send an email, or complete our Contact form and we’ll ensure your message gets to the correct Regional Captain
| Appalachian “Moonshiners” FC | Chris Norman |
| Mid-Atlantic Regional FC | Lou Linden |
| Midwest Regional FC | Kirt Briggs |
| Northeast Regional FC | Jim Schmicker |
| Pacific Regional FC | Paul Page |
| Southeast Regional FC | Rick Loewen |
Contact Us!
If you would like to get in touch with any of our leadership, ask questions, get more information, or just need help, please use our Contact Form by clicking the button below.