History
The Cocktail Class Wooden Boat Racing association has its origins in the cottage racing clubs of the 1950s when small towns across the country were hosting outboard races for family built boats and stock outboards. By the mid 1960s 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 …
Membership
Membership in the CCWBRA is open to anyone 18 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 post to the 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 sent to secretary@ccwbra.com.
Our Leadership
Executive Committee
Tara Carew
Commodore
Curt Bluefield
Vice Commodore
Jeff Weeber
Treasurer
Lena Cantera
Secretary
Peter Urbani
Fleet Captain
Cameron Walker
Member-at-Large
Board of Directors
Dave Cantera
Art Gilbert
Tom Kerr
Jim Schmicker
Todd Steffes
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 | Lena Cantera |
| 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 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.