Jay Streit, third from left, poses with the Don Backe Memorial Regatta trophy June 10, 2023, at the Annapolis Yacht Club in Maryland. The Navy veteran won the event for the second consecutive year. (Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating/Facebook)
(Tribune News Service) — Jay Streit grew up in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and was introduced to sailing by his father. They took family trips to Florida and sailed Hobie Cats along the coast.
Streit enlisted in the United States Navy in 1984 and served 16 years before retiring with a medical discharge. He spent 14 days in a coma as a result of diabetes and there have been lasting effects.
“When I came out of the coma I tried to stand up and fell flat on my face,” said Streit, who has worn braces on both legs ever since to help with stability.
Streit served as a search and rescue air crewman aboard Huey helicopters and was deployed to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for three years. He was working as a flight engineer toward the end of his service.
After leaving the Navy, Streit accepted a civilian job as a federal employee with the U.S. Army and was stationed at Camp Panzer Kaserne in Kaiserslautern, Germany, for five years. He returned to the United States and accepted a position that brought him to Maryland.
Living in Severn and wanting to get back into sailing, Streit discovered Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating while doing research on the internet. He reached out and began sailing with the organization in 2017.
CRAB, founded in 1991, is an organization that provides the therapeutic benefits of sailing to persons with disabilities, recovering warriors and youth from underserved communities.
“CRAB is a fantastic organization that allows veterans and those with disabilities to get out on the water and show their abilities while racing and competing,” Streit said. “I love sailing and being able to go where I want with no limits.”
Streit showed off his sailing skill and steering ability by winning the 26th annual Don Backe Memorial Regatta, which took place June 10 on Annapolis Harbor and hosted by Annapolis Yacht Club. Local J/24 and J/105 sailor Warren Richter served as tactician for Streit, who won two of five races in totaling 10 points — three better than runner-up Tim McGee.
This was the second Don Backe Memorial Regatta for Streit, who had his girlfriend Dee Perry aboard as jib trimmer and Jeff West as mainsail trimmer.
“Communication and teamwork were the keys, Streit said. “We all worked together to keep the boat moving fast.”
Streit is a cruising sailor who berths a Jeanneau 349 at Anchorage Marine in Baltimore. He tries to go sailing each weekend with Perry and his beloved, loyal service dog Warren, a black Labrador.
Richter, who has volunteered as a guest tactician for CRAB for three years, said Streit has developed into an outstanding helmsman.
“Jay did a fantastic job steering and we were able to keep the boat going fast,” Richter said. “It was very puffy and shifty and we changed gears really well. We also did a good job of managing the many obstacles within the harbor.”
This year’s Don Backe Memorial Regatta was much easier to manage now that CRAB has moved into its Adaptive Boating Center near the mouth of Back Creek. Previously, executive director Paul Bollinger and his team of volunteers had to move the organization’s fleet of six Beneteau First 22-foot adaptive sloops from Sandy Point State Park to Annapolis Yacht Club.
This time around, the boats were loaded at the Adaptive Boating Center and only needed to make the short journey into Spa Creek to the start-finish line near the AYC clubhouse.
The 2023 Don Backe Memorial was a competitive regatta with only four points separating the top three boats. McGee, the 2021 winner, was hurt by a fifth-place finish in Race 1. John Tarrant placed third with 14 points.
Peter Gordon served as principal race officer for Annapolis Yacht Club, which has always provided on-water support for the regatta. He was able to complete five solid races with winds up to 10 knots (11.5 mph). Most of the races were triangles with the fleet heading out the harbor to a turning mark along the Naval Academy sea wall, then crossing Spa Creek to another mark set off Horn Point, then back to the start-finish line.
Some races were two laps around the course with three being held in the morning and two in the afternoon following a break for lunch. Maryland Department of Disabilities secretary Carol Beatty attended the awards ceremony and presented a proclamation from Gov. Wes Moore declaring June as Adaptive Boating Month in Maryland.
“It really encourages me that anyone can go out there on the same platform and compete on even terms while thoroughly enjoying themselves. It’s great fun and great competition,” Streit said. “I would like to thank CRAB and all the volunteers that get us out onto the racecourse. I would also like to thank Annapolis Yacht Club and its fine race committee and express my appreciation for the other CRAB competitors.”
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