First things first. Thanks to our many many donors over the years, Team Tartan has raised $404,661.61 since 2012. We actually started sailing in 2009 on flying scots, but our major fundraising started only when we moved up to the big boats. We sail in honor of my mom and Ann Myers, both of who were blood cancer victims.
Here’s a breakdown of our fundraising through the years. We were the number one fundraiser in the DC Leukemia Cup every year we sailed (including this year). FWIW, the cup is yours again! For two years we were #2 in the entire country, and one year we were #3.
Special mention must be made of donor Phil Venables, who, though he did not participate in 2021, was our top fundraiser seven times running, donating a total of $247,000! Holy cow. Thanks Phil.
You can read about our various adventures on the water here:
Which brings us to 2021, our last year on the water. This year Team Tartan took the cup again, raising $38,600 (so far…feel free to donate here). We appreciate each and every one of the 110 donors who participated this year! Together we have made a real impact on blood cancer research.
Hiatus
We sailed Hiatus this year instead of Rebecca. And we were rusty. And perhaps out of practice. And Esther was on shore. But we did have the best snacks and the most chill crew! That’s it…snacks!
Oh yeah, and covid. We took quick covid tests before intersecting our pods on the boat. Cora is only three and not yet vaccinated. Are you? GET VACCINATED.
Eli (snack cup in hand)
Captain Chris
Romey
On the water (and very likely way behind). LOL.
Captain Esther stayed with Cora on land
The races went something like this. Last place and last place. It was a long day, but we had some fun.
Ten years of sailing the Leukemia Cup was crowned by another fundraising win thanks to you. We’re super pleased to announce that our final fundraising total (in our first “post baby” race) is $74,829 (a mere $171 from $75,000). That means the Leukemia Cup is Yours! A huge thanks to all of our 90+ donors.
Team Tartan Takes the Leukemia Cup 2019
Extra special red hat thanks goes to our stalwart supporter Phil Venables who donated an incredible $50,000 this year.
The Team Dog Joins in Celebration
Burgees
Team Tartan before the day
The morning started early as it always does in a regatta. On the water, our rusty sailing took over and we were clobbered in every race. Remind us that when your co-captains have a baby, they spend much more time changing diapers than sailing!
Sailing the Leukemia Cup
Team Tartan on the Water
But boy did we have fun.
Morning prep to sail in kilts
Secret weapon Stretch
Thanks from Team Tartan
Team Tartan has raised $366,066.61 since 2012! Thank you for your support and for helping us fight blood cancer.
Our trip to the Scottish highlands was short (only two days), but we brought with us the best weather in years. As a McGraw, a visit to the ancestral home of yore was in order. Eileen Donan Castle is the seat of the McCrae clan (aka McGraw on the American side of the pond).
The pictures mostly speak for themselves.
Eilean Donan Castle
Eilean Donan Castle
Eilean Donan Castle
Eilean Donan Castle
Eilean Donan Castle
Eilean Donan Castle
Eilean Donan Castle
Eilean Donan Castle
Eilean Donan Castle
Eilean Donan Castle
Eilean Donan Castle
Eilean Donan Castle
Eilean Donan Castle
Eilean Donan Castle
Eilean Donan Castle
Eilean Donan Castle
A McGraw returns home
Eilean Donan Castle
Eilean Donan Castle
Eilean Donan Castle
The crest (part of the achievement) which we use on our Team Tartan hats
Eilean Donan Castle
Eilean Donan Castle
Eilean Donan Castle
These kids were playing with maps on the bridge. Adorable.
Eilean Donan Castle
Eilean Donan Castle
Eilean Donan Castle
Eilean Donan Castle
We also popped over to the Isle of Skye, and then headed up the coast by the train line and partially along the North Coast 500. An incredible day.
Isle of Skye
Isle of Skye
Even our trusty guide was blown away by the day
Our delightful guide Les McInulty plays tourist
Palm tree
Ancient Comms
Sunny Scotland?!
For more about our trip to Scotland, see the pictures from our hike up Sgurr an Airgid where we took some one in a lifetime photos. We could see over 100 miles in every direction. And if you stay in Kintail, stay at the Kintail Lodge.
We’ve been sailing the Leukemia Cup for 8 years in a row now as Team Tartan and raising lots of money to fight blood cancer. We’re super pleased and proud to report that because of you, our 106 donors, the 2016 Leukemia Cup is yours!
Together we raised $59,729 this year. Just wow.
Team Tartan Takes the Cup
Extra special thanks is due to Phil Venables who donated an incredible $40,000 this year. Phil has been our major supporter for four years running and has a collection of red hats to prove it. Thanks Phil! You can sail with us anytime!
The Leukemia Cup Trophy
Many of our steady supporters were kind enough not only to donate again, but to raise their 2016 ante. Andy and Heather Steingrubl are a prime example. They doubled their donation this year to a whopping $2000. Everyone should emulate that behavior next year.
Kilts! We Sail in Kilts!
Together as Team Tartan we’ve all raised $186,053.60 since 2012. Here’s how that stacks up as a bar chart.
We certainly love to break fundraising records, but we also like to win in the water as well. This year we took 3rd place in our class (non-spin)! So we’re back in the big league standings which is not bad for a bunch of sailors in kilts.
Here’s what Commodore Chris had to say about the 2016 race itself.
Team Tartan on the Water
We sailed this year with one new crew member. Amy Barley took Eli’s place as Eli is off at college now. There were four of us on board, Chris captaining, Esther, Amy, and Gary grinding and acting as rail meat. And there was Stretch, our one-year-old rescue puppy mascot, who either scampered along the deck, tail wagging and jogging from sailor to sailor in search of dog treats or curled up in the jib sheet taking a nap between races.
Stretch the Team Tartan Mascot
With only moderate 5 knot winds and temperatures in the 90s, Team Tartan lumbered out to the start line for the 2016 Regatta in the weathered 25 foot Catalina Rebecca. It was hot, and a far cry from last year’s soggy race.
Race 1: Not Fast
The first race was as tight as the winds were moderate. On the two mile “course D” we took around 40 minutes to pull in third across the finish line. We were only seconds behind our on-the-water nemesis Captain Bill. The general rule of thumb is if you beat Bill you can actually win the regatta. So we were feeling pretty good about race 1, but we knew we had to do better.
Race 2: Real Winds
As the winds picked up well past 7 knots for race 2, the members of Team Tartan found their groove. Winds hit a day long maximum of 12 knots during the race, and creaky old Rebecca found enough uumpf to pull ahead of the fleet. Team members were straining hard on each tack keeping as much weight on the windward side to keep the boat’s keel under her. The tactic worked, and we won the bullet in race 2! Yep, we even bested Bill. Now things were going our way.
Team Tartan 2016
Sadly as the gun for race three sounded, the winds died down and so did our boat’s speed. Unbeknownst to us, as we traveled through the shallows, our keel and rudder snagged long green masses of hydrilla grass from bottom (something we only discovered after we limped across the line in 5th place). Race 3 was devastating to our overall ranking.
Pro Tip: Attack Grass Slows You Down
Attack grass and lame winds aside, as race scores were tallied in full, we won third place in the fleet! Go kilt sailors.
Commodore Chris Sails Team Tartan to 3rd Pace
Team Tartan 2016
We celebrated with dark and stormies as we were reunited with Faith, Anna, Chris G, Gary Sr and Laura (the land bound part of Team Tartan) after sailing. During the race, Faith checked in visitors to the spectator boat, and Team Tartan members and supporters Gary Sr., Laura, Anna, Carly, Maggie, and kiddos all loaded up on a packed spectator boat to see the races.
There Be Pirates!
Your Faithful Crew and a Bunch of Burgees
BTW, donations are still being accepted for the 2016 Leukemia Cup. Want to put Team Tartan over $60K? We’re all for it! Donate here.
For the last eight years, my brother Chris and I have been sailing the National Capitol Leukemia Cup regatta. We mostly do this to raise money to fight leukemia (a disease that killed our mother), but we also like to win the race on the water.
Over the years we have done just a smidge better raising money than we have sailing the race. We were number one in both a few years back. But since then, our sailing has become a bit rusty even while we have taken home the fundraising Leukemia Cup for many years in a row.
This year we’re kicking ass on the fundraising front (thanks to our many donors, but especially to phil venables). So far we have raised a collective $56,207. That is a major record for Team Tartan.
Then it got dark, the keg was tapped, the cheesy xmas music was put on infinite repeat in the barn, burn barrels were lit, and off we went! Early birds got to see the bonfire lighting. Middle birds got to see music and sparkling guitars. Late birds shut down the bar inside with Berryville Passages at 6am. Are we too old for this? No we are not.
Fire
Who let the banjo player in?
Fire too
Thanks to one and all for coming! We turned the sun around again!
A huge thank you to our 93 Team Tartan supporters for 2015! We did it again! The cup is yours. This year we raised a record $45,499 thanks to you.
YOU GUYS ROCK!
Sunrise on Leukemia Cup day
A wet morning on the water: The Team Tartan Crew
Special thanks to Phil Venables who this year upped his donation to a jaw dropping $30,000. Thanks as well to our major donors Linda Cancro and Andy & Heather Steingrueble who donated $1000 each, and to Paul Kocher who gave us $600.
Team Tartan sails in stormy weather
Team Tartan on the water (and in the water). We got soaked.
Rebecca on the water between races
Here is the story of our very soggy race.
A misty cold front moved through the Potomac as Team Tartan’s racing team took to our venerable sailing vessel Rebecca—a 25′ sloop. She’s a fine boat, though a little shaggy on the bottom and showing a few cracks about her bulkheads and a few signs of extra character in her sails from the strains of hard service. (Perhaps that’s a reflection of a couple of us who sail her?)
Donning our kilts since we crushed our fundraising goal, we set out on the water early in the morning with a real sense of possibility. We were damp before we even got out on the water, but that was only the tiniest taste of things to come.
The supporting team cheered on from a split level observation boat—Carly and Maggie with kids in tow, Gary Sr, Laura, and Faith wearing Scottish gear and leading loud cheers. Meanwhile way up the river, Ana was cheering from a race committee boat in the flying scots class.
We haven’t spent as much time on the water recently as we have in past years, and unfortunately it showed. Despite adequate starts on the line as the regatta horn sounded during all three races, our nemesis Captain Bill, who has won 13 or so previous races bested us around the combined courses as did two other vessels.
Just before the final race of the series, a menacing bank of dark rain clouds with rumbles of distant thunder appeared from the South. Many boats radioed in their retirement from the race well before the starting sequence. After some debate, we decided to press on, but made a strategic error, replacing our 150 jib with a 130 at the very last minute. We were expecting a major storm to blow. It didn’t, and our little jib did not give us the power we needed.
Though we’d bested a majority of our peers on the race-course and managed to avoid hitting a pier this year, we only secured fourth place on the water. But then, though we love winning on the water, winning on the water is not really what our efforts are all about.
We’re sailing the Leukemia Cup in kilts for sure again this year since we trounced our $30,000 fundraising goal. So far we’ve raised just over $43,000 and our NEW GOAL is $45,000!
We’ve had some stellar years sailing the Leukemia Cup, and we’re at it again. Please consider supporting Team Tartan again as we raise money to fight blood cancer!
When we hit our goal, we sail in KILTS!
Team Tartan sails the Leukemia Cup in Kilts!
Last year we were #3 in the nation fundraising. We’re shooting to beat that this year.
