From the Helm
The 2026 season was declared officially open on May 2 during the annual flag raising and commissioning of the fleet ceremony. Originally the weather looked questionable, the forecast calling for rain and cool temperatures. But as happens, the sun is always shining on the Ware River Yacht Club and the rain held off! What a lovely cool spring day we had! Thanks to all who showed up, in particular thanks to Sharon and Jay McGlohn for hosting! It’s always so much fun to see the beautiful derby hats. My horse even led over half of the Kentucky Derby (unfortunately it was the first half, not the last half).
As you heard at the annual meeting and again today at flag raising WRYC has an exciting year ahead! From many socials and happy hours to numerous regattas to adult sailing and junior sailing camp, there’s certainly something for everyone at the Club.
The WRYC Albacore fleet is looking to re-energize, refresh, and rejuvenate this year. Dave Huber and I have plans to hold informal clinics and race nights at the club, but we need crews. We will conduct training for anyone interested, no experience needed. If you’ve sailed before and are interested in helming, we can make that happen in one of the club Albacores. If you’re not quite ready for the back of the boat, come down and get some experience as crew. The goal is to have several WRYC Albacores in the Governor’s Cup and at Albacore Nationals, hosted right here at WRYC! Get in touch with Dave, Fleet Captain John Dudley, or me if you are interested. If you have any questions, call me! Look forward to seeing you on the water.
See you at the Rivah,
Scott Titus
Commodore
Fleet Scuttlebutt
Greetings sailors and all club members! My apologies for being tardy with April’s Telltale contribution – it remained in ‘draft’ status after I missed the cutoff. There is an Adult Sailing calendar within that Scuttlebutt, and the same outline was also sent to those members whose email addresses are in our roster of adult sailors. If this interest describes you, and you did not receive an email from me on April 14, please let me know and I will send you the calendar and include you in future emails. Please use this email address to let me know: jdudley5@triad.rr.com
During April we have been fortunate to have the participation of several dedicated members as we address preparations and maintenance in our sail loft and aboard our keelboat Tranquility Base. Due to the lousy weather forecast, our Flag Raising on Saturday, May 2 will not include a keelboat regatta, but don’t let that discourage you. We do expect to have the boat shipshape for the subsequent weeks of May.
Our focus will shift more toward preparations for the Junior Sailing Camp sessions during May and early June, and if you would like to participate in those activities, I would love to hear from you. In addition to that email address above, you are welcome to text or call me at (704) 363-0483.
Rummage sale from the hold: There is an Albacore sailboat available for sale, located in North Jersey (i.e. the northern part of New Jersey). Also, there is a Hobie 16 offered for sale (perhaps listed on Facebook Marketplace), belonging to a former club member. If you have an interest in either or both of these, please let me know at the number above and I will put you in contact with the respective owners.
Many thanks for your interest, and I look forward to seeing you on or near the water!
John Dudley, Fleet Captain
Membership Corner
Hello WRYC Members!
This month we welcome John and Michele Beck back to WRYC. They want to meet other members and enjoy the social side of the club. Please look for them at upcoming events and welcome them!
And, sadly, over the past two months, we saw the passing of two long-time members of WRYC…Tabb Farinholt and Betty Zahn.
Tabb was a founding member of Ware River Yacht Club. She and her husband Blair were the driving forces behind establishing the club’s current site and facilities, as well as encourag ing the spirit of volunteerism that still maintains us today. https://www.andrewsfuneralservices.com/obituary/tabb-farinholt
Betty and her husband, George, joined WRYC in 1987 and were members for 37 years. They loved sailing on the Ware River and Mobjack Bay. Betty was very active in the Gloucester community, contributing her time and energy to numerous organizations and causes. https://share.google/Mpw1eb5RYwPldgCTp
We offer our condolences to their families and friends.
Ray Mazzocco
Membership Chair
From the Social Chair: May Updates & Beyond
Greetings, fellow members!
As we gear up for a fantastic season at the Ware River Yacht Club, I have several exciting updates and upcoming events to share. Whether you’re a longtime regular or a brand-new face at the club, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved and enjoy our beautiful facilities.
Upcoming Events
Flag Raising Ceremony, Dinner, and Derby Watch
When: Saturday, May 2nd | 5:00 PM
Join us for this time-honored tradition as we officially kick off our season.
First Happy Hour Series
When: Thursday, May 7th
This is a free event and the perfect chance to meet and mingle. If you are new to the club, please come by—we’d love to welcome you!
Note: This is a BYOB event. Please bring an appetizer to share with the group. RSVP to socials@wryc.org.
Trivia Night (Save the Date!)
When: Wednesday, June 3rd
We are currently in the planning stages for a club-wide trivia night. Stay tuned for more details on how to register your team.
Facility Updates
Our tennis courts are scheduled for a professional power washing very soon. Once completed, they will be fully refreshed and ready for all your pickleball and tennis matches. We appreciate your patience as we get the courts in top shape for the summer.
Get Involved
The success of our social calendar depends on our wonderful volunteers. If you are interested in hosting an event or would like to volunteer your time to help with a social, please reach out to me directly.
Contact: Josh James Email: socials@wryc.org
See you at the club!
2026 April Rental Report
The WRYC Rental Calendar is filling up for 2026. Here are the numbers by month:
May 2 Socials & Regatta, 2 Member Rentals
June 2 Socials, 2 Member, 3 Non-member Wedding Rentals, Jr Sailing Camp Starts 6/15
July 1 Social, 1 Jr Sailing Camp Continues
August 1 Social Governor’s Cup & Fireball Nationals, 1 Non-profit Rental
September 3 Socials, 1 Harry Sindle Memorial Regatta
October 1 Social-Albacore Nationals & Oktoberfest, 1 Non-profit, 2 Non-member Wedding Rentals
November 1 Social Oyster Roast, 1 Non-member, 1 Member Rentals
December 1 Social Holiday, 1 Member Rental
WRYC 2026 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
May 2 Flag Raising / Bob James Memorial Regatta
May 7 Spring Happy Hour-Free, BYOB, Appetizer to Share
May 16 Pickleball round Robin
June 18 Summer Happ Hour (Host Choice) Free, BYOB, Appetizer to Share
June 15-18 Junior Sailing Session 1 Week 1
June 22-25 Junior Sailing Session 1 Week 2
June 25 Junior Sailing Banquet
June 27 Open Play Tennis/Pickleball Round Robin
June 29-July 2 Junior Sailing Session 2 Week 1
July 3/4 Independence Day Social (Host choice)
July 6-9 Junior Sailing Session 2 Week 2
July 9 Junior Sailing Banquet
July 13-16 Junior Sailing Session 3 Week 1
July 20-23 Junior Sailing Session 3 Week 2
July 23 Junior Sailing Banquet
July 31, Aug.1/262nd VA Governor’s Cup, Fireball Nationals & Junior Regattas & Awards
August 20 Summer Social Hour (Host Choice) Free, BYOB, Appetizer to Share
September 5/6 Labor Day Social (Host choice)
September 12 Pickleball Round Robin
September 16 Trivia Night
October 9-13 Oktoberfest – Albacore Nationals Regatta
November 7 Oyster Roast
December 6/7 Christmas / Holiday Social (Host choice)
*Members are encouraged to sign up to host or help organize each event. Co-hosting is
perfectly acceptable – you don’t have to host alone. Please contact Membership Chair,
Josh James, at socials@wryc.org with any questions or fill in your name and number in
the sign-up column above.
From the Helm
Spring has sprung and sailing is right around the corner. Thank you to all of those who participated in the Daffodil Festival this past weekend! The WRYC booth looked amazing! Jim Garrett and Riley Viets stole the parade (as far as I’m concerned). Thanks to Ginny Noland, John and Holly Dudley, Josh James, Samantha Preddy, Kevin Campbell, Jim and Jean Garrett, Doug and Jennifer Viets, and Jim Woodward for manning the booth. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t offer thanks to Ray Mazzocco for his leadership.
My next message is not a new one but bears a reminder. Ware River Yacht Club cannot operate without YOU! WRYC is a member operated volunteer operation. Please consider stepping up to volunteer to host a social or participate in a cleanup or regatta committee. Whatever it is that you consider volunteering for, please act on that thought and help us continue to provide fantastic social opportunities, sailing opportunities, and community engagement opportunities.
It took me years to get comfortable enough to volunteer to run a social. Turns out it was great fun! Wish I would have done it sooner. Please help WRYC stay active and relevant by volunteering to help out.
Thanks!
Scott Titus
Membership Corner
Hello WRYC Members!
This month we welcomed one new member to the club…Brooke Bertrand joined us along with her son, Raylan, and daughter, River. Brooke was a member of WRYC as a child and became an avid sailor. She fondly remembers her father and older brother participating as instructors in the Junior Sailing program. This summer, both Raylan and River will be on the water as campers! Please say hello to Brooke at one of our events this season.
Well, it was a beautiful March weekend for Gloucester’s annual Daffodil Festival, and our club was well represented! With our junior sailors leading our daffodil-decorated Albacore, “Tweety Bird,” in the parade and our member volunteers greeting the festivalgoers from our booth, Ware River Yacht Club garnered a lot of attention and interest!
I’d like to thank so many members for volunteering their time and enthusiasm to make it all happen:
Parade Walkers:
James Andrews, Morgan Andrews, Raylan Bertrand, Sally Ford, Riley Viets, Josephine Williams, Paul Williams
And thank you to the parents for allowing their children to participate!
Booth Volunteers:
Ginny Nolan, Holly Dudley, John Dudley, Josh James, Samantha Preddy, Kevin Campbell, Jim Garrett, Jean Garrett, Jennifer Viets, Doug Viets,
Jim Woodward
Special Thanks:
Riley Viets – for recruiting, organizing and leading the junior sailing team in the parade
Jim Garrett – for towing Tweety Bird in the parade
Layne Brown, Bill Brown, Ginny Nolan, Jim Woodward – for helping to set up and break down the booth
It was a lot of work on everyone’s part, but it’s a great opportunity to draw positive attention to our club in Gloucester’s signature event of the year. I’m confident our efforts will generate some new members as a result.
Thank you!
Ray Mazzocco
Membership Chair