From the Helm
As summer is winding down, there is still plenty of time to get out on the water! I encourage everyone to use the club, it is yours after all.
Coming up in October is our Oktoberfest on the 11th, I hope to see everyone there. It will also be open to the public, so invite as many people as you wish! We will need some volunteers to help with it, so if you want to volunteer contact either socials@wryc.org or commodore@wryc.org.
Fleet Scuttlebutt
Greetings sailors and all club members! August has at least to some extent made up for July’s heat and humidity. We not only had splendid weather for the 61st Annual Governor’s Cup, but we’ve enjoyed additional weekends of great sailing. Weather-wise, our Labor Day weekend was ideal – we enjoyed some Laser sailing on Saturday, had a great sail on Tranquility Base on Sunday, and during and after the Labor Day Social we enjoyed seeing some of our younger members sail Lasers!
If you wish to utilize our dinghy fleet please let us know through the ‘Reserve-A-Boat’ button on the Member Page. We should have another month (or more) of mild temperatures before it becomes uncomfortably cool, and getting out on the river under sail is a great way to clear mental cobwebs and disconnect from screens! And if you’re interested in keelboat sailing, look for our bi-weekly emails about that activity also.
We have been somewhat successful in keeping our roster of boat storage information fairly accurate. For each of the numbered spaces along the edge of that large field at the club, we have member information about the boat and/or trailer that is stored there. As our roster is not quite 100% accurate, we ask your help as follows:
If you have a boat or trailer being stored at the club, and you are uncertain whether you’ve completed the Boat Storage form, please let me know.
Likewise, if you have a boat/trailer at the club and you’re uncertain about its assigned space, just let me know.
Finally, if you would like to keep your boat/trailer at the club, please contact me and we will try to find a space for it. There is a simple form/liability release to be submitted, and there’s no charge for storage.
Our buildings and grounds team does a splendid job keeping the area mowed, and we must also keep those records ship-shape.
Stay healthy and safe, and we look forward to seeing you on the water!
John Dudley, Fleet Captain
A Wonderful End to Summer!
What a blast we had at the Labor Day Brunch! It was great to see so many of you there as we celebrated the unofficial end of summer. A special thanks to Samantha Preddy and Liz Kastelberg for hosting such a fun and successful event. We couldn't have done it without you!
Now that we're headed into fall, it's time to start planning some upcoming events. First on the calendar is our annual Oktoberfest celebration on Saturday, October 11th! We can't wait to gather together for food, drinks, and fun. More details to come soon!
Looking ahead, we're also starting to plan for the Oyster Roast in November and our annual Holiday Social in December. We're currently seeking hosts and volunteers for both events. If you're interested in helping out and making one of these socials a success, please email socials@wryc.org.
WRYC 2025 Calendar of Events
September 25 Rotary BBQ Fund Raiser
October 11 Oktoberfest / ** REGATTA POSTPONED ++ Harry Sindle Memorial Mobjack Bay Regatta
November 8 Oyster Roast
December 6/7 Christmas / Holiday Social (Host choice)
From the Helm
It has been a busy time for the Club over the past month. Last weekend we hosted the 61st Governor’s Cup. It was a great success with too many members helping out to list here. Thank you to all that came out! There will be some photos of the event soon on the website.
Over the next couple of months we have some fun socials coming up. Near and dear to me is the Oktoberfest which will be October 11th. We will need volunteers to help cook, set up, and clean up. Unfortunately, due to circumstances outside of anyone’s control, the usual host of the event will not be able to come from Germany this year. However, Clara, our German exchange student will fill the void. If you wish to volunteer please contact Harry at commodore@wryc.org . Mark your calendars for the event!
Josh James has been hard at work with organizing socials, we are forever in his debt. Ray Mazzocco has done a phenomenal job bringing in new members. John Dudley has kept the sailing program alive and well. Jim Woodward did a great job getting the grounds and clubhouse ready for the Governor’s Cup. As always Layne Brown has been toiling away behind the scenes managing the club. A special thanks to Vice Commodore Scott Titus for organizing the Governor’s Cup again this year. If anyone in interested in getting involved with planning the 2026 Governor’s Cup, let Scott know at vice@wryc.org.
The Sea Scouts Ship 1971 has become very active this summer, you might see them at the club on Sundays. Please say hi. They volunteered themselves for the Governor’s Cup and have been a great addition to WRYC!
Fleet Scuttlebutt
Greetings sailors and all club members! July has been true to form – warm and wet – but we’ve enjoyed some good sailing since dodging tropical storm Chantal. Many thanks to the Adult Sailors who have been good sports dealing with summer’s challenges. And we’re gratified to see some new faces among our Adult Sailing group!
If you see this Telltale prior to Aug 1, 2 or 3, please make plans to join us for our Governor’s Cup activities. There may still be opportunities to volunteer, such as preparation on Friday the 1st, and racing and hospitality support on Saturday and Sunday, the 2nd & 3rd. If you’ve not seen a regatta, observing the activity is a great way to gain a new perspective on the sport, and the experienced skippers and crew are always willing to share their knowledge and debate the finer points.
As mentioned in a previous Telltale, our club received the donation of a third Albacore from West River Yacht Club in Edgewater, MD. The boat is seaworthy, and the trailer serviceable for storage and launching. The sails and running rigging are in good shape – indeed, our Vice-Commodore has plans to race it in the Governor’s Cup. Some rigging and preparation were completed recently with invaluable volunteer assistance, and after its use in the regatta, we hope to see more members take advantage of this boat, as well as our other Albacores.
A further note about using our club’s fleet: Thanks to Commodore Harry Taylor, the ‘Reserve A Boat’ link on the member page now displays our fleet’s availability on a Google Calendar appearing above the form submission. If you’re unfamiliar with the Member Pages, or if you need the password to access them, please let us know!
Stay cool, healthy and safe, and we look forward to seeing you on the water!
John Dudley, Fleet Captain
WRYC 2025 Calendar of Events
August 1/2 61st Governor’s Cup & Junior Regattas & Awards
September 1 Labor Day Social (Host choice)
September 25 Rotary BBQ Fund Raiser
October 11 Oktoberfest / ** REGATTA POSTPONED ++ Harry Sindle Memorial Mobjack Bay Regatta
November 8 Oyster Roast
December 6/7 Christmas / Holiday Social (Host choice)
Membership Corner
We have one new member joining us in the month of July…please welcome Ginny Nolan to WRYC! Ginny and her husband have retired to Gloucester from upstate New York, where Ginny learned to sail on Lake Seneca in the Finger Lakes region. Later, while living in Chicago, she crewed on larger keelboats on Lake Michigan. Ginny has already been out with John Dudley on Tranquility Base, and will be actively taking advantage of his adult sailing program.
I want to also take a moment to thank all the volunteers who stepped up to support our hospitality program for the Governor’s Cup Regatta. There is a lot of work that goes into preparing and serving breakfasts, lunches and dinner for the participants.
Liz and Chris Brown
Layne and Bill Brown
Nancy Dykeman
Jean and Jim Garrett
Lorna Hanson
Paul Hellebrandt
Shanah Kendall
LuAnne Knuteson
Mary Helen and Harvey Morgan
Katherine Mazzocco
Sean Smith
Tina and Bellamy Stoneburner
Greg Strader
Paula Volk
Cheryl and Jim Woodward
Thank you!!
Ray Mazzocco
Membership Chair