The Next 50 Years

The year is finally winding down.  We had a fantastic Oyster Roast thanks to our hosts, the Grant Family, and a great group of volunteers including Beve and Gary Hermanson, and the entire Morgan clan who helped move the grill (Joe is leading the committee to figure out a better way to move the grill top next year to avoid scorching hands).  We have one final event in 2019 as we ring in the New Year so get your reservations in soon.

With the end of the year, my time as Commodore will end too.  Lorna and I deeply appreciate the warmth and friendship that WRYC members have shown us since moving here in 2014, and I particularly appreciate the help I have had from so many of you in my two years as Commodore.  I am particularly grateful for our fantastic Board who made my job easy by coordinating club activities and ensuring our facilities were in fantastic shape.  I would like to thank Ginger and Clayton James for their outstanding coordination of Summer Sailing camp and the Governor’s Cup, both huge undertakings and key programs for outreach to the community.  In addition, my special thanks to a group of talented and energetic sailors who have reinvigorated our adult sailing programs - Jim Garrett, Joe Morgan, and Scott Titus (and a honorable mention to Tom Bernard for his weekly Albacore coaching).  Their efforts have been key in fulfilling WRYC’s core mission of bringing Corinthian racing to the community.  Finally, my thanks to Layne Brown for managing our rentals, a critical source of funds for the club, and our bookkeeper, Shannon French, for ensuring we keep track of spending and budget appropriately.  We owe all these volunteers (and others) for ensuring WRYC continues to be a source of fun and enjoyment for all.

As we look to the future, the Board has started to discuss a key anniversary that will be upon us before we know it.  Specifically, 2021 will mark WRYC’s 50th anniversary.  In our last Board Meeting we began to discuss “what is next” and “how should WRYC shape itself for the next 50 years?”  As we enter 2020, we want to use the year to start planning for our Golden Anniversary, and more important, establish the “Next 50” initiative to start thinking about where the Club should be in another 50 years.  We are looking for volunteers.  We are looking for ideas.  Be ready to discuss this in the January Membership meeting!

I wish you all a Merry Christmas.I hope to see all (or at least many of you) at the New Year’s Eve event.Once again, thank you all for the honor of serving as Commodore.And I will certainly want to be part of “The Next 50” project and helping to ensure WRYC keeps bringing people to the joys of boating and sailing into the future.

The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

As I sit to write, it is the Monday before Thanksgiving. I thought I would take a moment to share some thoughts on what I am thankful for (among many other things, as well). I am thankful that I took my dear friend up on an offer to visit a quaint little sailing club down on “the rivah”. I am thankful to live in a county with one of the truly most wonderful sailing grounds on The Bay. I am thankful for keel boats and dinghies, canoes, kayaks, and docks. I am thankful for the Sunday Series and Adult Sailing Lessons. I am thankful for Junior Sailing and the Governor’s Cup. And, I am thankful for friends. Wishing you all a safe, happy, and healthy holiday season.

Welcome Alice Bredin-Karney

WRYC extends a warm welcome to Alice Bredin-Karney. She is newly retired and resides in Gloucester. She is anxious to volunteer with Socials and become involved with Adult Sailing.

Welcome Alice, we look forward to many happy times together! 

Successful Oyster Roast; New Years Eve!

We had a wonderful Oyster Roast social on November 9th. Thanks to Tish & Will Grant and their hard-working family members, plus Lorna & Steve Hanson, Beve & Gary Hermanson and Joe & Hollye Morgan for everything they did to make this popular annual event a roaring success.  The oysters were roasted perfectly, the hot dogs were grilled just right with all of the fixins’, and the dessert bars were fantastic.  And, a big thank you to everyone that made their special pot of chili and brought it for all to enjoy.

We do encourage our members to sign up early for socials, as our hosts need this information as they plan and/or work with a caterer to make sure there is enough food, drink, etc. for all attending.  A deadline date is always shown on the social invitation, so please call before this RSVP date.  It is important!

Susan Voss

Our final event for 2019 will be our annual New Year’s Eve social on December 31st.The theme this year will be “Celebrating New Year’s Eve on Island Time”, and it will begin at 7:00 with a social time, then a dinner at 7:30, catered by Chef Tim Winchester.We will enjoy music, dancing and fun with Susan Voss (from Vossome Music), and the ball will drop and the “bubbly” will flow at 11:00 Ware Neck time (which is 12 midnight Island time).Please see the invitation included in this Telltale and call your RSVP in early.Feel free to invite non-members to join us for a fun night of celebrating Island Style.
Tropical clothing will be very appropriate, so dig out your Caribbean shirt, grass skirt, straw hat and flip flops and come looking festive.Looking forward to seeing you there!

SAVE THE DATE FOR ANNUAL MEETING (Invitation included in this Telltale) – Saturday, January 11, 2020 @ 5:00 PM

Jewel on the Ware

As 2019 is drawing to a close, I have been reflecting on the busiest year to date for rentals at WRYC. I thank each of you that agreed to sponsor a renter in 2019. Rentals are a very important source of income for WRYC. By spreading the word on what a “Jewel on the Ware” WRYC is, you help to keep our club vibrant. Please continue spreading the word in 2020, and beyond, on what a wonderful facility WRYC is.

Dec 6………………..………….Member Rental

Dec 7…………………….Non-member Rental

Dec 31…………………New Year’s Eve Social

Jan 11……………Annual Meeting & Dinner

Successful Octoberfest; Upcoming Oyster Roast!

Cheers to Jane Smith and all our volunteers! Octoberfest was a great success. Despite lots of competition with other Fall events in the area, we still had a good turnout, great food, an open bar (thanks Dave Brown for tending), and enjoyable company.  

It is hard to believe that 2019 is just about over. Make your plans now to attend the last 2 Socials of 2019. The ever-popular Oyster Roast, November 9 and the New Year’s Eve Celebration, December 31. New Year’s will be celebrated “Island Style” with themed food and turning our clocks to celebrate the New Year arrival an hour earlier! 

The Club’s membership is vital for making our social events successful, so participate, volunteer, host, plan, clean-up after a social. Your Board needs help in any way you can offer it. You can make a difference here at WRYC!

Oyster Roast Menu / RSVP

Thinking about Sailing

Fall is well upon us. The fleet is doing well, and preparations are underway for offseason maintenance. I have a few names in the hat who have offered to help out with maintenance and upkeep, however, there is plenty of work and not currently enough man-hours available to accomplish it all. Please consider helping to get the 2020 sailing season off to a good start by spending some time volunteering to work on our boats. 

Several months ago (or maybe a year ago) I mentioned some sailing podcasts that I enjoy listening to. One of those is titled “How I Think About Sailing” by Andy Schell. Andy is a very accomplished ocean sailor who makes his living, with his wife Mia, taking charter customers all over the globe, from the Arctic to the Caribbean. His podcast is, just what its name implies, an exploration of sailing the way Andy looks at things. He is always quick to point out that there are more ways and better ideas out there, his goal is just to articulate his view on certain sailing topics.

With that introduction in mind, I would like to start adding some content to these monthly articles above and beyond the status of the fleet (which changes about as fast as I can sail downwind in 5kts of breeze). That being said, I do not want it to only consist of how Scott thinks about sailing. So, I am excited to announce that I am actively taking suggestions for monthly sailing tidbits to be included with the fleet captain notes. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. One topic that was covered previously, for example, was the concept of filing a float plan. I have more ideas, but would love to hear from you all. You know how to reach me, thanks in advance for your support of this new idea (I hope it works...). 

As the wind and water temps cool and sailing activity slows, remember, there are only 130 days until spring. Keep the faith, we will all be out there enjoying the Bay soon enough.

Remembering Dick Zima

I once again start this letter with sad news of the passing of long-time member Dick Zima.  You should have received an email with details of his memorial service, which was held on Saturday, October 16.  Please keep Pat and family in your prayers. 

As mentioned last month, sailing season is closing.  We had one last Albacore sail on Sunday, October 12th (well actually, just Jim Garret and I taking a cruise around the river; he still beat me!).  Gaby, our Irwin, is still in the water but needs to be pulled soon.  If you want a last sail let Scott Titus know.  I have heard rumors of a November meeting to start planning next year’s Sunday series so we do have hope for a quick winter and getting back on the water next year.

We are starting to fill our 2020 Board vacancies but there is room for a few more.  Do not miss your chance to get to know the club better and help guide our future.  Let me know if you are interested in serving a term!

With the close of boating and sailing, we will be trying a new activity for club members to enjoy our club property.  As approved in last year’s members meeting, Tony Villani has been prepping for deer hunting in the area north and west of the tennis courts.  He completed a survey of the entire property a couple weeks ago and posted signs to prevent non-members from hunting.  Interestingly he found a deer stand that was being used on our property and has contacted the owner to remove it.  

We have also received a duck hunting permit and constructed a blind on the east side of our boat ramp (this will also prevent non-members hunting our waterfront.)  As approved, hunting is limited ONLY to members (who must pay an extra $100 per year) and can only occur when the club is not being used for other events.  Signs will be posted if hunting is in progress. 

See you at the Oyster Roast!

Dick Zima: 12/7/37 - 10/22/19