Fall Rentals and Upcoming Events
It has been quite the year for change and flexibility. We have all had to adapt in some way to our changing world. WRYC adapted and successfully held the 2020 Governor’s Cup. It looked a little different but fun was had by all that participated.
Despite all the changes there are still things happening at WRYC this fall. WRYC has missed several of your annul events this summer, so it was decided to wrap them ALL into one BIG EVENT. Mark your calendars for September 5 for our annual Labor Day Event. It will be a BIG EVENT.
Summer on the Ware
Greetings from Seaford! I hope this message finds you all in good health. Summer is in full swing and there is no better place to spend it than on the grounds and surrounding waterways of the Ware River Yacht Club.
I have spent the last several Sundays sailing in the Sunday sailing series and would love to see more members come down for fellowship and good times on the river. You don’t have to be a seasoned to sailor to enjoy. We have several knowledgeable skippers who can get you out on the water and introduce you to small boat sailing/racing, or bring some lawn chairs and watch the races from the shore. My wife and daughter kayak while watching everyone race and have a great time!
As I mentioned last month, we have decided to move forward with our plans to host the Governor’s Cup which is our Annual Regatta. The dates for the event will be the first weekend in August, 8/1 and 8/2. In an effort to make this a successful and safe event for all we will be changing the format a bit. All events/activities will be held outside. We have secured the VA Blue Crab Co. food truck as our caterer for lunch and dinner, and as previously stated our awards ceremony will be held outdoors. Due to the pandemic we are expecting a smaller than average fleet, but we still need help from the membership to make this event a success. We will need a finish line boat, mark boat, safety boat, as well as on-shore support. Come on down and enjoy some sailboat racing and a nice meal! Meals range from $10-$15 a plate.
A Notice of Race is posted on the WRYC webpage and registration and payment information can be found there as well. If you are interested in lending a hand, please reach out to Clayton and Ginger James or Fleet Captain Scott Titus. Let’s all get together and make this event a huge success!
Sincerely,
Jonathan Matthews
Commodore
Sailing is in Full Swing
Despite the extremely warm temperatures, the Junior Sailing Program has provided opportunity for the up and coming next generation of sailors to get out on the water. The instructors have done a fantastic job both on and off the water. Thank you to all of the adults who have come out to oversee the camp and ensure the kids have a safe environment.
By maintaining proper social distancing rules, by wearing face covering shields, and more importantly by staying outside and on the water, WE WERE able to hold our abbreviated 2020 summer sailing camp program. Thanks to staff and volunteers, we manage more than 30 campers and successfully continue to share the joy of sailing with all participants. We feel extremely fortunate to have been able to offer this camp again this season and now we are hopeful To RETURN to a more normal 2021 Sailing Camp Program.
Some new news on the fleet this month. First, the Scout 175 powerboat that was donated to the club has been sold. The money from that sale will go towards a skiff with outboard and trailer. The skiff will be used to support Junior Sailing and the Sunday Series as a mark/safety boat. Second, the Catalina 27 is still for sale. The boat, numerous sets of sails, and an assortment of spare parts will make a great PHRF racing boat or coastal cruiser for someone willing to put in a little elbow grease. Proceeds from that sale will be put towards improvements to the fleet boats. Finally, WAGTAIL is back on her mooring at the club. Minor repairs are still ongoing while the boat is in the water. A brand new mainsail has been ordered. Thanks to Steve and Dave for all the hard work getting WAGTAIL cleaned up and ready for the shortened season; and thanks to Jim for the electrical work.
Finally, the club has four new moorings, complete with new helix anchors and complete chain rode. Thanks to Jim for taking the lead on procurement and diving with me during the install. Also, thanks to John for supporting from the power boat on the surface, we could not have done it without that support. The helix anchors provide much more holding power than concrete anchors. We are anticipating the boats will stay put a lot better now than before. We did leave one of the old moorings near the swim platform. That mooring should only be used by boats utilizing the swim platform and only while people are with the boat (not overnight). The new moorings are marked one through four. Moorings two and four will be the permanent moorings of the club owned keel boat fleet. Moorings one and three are available for club members use.
Hope to see everyone at the 2020 Governor’s Cup! See you on the water.
Scott
Social News for WRYC
Hello all! We hope everyone is faring well and staying safe!
As stating in the last newsletter, the Governor’s Cup Regatta will be held this coming Saturday and Sunday, August 1st and 2nd. All registration needed to be online. The Blue Crab food truck will be here, offering tasty crab and shrimp dishes as well as non-seafood entrees. Please come enjoy the fun, staying safely distant, taking in the beautiful Ware River views!
The first weekend in September, Saturday the 5th, we are boldly planning to celebrate the season- as much as safely possible- with a fine Labor Day ‘Combination’ Social! This is to include a little of all the Events we have had to cancel…..We will have a light and sound show, flag raising, Run for the Roses-Kentucky Derby celebration as well as, hopefully, a fun Bluegrass band to play on the grounds. Come enjoy seeing fellow members and guests as we celebrate the season by the beautiful Ware! Tickets will be $18 per person which will include a Mint Julep. Burgers, dogs, and summer salads will be served by caterer, Tim Winchester, in a safe line by gloved and masked servers. Hope to see you!
Alice Bredin-Karny and Jane Smith- Social Coordinators
Welcome Aboard!
We would like to extend a warm welcome to our newest members:
Garrett, is a junior member and will be an active participant in the Sunday Racing Series when available. Fred and his wife, Elizabeth and two sons spend time in Ware Neck in the summer. They plan on attending club events and helping out whenever possible.
Both Garrett and Fred have long standing family ties to WRYC and both participated in the JR sailing program growing up.
Boat Storage
Building & Grounds has been cleaning up and organizing the boat parking area. We now have designated twelve foot wide “slips” numbered 1-34. Those members utilizing the boat parking areas need to make sure their boats are registered with the Club by filling out the Boat Storage Form (link here) and sending it to: WRYC, P.O Box 856, Gloucester, VA 23061 or the below listed e-mail address. Please contact us ASAP so we can sort out whose boats/trailers are currently using the area. Senior members will have first picks for parking areas.
Thank you,
Jon or Gary at wareriveryc@gmail.com
Welcome to Summer
Summer is here and there is no better place to spend it than on the grounds and surrounding waterways of the Ware River Yacht Club!
As we enter Phase III of the Governor’s reopening plan, it is my sincere desire to resume Club activities in the safest manner. Myself and our Board continue to engage in conversations regarding the seriousness of Covid-19 and preserving the health & well being of our membership.
With this in mind, we have decided to move forward with our plans to host the 2020 Governor’s Cup. The dates for our annual regatta will be the first weekend in August (8/1 and 8/2) and to ensure this a successful and safe event for all, we will be changing the format.
All events/activities will be held outside. We will forgo the traditional social, hold our awards ceremony outdoors, and are exploring catering/food truck options for meals. We are expecting a smaller than average fleet because of Covid-19, however, we still need help from membership to make this event a success. We are looking for assistance in the following areas: finish line boat, mark boat, safety boat, as well as onshore support.
A Notice of Race has been posted on our WRYC webpage (wryc.org) and registration/payment information can be found there as well. Online registration is required before July 24th to participate. For safety purposes there will be no (in person) day of race registration. If you are interested in lending a hand, please reach out to Clayton and Ginger James or our Fleet Captain, Scott Titus. Let’s all get together and make this event a huge success!
Sincerely,
Jonathan Matthews, Commodore
Is Your Boat at the Club?
There is no charge for members of the club to store their trailered boats at the club, but we do ask that you complete a Boat Storage Form when they bring their boat to the club. The member is responsible for securing the boat / trailer in the event of storms or hurricanes. Unless you are using the boat often, you are asked to park the boat in the big field near the club boats, which is a safer location than near the shore. This is important so that we may contact you in the event your boat needs to be moved or secured.
