Feelin Hot
August in southeastern Virginia can be brutal and this year has been no exception! Despite the heat the Club has been very active with our annual Governors Cup as well as adult sailing on Saturdays. After all, what better way to escape the heat than be on the water enjoying the breeze? As stated in other submissions, there is still plenty of time to get out on the water or enjoy the Club grounds before the weather turns, so I hope to see you there! I would like to thank all who have had a hand in making this season a success. You know who you are. See you all soon down on the Ware.
Jonathan Matthews
Commodore
Labor Day Social Re-scheduled
Labor Day is upon us and as you all are aware, the normal time for our social has been rescheduled. This is partly due to my having a slower than planned recovery from a hip replacement and members out of town. As you will see in the invite, the new date is September 26th. Please RSVP so we can give a good headcount to Scoot’s for the BBQ.
Summer at the club has been busy! We hosted the Albacore National Regatta in July and also held the Governor’s Cup Regatta July 31st-August 2nd. I want to thank everyone for coming forth to help with both functions! As we have said in the past, this is your club and participation from the members is most essential.
The social at the end of September falls on a Sunday when the sailing group has their Sunday series of racing. They typically finish around 3, so if anyone wants to come a bit early to observe the sailors, please do. We are pleased that one of our members, Carolyn August will be providing music for our enjoyment.
Looking forward to seeing and meeting all the new members who have signed on board this year!!!
Ya’ll come, hear…Jane Smith, Social chair
Adult Sailing/So Much Fun!!
The adult sailing program this summer was an experience I never dreamed I would have. Growing up on a farm in the mountains, sailing was out of my field of vision for 25 years. It wasn’t until my husband Harry had the itch to get back into sailing, in the very place he learned to sail, did I think to maybe give it a go. Having piloted planes before, it turns out...a sail is just a vertical wing!
Under the tutelage of Joe, Jim, and Bill, I was able to go from zero to hero in a matter of a few weekends. I never stepped foot in a sailboat until this summer. From learning how to tie a figure eight knot, to the points of sail, to then serving as crew on Albacores and solo-sailing Lasers, Saturdays became something I looked forward to after a long work week. I thought sailing was so out of my reach; yet, here I was, doing it!
Joe always claimed we “get what we pay for” with the adult sailing program at WRYC. However, you get much, much more than you pay for. You gain knowledge, experience, and friends. If you are on the fence about sailing, a little rusty, or a sprout like me, give it a try! You won’t regret it.
-Autumn T, WRYC member since 2019
Welcome all new members!
Word of mouth is certainly spreading about WRYC and we would like to welcome the following families for the month of August.
Stephanie & Gary of Hayes, VA
Iliya and Leonne; daughter May, and sons, Alex and Paul of Ware Neck, VA (former members)
Reid of Ware Neck, VA
David and Carmen and daughter, Danielle, of Yorktown, VA
We look forward to meeting you all and can’t wait to get together soon!
Beve H.
57th Annual Governors' Cup a Success
August proved to be another busy month with our sailing activities which started with the 57th Annual Governors Cup Regatta. The event was a success thanks to the dedication of Scott Titus and the Committee members who supported it. Special thanks to club members Bill and Layne Brown, Clayton James, Jane Smith and Gary Hermanson. We ended up with a respectable showing of 43 boats and despite challenges with the weather on both days, the RC did a good job adjusting for the wind conditions and managed to get in 4 races on Saturday. Unfortunately weather moved in on Sunday and all races were cancelled. Nevertheless, the sailors and crew managed to make the most of it and had a terrific time.
This years Governors Cup Trophy went to Gordon Stokes, winner of the Hampton One Design fleet which had 14 boats represented. This was followed by the Albacores with 8 boats, Lasers, Buccaneers, a PHRF Class and our Opti Fleet. This years Chamber of Commerce Cup recipient, awarded to the Top participating skipper under age 18, went to William Sutten in a Laser Radial. And the Congressman’s Cup, awarded for sportsmanship throughout the regatta, went to OPTI sailor, John Ackerly. John also took 1st in the OPTI Green fleet. Congrats to all the winning skippers and their crews !!
Now to Fleet business. As I mentioned, we had plenty of sailing activity in August and with the addition of new members, continued to expand our adult sailing program and had over 8 folks checked out on club boats. Our keel boat is securely moored in front of the club and available for use. I also plan to keep a few Lasers and Albacores available for use thru October so please take advantage. I‘ve also confirmed rumors of a Ladies group who are sailing regularly on Saturday’s…………….terrific !! For any ladies who might like to know more please send me an email.
Lastly, we have divested ourselves of our 25’ Irwin “Gabby” and are now down to one keel boat, our 26’ Paceship Wagtail. If you would like to get checked out on this boat for use, please let me know. My plan is to add an additional Keel boat by next year so we have 2 solid, reliable vessels members can have access to. There is still plenty of sailing season left so I hope to see you out on the water.
Happy Sailing,
Jim Garrett - Fleet
Fall Rental Count
It will be a busy Fall with Rentals and Events at WRYC. We have 5 rentals scheduled for September and October. One rental in November. The hope is we will have a late September Club social as well as one October and the ever popular November Oyster Roast.
Please step up to help assist with the planning, set up, serving and clean up of these fun socials. Hope to see you on the Ware soon.
Layne, WRYC Manager