FROM THE HELM
As June winds down we have been thankful for temperatures much lower than a year ago. Hopefully we won’t pay for this with high temps and storms during the rest of the summer. Other parts of the country have had more than enough heat.
The early story is that the Junior Sailing Program is again off and running in fine fashion. Fully enrolled - all participants having a great time. Many thanks again to Bill Brown for his efforts in organization and to Jim Garrett and sailors for all of the efforts in fleet maintenance. Great job.
Adult sailing is also looking at a successful season. A large number of people have signed up to participate. Excellent reviews from last year. A number of people have volunteered a huge amount to get this going - in maintenance and in time spent instructing. Thanks to all of them. This program has become a strong drawing point.
Thanks again to Scott Titus for spearheading the Governor’s Cup event. It takes time and talent to be able to pull this event off. He needs support from many Club members in all different capacities - so sign up to help! Hopefully this will continue to grow from the Covid years.
The negative at this point is our inability to pull off the July 4th social event. This is particularly sad because of the fantastic event that was held last year. The Board will continue to work towards making these events feasible. As in the past - suggestions are quite welcome.
Quiz of the month - remaining in a sports mode: who said: “All right everyone, line up alphabetically according to your height.” and “Never make predictions, especially about the future.”
Bob Davis, Commodore
The Latest Fleet Scuttlebutt ...................
It’s Sailing Camp Time. We had a terrific start to this year’s Sailing Camp and once again we have 3 full sessions! Our loft and sailboats were ready for duty and thanks to the efforts we made on our Spring-Cleaning Day, we were well organized for our opening session. Many thanks to Bill Brown and new member Bernadette Tipton for their support this year.
Adult sailing is also in full swing, and we have a number of folks taking advantage of the program and learning about keel boat sailing and maneuvering. Want to get checked out to be able to use a club boat? Come join us. This year we are alternating between keel boats and albacore dinghies every other Sunday from noon to 4pm. Please drop me a line if interested.
Speaking of keel boats, if anyone is interested in owning a nice sized keel boat two of our members, Cordon Davis and his son, are selling their 1988 Ericson 28’ Sloop. Its currently at Mobjack Bay Marina in North, VA. getting the bottom done. If you're interested, please contact Cordon directly at (804)-693-2901.
And of course, I can’t forget this month’s nautical origins phrase…………….” To Show One's True Colors”. We know this term to mean showing who one really is, to reveal one's character (usually used in a negative way). I was surprised to learn its origin is rooted in nautical exploits. It was once common practice for ships to hoist their national flags before commencing battle. Some ships would carry flags from many countries and hoist "false flags" to confuse or mislead their enemies at sea, a practice that was especially common among Spanish ships in the 17th century. This practice also introduced the term "bamboozle" into our language. We’ll save that one!.
Lastly, PLEASE be on the lookout for opportunities to serve the club, whether through hosting Socials, getting involved in our upcoming Governor’s Cup Regatta August 4,5,6, supporting our building and grounds chairman or utilizing our updated pickleball courts to host tournaments and bring on new members. Every club member was asked the question about where they would like to serve when they joined, so if you’re a newer member and haven’t gotten plugged in, or don’t know how please reach out to any member of the board…………we’ll get you connected.
Fair winds and steady seas,
Jim Garrett - Fleet
2023 Governor's Cup...PLEASE VOLUNTEER
Our 59th Governor's Cup Regatta is scheduled for August 5 & 6, 2023. The two day event takes many volunteers for to be successful.
We need volunteers for hospitality/meals (breakfast & bag lunches both days & Saturday dinner), registration, scoring, race committee, safety boats, mark boats, and shore support. Please contact Scott Titus, sct42171@gmail.com, if you are willing to help support the largest sailing event for the club.
Welcome...
It is with great pleasure we welcome Terry and Jenn Sims, II from Hayes, VA and their three children, Madison, Corbin and Winston. They are eager to become involved with WRYC through Socials, Building & Grounds, Fleet Maintenance and Kids Activities. We look forward to meeting them at our next event.
Interested in Pickle Ball??
Our tennis courts have be refurbished and we need to use them. They are marked for both Tennis and Pickle ball, with members taking advantage of both.
Interested in playing or learning more about Pickle ball? We are seeking interest from members to start a Pickle ball group in the Fall. If you have interest, please email wareriveryc@gmail.com with your level of interest. We will access interest and move forward from there.
FROM THE HELM
The official opening of the Yacht Club year went very well. The weather was excellent - not too hot or wet - no bugs, the scout troop did well, the new lines on the flag pole did not foul, the food was excellent, the Derby came off without a hitch, the mint juleps went down smoothly, and a fine time was had by all. Just a rumor that Board members profited from the Derby betting. Again many thanks to Josh James for a superb job of organizing.
A less happy topic is that we seem to have gotten ourselves into somewhat of a pickle. This has to do with the tradition of volunteers organizing social events. I think this was becoming an issue before the Covid years - accelerated during Covid - and has become a very limiting factor. We will need to find a way to incentivize people to step up. I honestly at this point do not know the answer. Suggestions are welcome.
On a happier note - the wine testing event with Nuttall’s store turned out to be a very nice event. A repeat will happen in the fall - tentatively on the Friday of labor Day weekend. It ws formatted to be a benefit to both the Club and the Store. There will be tweaks to the format to accomplish those goals.
Quiz of the month - 2 chances: who said: “Nobody goes there anymore, it’s too crowded” “In theory there is no difference between theory and practice, in practice there is.”
Bob Davis, Ccommodore.
The Latest Fleet Scuttlebut............
My how time flies when the weather gets warmer. I can’t believe we’re thru May and its almost June. We’ve been busy in the Fleet group prepping and moving boats back onto their moorings. Thanks to Scott Titus, John Dudley and a few others the keel boats are home.
I have personally been extremely busy the last few months but I believe we are ready to launch our adult sailing instruction starting Sunday, June 4th at 12 noon. An email has gone out and the expectation will be that anyone interested, needs to confirm attendance the week prior. Our goal is to accommodate both keel boat and dinghy instruction. For additional information contact me directly at jgarret1@gmx.com.
And of course, I can’t forget to include May’s “Sailing terminology of the month”. This months term is “Hunky Dory”. We know the term to mean that everything is “Ok, or just fine”. Its origin is a phrase commonly attributed to American sailors who used it to describe a particular street in Japan called Honcho-dori. This street was known to lonely sailors for the services it provided. I’ll just leave it at that.
I’ve mentioned it before but if you have a boat (sailboat, motorboat, kayak, etc.), you’re thinking of selling and would like to advertise it in the TT, please let me know, I’m happy to take care of it. That said, member’s Cordon Davis and son Cordon III are selling their 1988 28’ Ericson Sailboat. The boat is currently at Mobjack Bay Marina. For more information contact Cordon directly at cordon.davis@gmail.com.
Until next time…….
Fair Winds and Steady Seas,
Jim Garrett - Fleet
Derby Success
May saw the annual Flag Raising and Derby Day event, which was a huge success! I think we were all shocked with the race results, and I am still thinking about those tomato bites from Creekside. Many thanks to Joshua James for stepping up to the plate and planning the social beautifully, and Harry Taylor for keeping the libations flowing.
Onto a more somber note: thanks to those that volunteered to set-up and clean-up, however, the July 4th Social is cancelled. With no one to host the event, we unfortunately had to come to this conclusion.
A reminder that the socials here at WRYC do not just magically happen (though we have a few fairy godmothers who make it appear that way). We need volunteers to step up and host the socials, or we will continue to “read the room” as members simply aren’t interested in socials.
What does it take to be a host/hostess?
Host/Hostess: can be a single person, or a group. The host can choose the time of the event, food, entertainment, decor, budget, you name it! You would have creative liberty on designing the event, and overall planning. You may choose to have the event catered or served by volunteers. All expenses on the Club's dime, and can either be reimbursed or utilize a Club credit card. We do ask to keep on budget (meaning, attempt to break even/profit when setting a ticket price and expected number of guests).
-Set-Up: reports to the host on when to arrive to the event, and may include hanging up decor, setting tables, serving food/beverages, grilling, etc.
-Clean-Up: stays after the event to help get the Club back in shape for the next event.
A social committee is now being formed. The committee would be a group of members dedicated to the success of social events (could be game nights, movie nights, potlucks, etc.) If you have the time and would like to be a member of this committee, raise your hand!