CLEAN UP DAY(s)-Building & Grounds
Ahoy WRYC membership!
Exciting news for this year’s Spring Clean Up - we are going to do
a day of outside cleaning and a day of inside cleaning to ensure we are ready for what
should be a jam-packed sailing season. Please join me at 0900 on the 21 st and 22 nd of March
at the club. The weather will dictate which day we are inside and/or outside but please come
prepared with gloves, tools, and a willingness to work.
If you can’t make it both days, that’s ok, just indicate which day you can make it when you
sign up via email.
We will provide lunch both days so please send me an email at mseebeach@outlook.com to
make sure I get you on the list.
Thanks to everyone who welcomed me aboard as B&G and I look forward to seeing all of
you at the club. I will have a list of work items emailed out to participants the first week of
March.
Thanks in advance,
Brian
804-925-9780
WRYC 2026 Calendar of Events
February 14 Valentine’s Day Social Luncheon
March 14/15 St. Patrick’s Day Social (Host choice)
March 21/22 Spring Work Day
March 28/29 Daffodil Festival & Parade (WRYC has a booth & parade participation)
April 12 Alliance II Sail from WRYC
April 16 Spring Happy Hour (Host Choice) Free, BYOB, Appetizer to Share
April 18 Pickleball round Robin
May 2 Flag Raising / Bob James Memorial Regatta
May 16 Pickleball round Robin
May 20 Trivia Night
June 18 Summer Happ Hour (Host Choice) Free, BYOB, Appetizer to Share
June 15-18 Junior Sailing Session 1 Week 1
June 22-25 Junior Sailing Session 1 Week 2
June 25 Junior Sailing Banquet
June 27 Open Play Tennis/Pickleball Round Robin
June 29-July 2 Junior Sailing Session 2 Week 1
July 3/4 Independence Day Social (Host choice)
July 6-9 Junior Sailing Session 2 Week 2
July 9 Junior Sailing Banquet
July 13-16 Junior Sailing Session 3 Week 1
July 20-23 Junior Sailing Session 3 Week 2
July 23 Junior Sailing Banquet
July 31, Aug.1/2 62nd VA Governor’s Cup, Fireball Nationals & Junior Regattas & Awards
August 20 Summer Social Hour (Host Choice) Free, BYOB, Appetizer to Share
September 5/6 Labor Day Social (Host choice)
September 12 Pickleball Round Robin
September 16 Trivia Night
October 9-13 Oktoberfest – Albacore Nationals Regatta
November 7 Oyster Roast
December 6/7 Christmas / Holiday Social (Host choice)
*Members are encouraged to sign up to host or help organize each event. Co-hosting is
perfectly acceptable – you don’t have to host alone. Please contact Membership Chair,
Josh James, at socials@wryc.org with any questions or fill in your name and number in
the sign-up column above.
From the Helm
Welcome 2026! Thank you to all who helped with setup for the Annual Meeting, specifically Dave Brown for sponsoring dinner and leading the volunteer effort. 2025 was a strong year for WRYC. We saw numerous fun filled and energetic social events, another successful Junior Sailing Program, the inaugural Bob James Memorial Keelboat regatta (first keel boat regatta at WRYC in many decades), and the 61st Annual Virginia Governor’s Cup.
This year, along with the continuation of the events we saw in 2025, we will add a second keelboat regatta, the Harry Sindle Memorial Keelboat regatta in the fall, as well as hosting two national fleet regattas. The Fireball Nationals will be held in conjunction with the 62nd Annual Governor’s Cup Regatta and the Albacore Nationals will be held as a stand alone event in October. Our keelboat, Tranquility Base is actively undergoing offseason maintenance up at Mobjack Bay Marina on the North River and Fleet Captain John Dudley is planning for another active sailing season. The fleet committee team will be placing some new mooring tackle this year as well.
Huge thank you to Samantha and Matt Preddy who have stepped up to take on the role of Junior Sailing Camp Directors! Thank you to Bill and Layne Brown for leading the effort over the past several years. Along with taking on Junior Sailing, Samantha has agreed to serve on the Board of Directors this year as well!
Welcome to the Board as well Brian Beach who will be assuming the reigns as Buildings and Grounds Chair from Jim Woodward. Thank you Jim for your years of tireless behind the scenes efforts taking care of the grounds.
Thanks to the US Albacore Association (USAA) sailors from the Potomac River Sailing Association and the West River Sailing Association we plan to host several Albacore dinghy clinics this year. The clinics will range from rigging to basic sailing and then on to basic and advanced racing skills and tactics. We are very grateful to all the USAA members that always show such fantastic support to our fleet. There will be some world class sailors leading these events, including the 2025 Albacore World Champion, Barney Harris.
Just before the Annual Meeting a survey was sent out regarding upgrades to our playground. Thanks to all that responded both the the survey and with questions/comments. The Board will move forward with plans to upgrade the playground equipment later this year based upon the input from the membership.
Congratulations to all who received awards for the 2025 Season. We have a couple of awards yet to make their way to the recipients, so more to follow on this topic in a future Telltale.
With all the activity planned for this year, from socials to regattas to work around the grounds, we are going to need everyone’s help. Remember, WRYC runs on volunteers! Please consider where you can pitch in to lend a hand. Reach out to the Board or committee chair and help make this year the most successful WRYC season to date. If you have any quesitons or comments don’t hesitate to reach out to me at Commodore@WRYC.org
Finally, thank you to our newest Past Commodore, Harry Taylor. It was an absolute pleasure to work alongside Harry the past couple of years. His leadership and strategic vision have placed the club in a great position to continue our strong legacy of social activity and the advancement of Corinthian sailing.
Best Regards,
Scott Titus, Commodore
Fleet Scuttlebutt
Greetings sailors and all club members! You have my best wishes for a joyful holiday season and a Happy New Year!
The annual report available at January’s Annual Meeting on the 17th will include a review of our adult sailing activities. I invite you to look it over when it becomes available and let me know if you have questions or if you would like more information.
Our keelboat Tranquility Base is resting on stands at Mobjack Bay Marina, and we are planning mostly routine maintenance during this off season. Please let me know if you have an interest in participating in any of these activities. For the most part, they are not strenuous and can contribute to overall knowledge of our specific boat as well as sailboats in general.
Stay healthy and safe, and I hope to see you at our Holiday Social on December 12th.
John Dudley, Fleet Captain
November Social Recap
Hello WRYC Members!
November has been a truly fabulous and busy social month here at the Ware River Yacht Club. Thank you to everyone who came out and made our recent events such a success!
🦪 A Crispy Fall Oyster Roast!
A huge thank you goes out to The Brown's and Hermanson's for hosting a truly fabulous oyster roast on November 8th. The event was very well attended, and everyone enjoyed a perfectly crisp Fall night right on the Ware River. We feasted on delicious oysters and warm, Nuttall’s clam chowder. It was a wonderful way to kick off the cold weather season!
🍷 Wine, Books, and Oysters at Nuttall's Store
On November 21st, we had another splendid evening as Nuttall's Store hosted a great wine tasting and book signing event. We were honored to have renowned Chesapeake Bay photographer Jay Fleming on-hand to meet, chat with community members, and sign copies of his incredible books and prints. A special shout-out to Matheson Oysters for being on site to shuck delicious oysters for all to enjoy—the perfect pairing!
🎄 Save the Date: Holiday Dinner & Social!
Mark your calendars! Our next event will be our annual Holiday Dinner and Social on Friday, December 12th. Special thanks to our hosts Sarah and Joe Andrews and Jason and Joann Holaday. We look forward to a splendid Italian dinner to celebrate the holiday season!
Please see the attached flyer for full details on how to purchase tickets and reserve your spot!
📢 Volunteer Opportunities!
The Social Committee is always looking for new ideas and extra hands! If you have any interest in hosting a future WRYC event or would like to volunteer some time to assist with event planning and execution, please reach out.
Contact: Josh James, Social Chair
Email: socials@wryc.org
Wishing you all a safe, happy, and restful holiday season with your loved ones!
See you on December 12th!
Best regards,
Josh James
WRYC Social Chair
WRYC Calendar of Events
December 12, Friday Holiday Dinner
2026
January 17, Saturday Annual Meeting - be sure to attend to share what can be improved at WRYC
Fleet Scuttlebutt
Greetings sailors and all club members! September and October went well, but not without some unplanned complications. Much gratitude and credit are due the members who retrieved our keelboat Tranquility Base after she had parted from her mooring on account of ugly weather on October 19th. She is now on the hard at Mobjack Bay Marina, and none the worse for wear. The off-season gives us a chance for a thorough inspection and some maintenance.
As November is dedicated in part to gratitude, it’s appropriate that I thank all those who have made this season so enjoyable, and in particular those whose efforts on October 20th and 21st assured that no further complications resulted from the failure of our mooring. More broadly, we can all be thankful for nature’s many blessings, including the beauty and bounty of our Chesapeake Bay region.
Lately I lose too much time distracted or preoccupied with screens of various sizes. Indeed, the phrase ‘Screen Time’ can refer to our current era, as well as to the hours we might spend looking at a screen. Further reading suggests younger generations are suffering in various ways from over-exposure to screens, and the often-wretched content they contain. Getting a break from electronics, being outside in good and even not-so-good weather, and enjoying the fresh air and saltwater surroundings of our yacht club are great remedies for the peculiar ailments caused by hours of screen time. I hope you share my gratitude for the opportunities provided by our club and that you will encourage others, particularly younger members, to take advantage of it. (Disclaimer – I may use a Navionics screen while sailing, as my coastal navigation skills are underdeveloped and rusty.)
Stay healthy and safe, and I hope to see you at our Oyster Roast Social on the 8th!
John Dudley, Fleet Captain
WRYC 2025 Calendar of Events
November 2 Brunch at Mathews Yacht Club
November 8 Oyster Roast
November 13 Fall Happy Hour
November 21 Nuttall’s Wine Tasting
December 12 Christmas / Holiday Social (Host choice)
2026
January 17 Annual Meeting