September 2016 - Essex Yacht Club

October 2016
UPCOMING EVENTS
Willets Race
Saturday, October 1
Fall Frostbiting
Starts Sunday, October 9
Country Hoe Down Night
Friday, October 14
Commodore’s
Cocktail Party
Saturday, November 5
Cuba Night
Thursday, November 10
THROUGH THE SPYGLASS
From the Commodore
Fall is here and I am getting ready to go to St.
Tropez for my last of four major European regattas
that I try to attend each year. Between those races
and my sailing in the US, I have sailed almost 60
days this year. Not a record for me but quite a few
days of what I most love to do. And I feel that many
of you have had a chance to sail or powerboat more
than usual this summer due to the good weather,
the busy EYC regatta and cruise schedule and the
Commodore Thomas A. Whidden
use of the Ideal 18 fleet.
Our busy yacht club continues to hum along. The hard work of all of our
volunteers, your board and committees, is really tireless with a total commitment
for making our members club experience world class. And of course, our management and staff are so appreciated by us all. I am really proud to see how far we
have come over the past years. It is great to see so many of you around the club
participating in different activities.
The annual Loubenvar/Thundermug regatta took place the weekend of September 17 and 18. Congratulations to Cliff & Theresa Myers on Mischief for
winning the Loubenvar race and past Commodore Frank Flores for his win on
Checkmate in the Thundermug race.
I hope that all of you get the chance to enjoy the migrating swallows on the
Connecticut River. Hundreds of thousands of swallows show up from all directions above Goose Island, flying around in circles in an undulating mass before
diving in a cyclone like formation into the reeds for the night. It is one of the most
incredible natural phenomena, only seen on the Connecticut River. It can only
be appreciated fully by boat either on the east side or west side of Goose Island
just north of the Old Lyme harbor. It is a great activity for a late afternoon, early
evening, cruise down the river. It is a must-see experience and will help to remind
you that we live in a spectacular area on the most beautiful river anywhere.
Linda Douglas and her entertainment committee have organized a wonderful
night of Country food and dancing for us on Friday, October 14. And the Commodore’s cocktail party is on Saturday night, November 5. I would love to see all
of you at that popular event.
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LAUNCH HOURS
COMMITTEE NEWS
THROUGH
NOVEMBER 1
WEEKDAYS:
8:00AM–6:00PM
WEEKENDS:
8:00AM–8:00PM
HOUSE COMMITTEE REPORT
Members, Please Review
When using one of our club moorings in another port (Block, Sag, etc.) the club
burgee must be flown; maximum stay is two days on any one mooring; you should
welcome a fellow club member where Harbor Masters permit rafting; please call
the EYC launch office if you are on a club mooring so members departing Essex
can plan their trip.
If you have used the Dutch Harbor mooring in 2016 please let Marcus know
the condition of that mooring.
For the safety of the staff and people walking on the docks please take your
dock lines with you when you depart.
Our status as a private club requires that you sign in non-member guests (Yearbook, House Rules, page 14, IV c).
Under our General Regulations III (Yearbook, House Rules, page 13, III F)
“members and guest must be decorously dressed”. This means no hats or caps for
men in the public rooms, no tank tops and no bare feet.
Please check the coat room for items you might have forgotten there. We
have several coats, jackets, hats, sun glasses, prescription glasses etc. In a few
weeks items not claimed will go to Goodwill. - Hans Ullstein
MEMBERSHIP NEWS
Welcome Aboard
Welcome new Junior Member
Nicholas Richardson
Please welcome Junior Member Nicholas Richardson. Nick lives in Old Lyme,
is currently a student and has extensive boating and sailing experience. He has
participated in sailing and racing programs at Pettipaug Yacht Club, North Cove
Yacht Club and Mystic Seaport. He has sailed in 420s and currently is developing
his skills in a Laser. He has his boating license and has the privilege of using a 23
foot Grady White which is owned by his family. Proposed by Ernest Goodrich.
Seconded by David Sandmann.
Mr. and Mrs. James and Joy Biggart have been added to the wait list.
- Barbara Klin
ENTERTAINMENT HAPPENINGS
Get Your Cowboy On
The Scallop Fest, held on September 10, was a delicious success with 54 guests in
attendance and the ever popular Men’s Night was on September 22. Chef Michael
prepared a manly evening of beef and bourbon along with some excellent wines.
Plans are shaping up for the EYC Country Hoe Down on Friday, October 14.
The evening will include a cocktail hour and Friday night dinner with a country
menu, followed by dancing in the Wetmore room, including country line dancing and square dancing. We have a professional caller to help organize sailors into
country dancers! It will be a different night but should be a lot of fun. See the
attached flyer.
The Commodore’s Cocktail Party is scheduled for November 5. This is a fun
and very popular event!
Entertainment continued on page 3
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COMMITTEE NEWS
Entertainment continued
And finally, you don’t want to miss Cuba Night on November 10. Bob Osborne
will speak about his remarkable voyage to Cuba with wife Brenda aboard Pandora.
Bob will give us a glimpse of full time life aboard a sailboat for months and show
us what it is like to visit Cuba, the “forbidden paradise”. Cocktails: 5:30 (think
Mojito!); Dinner: 6:15 (there will be a charge for dinner); Lecture: 7:00.
- Linda Douglas
CRUISE INFORMATION
2017 Cruising
A Mystic-al Night was had by all at
the Labor Day Cruise Dinner held in
the Boat Shed of Mystic Seaport. The
Lovable Eight Ladies pictured are (left
to right) Renate Houchin, Kathy Lifland,
Dianne Sexton, Bea Swanson, Lois
Thomsen, Judith Duran, Jane Lewis and
Leslie Cameron. The Labor Day Weekend Cruise to Mystic Seaport was a bust as boat participating
goes as the tropical storm put a dent in our cruising plans. But we had a very successful cocktail party on Nordic Lady at the EYC docks on Saturday evening—69
folks for cocktails, a record I believe, and Chef Michael’s great hors d’oeuvres. The dinner at the Boat Shed at the Seaport still took place Sunday evening.
60 brave souls made the trip in cars and the weather held off nicely. Thanks to
everyone for adjusting their plans!
The Cruise Committee is starting plans for next Summer Cruising already
and is thinking of heading Down East to Maine, or partially there—maybe just
making it to the bay area of Massachusetts. Please let us know your interest as to
where you would like to go in 2017.
- Ben B. Wilde
REGATTA EVENTS
Fall Racing
EYC Team left to right: Peter Harding,
Pierre Boulanger, Amy Pullin, Rick
Weiner and Sue Wyeth. Missing is Kate
Black-Lee.
On September 10 Team EYC took on Essex Corinthian YC in our annual interclub team race held on the river in Ideal 18s. The racing was extremely close with
some great team racing until Team EYC finally prevailed with two race wins to
come back from a 2-3 deficit to win the best of seven series with a 4-3 scoreline.
Congratulations to our team of Pierre Boulanger/Kate Black-Lee, Amy Pullin/
Sue Wyeth and Peter Harding/Rick Weiner for gaining our first team racing victory of the season. They and many other team members have worked hard this
year to improve their knowledge of team racing tactics under the leadership of
Cliff Myers and it is great to see all their hard work pay off. Thanks also to the
Race Committee including EYC members Mary-Lawrence Bickford, Cliff Myers
and Dudley Bickford who kept things moving! After the race everyone enjoyed a
great buffet prepared by the Essex Corinthian YC.
Our Ideal 18 Summer Series finished on September 22 after 16 weeks of racing
with 53 races in the non-spinnaker series and 41 races in the spinnaker series. This
was one of our best seasons in recent years with very few days lost to too much or
too little wind. The final results are shown on page 5 and we congratulate everyone who participated at every level. Only racers who participated in at least 50%
of the races are eligible for the seasonal trophies including the Henry Deen Towers
Trophy for first place in each division.
The Loubenvar-Thundermug weekend on September 17-18 provided some
fun racing although turnout was disappointing
The Loubenvar is a pursuit race with time handicaps applied to the starting
Regatta continued on page 4
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COMMITTEE NEWS
Regatta continued
Bill Herlihy chugs from the Josepha of
Essex Trophy as Lynn awaits her turn.
Banshee, Moby Nick and Mischief in
the Loubenvar race.
Frank Flores and crew on Checkmate on
their way to victory in the Thundermug race.
times. The highest handicap (i.e. slowest!) boat starts first and then the faster
boats have a staggered start time according to their PHRF ratings. Once you have
started then it is first to finish wins!
With a light southeasterly breeze at the start the Race Committee wisely chose
the shorter of the two alternative courses that took the fleet of three boats almost
directly from the start off Old Saybrook to the finish at Duck Island. As the race
progressed the tide reversed from flood to ebb and the wind dropped making it
extremely challenging to round the last mark off Duck island. Fortunately, a little
more breeze filled in and everyone was able to round the mark and get to the finish. Congratulations to Cliff & Theresa Myers on Mischief who took line honors
followed by John Amendola on Moby Nick and Bill & Lynn Herlihy on Banshee.
The Saturday evening party at Pilots Point Marina was attended by about fifty
racers and other club members who enjoyed a substantial dinner of pasta, meatballs and chicken prepared by Chef Michael. Bill & Lynn Herlihy and the Banshee
crew were awarded the Josepha of Essex Trophy for the last boat to finish and
seemed more than happy to share the champagne of questionable vintage that
they were required to consume according to the Deed of Gift!
On Sunday three boats dropped anchor in Duck Island Roads for the start of
the Thundermug Race. This race features a harbor start with all boats at anchor
until the starting signal. At the start the crews have to leap up from below decks,
haul up the anchor and set sail to round the committee boat before sailing home
along the south side of Long Sand Shoal to the finish off the Old Saybrook light.
With the flood tide against the racers Frank Flores and the Checkmate crew found
less adverse current by hugging the edge of the shoal to finish first on both elapsed
and corrected time. Mischief (Cliff Myers) and Banshee (Bill & Lynn Herlihy)
finished in that order on both elapsed and corrected time. Special thanks go to
Paul Forrest who provided Fianna as the RC boat for the weekend that was ably
manned by Mary-Lawrence & Dudley Bickford, Jack & Barbara Stillwaggon,
Beatrix Bisceglia and Mike & Susie Carlucci.
October brings us the last event in the EYC racing calendar, the Willets Race
on October 1. This race takes place in the River between Brockway and Calves
Island and is the one race a year open to both our PHRF and Ideal 18 fleets. It is
also the first of the Essex River Tri-Club Series hosted by Essex YC, Essex Corinthian YC and Pettipaug YC. For those who are not racing the deck of the Essex YC
is a great grandstand to watch the racers work their way up and down the River.
The following weekend, Sunday, October 9, is the start of the fall frostbiting
season. The fall and spring series are organized by the Connecticut River Squadron of the Frostbite Yacht Club and hosted by the Essex Yacht Club in a tradition
that dates back to our founding in 1933. As always our club-owned Ideal 18s
are available for charter by club members and the fleet will also include Etchells,
JY15s and Lasers. The races are run from 1300 to 1530 on Sundays and after racing the crews will gather in the Boyd Room for some hot soup and cool talk about
the day’s events. If you would like to charter an Ideal 18 for the fall season please
contact Ideal 18 Chair Renny Schoonmaker. The drawing for boat assignments
will be held on Friday, October 7 at the Club.
- Peter Harding
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COMMITTEE NEWS
2016 Ideal 18 Summer Series Final Results
Non-Spinnaker Series (Tuesday Evenings, 53 races sailed)
SKIPPER/CREW
% RACES SAILED
HIGH POINT PERCENTAGE SEASON PLACE*
ECYC Ed Birch/ Marsha Birch
13.2%
84.2%
ECYC Cindy Gibbs
32.1%
74.4%
Dick Buel / Janice Atkeson
100.0%
72.3%
1
Renny Schoonmaker
69.8%
68.3%
2
Pierre Boulanger / Kate Black-Lee
86.8%
68.0%
3
ECYC Jon Gibbs / Staci
83.0%
65.6%
4
ECYC Staci
7.5%
63.9%
David Dorrance
60.4%
60.5%
David/Susan Guernsey
20.8%
46.7%
Logan Floyd
5.7%
40.7%
Deb Pearl / Valerie Shickel
92.5%
36.1%
6
Rick Weiner
84.9%
28.7%
7
Mike Beil
7.5%
27.8%
ECYC Sue Watts
5.7%
23.8%
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Spinnaker Series (Thursday Evenings, 41 races sailed)
SKIPPER/CREW
% RACES SAILED
HIGH POINT PERCENTAGE SEASON PLACE*
Peter Harding / Rick Weiner
65.9%
84.1%
1
Dick Buel/Mike Beil
92.7%
73.0%
2
Pierre Boulanger / Kate Black-Lee
58.5%
65.9%
3
Renny Schoonmaker / David Dorrance
63.4%
63.7%
4
Frank Flores/Sue Wyeth
36.6%
57.6%
ECYC Jon Gibbs/Staci
22.0%
55.6%
ECYC Cindy Gibbs
19.5%
54.3%
Jack Frost
9.8%
31.3%
Paul Angelini/Frank Flores
12.2%
28.0%
Series is scored using US Sailing High Point Percentage System. The HPP shows the number of points a racer
has scored compared to how many they could have scored if they had won all the races in which they started
*Racers must compete in at least 50% of races sailed to be eligible for the season trophies.
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COMMITTEE NEWS
DINING ROOM HOURS
Lunch - Daily
11:30am–2:30pm
Wednesday Pub Night
5:00–9:00pm
Friday Night Dining
5:00–9:00pm
Saturday Pizza Plus & More
5:00–9:00pm
Slider Sunday
4:00–8:00pm
WOMEN’S SAILING
Looking Forward to 2017!
The Women’s Race Series wrapped up Wednesday, September 21. Although the second and
third nights of racing were cancelled due to lack of wind, four teams participated in the other
two nights of racing. They were: Deb Pearl with Val Shickel, Amy Gordon Pullin with her
daughter Jamie and Sue Wyeth, Brittany Riggio with Jane Riggio, and Marily MacKinnon
with Dom Merrick and Lynn Richardson. The final scoring for the series was: First–Amy
Gordon Pullin; Second–Deb Pearl; Third– Marily MacKinnon; Fourth– Brittany Riggio.
Although summer sailing is all wrapped up, plans are already afoot for next year’s Women’s
Sailing. In order to make it the best possible and to satisfy the needs and wants of our Club
members, please send any suggestions about what you would like to see in the program
to Marily MacKinnon at [email protected]. A questionnaire has been sent to all 2016
participants already and we will put together a program based on all the responses. In the
meantime, look for news of upcoming events, both on the EYC website and on the Board at
the Club. Be sure to give your personal email to the office so that you’ll receive the occasional
email blasts about Women’s Sailing events.
Don’t forget that Frostbiting starts in October and any “qualified” women skippers may
enter.
Thanks to all for a great season!
- Marily MacKinnon
The final Women’s Race Series
was packed full of action.
CONTRIBUTORS
Spyglass ....................Tom Whidden
Board .......................Alyson Danyliw
Membership .............Barbara Klin
Entertainment ..........Linda Douglas
Regatta .....................Peter Harding
Cruise ......................Ben Wilde
House .......................... Hans Ullstein
Communications......Janeen Carabetta
Women’s Sailing....Marily MacKinnon
Newsletter items may be emailed to
Janeen Carabetta at [email protected] or delivered to EYC.
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