Feb 2006.pub - Island Yacht Club

Internet: http://www.iyc.org
COMMODORE
Shirley Ahlf
(925) 672-2514
VICE COMMODORE
2
March
006
Marina
a
d
e
Alam
Issue 3
e 35
Volum
Remember these Dates!
John New (510) 338-0954
REAR COMMODORE
Feb 25
Lucie Mewes (510) 522-1433
STAFF COMMODORE
Sadie Hawkins Race on the Estuary
Followed by our famous
annual Clam Chowder Cookoff!
(and our TERRIFIC monthly
meeting and socializing!)
Peter Linehan (415) 902-8386
PORT CAPTAINS
Glen Krawiec (510) 339-9451
And Dick Sayre (510) 284-2235
SECRETARY
Joan Wetherell (925) 837-9408
TREASURER
Rich Ahlf (925) 672-2514
RACING CO-CHAIRS
Ben Mewes (510) 522-1433 and
Joanne McFee (510) 521-7442
Mar 18
Doublehanded Lightship Race
SILVER ANNIVERSARY!
25 years of tradition, race out the
Gate, around the Lightship buoy,
and back again. Just you and a
friend. A portion of the proceeds
benefit United Cerebral Palsy.
Followed by our ST PATRICK’S DAY PARTY
(and ANOTHER TERRIFIC monthly
meeting and evening of socializing!)
CRUISE CHAIR
Marilyn Bruner (650) 207-2207
MEMBERSHIP
A Crabby Weekend
Caroline Mines (510) 814-0624
By Shirley Ahlf, Commodore
PUBLICATIONS
Janet Frankel (415) 387-5807
BAR MANAGER
Betty Sleeth (925) 837-9408
HISTORIAN
Pam Richardson (510) 724-1371
ASSN. LIASON
Ted Crum (510) 654-7301
SHIPS STORE
Betty Sleeth (408) 279-2863
Look Inside:
Page
Bringing up the RC …...……….……………………
2
Alameda Midwinters …………..……………………. 2
Corinthian Midwinter Regatta .…………………….. 2
Nacing Rews ……. ………………….……………… 3
PICYA Friend Lloyd Roland .……....……………… 4
I Blame Tequila …. Or crab? …….……...…………. 5
Thank you from the Sea Scouts …………….…….. 5
Sea Fox Charter—What We Do ….………………. 5
But no crabby people in sight and lots of happy faces.
The reason, of course, the crab feed Saturday night
and Caroline’s birthday and the Super Bowl, happy
birthday Joanne party on Sunday. We had a great
turn out for the crab feed (over 96) and lots of people
and food for the party of Sunday. Speaking of food, I
do believe we out did ourselves. Joanne McFee and
Debbie Ratto did the shopping Friday and worked all
day and into the night Saturday preparing salads,
pasta, garlic bread and dessert. Rich Ahlf came thru
as usual with some great crab. Actually, I think this
was the best yet.
Susan Ingram and her group of students from Encinal
High school were there. They are such a joy and
pleasure to work with. Their enthusiasm is contagious. They’re such quick learners and fast movers
(can’t keep up with them) they really take a big load off the rest of us.
Some were there early on the morning of the crab feed and actually
> Shirley’s Article, page 3
Page 1
Bringing up the RC
Alameda Midwinters
By Lucie Mewes, Rear Commodore
By Joanne McFee, Crew on Kristina
No, not really...it just seems that the
initials "RC" stand for "Race Committee!"
New this year is the [email protected] email address.
We're already getting queries about
our RC annual events.
Thankfully IYC's excellent race committee team of
Joanne McFee and Ben Mewes show no signs of losing
steam just yet, and they've got a full calendar of Estuary, Ocean and Bay racing calendared. Come on and
join the fun!
First - get that bottom cleaned, load up the cooler, shop
for your Chowder and come on over to the Clubhouse
Saturday February 25 by 11:30 - in time to register your
skipper for IYC's spring "woman driver event," the Sadie
Hawkins race. So what if it isn't a leap year? We can
have Sadie drive anyway. This is a great race on a
great venue - the Estuary - so everyone can have fun.
(Be sure to tell your friends along the dock, too.)
After the race is the Clam Chowder Cookoff. If you prefer to stay dockside, you can always watch the spinnakers flying from the galley as you keep those chowders
from burning. (Believe me, the competition is tough on
this one!) If you enter, bring a potful.
Two guns singled a postponement for February 12ths’
Alameda Midwinter race. Thirty or so boats milled
around the starting area, trading friendly insults. I was
particularly interested in seeing Ken Viaggi’s lovely new
boat, an Aphrodite 101. It surely looks fast.
I realized looking at all the boat together that IYC has
six boats racing in this series, pretty good for a winter
Sunday afternoon. Not only that, several more IYC
members are crewing those boats. Including Ken’s new
boat, I saw Dominatrix, Mirage, Dire Straits, and Bart
Goodell’s Santa Cruz Vitesse.
After about an hour and a half, AYC race chair M.L. Higgins wisely called the race off. There was still no wind,
and a 4.5k ebb, hardly a winning combination.
After all that excitement, many boats just went home,
but plenty went back to AYC for a libation and hats for
the faithful.
The day was warm and the company good. Even
though there was no wind any nice day on the water is a
day well spent.
Corinthian Midwinter Regatta
By Janet Frankel, Crew on Wuvulu
You will undoubtedly hear more about Wuvulu’s exciting
FIRST PLACE finish in a regular racing column. But I
thought I’d share a bit now. On February 18th Wuvulu
was at the head of the pack on the third leg of the race.
Our next mark was Yellow Bluff, a YRA yellow ball
marker which floats near, yep, a yellowish bluff jutting
out from Sausalito. Well, we all squinted and peered
but there was no yellow ball. Only a lonely fisherman in
a rowboat. As it turned out, Yellow Bluff had broken
free and drifted out under the gate! The Y yellow ball
marker, not the bluff itself, silly.
Next up, IYC's 25th running of the Doublehanded Lightship race, from Golden Gate Yacht Club on the Cityfront, out, and back in time for IYC's great corned beef
and cabbage St Patrick's Day dinner. You guessed it,
March 18th is the date.
Moving right along in mid-April we begin our spring series of Friday night races and if you don't feel like taking
your own boat out for a sunset sail, do come down to
help out on race committee. More on that later.
Now for a big Thank YOU to our great members: no
sooner did the Laramies really, truly, honestly, need to
return their race "tools" to their home, than Roger
stepped in with a replacement. Thank you!
And, there's nothing like an Estuary race with no marks,
so I am also thankful that there just might be something
a little more reliable for a crash boat this year. Still playing the "wait and see" game with our Crash Boat Drivers
for their full report. In the meantime, thank you to Kit
and Gil and Caroline for their help in providing a replacement for our tired engine.
As I write this, I'm looking forward to cruising the blacktop over to the Valentine's Cruise to Spinnaker YC. A
> Big Thank Yous!, page 4
Corinthian Race Committee stood firm. “You must still
round Yellow Bluff,” they radioed. “This could be a very
long race,” Dawn radioed back. Then, the race committee decided to send out a replacement mark in the form
of their crash boat. We hung around long enough for
four or five of the boats in the fleet to catch up, then we
radioed in, “You
have to abandon
this race, we are
protesting the race.”
And, then, we finished the race, and
got the gun anyway.
Points for form! The
Race Committee
later threw out the
John New & Dawn Chesney (Wuvulu)
race.
are joined by Ben Mewes (Mirage)
after the race. Photo by Tony Orser.
Page 2
Nacing Rews
Shirley’s Article
By Joanne McFee, Racing Co-Chair
(Continued from page 1)
showed up the
next day. I
really want to
thank these
kids because
I’m sure they
had other
things they
could have
been doing.
Saturday
morning John
Ratto and Ron
Lenhart were
Photo by Janet Frankel
busy cleaning
and setting up the bar. That made it easier for the bar
group to get started. Betty and buddies David Shea,
Dick Sayre, Marilyn Bruner and even Hobart were working the bar and at one point the crowd was three deep.
All the bartenders were moving fast but still smiling (or
was that a grimace?) so it looked like they were having
fun!
Before you knew it, it was Sunday morning Super Bowl
and Joanne’s birthday. It was a continual flow of food
and people coming in and out and some staying all day.
Betty Sleeth and David Shea took care of the Bar. I
want to thank everyone for making this such a great
weekend.
At the January board meeting it was unanimously voted
to give Honorary Lifetime memberships to Lou Haberman and Paul Fredericks. Lou is a Past Commodore of
Island Yacht Club and PICYA and Paul was Commodore of Island Yacht Club not once but twice. Both were
active board members for many years. Congratulations
to both.
Feb 25th is our Sadie Hawkins Race and Chowder
Challenge. So shake out your racing duds and bring
your favorite Chowder recipe. For more info call Joanne
McFee.
SWATT! Drat, I missed. That
pesky editor is buzzing around
again.
WELLLLLLLLLLL (if you can remember Jack Benny, you’ll understand, and yes, we need younger
members!), we have races coming
up. February 25 is the Sadie
Hawkins Women Skipper race.
Dust off your steering skills and find a crew to pull on
ropes. There will be a special trophy for the top IYC
skipper. Remember, it’s a pleasant estuary slide.
February 25 is our general meeting night. After the race
and prizes we’ll have our annual Chowder Challenge.
And “chowdah” will qualify. We’ll have fixins, and if you
don’t bring a chowder (I hope you do), we’ll as for a
modest donation. IYC has awesome cooks. Come and
show off. Prizes will be given.
March 18 is the Silver Anniversary of the Doublehanded
Lightship. This race benefits cerebral palsy and will be
the subject of a future article. On my agenda is fielding
a race committee, as this is the same date as our St.
Patrick’s Day dinner. A day at Golden Gate Yacht Club
in good company awaits you! Call me, or Lucie or Ben.
IYC racers are out and about. Jeff Blowers and his Olson 30 Naked Lady are doing well in the Berkeley Midwinters. John New is in the lead in his division of the
Corinthian Midwinters. Four IYC boats entered and finished SSS Three Bridge Fiasco, 25 miles of organized
chaos between the Gate, Bay, and Richmond Bridges.
Mirage, Kristina and Wuvulu all finished (not a mean
feat!), and Dan Newland’s Pegasus won their division. I
keep saying that we’re small but we’re mighty!
Thank you all for your kind words about the crab feed.
The room had a wonderful positive energy and the galley crew all earned five stars.
If you thought the music sounded great you were right.
Betty Sleeth donated a complete stereo system with
surround sound. What a gift! Thank you Betty.
Superbowl Sunday / Joanne’s birthday party was quite a
success. More than 30 people wove in and out of the
clubhouse through the day. Glen and Pam were going
to stop for 20 minutes and ended up staying for 3 hours.
It was that kind of a party.
That about wraps it up. Again thank you all for a job well
done.
I marvel at the members of IYC. A quick “could you do
thi?” elicits immediate help. What a lovely group!
See ya on the water!
—Shirley
My birthday cake said “Life’s a reach and then you
gybe.” I’d rather wish you fair winds and following seas.
—Joanne
Page 3
PICYA Friend Lloyd Roland
I Blame Tequila (or … crab?)
(in memoriam)
By Janet Frankel
The mood at our
crab feed on February 4th was
really upbeat. I
think Shirley’s
mantra of “FUN, FUN, FUN!”
is catching! The club was abuzz with lively action.
Rich’s clairvoyant powers
kicked in and he ordered exactly the right
amount of too much crab. Joanne McFee
and Debby Ratto worked magic in the galley, with the help of Susan Ingram and a
team of cheerful teenagers from Encinal
High School. You wouldn’t believe how
hard Susan worked. Here’s a photo of her
near the end of the Crab Feed which
shows what too much hard work can do.
Last Sunday, Lloyd Ryland, Shell Development
Chemist and PICYA Historical Committee Chairman
extraordinaire, was taken to the hospital not feeling
well.
It is with sorrow I inform you that he passed away a
little over an hour ago, just before 9:00 pm Tuesday.
No arrangements have been made at this time.
Our thoughts are with his nephew, Jim Morrison, during this difficult time.
Condolences may be sent to Jim at 105 Hodges
Court, Folsom, CA 95630.
On behalf of PICYA, we all express our sadness and
prayers for Lloyd and his family. PICYA was certainly
his extended family, and we have lost a close friend.
Tony and I brought four guests
to the Crab Feed: my friend
Brad from high school (we are
having our TWENTY-FIFTH
reunion this fall!), my funny,
feisty friend Margie from law
Ingrid Castro, Brad
Young. Photo by
school (she’s helped out at
Janet Frankel
club events before), my friend
and neighbor Maurice (he’s
married to my friend and law colleague Kathryn, who
also has helped dish out crab at past feasts), and
Tony’s lovely niece, Ingrid, who recently
moved here from the East Coast and
wants to go sailing. We sat with Nancy
Lasky and Einer, who made it in from Arizona for the event! Doesn’t Nancy look
good? I borrowed Mike and Susan Gutrugianios’s fancy camera. Thanks,
Susan!
Manuel Mier, PICYA Commodore
Zihuatenejo for Sailfest!
By Tom Hieronymus, cruising member
Just checking in to let you know that I'm still cruising. At the moment I'm in Zihuatanejo, Mexico for
Sailfest. Next week we head slowly back to Puerto
Vallarta. Karen was with me in PV before Christmas
for a couple of weeks and for a three week land trip to
El Salvador.
All is well and look forward to seeing everyone in
March.
Tom Hieronymus
Mojito, on Dolce Vita
Big Thank Yous!
You can tell a lot about people by the way they handle
their crab. One particularly smashing approach was
demonstrated by Portia Polner. I took a short series of
photos to illustrate:
(Continued from page 2)
DJ, a great crowd of IYC members - I know it will be
fun. If I didn't see you there, look for me down at the
Clubhouse or on the water.
Fair winds Lucie Mewes, Rear Commodore
Monya and Bill Guignard brought the usual gang of people, including one fellow who Bill proudly introduced as
his grandson. He is pictured with his father! I also took
> A Bottle of Wine, page 6
Page 4
Thank you from Sea Scouts
Sea Fox Charter—What We Do!
By Chuck Stobing, Sea Fox Committee Chair
By Chuck Stobing, Sea Fox Committee Chair
Island Yacht Club:
We appreciate your helping us to find a really terrific mechanic to help the Sea Fox (Sea Scouts). Marty has been
great to us and patient as well. [Ed. Note: The help was
provided by member and Staff Commodore Diane Duey
McClure. Thanks Diane!]
We are accepting a 31 foot Seafarer sailboat donation in
the next week or so and will be looking for someone that
would like to own a sail boat at a very good price from us.
So the program is doing well and when this major chapter
is complete the kids will be sailing actively from April
through September
Wish to thank you ALL for helping the program for these
kids.
Best Regards,
Chuck Stobing
Sea Fox Committee Chair
[email protected], 408.314.6397
Here is a copy of the marine survey of the Seafarer sloop:
[Ed. Note: We have sponsored the Sea Scouts for
many years now, and it was high time to run a
“reminder” article about what the Sea Scouts do.]
Sea Scouts is a coed program for young adults 14 - 20
years old and their adult advisors! Sea Fox members
will develop maritime skills that could lead to careers
later on. Sea Scouting is organized to promote better
citizenship and to improve members’ boating skills and
knowledge through instruction and practice in water
safety, social, and service experiences, and knowledge
of our maritime heritage.
Sea Fox members have a ship, sailboats and power
vessels for learning to sail and cruise. Every member
has a change to try his or her hand at the helm, to trim
the sails, and all members are taught safe and proper
methods of handling boats, the meanings of buoys and
lights, how to take advantage of wind and tide, and how
to drop anchor or approach a dock.
Sea Scouts learn to sail, row, and keep a boat in shape;
a significant part of the Sea Fox program focuses on
boat maintenance. We spend a portion of the program
around maintaining the ship’s floating equipment.
Day, weekend,
and long
cruises are held
for all ship
members. We
cruise local waters or go sailing on long
cruises far from
home. We are
active in social
events, tours,
regattas, excursions, and seamanship contests. Swimming, lifesaving,
first aid, Coast Guard Auxiliary Sailing and Seamanship,
and cardiopulmonary resuscitation courses are available.
We hold regular, weekly
meetings either at the Island Yacht Club, or
aboard the vessel. Each
month we hold a formal
meeting conducted in full
dress uniforms with ceremony.
Come join us and have
the time of your life!
To the right are some photos of the Seafarer sloop.
—Chuck Stobing
Page 5
A Bottle of Wine ...
I’ve just thrown in a few more pictures that I thought
you’d enjoy, Dear Reader. Our Vice Commodore, John
New, is shown here offering his support to Commodore
Shirley. Isn’t that sweet? And Veronica Cocksedge and
Phyllis Whitehead look quite dashing in their bibs.
(Continued from page 4)
a picture of
Monya, looking
happy and selfpossessed, as
always. Way to
go!
Betty Sleeth
and David
Shea were in
charge of bartending, and they were kept busy the
whole evening, with lots of able assistance from Dick
Sayre and others. It’s sure looked like they were having
fun. Shirley would be proud.
Everyone who showed up to this gala crab-feasting
event had fun. I have to say that I don’t think it was the
crab, although the crab was perfect and fresh and wonderful. I don’t think it was the side dishes, either, even
though those were superb. It was some other, intangible quality … it was a group of people who WANT to be
together, who enjoy each other’s company! And enjoy it
we did. Here’s a photo of Margaret and Roger England
looking happy. And Sybil & John Shea, with Clay Curry,
are clearly having a great time. I love the red jackets.
Our Membership Chair, Caroline Mines, had a birthday
the same day as our Crab Feed! So, some clever members conspired to bring a special birthday cake and we
all sang a song in her honor. Caroline looked delighted.
I ate a lot of crab. In fact, I ate so
much crab that afterwards I swore
off all shellfish, indefinitely. When I
got home I my head was spinning, I
was literally drunk on crab! I solved
the dizziness problem by promptly
going to bed. I highly recommend it,
Dear Reader, as a cure-all. Of
course, some prefer the after-dinner
sofa solution.
A few days before the Crab Feed, Tony and I went to
Chevy’s with a small group of hardies to celebrate
Joanne’s birthday. Joanne knew that we were unable to
come to the Superbowl Sunday / Joanne’s birthday
party, so she graciously invited us to join her for dinner
on the 30th! Thanks Joanne. I should tell you, Chevy’s
can make a good margarita! We ate and drank
and drank and ate and …
took pictures. Unfortunately, we were only able
to take a few due to a series of “operator errors”:
it seems the lens cap was
Vicky Newcomer and Doug
on. Or maybe, the batPerry party it up at Chevy’s!
tery died. Or, wait, no,
Photo by Janet Frankel.
the digital memory
card was full. We
blamed the tequila.
That’s one of tequila’s
most admirable qualities: it has very broad
shoulders and can
handle the blame.
Joanne had a bad
We found Ben & Tony
upstairs in Chevys’ bar.
case of the Birthday
Quirks. She absolutely
refused to wear the complimentary sombrero bestowed
upon her by Chevy’s. She also absolutely refused to
allow us to sing happy birthday. With the staff of
Chevy’s on our side
we totally outnumbered her, so, quite
unfairly, we forced
the Happy Birthdays
upon her, along with
a lovely Mexicanstyle dessert, which
we graciously let her
share. Everyone is
allowed one quirky
birthday objection –
Photo by Tony Orser.
Page 6
> Birthday Hat Trouble , page 8
Page 7
Sadie Hawkins Race (in the Estuary)
I know you already can see this coming,
Dear Reader, and yes, it was Yours Truly
who heroically stepped up to the plate and
wore the Mexican sombrero for Joanne.
The next day, Joanne called and lamented
her mistake in refusing to take the sombrero
home with her. But I told her not to worry,
we had easily anticipated that once her
rather severe case of the Birthday Quirks
had worn off, she would want her hat, and
that I had it in my care and would return it at
the crab feed.
Here is a picture of Joanne, triumphant in
the galley, but looking a bit dubious about
the sombrero. Between you and me, Dear
Reader, I think she is not yet entirely over
the Birthday Quirks.
--Janet
Island Yacht Club
Alameda Marina
1853 Clement Avenue
Alameda, CA 94501
Feb 25
Clam Chowder Cookoff
but just one. We didn’t force her to wear
the sombrero. Well, we did, but only long
enough for a picture.
Next Board Meeting
March 14, 2006 at 7:30pm
Feb 25
Silver Anniversary of the
DOUBLEHANDED LIGHTSHIP RACE !!
(Continued from page 6)
Upcoming Dates to Remember
Mar 18
St. Patrick’s Day Party / Dinner / Monthly meeting
Page 8
Mar 18
Birthday Hat Trouble