Flags, Bags and Lasers

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July 2007 The Malletts Bay Boat Club, Colchester, VT Flags, Bags and Lasers By Bruce Foshay In a few days July will be over, but the real heat of the summer is still before us, regardless of what the

Race Committee flags have been flying several times a week since opening, with a very full calendar of racing events, some hosted by MBBC and others heavily attended by member of the MBBC racing

1 July 2007 The Malletts Bay Boat Club, Colchester, VT Flags, Bags and Lasers By Bruce Foshay In a few days July will be over, but the real heat of the summer is still before us, regardless of what the weather holds. July has been a busy month around MBBC and August will be busier yet. Race Committee flags have been flying several times a week since opening, with a very full calendar of racing events, some hosted by MBBC and others heavily attended by member of the MBBC racing fleets. It s always great to see the Stars & Stripes flying everywhere you look on the 4th of July, along with INSIDE THIS ISSUE Flags, Bags & Lasers 1, 6 Meet the 2007 Stewards! 2-4 Label your Dinghies, Please 4 Address Changes? 4 Dennis Conner Yacht Club Challenge - NYC 5 Announcement: Circle the Dinghies Cruise 6 The Laser National Championships 7 The Wildflower Cruise 8 The Pirate Cruise 9 Sandbaggers Visit MBBC 10 BoatUS Call to Action: Discharge Permit Exemption 10 Upcoming BBQ Events 11 Bitter End Yacht Club Raffle Tickets Still Available 11 scores of signals flag flying from the rigging of boats in the mooring field. Rainy weather aside, we had a great turn out for the July 4th BBQ; this year with the added impromptu bonus of live folk music provided by a few of our guests. The Afterguard Party a few weeks later was also a rousing success. Many thanks to all who pitched in to help - both before and after, behind the scenes and in front of the grill - and to everyone who turned out to make these events a success. (I have also heard that the Bump and Grind party in support of The Regatta for Lake Champlain was a winner, with many MBBC members in attendance.) On the cruising side of things, June s annual WildFlower Cruise and hike around Valcour Island, always a winner when Mother Nature cooperates, started the season off just right. In July, Pirate Flags came out large and small along with an amazing turnout for the Pirates Cruise, where many learned the importance of modern day dinghies when you go pirating Butterfly Bay will never be the same. Continued on page 6

Page 2 MBBC Sail Ties July 2007 Meet the 2007 Stewards Andew Gallagher is from Jericho and graduated from Mount Mansfield Union High School in 2005.

In addition to rowing, he enjoys backpacking and canoeing.

2 Page 2 MBBC Sail Ties July 2007 Meet the 2007 Stewards Andew Gallagher is from Jericho and graduated from Mount Mansfield Union High School in He currently attends Bowdoin College in Maine, where he is double majoring in Biochemistry and Environmental Studies. He is also a member of the Bowdoin crew team. In addition to rowing, he enjoys backpacking and canoeing. After returning to Bowdoin and completing his fall semester, Andrew will spend much of 2008 studying abroad at University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. Andrew has been a member of MBBC, with his family, on Bramasole, since This is his second summer as an MBBC Steward. Becky Fick grew up in Westford and graduated from Essex High School. She now attends Erskine College located just outside of Greenville, South Carolina, where she will be a sophomore this year. Although she has not yet declared a major, she is interested in many areas of study ranging from art to teaching. At school, Becky is a member of the cross-country team and she is spending much of her free time this summer training. Becky has been sailing all of here life, spending time sailing Lake Champlain with her parents on Northern Lights. She has also completed sailing trips along the Hudson and in Long Island Sound. Becky has enjoyed being a member of MBBC with her family since 2000.

MBBC Sail Ties July 2007 Page 3 Cathy Morrell, MBBC s Club Manager, grew up in Richmond and has lived in many other places since graduating from Mount Mansfield Union High School.

3 MBBC Sail Ties July 2007 Page 3 Cathy Morrell, MBBC s Club Manager, grew up in Richmond and has lived in many other places since graduating from Mount Mansfield Union High School. After attending The George Washington University, where she received a degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology and a master s degree in Elementary Education, Cathy lived and worked in the Washington, DC area for several years. In 2002, she moved to Hawai i to complete a 3 month internship in bird conservation, and ended up staying for two years. Moving back to Vermont in 2004 has not slowed her down. Cathy spent several summers as a field technician for the Department of Environmental Conservation, working in wetlands all over the state, making visits to every town in Vermont except Canaan! As an employee of Green Mountain Boatlines (proprietors of the Spirit of Ethan Allen ), Cathy worked as a deckhand for the delivery of a 100-foot boat from Lake Champlain through the Panama Canal. After the delivery was complete, she spent several months backpacking Central America, from Panama to Mexico. Last summer, she was promoted to Engineer on the Spirit of Ethan Allen, before leaving for an even bigger adventure: the South Pole! Cathy works during the winter months (austral summer) as Fuels Foreman at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole station, located at the geographic South Pole. In this job she is responsible for offloading fuel delivered to the station by LC-130 cargo planes. Once it is offloaded, she monitors fuel levels, transfers and issues fuel to vehicles & buildings and monitors fuel levels on station. When she is not living and working on a 2-mile high, frozen ice sheet, Cathy loves the open water and the mariner s lifestyle. She grew up sailing on her family s 14- foot catamaran on the lakes of Vermont and in South Carolina. During her travels in Central America, she also worked as a live-aboard cook on a 125-foot motor yacht docked in Panama City, and while traveling this winter she spent 5 days sailing a 20-foot sloop around the Bay of Islands in northern New Zealand. She has high hopes of owning her own boat and living on it some day. In her spare time, Cathy is an outdoor enthusiast, spending her time running, hiking, camping, kayaking and bird watching. On rainy days, she enjoys reading and cooking.

Page 4 MBBC Sail Ties July 2007 Laura Duquette lives in Waterbury Center and attends St. Mark s School where she will graduate in spring of 2008.

4 Page 4 MBBC Sail Ties July 2007 Laura Duquette lives in Waterbury Center and attends St. Mark s School where she will graduate in spring of She spent the summers of 2003 and 2004 cruising the east coast with her family on Windfall, sailing from Lake Champlain to New York City, then up to Mt. Desert Island and back, over the span of the two summers. Earlier this season Laura and her family spent two weeks on a charter boat in the British Virgin Islands, where she particularly enjoyed the beach at Cane Garden Bay. Further boating experiences include 2 years of Junior Sailing at MBBC and several seasons on the St. Mark s crew team where she will be returning as the 1st boat coxswain. Laura and her family have been MBBC members since This is her first year as a MBBC Steward. Just a Reminder Please Label Those Dinghies! If you haven t read the Log with a fine tooth comb recently, you may not be familiar with Regulation 15, which reads, in part: Any member's boat or trailer on the grounds or docks must be visibly identified as to its owner or primary vessel, as listed in the Log. Only MBBC owned boats and trailers may be stored on club property during the winter. This is simply to ensure that all dinghies, boats and trailers on MBBC property belong to either the club or club members. It will also avoid problems like the Afterguard encountered this Spring, in deciding the fate of several dinghies that had been clearly abandoned, cluttering up the shoreline for the last few years. Mailing Address Changes? Address Changes? Send them directly to the Yeoman, so we can keep in contact with you! charly.dickerson@ahs.state.vt.us Snail Mail: Charly Dickerson, P.O. Box 402, Colchester, VT Phone:

2007. The event brings together teams from around the world to promote international goodwill through friendly competition.

5 MBBC Sail Ties July 2007 Page 5 MBBC is Heading to the Big Apple! By Alan Ouellette Malletts Bay Boat Club has been invited to represent the United States in the Dennis Conner International Yacht Club Challenge being hosted by the Manhattan Yacht Club August 21-25, The event brings together teams from around the world to promote international goodwill through friendly competition. This year s event includes 10 foreign teams coming from the Cayman Islands, Italy, Ireland, New Zealand, Bermuda, France & Australia. The competition will take place on a fleet of identical J/24 sailboats provided by the Manhattan Sailing Club. Races are held in New York Harbor with the Manhattan skyline on one side and the Statue of Liberty on the other. The start and finish of all races will be from the harbor clubhouse, which is permanently anchored north of Ellis Island in Upper New York Bay. In addition to the racing, this event also has an extensive social schedule. In order to properly represent MBBC, we will be bringing a Social Team to support the Race Team. The event website can be found at: Please contact Alan Ouellette if you are interested in participating. Spectators watch the competition from the floating clubhouse anchored in the harbor Meet the Instructors, in the Next Issue of SailTies The Jr. Sailing Program is an important part of Summer activities at MBBC, and the Jr. Sailing Instructors are a key part of this program. Watch for profiles of these dynamic young sailors in our next issue of SailTies: Pete Hazelett, Head Instructor; Courtney Murtha, Asst Head Instructor (who also serves as a part-time Steward); Tanya Miller, Jr Instructor; Connor Aswad, Jr Instructor.

6 Page 6 MBBC Sail Ties July 2007 Continued from page 1 Flags, Bags and Lasers OK so the Bags might be a bit of stretch, I m referring to the visit of the Sandbaggers from Philadelphia to Lake Champlain and MBBC. There wasn t a lot of advance notice on this one, but I hope many of you blank have the opportunity to see these beautiful wooden sailing craft, a glimpse of what sailing was like in years gone bye, either on display on in action at MBBC this coming week. Finally, it s been hard to miss the exciting growth of the Laser fleet over the last few years, and on August 9 th 11 th, MBBC will have the distinct honor of hosting the 2007 Laser National Championships. Make sure to read Al Russell s article on page 7. There will be 150 Laser Sailors arriving at MBBC with their gear, their following and the Race Operations Staff required to run an event of this scale. So yes, of course, this Regatta will affect normal club operations that weekend, but I encourage you not to simply stay away from the club. We have the opportunity to witness the spectacle of world class sailing, up close and personal. If you have an interest in pitching in to help, contact Al or Sarah to volunteer your services, there is plenty to do. They and their team have worked hard to minimize the negative impact of this event, and I am confident this event will come off smoothly. I also hope that many of us can find the positive impact to be gained from meeting, watching and learning from athletes from around the continent. These are people that share our love of sailing and our passion for the sport of sailboat racing, and they are coming to MBBC because they recognize that we have a world class facility one that we all work very hard to operate and maintain, and that we can proudly call our own. Please join me in taking pride in our club, and in welcoming the Laser Nationals to MBBC. Fair Winds, Bruce Come Circle the Dinghies! After a day of watching the Laser races on Saturday afternoon August 11 th, come join the MBBC Cruisers for a Circle the Dinghies Cruise. We will raft up our dinghies in the mooring field for a floating cocktail party to review the events of the day, from the spectator s perspective. Bring your potables & portable munchies (something that can easily be passed from boat to boat!) Laser National Information Update: There is now a large scale diagram of the MBBC facility and surrounding area (posted on the window near the ice machine) that illustrates how parking & boat storage will be managed during the Laser National Regatta..

MBBC Sail Ties July 2007 Page 7 The Lasers are coming! By Al Russell Thursday August 9 th through Sunday August 12 th, MBBC will be hosting the 2007 US Laser National Championships.

7 MBBC Sail Ties July 2007 Page 7 The Lasers are coming! By Al Russell Thursday August 9 th through Sunday August 12 th, MBBC will be hosting the 2007 US Laser National Championships. 150 Entrants from across the country will arrive to sail here in Malletts Bay. These will be the best sailors from the country, and from throughout the Caribbean as well. The top 5 will qualify to race in the Final Olympic Trials in October. The winner of the Trials goes to the Olympics in China, and could end up on the Podium! Many hours of work have gone into pre-race preparations to ensure that the event goes off without a hitch, and to minimize the impact on MBBC members. Race participants and their trailers will park off site, and there will be Porta-Potties on the grounds to handle the increased traffic. The Lasers will be drysailed which means the boats will be left on the lawn and beaches overnight, and 150 Lasers will take up quite a bit of room. As with all major regattas, there will be a high level of activity around the grounds and in the clubhouse during the early morning hours, and again in the late afternoon and into the evening. Important Notice: The Circle in front of the Clubhouse, and Dry Sailing area up to the dumpster, will become a Loading Zone only - No Parking. This area will be in use for the Regatta during the morning and evening hours from Thursday through Sunday nights. It will be critical, especially during the Thursday night race/cookout, to keep this clear for arriving boats, as well as during Sunday afternoon and evening for the haul-out. The end of the work dock will be unaffected throughout the Regatta. The road to the work dock will be closed on Thursday and Sunday evenings. The rest of the docks will be occupied during the evenings and overnight with between 8 to 10 Race Committee boats, 2 Judge boats, and other Regatta traffic. We may have a need for more spectator boats, especially on Friday. If you are planning to come watch, and can take a few friends/parents, please let Al Russell know, at al.russell@yahoo.com. There will also be Guidelines for spectator boats posted in numerous places. Please look them over, as the shape of this racecourse is like nothing you ve ever seen in Malletts Bay before. All Juniors who will commit to a full day will be offered jobs, and rides on RC boats, etc. This is a unique chance to see the very best, and the likely winners are in the year old category. (Please don t quote Al on that!). If you have questions or suggestions, please contact Al Russell and/or Sarah Gallagher. Thanks for your support and we hope to see you there!

The crossing was an event by itself as the wind was from the West, blowing up to 30 knots!!! (No one who made the crossing would dispute the accuracy of our wind gauge!

8 Page 8 MBBC Sail Ties July 2007 The Wildflower Cruise to Valcour Island By Paul St. James A friendly and enthusiastic group of MBBC members rendezvoused at Sloop Cove on Valcour Island for the annual Wildflower Cruise on the weekend of June 23 & 24. The crossing was an event by itself as the wind was from the West, blowing up to 30 knots!!! (No one who made the crossing would dispute the accuracy of our wind gauge!) Sloop Cove was a welcome sight, and proved to be a fine shelter as the wind moderated it provided a fine anchorage for the night. Dick Villamil led our group on a hike to the lookout of Garden Island, and provided a wonderful narrative of all the unusual plants and trees that are really special to this island. After the hike, sixteen sailors gathered on the sloop Victory for a wonderful social hour. The sail back to Malletts Bay was a floater, as the wind fell to 5 to 15 knots or less. Typical Spring Sailing on Lake Champlain feast or famine! If you have not joined in Wildflower Cruise in the past, or haven t done it in a few years, put it on your calendar for next year. It is a real treat! Thanks, again, go to Dick Villamil for pointing out the subtle treasures of Valcour Island!

MBBC Sail Ties July 2007 Page 9 Arrrrgh! The Pirates take Valcour Island. By Paul St. James This was the password for the Pirate Cruise to Butterfly Bay on Valcour Island the weekend of July 21 & 22.

After a picture perfect sail across the bay and over to the western shore of Valcour Island, the afternoon began with a walk through the woods to the Point Bluff Lighthouse.

Those who made the climb were treated to a fascinating peek at the light itself, and a spectacular view of the west side of Valcour and the channel between the island and the New York mainland.

9 MBBC Sail Ties July 2007 Page 9 Arrrrgh! The Pirates take Valcour Island. By Paul St. James This was the password for the Pirate Cruise to Butterfly Bay on Valcour Island the weekend of July 21 & 22. Seventeen boats and over 30 people gathered on a beautiful weekend to plunder, loot and otherwise enjoy themselves. After a picture perfect sail across the bay and over to the western shore of Valcour Island, the afternoon began with a walk through the woods to the Point Bluff Lighthouse. Luckily, the lighthouse was open for visitors, to view the exhibits on the lower floor and with the opportunity to climb the stairs (winding!) and the ladder (scary!) to the lantern room above. Those who made the climb were treated to a fascinating peek at the light itself, and a spectacular view of the west side of Valcour and the channel between the island and the New York mainland. This was followed by a very funny scavenger hunt - by dinghy! and a happy hour(s) gathering on the beach. There was an abundance of eye patches, earrings, and pirate bandanas enough to cause others on the beach to wonder who this group was, and where did they come from! As always, the food was plentiful and delicious, and so were the libations. Chef Gerald provided his special sausage, and as big as that pot was, it didn t last long. The shrimp were excellent; the sauce just tangy enough. There were too many other superb dishes to mention in this small space, except to say: if you missed the 100% beef octopus, you missed a treat! A special thanks to Lorna Safford and Bob Chase of Change of Heart for organizing this cruise. It was great fun for all who attended. Next year: Cowboys?

Page 10 MBBC Sail Ties July 2007 The Bull & Bear Sailing Team from the Independence Seaport Museum of Philadelphia is bringing two replica sandbaggers to Lake Champlain, to help raise funds for the

Schedules and more information are posted at the MBBC clubhouse and on the MBBC website.

For 34 years the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has exempted discharges from recreational boats from the Clean Water Act permit system.

10 Page 10 MBBC Sail Ties July 2007 The Bull & Bear Sailing Team from the Independence Seaport Museum of Philadelphia is bringing two replica sandbaggers to Lake Champlain, to help raise funds for the Lake Champlain Community Sailing Center. Bear and Bull are replicas of a style of racing sailboat popular in the mid 1800 s in New York Harbor. The boats will be visiting MBBC on August 1 st. Schedules and more information are posted at the MBBC clubhouse and on the MBBC website. BoatUS Call to Action: Discharge Permit Exemption The following is excerpted from a mass message sent from BoatUS earlier this month. For 34 years the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has exempted discharges from recreational boats from the Clean Water Act permit system. A recent court ruling cancelled this permit exemption. EPA is now required to develop and implement a national permit system for ALL vessels in the United States by September 30, If the permit system becomes a reality, you will be required to pay for a state permit for each of your boats. EPA will be monitoring your deck runoff, grey water, bilge water, engine cooling water, and the use of copper bottom paints. Fortunately, a bill has been introduced into the House of Representatives that would get the exemption reinstated for recreational boats, protecting them from being swept into this unnecessary and expensive permitting system. It is critically important that the Recreational Boating Act of 2007 (H.R. 2550) be passed and your support is essential. Please contact your Congressman and Senators TODAY and ask that they co-sponsor or support H.R For More Information, go to the BoatUS website:

MBBC Sail Ties July 2007 Page 11 Thursday night BBQs for August: August 9 th & August 23 rd The August 9th BBQ will be held in conjunction with Registration for the Laser Nationals, and will be a

B and C fleets help pitch in with the clean up for August! You don t have to race to come to these BBQs! Just bring an appetite and $5 Hope to see you there! Raffle Tickets Still Available!

11 MBBC Sail Ties July 2007 Page 11 Thursday night BBQs for August: August 9 th & August 23 rd The August 9th BBQ will be held in conjunction with Registration for the Laser Nationals, and will be a great opportunity to rub elbows with some of the best Laser sailors in the country. As always, the Club Burgermeister, Gerald Duval, will be manning the grill. Remember! B and C fleets help pitch in with the clean up for August! You don t have to race to come to these BBQs! Just bring an appetite and $5 Hope to see you there! Raffle Tickets Still Available! In support of the Laser Nationals being held at MBBC in a couple of weeks, the Bitter End Yacht Club, Virgin Gorda,British Virgin Islands has donated a week for two stay at their resort, including lodging, meals and use of any of their boats. This "Admirals package" will be raffled off during the Regatta, with only 200 tickets to be sold at the price of $20 per ticket (an additional 150 tickets will be given to Nationals regatta participants). Proceeds will be used to support the Laser Nationals Regatta and future racing programs at MBBC. The drawing will take place on Saturday night, August 11. You need not be present to win. orders to: Joan Shannon <jshannon@burlingtontelecom.net>

Upcoming Events @ MBBC Monday August 6th Ladies Lawn Party @ 5:30 pm Thursday August 9 th Race Night Cook-Out August 9 th 12 th Laser

12 Upcoming MBBC Monday August 6th Ladies Lawn 5:30 pm Thursday August 9 th Race Night Cook-Out August 9 th 12 th Laser National Championships Thursday August 23 rd Bluff Point Lighthouse Valcour Island, NY Race Night Cook-Out MBBC P.O. Box 402 Colchester, VT

Dennis Conner International Yacht Club Challenge Invitation

MANHATTAN SAILING CLUB Dennis Conner International Yacht Club Challenge Invitation Greetings! I invite you and your club to come to New York City and participate in the Sixth Dennis Conner International