Commodore s Report. Calendar of Events. February March 2004 Spring Race Meeting. April 2004 Work Party. Celebrating 56 years:

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1 Celebrating 56 years: Celebrating years January/February 2000 February Calendar of Events February th Annual Chili Contest/Winter Championships Saturday, February 7 1:30 pm GPS for Racers Saturday, February 14 1:00 pm Open Houses Sundays February 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29 2:00 pm March 2004 Spring Race Meeting Sunday, Mach 7 1:30 pm Sail Trim Seminar Thursday, March 18 7:00 pm Anchors Aweigh Dinner Cruise Sunday, March 14 6:30 pm Open Houses Sunday, March 14, 21, 28 2:00 pm April 2004 Work Party Saturday, April 17 8:30 am Open Houses Sunday, April 4 2:00 pm Commodore s Report We are starting 2004 with a change to the OGYC By-laws which were amended on January 25 to include the following changes: Clarification of how quorum is established and an increase to the number of members required for a quorum and to request a special meeting and a clarification of how a special meeting can be called Board Meeting minutes will now be required to be posted to OGYC website Increase in the number of Members required to submit a By-law change, clarification of the By-law change process and an extension of the time required for a first notice The participation of over 50 members in casting their votes (in person or by proxy) once again reflects the personal interest that all of our members have in OGYC. We are in the process of finalizing our calendar for 2004 and will have well over 75 member events. Orchestrating that number of events is not a small task. Your Board has pitched in and planned some new events as well as your annual favorites. But, we need not just your attendance at these events we need your help in hosting and supporting these events. Please make sure you indicate your volunteer preference as you renew your membership or feel free to contact any of the Board to volunteer your services. There are some specific volunteer needs which you can find inside the newsletter. An exemplary performance again this year by Myra and Marty Waine they did the all night vigil at Town Hall to get us permits for the Rendezvous and our annual picnic thanks to you both! In response to the membership, the Board is reviewing the way in which we communicate with the each of you. We are concerned that our communications be both timely and affordable. As you renew your membership, please make sure that you provide us with an address where you can receive targeted mailings for your areas of interest. Membership renewals will be mailed at the beginning of February. Your dues must be paid in full by March 15, as required by our By-laws. Because we now have a cap of 395 members, it is important that we receive your renewal by March 15, otherwise your request for renewal will be added to the wait list with other prospective members based on the date of receipt of your renewal and your reinstatement will be processed as we have openings in our membership cap. As we look forward into 2004, please feel free to join us at Open Houses where you can enjoy a chat with your fellow members or members of the Board.

2 Who s Who at OGYC Commodore Ann Riley annrileyogyc@yahoo.com Vice Commodore Pat Linskey patlinskey@mac.com Rear Commodore Tom O Connell oconnellrc@optonline.net Secretary Wally Bloes windblo@aol.com Treasurer Larry Bowman BowmanL@aol.com Fleet Captain & OGYC Website Manager Stephen Marino s.p.marino@att.net Director Race Committee Karen Thomas racecorner@aol.com Director Crusing Morris Sandler sandler@aeq.com Director Membership Anne Burns anneburns@brucemuseum.org Director Education Programs Brian McGlynn ogycmercury@optonline.net Past Commodore Gene Fignar efignar@earthlink.net Newsletter Editor Bob Cullinane bcullinane@cullinane.com Fleet Chaplain Rev. Steve DeLuca Club Historian Joe Powers Club House Telephone/Voice Mail The Boathouse, the newsletter of the Old Greenwich Yacht Club, P.O. Box 162, Old Greenwich, CT 06870, is published monthly, except for bimonthly issues November/December and January/February. Please submit items for publication to The Editor, c/o OGYC, P.O. Box 162, Old Greenwich, CT Items must be received by the 15th of each month for publication in the following month s issue. To submit articles, photographs, classifieds etc. electronically, to The Boathouse newsletter editor: bcullinane@cullinane.com. Visit our website at: 2

3 Last Wonder; First Light By Bob Bair tidy sum. Height of the light was approximately 450 feet, and its beacon actually a perpetually-burning bonfire could be seen for 30 miles. (A circular shaft inside Pharos was designed so that fuel for the fire could be lifted to the top.) During daylight hours, a mirror was used to guide ships home. Julius Caesar was certainly correct when he described the light as such wonderful construction, because it lasted nearly 1400 years until destroyed by an earthquake. The Pharos of Alexandria lighthouse was the last of the Wonders to disappear. The other six follow. 1. The Pyramids of Giza. Built in the third millennium BC. 2. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Built by King Nebuchadnezzar around 600 BC. 3. The Statue of Zeus. Created by the Greek sculptor Phidias in Olympia, Greece, in the fifth century BC. 4. The Temple of Artemis. Located in Greece and built in 356 BC. 5. The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus. A monumental marble tomb completed in the fourth century BC. 6. The Colossus of Rhodes. A bronze statue of the Geek sun god Helios, circa 280 BC. Pharos impact on the world is indeed lasting. Today, pharology is still the name given to the branch of engineering dealing with lighthouses. And while the word pharos means beacon in English, it also serves as the French, Italian and Spanish word for lighthouse. Finally, if you visit the Pennsylvania Dutch area where I grew up, ask a local to pronounce the word F-I-R-E and he or she will invariably answer, Phar as in the bonphar that burned atop the Pharos of Alexandria. Seriously. The first known lighthouse was the Pharos of Alexandria, built on the island of Pharos in the ancient Egyptian city of Alexandria s harbor; it was also the last of the famous Seven Wonders of the World to be built, and the last to vanish. (The other six Wonders are identified below. Alexandria is just one of hundreds of cities named by Alexander the Great, a conquering marauder with obviously no small ego.) Also of interest is the fact that this was the only Wonder built for a practical purpose safety for men returning from sea, and it served as a lookout for the military. Construction of the fitted-stone Lighthouse of Alexandria was completed around 280 BC, 20 years after it began, or about onehalf a man s lifetime in those days. Cost to build was a staggering $2.5 million, which, if converted to current dollars, was a rather Volunteers Needed Newsletter Editor We are in need of one of our members to assume the editorship of this newsletter. The editor is responsible for soliciting content from contributors. The editor can expect to spend hours per month and will need to have expertise in Quark (for Mac), Illustrator and Photoshop. Any member who is interested in taking on this position should contact Ann Riley at annrileyogyc@yahoo.com or at Social Event Coordinators Any member who is interested in coordinating one of our social events (Sundowners or Rendezvous ), please contact Tom O Connell at oconnellrc@optonline.net or

4 O L D G R E E N W I C H Y A C H T C L U B JANUARY Change of Watch 1 pm Sunday, Jan. 11 By-Law Vote Meeting 2 pm Sunday, Jan. 25 FEBRUARY Membership Renewal Mailing 1 pm Sunday, February 1 Open Houses 2 pm Sundays Feb. 1, 8, 15,22, 29 Winter Championships - Chili Contest 1:30 pm Saturday, February 7 GPS for racers 1 pm Sundays Feb. 14 MARCH Spring Race Meeting 1:30 pm Saturday, March 7 Spring Anchors Aweigh Dinner Cruise 7 pm Saturday, March 13 Open Houses 2 pm Sundays March 14, 21, 28 Sailing Seminar at Hathaway 7:30am Thursday, March 18 APRIL Open House 2 pm Sunday, April 4 Work Party 8:30 am Saturday., April 17 MAY Mercury Fleet - Prepare and Launch 9 am Saturday, May 1 Launch Service Begins 10 am Saturday, May 1 Commissioning Day 1 pm Saturday, May 8 Mercury Fleet - Prepare and Launch 9 am Saturday, May 15 Mercury Member Meeting (Mandatory) 1:30 pm Sunday, May 16 Welcome New Members Reception 3 pm Sunday, May 16 Memorial Day Weekend Cruise 3 pm Saturday, May 29 OG Memorial Day Parade OGYC Float 9 pm Monday, May 31 Note: For updates and a calendar suitable for printing, please see the website 4

5 S C H E D U L E O F E V E N T S JUNE Sundowner (Lobsterfest) 7 pm Friday, June 4 Mercury Member Meeting (Mandatory) 1:30 pm Saturday, June 5 Welcome New Members Reception 5 pm Sunday, June 13 Island Beach Rendezvous 6 pm Saturday, June 19 Sundowner (Grill the Commodores) 7 pm Saturday, June 26 JULY Sundowner 7 pm Friday, July 16 Island Beach Rendezvous 6 pm Saturday, July 24 Welcome New Members Reception 5 pm Sunday, July 25 AUGUST Sundowner 7 pm Friday, August 13 Welcome New Members Reception 5 pm Sunday, August 15 Island Beach Rendezvous 6 pm Saturday, August 28 SEPTEMBER Labor Day Weekend Cruise Saturday, September 4 Family Picnic 4 pm Saturday, September 11 Sundowner 7 pm Friday, September 24 NOVEMBER Annual Meeting 1 pm Sunday, November 21 DECEMBER Children s Holiday Party 1 pm Saturday, December 4 Race Awards Party 1 pm Sunday, December 5 5

6 Racing Corner By Karen Thomas, Race Committee Director Winter may be hard upon us, but OGYC still has plenty to do. So get out your shovel and your hat and come on down! Upcoming Events Winter Championships - Chili Contest Saturday February 7, 1:30 OGYC Competitors and kids free, judges $5.00 Alternate heating source (such as a crock pot) recommended. We finished the 2003 Racing Season with the awards ceremony in December----and now the 2004 season is fast approaching. We have some activities planned to get all our sailors ready for the season - Add course FF = ULTUL round to starboard - Make up-race to apply to the series with the fewest races if Series I or II has less than 7 races. - Current: Course will be signaled by a letter on the Committee Boat. Add or the marks of the course will be posted on the committee course board to be rounded in the order listed. A 2 added to a list of turning marks means round the list of turning marks again in the order listed - Question: How should we deal with which side to round? In frostbiting a P or S is added to each mark. - Current: Protests not resolved by arbitration will be heard approximately one hour after the Race Committee boat docks on the next Wednesday of regular racing. Add If there is no race, a protest hearing will be scheduled at the mutual convenience of the participants - Current: A boat will qualify for a series by racing 50% of the races sailed. Add rounded up - It has been requested that we poll the fleet on Vespers evening Wednesday or Thursday. If you can t make the meeting, send me an including your boat name. One vote per boat, please. Sail Trim Seminar Thursday March 18, 7:00pm Hathaway s Loft (check OGYC website or with me prior to the event to confirm location) GPS for racers (and other people in a hurry) Saturday, February 14th at 1:00 at the Clubhouse Eric Knott from Landfall Navigation will provide us with information on the use of GPS---sure to be a worthwhile event for all members. Spring Race Meeting Sunday, March 7th at 1:30 at the Clubhouse We hold our first meeting of the season the Spring Race Meeting. If you want to participate in the racing program, better be there! Agenda: Creation on committee guidelines for Mercury/small boats starts. Last chance to select dates for race committee and race party. Changes to the Vespers sailing instructions suggestions on the table: Member Events By Tom O Connell, Rear Commodore With the Sunday open houses currently underway, we are planning another great season of social events starting with our first ever Aweigh Anchor Cruise/Dinner on Sunday March 14th to celebrate the change in Season. This will take place on the Cayah Amanda out of Cos Cob. We do hope you will join us, but hurry as space is limited and after Februay 15th the price will increase! Please see separate ad in this issue, the flyer sent or you at the end of last month, or call me with any questions you may have. For a full list of the events planned please also see the calendar in this issue. While we are making arrangements for each, we do need different volunteers to help with the detailed planning, set up and tidying up of each event to make each of these events a great success! If you would like to help, again please again contact me. Wishing you a great and enjoyable season ahead. 6

7 Mercury Members Corner by Brian McGlynn, Director of Education Welcome to the first Mercury Corner of the year. I ll try to make this and future items interesting, and/or useful. I welcome any comments or suggestions. Once we get things set up, you ll be able to me through the website ( The first order of business is some upcoming fun events. On every Sunday in February and most in March the club will have an open house beginning at 2:00 p.m. With the new construction the clubhouse is well insulated and the fire adds both warmth and coziness. Refreshments are provided. These open houses are wonderful ways for Mercury sailors to meet one another and meet other club members. What else were you going to do with that mid-winter Sunday afternoon? Some dates to pencil in on your calendars are: As to the rest of the summer, we ll be having the Cutty Sark series and some other race opportunities. If there is interest, and we can set up a chase boat to help, we ll do a Mercury rendezvous for lunch at an exotic (Gilligan, please double check this) Captain s Harbor Isle. I encourage you all to chip in, participate and be bold in introducing yourselves to other members. The more active you are, the more pleasure you ll get out of the club, and the better the club will be for having you as a member. Boatsman of the Year March 7th 1:30 p.m. Spring Race Meeting. A good chance to meet with some of the racing skippers and, perhaps, get a crew spot in the Vespers series or other races. April 17th 8:30 a.m. Annual work party at the club. Many hands make for light work as we prepare the clubhouse and other facilities for the 2004 season. We may even have a chance to do some preliminary work on our Mercury fleet. May 1st & 15th 9:00 a.m. Mercury fleet prep and launch. This is the critical part of our Spring schedule as the good job we do on this will make Summer sailing true bliss. The more people we have, the easier it will be for all. May 16th 1:30 p.m. Mandatory meeting for Mercury sailors. Here s where you ll learn procedures for taking boats out and how to put them away for the next user. You must have completed a check-out cruise AND attend this meeting or the one in June before you are permitted to check out one of the Mercs. There are no exceptions. 3:00 p.m. Stay after the Mercury meeting for the new members welcome reception. If you are new to the club, this is a great opportunity to meet with the officers and fellow club members. If you are a returning member, please come to greet the new folks! Refreshments will abound, or so I m told. Each year since 1966, OGYC has awarded this, our most prestigious trophy, to a Member whose service to the Club was considered by the Board to be above and beyond the call and often without fanfare or need for recognition. This year, Commodore Eaton presented the trophy to Don Breismeister, the architect who volunteered his time and talent to create the design for our new deck and recently completed Clubhouse interior renovation. A five-year Planning Committee member, his steady hand and creativity helped steer these projects to completion. Congratulations Don. Your work is enjoyed and appreciated by all of our Members. 7

8 Club Classifieds For Sale: 2002 Boston Whaler Montauk 170. As new condition, very lightly used, under 50 hours on Mercury Saltwater 90hp. Comfort package, depth sounder, fitted compass, custom console and seat covers, EZ loader trailer. $17,200. Call (203) For Sale: 23' Sea Sprite Sloop Brisa, 1976, designed by Carl Alberg. 3 foot draft, 4HP Evinrude, ready to sail. $6,900 / obo. Call Dan Dobryn at Boat Services: Boat Bottoms painted/in-water Cleaning/Dive Service. Call Dave Osler and James Osler at For Sale: Classic Cape Cod Mercury 15 ft. sailboat built in 1954 w/ fiberglass hull #10 Good Condition w/ 3 hp outboard engine and mushroom mooring. $1250 or best offer. (203) Wanted: Laser blades (daggerboard and rudder/tiller) for salvage project. Call John at work or at home For Sale: 1985 O Day 25 with hp Yamaha. Roller Furling, VHF, DF. Asking $8,000. Call Jack at (203) Great Gift Ideas Sweatshirts and denim shirts are currently in stock in a wide selection of adult sizes. Burgees and ties are also available. To purchase contact Casey Fignar, Merchandise coordinator, at For a broader array of fun merchandise which is available year-round be sure to visit the merchandise catalog link on the Club website. For Sale: Belle of Chickasha a 1986 Pearson 33 II is for sale. She is a centerboarder lavishly equipped for cruising. She has berths for 7 in 3 cabins, a Yanmar diesel engine, draws under 4 feet with the board up. Belle has been extensively refitted to make shorthanded sailing easy. The North main and #1 jib were new in , mwaine@optonline.net For Sale: 1983 Olson 30 Pigasus $14,900. If anyone is interested to compete boat for boat with Wave Dancer, this is a precision built masthead rigged sloop built for speed and strength. Length: 30ft, Draft: 5ft 1in. Beam: 9ft 3in. Hull Material: Fiberglass. Engine: outboard (none). Includes trailer. Samuel Gran: samuel.grant@cox.net / or Charles Hine: hinec1@cox.net / This space is available free of charge to Club members. To place an advertisement, please send your copy to: Newsletter Editor, OGYC P. O. Box 162 Old Greenwich, CT Old Greenwich Yacht Club, Inc. P.O. Box 162 Old Greenwich, CT FIRST CLASS U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 583 SCHAUMBURG, IL FIRST CLASS MAIL