May 2014 www.facebook.com/wheeler.yacht.club www.wheeleryachtclub.com Commodore s Corner I want to thank all those that came out to help with the cleanup efforts around the marina for Marina Cleanup Day. We did a lot of pressure washing, scooping of debris around the curbs, ant hill eradication, grass edging, and other tasks that may not have gotten done otherwise. Also, thanks to Dan & Phyllis Montgomery and Bud & Carol McNeese for refreshing and planting new flowers at the top of the 700 dock ramp. We had planned a Flag Retirement Ceremony for that afternoon but the scout troop that was going to do it had most of their members at a track meet in Birmingham. We are looking at dates later in the year for this ceremony. May 31 st is our Shrimp Boil. We are having this a little earlier this year and hope it will be cooler for the chef (me). We will be using the new shelter, pavilion, gazebo or whatever we end up calling the new cover over the concrete pad. Appetizers at 5:00 Shrimp at 6:00. This event is free to members, so encourage your dock mates to join the club and eat shrimp with us! June 14 th is Marina Day at Joe Wheeler Marina. Hope you all come out for it. We will be getting details of the activities out later. We are planning a Fish Fry that evening for the Yacht Club. We have also been asked by the marina if anyone is willing to open their boat for the public to tour on Marina Day. If you re interested in doing this, please contact me by June 10 th (commodore@wheeleryachtclub.com/931-580-1533). Joe Schedule-At-A-Glance May 17 Pursuit Series #3 Race 9:30 Skippers mtg in Marina Store lobby; 11:00 1st race; Racing over ~4:00 24-25 MSSC Confederate Admiral's Regatta Hosted by Muscle Shoals Sailing Club @ Wilson Lake Saturday night party for everyone More details later in newsletter 31 Shrimp Boil Time/details TBD June 7 Bouys Servies #3 Race 9:30 Skippers mtg in Marina Store lobby; 11:00 1st race; Racing over ~4:00 14 Marina Day at Joe Wheeler w/ RC Sailboat Races & Fish Fry Wheeler Yacht Club The Tell-Tale JW Marina activities including display of Radio Controlled Sailboat racing at 11:00 WYC Fish Fry Time TBD 28 Pursuit Series #4 Race 9:30 Skippers mtg in Marina Store lobby; 11:00 1st race; Racing over ~4:00 1
Race Program Report A handicap system is what enables sailboats of different types to compete against each other on a more or less level playing field. Here at WYC we use the Portsmouth Yardstick system (PHRF). The PHRF system is in common use at many other clubs. In either case the handicap numbers assume each boat has good sails, a clean bottom, an experienced crew, no excess weight, etc. That s the ideal world. The real world in which we race is a little more complicated. A few of the boats in the WYC fleet are indeed race ready and can be expected to perform in accordance with their handicap number. Racer emeritus Bill Connell referred to these boats as Clorox bottles. The other boats, for one or more of the reasons cited above, probably will not perform up to their handicap number. In Bill s case, the microwave oven, big-screen TV, and perhaps a hanging plant or two, which made life aboard his Catalina 30 a little more comfortable, obviously worked against him on the race course. So at Bill s suggestion we divide the fleet into two classes: a Racer or no excuses class and a Racer/Cruiser class. Skippers in both classes can fly a spinnaker or not, as they see fit. This way everyone has a fairer shot at the end of season awards. But those awards still have to be earned. So whatever the condition of your boat I encourage you to come on out and join the fun. Since the most recent issue of the Tell-Tale, favorable weather has allowed us to hold the Buoys Series #1 and #2 events as planned, and the results are included herewith. These round-the-buoys events work best with a race committee, and we rotate that duty among the skippers as the season progresses. It s always a special treat when Gar Bouse volunteers as he did for Buoys Series #2. Gar has a club level Race Management certification from U.S. Sailing, and the professional manner in which he runs races makes us feel like we re in a big-time sailing event. Pursuit Series #2 also went off as planned. The good wind that day allowed us to set a course to the Elk River Light and Daymark and back which we divided into two races. In the pursuit format each boat starts at its own designated time; planned so that all boats will converge in an exciting race to the finish line. As the prognosticator of start times for those races, I could not have scripted a more exciting finish between the X-99 and the Catalina 22 Sport. You will have to check with Robert Bijvoet, Jerry Petritsch or son Jacob for the details. Paul Buoys Series #1 Race Committee: Paul Wunsch Skipper Boat Flt Race 1 Race 2 Race 3 Jan Bijvoet X-99 A 1 1 1 Charley Fulks Catalina 22 B DNF* DNS* DNS* Paul Green Catalina 22 B 2 3 2 Jerry Petritsch Catalina 22 Sport B 3 2 3 * Had an equipment failure after start of first race. Stuff happens. Buoys Series #2 Race Committee: Gar Bouse Skipper Boat Flt Race 1 Race 2 Race 3 Robert Bijvoet X-99 A 2 1 1 Jerry Petritsch Catalina 22 Sport B 3 3 3 Paul Wunsch Capri 30 A 1 2 2 2
Pursuit Series #2 Skipper Boat Race 1 Race 2 Jan Bijvoet X-99 2 1 John Conover MG335 4 4 Jerry Petritsch Catalina 22 Sport 1 2 Paul Wunsch Catalina 22 3 3 Marina Clean Up Like Joe mentioned, there was plenty accomplished on April 26 at the Marina Clean Up effort! Here are a few more pictures of the day WYC Officers Joe Benson Commodore commodore@wheeleryachtclub.com 931-580-1533 Bob Cushman Vice Commodore Kathy Benson Secretary/Treasurer 931-231-5713 Karen Cushman Social Chairperson socials@wheeleryachtclub.com Amy Gonzalez Corresponding Secretary TellTale@wheeleryachtclub.com Jerry Petritsch Web Master webcrew@wheeleryachtclub.com Paul Wunsch Sailing Activities sailing@wheeleryachtclub.com Carole McNeese Rear Commodore carolemc5@yahoo.com 931-446-3384 Board Members Steve Blazier Randy Crittenden Jerry Petritsch 3
Local Happenings Joe Wheeler State Park & Marina May 24, 6-7pm Live Music on the Patio (Joe Wheeler Lodge) with local vocal talent, Will Lamar. Children's games and S mores ingredients. Wine, Beer and Drinks also available. June 14, Marina Day Specific Marina Day activities TBD. There will be display of Radio Controlled Sailboat racing at 11:00. Rogersville 1 st Saturdays The first Saturday of each month, March December, the Lee Street shops stay open till 8:00pm, with merchant sales and specials each month. Live entertainment is also scheduled from April September on Lee Street. Muscle Shoals Sailing Club (MSSC) on Wilson Lake May 24-25, 2014 Confederate Admiral's Regatta This Regatta is two days of sailing fun and racing. May 24, Confederate Admiral's Party & Dinner MSSC invites WYC members, both Sailors and Power Boaters, to the Saturday evening Party & Dinner. It s one of the best events of the year at MSSC. Even if you don't enter the regatta you are encouraged to show up for the dinner/party and enjoy the warm hospitality of our fellow boaters at the MSSC. Everyone is invited! The evening will begin with a Social and lively entertainment (and dancing) by the popular Irish band Bourbon and Shamrocks starting at 5:00, followed by dinner. Dinner is $20 per person /Party only is $10 (band cover charge). Please RSVP by Wednesday, May 21 st to Steve Blazier (also a WYC member) at 256-766-3031 or sb3031@comcast.net. Directions: By car, take Hwy 72 West to Center Star (about 5 miles east of Killen, about 2 miles west of Hwy 101 at Elgin). Turn south on Lauderdale County Rd 33. Follow it 2.2 miles to a sharp bend to the left. Follow left and another.4 mile. Turn right on to the first road on the right, CR 411 (a small MSSC sign points to the right). Follow the road to the first gravel road on the right. Follow this gravel road to its end at MSSC. By water, the mouth of the MSSC s harbor is located at Mile Marker 271.5 on the north shore (described on TVA chart as Old Lock 4 ), about 3.5 miles downstream of Wheeler Dam. August, True Course Captain s School Offered by MSSC. For more information contact Captain Ronald Getter (937-478-1947 or CaptianGetter@TrueCourses.com) YOUR Tell-Tale This is YOUR newsletter and I hope you enjoy the read! Please send any contributions for the newsletter to: TellTale@wheeleryachtclub.com. We d all love to hear of your boating and land-based adventures, advice, recipes, or other tidbits. If you have a story to tell, but need help with the writing just let me know. Look forward to hearing from you soon! Amy WYC Membership Please send us your e-mail addresses! For each member can have more than one e-mail addresses, if desired. So, if you would like to have WYC e-mails sent to multiple addresses. please let us know and we will get them added. See you on the water! 4
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