The Old Man The Monthly Newsletter of the Magothy River Sailing Association Margaret Burri, Editor; Alan Weiss, co-editor January 2019 Commodore s Comments I check the weather forecast this past Thursday. Bright sun, 20 25 out of the northwest, 34 degrees. Perfect! I haul the old shop-vac covered in blue dust out of the shed, load it and the sander (also blue), vacuum hose, extension cords, Tyvek suit, hat, goggles, mask, gloves, and 15 sandpaper discs into the trunk and head for the boat. The wind will blow away any dust the vacuum does not pick up, and I won t baste in my own sweat inside the suit. I tried sanding once on a 70-degree day and swore never again. Cold weather is good. Three hours later, with only half of Blue Moon s bottom sanded, my shoulders tell me I have had enough. Even though I do everything to deny it, there are times that I have to admit I am not as young as I used to be. Sanding the boat is an awful job, but somehow, I enjoy it. I relearn the curves of the hull. I fantasize about the extra half knot I will get with a smooth bottom. I think about cruises and races from this past summer, and can almost feel myself on board again as the boat slices through the water.
Now, as I write this and look out the window at 10 inches of new snow, I know it may be awhile before I get to sand the other half. But the days are getting longer, and soon it will seem like I need to rush to get the boat ready. MRSA is also getting ready for Spring. At the Board of Governors meeting on January 14, the budget for 2019 was approved. MRSA is in good financial shape and the budget is very similar to last years. There are a few minor changes; some new accounts have been added to both the Racing and Meeting sections to better track expenses in those areas. Funds are now designated for the potential purchase of new (used) boats for the Junior Training Program Sailing Course. Some of the boats we own are very old and at the end of their useful lifespan. Speaking of Junior Training, the annual contract with the Grachur Club for the use of its facilities for the course has just been renewed. MRSA members have priority for registration for places in the training as long as the application is received before April 1. Applications will be available on the MRSA website around March 1. The Race meeting will take place within the next month or so. The committee is reviewing all of the equipment needed to run the racing program to be sure it is in good shape and ready for the start of racing in April. The Dellenbaugh sailing seminar is set for February 16 at the Maryland Yacht Club and participants are signing up. The Cruising program will kick off with the annual Cruise Planning Party on February 9 at the Belvedere Yacht Club. Some the cruises that seem like old favorites will be sure to be included, but we are always looking for new and innovative destinations, so give some thought to where the club might want to go this summer. It won t be long now before we are back on the water! Norm Norm Poulsen 2018-19 Commodore, Magothy River Sailing Association
Racing Corner Dellenbaugh Seminar It s not too late, but time is running out! If you haven t registered for the Dellenbaugh Seminar, do it now. The workshop, on Saturday, February 16th, from 8 AM to 4 PM, at the Maryland Yacht Club, will focus on the many aspects of starting and the upwind leg. The $66.00 ($33.00 for high school racers) registration fee includes coffee, tea, sodas, Danish, break refreshments and lunch. A professional racing sailor, David is a veteran tactician of several America s Cup Campaigns, a rules expert, and has coached for the US Olympic Team and numerous private clients. This is an amazing, not-to-be-missed opportunity.
Cruising Corner Winter Planning Party Debbie Lund It s time to plan the 2019 cruising season. The Winter Planning Party will be held on Saturday, February 9, 2019 at 6:00 PM at the Belvedere Yacht Club, 419 Alameda Parkway, Arnold. Junior Training We ll go over the 2019 cruising schedule and determine the cruise leaders for each event. Please bring an appetizer, entrée, side dish or salad. MRSA will provide soft drinks, beer, wine and cake. We look forward to seeing you there! RSVP to John or Debbie Lund at 410-544-2551 or dlund210@gmail.com. If you have any questions or suggestions for different events for 2019, please contact John or Debbie at 410-544-2551 prior to January 19. Junior Training will be on July 8th to July 19th this year. Paperwork will be available on the website on March 1st and member priority registration will last until April 1st. After that, registrations will be accepted as they arrive.
Crew Corner [We re starting a new column this month to focus on recruiting crew and bringing new blood to our Wednesday night racers. Thanks to Alan Weiss for this month s column; if you have anything you d like to submit, e-mail me at newsletter@magothysailing.com] If you re reading this, you most likely love sailing. If you ve ever thought that you might want to race, or you ve raced before, but don t want to bring out your own boat, this column is for you. Captains often see their crew numbers dwindle, finding themselves short. Cruisers inevitably find themselves looking at their boat in the slip thinking I really wish I used my boat more often. Well, you can! You can use your boat every Wednesday evening with help from a experienced racer! Here s the plan: For captains: send me your dock departure time and place, any physical limitations, like weight restrictions, if you are willing to teach, or if you prefer experienced crew. For potential crew: If you want to learn to race, or you ve raced before and are willing to share your experience with a novice cruiser-soon-to-be racer who wants to bring their boat out for the first time, send me your contact information. We can match you up with crew listings, and grow the sport. The best way to reach me is SailingDr@aol.com. News from Other Clubs Singles on Sailboats is offering a full day workshop for all sailors on March 16 on sailing skills and knowledge. Check out their website for more details.
Facebook You ve heard a lot about our Facebook effort but have you done your part? Please take a moment today and go to facebook.com/magothysailing and like each article and each photo. You could click the link right now and then come back to the riveting articles in the Old Man! Put it on your calendar to do all the time! Help us spread the word about MRSA to attract new members! The Old Man Magothy River Sailing Association P.O. Box 1135 Pasadena, MD 21122 Please do your part to restore the Bay and actively make it cleaner. www.magothysailing.com facebook.com/magothysailing