LHYC.org May 2005
Mission Statement:
The objects of the Lloyd Harbor Yacht Club shall be to encourage and promote interest in, as well as to foster the art and enjoyment of, the sport of sailing by providing the opportunity and means for the development of individual skill and knowledge, encouraging excellence in seamanship and navigation, and by providing participative events wherein these qualities can be exercised under the aegis of the LHYC burgee.
The weather has finally turned nice, and although I know the boating season is right around the corner it feels very distant still. I can hardly wait until the warm summer breezes get here with twilights in the cockpit watching the sunsets. The little voice in the back of my mind is starting to scream that the to-do list for the boat should be a higher priority. Ah, let’s just go sailing!
Upcoming Events
The racing season is almost upon us. You should have just received the Notice of Race in the mail, and there is also ample information posted on the web page, lhyc.org. This Sunday, 5/22/05, is our Spring Series and the following Wednesday, 5/25/05 starts our Summer Series. Please note, even if you don’t race with us, all members are welcome to attend the after race parties. The Spring Series party will be at Willis Marine and we meet at Nicky’s of Centerport after every Wednesday night race. The Wednesday night Race Committee slots are going fast with only a few left open, (see calendar on the web page). We are still looking for a Race Committee for the Spring Series. If you can swing this please contact Rich Rubel, fleetcapt@lhyc.org or 631-754-0891. Our Lloyd’s Trophy race will be a charity race again this year. Teamed up with Huntington YC, we have become a major contributor to the Susan G. Komen Beast Cancer Foundation. There will also be the Women’s Spirit Race the night before for women only teams to duke it out. You will be receiving information and some of the raffle tickets for this event in the mail soon, and any other help would be welcome by the committee. If interested please contact Leigh Sterflinger, Vicecomm@lhyc.org or 631-757-0799.
The cruising is also getting fired up. The Memorial Day cruise is all set for Indian Harbor YC on Saturday and American YC on Sunday with an excursion to Rye Playland, (see attached flyer). The Club’s Commissioning will be on Memorial Day at the mooring in Lloyd Harbor. The cruisers will be racing there from American, and the festivities should start around 1400 hrs with the cannon scheduled to go off at 1600 hrs. Even if you can’t make the cruise come on out and celebrate the beginning of the season. Some have asked me to expand on flag etiquette, and this might be just the place for it. Volumes could be written on this subject, but let me see if I can’t get a few of the appropriate ones right; US ensign is traditionally flown 2/3 up the leech of the mainsail, and is now also appropriate to fly from a stern staff from 0800 hrs until sunset. The yacht club burgee is traditionally flown from the top of the main mast on a pig stick, and can also be flown from the lower starboard spreader if necessary, and only when the Club is commissioned. Neither of these flags should be flown during racing. Let’s leave it at that, and I will pass along any corrections I’m sure to get ;-) The 4th of July cruise will be to Bayville / Oyster Bay where we will be watching Charlie Dolan’s fireworks display on Monday night.
We are going to try something a little different this year for the Friday Night Raft-Ups. Instead of using the same Friday of every month, we’ve picks some strategic Fridays that work with other events. Granted, on any given Friday you might see any number of members on the mooring, but here are some formal dates too, (see attached flyer and web site). I might also now mention some mooring manors. As we are a paper club and have no formal meeting place, these moorings have become our social epicenters during the summer months. As has been the tradition in the club for years, if you’re on the mooring and you see another member’s boat, please reach out to them and encourage them to raft-up. It goes a long way in team spirit and you get to meet more and more of the members this way, (I’ve even found some babysitters this way).
The club “fun” races are
also starting up, (wow this is a lot of stuff). The survey we did was a great
help, and it looks like everyone likes Friday, Saturday nights and late Sunday
afternoons for social functions. With this in mind the upcoming Commodore’s
Cup will be a Friday night, 6/10/05 with a raft-up afterwards. The
Little Brown Jug will be as late on Sunday, 8/7/05 as we can schedule it and
still get a race and beach picnic all in. A note about the Little Brown Jug; in
an effort to get more people interested in racing their sailboats, we have
decided to open it up to non-members this year. In addition to the usual
Cruising and Racing divisions, we will offer a Silver Fleet division. If you
know of anyone that might be interested in racing their boat, but are a little
intimidated with a formal race, please invite them to this time honored LHYC fun
day. All will be invited to the picnic afterwards and there will be 1st,
2nd and 3rd place trophies for each division.
Past Events
Our Winter Speaker, Ralf Steitz gave us a way to get the mo-jo flowing this winter. He had a nice presentation regarding crew building and ways to put together a campaign. It was well attended and a good time was had by all. The New Members Party was very well attended by members from the whole range of the roster, as usual. The Sterflinger’s showed great hospitality, and the four new members were welcomed in style.
Member News
The greatest of news has come my way this month, Keith and Jackie VanEycken are now expecting a baby! They are due this fall so let’s try to help Jackie stay out of the summer heat this year. Keith, I can be bribed to give up my babysitter list with rum. Our J-24 racers have been active already. Aidan Glackin and the Mental Floss crew put in a 6th at the Annapolis NOOD’s. Mark Swanson and gang entered Noodle in the J-Daze regatta on Canandaigua Lake and took 1st out of 31 boats! John Storck was also going early, taking 1st in the Annapolis NOOD’s with Rumor. Glad to see she’s still in full fighting trim. As we’ve grown to expect, the Willis gang took 1st in the J-44 division at the American Spring Series with Challenge IV. Congratulations to all.
Odds and Ends
Our fearless Rear Commodore has been hard at work this winter. In addition to redesigning the Melrose, he has upgraded the Port Jefferson mooring to 500 lbs. Thanks Doug, I know I’ll sleep more soundly out there now. Speaking of which, I’d like to thank everyone for their diligence in paying their mooring fees for last year. I think it’s a record year for income on the moorings, and this helps keep the budget afloat. Thank You. Lastly, I would like to pass along the overall results for the frost bite sailing from this winter, (see flyer). Rich Rubel did a great job running this, and although the ice flows slowed them down a little this year, they were still able to gat a number of races in and keep the edge on their sailing game.
Quote of the Month
This month, as we put the finishing touches on our boats before they go in, I’m struck by a quote I picked up in the boat yard many years ago. While working on my boat and pausing for a second to recuperate my strength, I was impressed by a lovely little roadster as it drove into the yard. I asked one of the yard guys working near me who that was. I was informed that he was an old timer that’s been keeping his boat here for ever, and that he was always down this time of year to do his own work. I went over and introduced myself, (I had to see the car). While talking I asked him why he did his own bottom and wax on the boat when, if he could afford such a nice car, he could probably have the yard do the work for him. He responded with a smile and said, “Kid, sailing is such a beautiful and serine sport that if some part if it didn’t suck every year we’d have nothing to compare it to.” After many years this has stayed with me and is one of those things that, over time, always strikes true.
See You Out There,
Charlie Powers
Commodore
Past Telltales