Summer 2007

 

Commodore’s Corner Spring Regatta Results

Waves Chandlery A Visit to Carter Lake

Beyond The Rules: Is It Right?

Rio Grande Sailing Club Schedule 2007

June 23 Sailstice Cruise/Raft-Up

3, 17 beer can races

July 8, 22 beer can races

21 Trailer Cruise to Heron Lake

August 12 beer can races

Sept. 1 Challenge Cup, Heron Lake

22–23 Desert Classic/Fall Series 1, Club & Board meeting

28–30 Sunrise 10/25/50 Mile Regatta

Oct. 13 New Mexico Governor’s Cup/Fall Series 2 (one day)

27–28 Fall Harvest/Fall Series 3

Nov. 17 Commodore’s Cup/Fall Series 4, Club & Board meeting

Dec. 1 Kris Kringle Regatta, Holiday Party

2 Fun Race

1–2 Etchells Fleet 31 Championships

Jan. ‘08 Frostbite Regatta

Committee Boat Schedule: to be announced.  

Got a fleet meeting or activity?
Let the Foghorn know.

* Skippers’ meetings are at 10 am, race Saturdays at the Inn at the Butte or Damsite; details will be in each race announcement. Raft-up info will be available from Buzz Biernacki about a week before each raftup. Races & schedules may be adjusted depending upon conditions. Check for updates.

Don’t jettison me! Please recycle your Foghorn to a friend, neighbor, fellow sailor, or potential sponsor.

Copyright © 2007, Pat J Byrnes for the Rio Grande Sailing Club. Permission is granted to reproduce items for nonprofit personal use with acknowledgement given to the RGSC Foghorn.

P Commodore’s Corner, Early Summer, 2007

Ahoy Everyone! Ahoy Everyone!

Summer is here! No more lusting after warm days and light summer breezes! They are finally here! As usual there are a lot of things going on!

Race season at the Club is slowing down for the Summer and picking up at the same time. I will tell you more about that later. The Spring Series was very competitive and packed with top-notch racing. Congratulations to the winners and all the participants!  (Pat will have details posted later in this issue of the Foghorn.) I think the most interesting thing was this year's growth of the Etchells fleet. Larry used to have the fastest boat on the water and his only competition was some guy in a bass boat!  Now, Trent and Barbara, Carol Anne, and Richard D. all have Etchells and the entire fleet is FAST! No telling who is going to win on any given race!

Mast Up Storage still continues to raise money for the Club and provide a great resource for the people who store their boats there.  Rich Strasia organized a work party a couple of weekends ago and we put new parking bumpers (railroad ties) in the lot to help occupants line their boats up in the proper spaces.  The parking is tight and I encourage you to use the "Mule" to help you park you boat.  Let's not have any parking lot dings!  With the price of gas going up quicker than a spinnaker rounding the mark, it makes even more sense to have your boat in Mast Up.  I think the lot is full but there may be one spot left.  Call or e-mail Rich if you are interested in using this service.  If he doesn't have a space he will put you on the waiting list.

Speaking of Rich and Sue, Sue gave me a lead for a grant for providing a sailing program to sailors with physical disabilities.  Unfortunately, when I tried to submit it, we were not an appropriate organization.  We would have to be a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. So Sue is working with several organizations to try to create a state-wide foundation to benefit sailing and sailing education.  It's a slow process but she is determined to make it happen.  She already has access to a fleet of boats!

If racing isn't your thing, there are a flock of boats heading to different places in the near future!  (I wish I was on one of them.) Fred & Delia St John and a couple of puppies are heading to Mexico to sail the Sea of Cortez for a while. They have made the trip several times and are looking forward to it!

Strasia is heading up a small flotilla to the Northwest!  William Guenther, Stan and his crew, and the Strasias will be gone most of the summer sailing the San Juan Islands and the Inside Passage.  They have been prepping boats and packing bearings getting ready for their sojourn.  They should be on the water by the time you read this.

Jeff and Robin will be chartering a boat in June on the Caribbean for their Honeymoon!  Some of you may remember Max Harcourt. He retired to St Thomas and has a 40 ft boat, Glory Be.  They will sail around St Thomas with him for a few days and then charter a 35 foot Beneteau with Joe Dunham in Tortuga for a week! It sounds like a great time.  I was teasing Jeff, telling him that while it will be wonderful trip, getting married is a huge thing just so you can go to the Caribbean.  His response was "anything to go sailing!" 
Seriously, we wish Jeff and Robin a fantastic Honeymoon and a wonderful new life together!

I am still looking for someone who would like to lead the Cruisers on raft ups!  Right now we have two raft-ups scheduled.  The first is June 23rd at the Butte.  That's the same weekend as the Summer Solstice Cruise.  Then we will venture up to Heron on July 21st.  We will do a potluck on Saturday night on both weekends!

We are looking for someone to host the Summer Socials.  If you would like to open your home to the Club for a Thursday night dinner, please let me or Pat Byrnes know.  We need Hosts for the June, July, and August Socials!

Whew, this letter is getting long for someone who types as slow as I do. You may want to get up and stretch before you finish the last part of the letter (I did).

Okay... plugging on to the finish line.  Remember at the top of the Commodore's Corner, I said the racing season was about to pick up even though the Spring Series just ended?  Here's the deal:

Our Club has been selected to host the Area F semifinals for the men's Mallory Cup races next year. I'm going to start begging now for your help then.  Well to be honest, I'm begging for your help now!  A project of this magnitude can't be done overnight and it can't be done with just one or two hard working sailors. We need all your talents and help, on and off the water, for publicity, hospitality, lodging, sponsorships, and more.  This is a great chance to give our Club regional recognition.  We can shine and have people recognize our Club and lake as a great sailing venue, or we can "flop-it" and have it be a disaster. Either way, after the race, they will be talking about us.  We really have a chance to put New Mexico sailing on the map!

The Race Committee will meet soon to form committees and seek volunteers. When you see an email come across your screen that asks for help, ask yourself what you can do to help the club. (I was so close to a famous quote there!)  Sometimes something as simple as just showing up is all that is needed.  Sometimes (okay... most the time) we need more than just showing up, we really need your involved help.  Please make a commitment to make this a fantastic event!  This is YOUR club and YOU make is a great one!

Enough is enough!  Thanks for your endurance! Please be safe on the water and while you are traveling to it! For all of you heading over the horizon on extended trips especially, have a great time and take lots of pictures!

Hope to see you soon!  Smooth Sailing and Gentle Breezes to you and your family!

Buzz Biernacki