TELL TALES (Mar. 25, 2009)

·         BIRTHDAYS:  Green Fleet sailor Sophie Hollingworth will be 15 next Wednesday.

·         SCHEDULE: 

Mar. 28-29 – Sailfest. Sarasota Sailing Squadron, Sarasota

Apr. 4 – Spring Series race 3 and boat load

Apr. 6-10 – Scout Week

Apr. 11 – Jabbo Gordon Invitational Regatta, Englewood

Apr. 18 – Spring Series race 4 and State Optimist Championships at Coral Reef Yacht Club

Apr. 25 – Spring Series race 5

·         BIRTHDAY BOY: Paul Kreider celebrated his 15th birthday is fine style last Saturday by winning the Laser division of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Cup Regatta in Punta Gorda. Tyler Thorpe placed second and Sami Tornese broke a three-way tie to take third in her 4.7. Cara Patete captured the Optimist class with four firsts and a second in the five races. Alica Muscato finished second while Garrett Lawlor was third. We had seven Optis and three Lasers in the competition.

·         REGATTA REGISTRATION: Only 12 skippers, including one Laser sailor, have signed up for our regatta, which will be in Englewood on Apr. 11. Only one has turned in the form. The other 11 competitors need to fill out the registration form, sign the waiver and send them in with a check. We don’t require any paperwork for our local events, such as the Crow’s Nest Regatta, but we do for this one because it is open to everyone and last year, we had 99 folks. For those who have not signed up, but want to sail, please let us know before the Mar. 28 deadline.

·         CLASS DEADLINES: Those interested in taking either the 420 course and/or the special Optimist class will have until May 1 to sign up. We need four in each or they will be cancelled.

·         SUMMER SCHEDULE:  Our summer sailing sessions will start on Monday, June 1, instead of Tuesday, June 2, as previously announced. The reason for the change was the Sarasota County School Board received a special waiver from the state and decided not to require students to make up the hurricane day, which would have been June 1. So school ends Friday, May 29. Also, this schedule change means that the first of the Summer Series will be June 6. That Saturday had been designated a “learn to sail” day to give those first session sailors a full week.

·         DOLLY DONATED: Mrs. Betty Anne Haering, who donated a Sunfish to the VYBA, has given us a sand dolly. It is similar to regular Sunfish or Laser dollies, but has extra large tires. Many thanks.

·          IGNORING INFORMATION: An old saying goes that you have not been ignored until you’ve been ignored by a cat. Often when we give our sailors some very good information, we feel like we are talking to the cat. For example, a couple of weeks ago, we strongly suggested that skippers not play follow the leader after rounding a leeward mark. Those behind need to tack away to gain clear air, even for a minute or two. Right? Well…during a series race only a little while later, there were four or five little ducks in a row heading for the finish line. Those behind the leader were just sucking up all that bad air. The chances of passing the person in front of you, unless you are going exceptionally fast, are slim to none. And Slim just left town.

·         MISCELLANEOUS

1.       Add Stephan VerHulst and Evan Langer to our list of sailing counselors for the summer.

2.       Lizzie Karras has dropped out of our Green Fleet. We wish her Bon Voyage.

 

      SERIES STANDINGS (after two races):

Green Fleet: 1, Samantha Wood, 2; 2, Lucas Galarza, 3; 3, Scott Trecartin, 7; 4, Carla Johnson, 8; 5, Shaun Gallagher, 9; 6, Mariah Miller, 11; 7, Blake Erquiaga, 12; Alex Soodak, 13 and 3 with 17.

RWB Fleet: 1, Cara Patete, 2; 2, Garrett Lawlor, 4; 3, Stephan VerHulst, 5; 4, Evan Langer, 6; 5, Stefan Johnson, 9; 6, Alicia Muscato, 12; 7, Aubrey Khachetoorian, 13; 8, Ashlyn Weed, 16.

Portsmouth Division: 1, Michelle Thomas, 2; Sami Tornese, 4; 3, Andrew Sosa, 5; 4, Tyler Thorpe, 8; 5, Paul Kreider, 9; 6 (tie) Chloe Dietrich and Bryan White, 12.

·         SUMMER CLASSES: Two two-week sessions are scheduled in June for our sailors. A 420 class will run June 1-13 and a special Optimist class is slated from June 15-26. We need a minimum of four in each group to hold the classes. Times will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The cost is $100.

·         JACKIE SIMS will be teaching the special sessions and then will shift to the regular learn to sail program when Michelle Thomas heads to New Jersey. Born and reared in Venice, Jackie joined the VYBA in 2000 and competed for the Pine View sailing team before her graduation in May, 2008. She skippered and crewed on the University of Florida sailing team. Besides sailing, which has been a large part of her life, Jackie is involved with Habitat for Humanity and several finance clubs at UF where she is a freshman, majoring in accounting. Jackie was the Green Fleet national champion in 2002 Her hobbies include going to the beach and gym and watching Gator games.

·         WORDS TO LIVE BY: Don Marett, commodore of the Western Carolina Sailing Club, was quoted in “Southwinds” magazine this month as saying: I was told a long time ago that I would learn more about sailing by racing. In addition, learning on a small boat is usually better than a big boat. A small boat is closer to the water and less forgiving and therefore, sharpens your skills.

·         NO CHOW: During our normal sailing hours, we do not break for lunch. There’s no chow until after sailing. If you fear that you will absolutely starve to death, take a snack on your boat.