TELL TALES (July 1, 2009)

· HAPPY BIRTHDAY:  There are no VYBA birthdays for three weeks.

· SCHEDULE:  Summer sailing hours on Saturdays run from 12 noon to 5 p.m. until further notice. 

July 4 – Summer Series race 5

July 5 – Special VYBA event at the Venice Yacht Club (see below)

July 11 – Summer Series race 6

July 18 –Summer Series race 7

July 25 – Summer Series race 8

Aug. 1 – Summer Series race 9

Aug. 7 – Last day of summer learn to sail sessions

Aug. 8 – Boat reassignment, be kind to your boat day and change rigs

· THIS SATURDAY: We will start off with barbeque lunch featuring hamburgers and hotdogs  at the Pram Shed at 11 a.m. Drinks will be provided, but if any parents want to bring other goodies, please contact Celeste Patete so we can coordinate the effort. No need in having a ton of cole slaw and only an ounce of potato salad. Also let us know if you plan to attend or not and how many (parents, siblings) will be in your party so we can be sure we have enough food. Then at about 12:30 p.m., Dr. Shaun Graser and his wife, Paula, will present the Spring Series trophies at the flagpole. Sailing, including Summer Series race 5, will be from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

· ON SUNDAY: Mike Muscato is providing the crabs for the inaugural VYBA crab race championship at the Venice Yacht Club at 2 p.m. Paul Thorpe and Celeste Patete are in charge of this event. All VYBA members should attend  to decorate the crabs and run the races.

· SERIES STANDINGS:  (After four races in the Summer Series)

Optimist Fleet: 1, Garrett Lawlor, 4; 2, Alicia Muscato, 13; 3, Samantha Wood, 16; 4, Stefan Johnson, 17;  5, Lucas Galarza, 25; 6, Mariah Miller, 28; 7, Scott Trecartin, 28; 8, Alex Soodak, 28; 9, Blake Erquiaga, 30; 10 Shaun Gallagher, 30; 11, Toussaint Thomas. 34; 12, Stephan VerHulst, 37. (Mariah jumped up three places by showing up and taking third last Saturday.)

Portsmouth Division: 1, Michelle Thomas, 4; 2, Chloe Dietrich, 17; 3, Sami Tornese, 19; Evan Langer, 22;  5, Bryan White, 23; 6, Tyler Thorpe, 25; 7, Cara Patete, 25; 8, Carla Johnson, 27; 9,  Andrew Sosa, 29; 9, Cara Patete, 21; 10, Paul Kreider, 31; 11, Aubrey Khachetoorian, 36. 

· NEW SCHEDULE: A new schedule for the 2009-2010 sailing year has been drafted and presented to our board of directors for approval at the July 7 board meeting. Basically, it is very similar to this year’s schedule, but we are waiting for some other schedules – such as the schools -- so we can coordinate with them. We are hoping to add a couple more local (our gang only) regattas.

· THANK YOU: Many thanks go to Venice Yacht Club members Norman and Janice Holloway who graciously rescued Whaler 3 when it became untied and drifted off Monday. Conni Muscato spotted the problem, but we had to no way to recapture our errant vessel because Michelle Thomas and Bryan White had their hands full of capsized Optimist skippers over in Roberts Bay. The Holloways, who live on the canal north of the VYC, looked out their window and spotted our wayward Whaler. They hopped aboard their 20-foot powerboat “Oliver Oyl”, caught up with our boat, which was drifting aimlessly near the anchored boats, and towed it back to the dock. The Holloways also run the regular Tuesday bingo parties that contribute very nicely to VYBA.