TELL TALES (June 10, 2009)

· HAPPY BIRTHDAY:  We have no birthdays until Scott Trecartin turns 12 on June 25.

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

June 13 – Summer Series race 2

June 20 – Summer Series race 3

June 27 – Summer Series race 4

July 4 – Summer Series race 5

· LAST SATURDAY:  Alicia Muscato and Shaun Gallagher were prepared to fly the VYBA flag at Big Brothers and Big Sisters Big Blast at Dallas White Park in North Port last Saturday, but the whole event was washed out. Alicia came back to the Pram Sheet and raced. Shaun didn’t.

· SCHEDULE CHANGE: Only three sailors signed up for Punta Gorda’s Hibiscus Cup on June 20 and therefore, VYBA is not going as a group. Individual skippers can go and receive regatta points. However, there will be regular sailing, including Summer Series race 3, here that day. In addition there will be regular sailing, including race 5, here July 4 although it is a national holiday.

· HOURS CHANGE:  Saturday sailing will be from 12 noon to 5 p.m., adding an hour to the sessions for the summer. We will have sailing here all summer if possible, depending on the weather, but please do not call to find out if we are having a session or not. You can look at the radar as well as we can. Last Saturday, we delayed going out for an hour, but still went sailing and had races.

· SERIES STANDINGS:

Optimist Fleet: 1, Garrett Lawlor; 2, Alicia Muscato; 3, Lucas Galarza; 4, Stefan Johnson; 5, Samantha Wood; 6, Scott Trecartin. Three are tied with seven points (came but did not start); two are tied with eight points (excused absence), and three are tied with nine points (absent).

Portsmouth Division: 1, Michelle Thomas; 2, Tyler Thorpe; 3, Sami Tornese; 4, Chloe Dietrichl; 5, Evan Langer; 6, Aubrey Khachetoorian.  Two have eight points and one has nine.

· SAILING COUNSELORS: If you signed up, show up; if you did not sign up, don’t show up. The list we have posted is how we keep track of your hours, especially for those of you collecting community service hours. Also counselors/helpers should not be bringing cast nets, guitars, surf board or any other non-sailing gear. You are here to help the instructors and counsel the kids.

· MISCELLANEOUS

1. We are not set up to take sailors before 8 a.m. If it is raining and your parents must drop you off early because they are going to work and the doors are shut, please go around to the back of the Venice Yacht Club and wait by the pool until we are open for business.

2. If you feel compelled to sit on the Whaler trailer on the east side of the Pram Shed, please do not sit on the bunks (the long back boards that hold up the boats). They break easily and we have had to replace a couple already. They are not cheap. Please on the metal frame.

3. Denis Hill, a longtime sailor and former VYBA board member, died June 2. A native of England, he moved to Venice from Louisville, Ky., in 1976. He was a lifelong musician and also was an honorary member of the Venice Women’s Sailing Squadron (Bitter Ends).

4. Jabbo will be in Wisconsin this weekend, teaching a Sailing Counselor course for US Sailing. He will fly out of Tampa on Friday evening and return Monday afternoon. Kyle D’Arcangelis will be working with the Optimist program in his absence on Saturday.