TELL TALES (Aug. 19, 2009)

· HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Mariah Miller turned 13 yesterday and became a Red Fleet sailor. Matt Blow becomes 11 today and then we have no birthdays for a month.

· SCHEDULE:  

Aug. 22 – Fall Series race 2

Aug. 29 – Fall Series race 3 and boat load

Sep. 5-6 – Labor Day Regatta at the Sarasota Sailing Squadron, Sarasota

Sep. 12 – Fall Series race 4

Sep. 19 – Fall Series race 5 and annual dinner

· SERIES STANDINGS:

Green Fleet: 1, Louisa Nordstrom; 2, Bogan Whitehead; 3, Justin Frow; 4, Alexis Jenkins; 5, Truitt Whitehead; 6, Garver Whitehead; 7, Evan Dietrich; 8, Brianna Trecartin; 9, Nicholas Etz; 10, Courtney Purcell; 11, Jacob Hinshaw; four are tied with 13 – excused absences.

Red, White and Blue Fleet: 1, Stephan VerHulst; 2, Lucas Galarza; 3, Samantha Wood; 4, Garrett Lawlor; 5, Scott Trecartin; 6, Alex Soodak; 7, Shawn Gallagher. Two are tied with 11.

Portsmouth Division: Did not have a series race because of high winds.

· SERIES COMMENTS: The Optimist fleets (Green, Red, White and Blue) had three races and while they started together, we scored them separately. We started them together to give both fleets the experience of having more people on the line and to give the Green Fleet sailors a chance to see how the RWB skippers do things. It was an eye opener. Had the Optis been scored together, Louisa Nordstrom would have finished fourth and Bogan Whitehead would have come in fifth – pretty good for a couple of Green Fleeters. Observation: Louisa can go to windward about as well as we have seen in a long time. Admittedly, she’s light, but she points higher than most.

· SIGN UP: The deadline for signing up for Sarasota’s Labor Day Regatta is Saturday. We need to know so we can have enough trailers to haul the boats. Regatta registration is handled through the host Sarasota Sailing Squadron and may be done on line, but we have copies of the NOR.

· DUES DUE: Payment for the year-round program, which is already in progress, will be past due on Sep. 1. Please make your checks out to VYBA and give to Jabbo so he can record it.

· EMI FORMS: Portsmouth and RWB skippers need to turn in new emergency medical forms. We update our folders every year. Green Fleeters are using the forms they filled out this summer.

· VYBA BENEFIT: You are invited to set sail for an evening of fun with the Cryn’ Shames on Saturday, Sep. 5. Dinner is at 6 p.m. and the show begins at 8 o’clock. The Venice Yacht Club has made special arrangements for VYBA parents to come to this event. The menu will range from cheeseburgers to lobster tails ($9.50 to $28.95). Show tickets, which are $10 each, will go to VYBA. Bring your sense of humor. It’s casual attire and shorts are permitted. Call 488-7708.

· SWAPPING EQUIPMENT: Please do not change equipment, such as blades, without checking with a coach. Daggerboards and rudders are numbered for a reason. Don’t swap gear unless it is broken. The relatively new yellow flotation bags seem to last longer than the blue or red ones. However, don’t change bags simply because they look better and throw away good ones.

· HIGH SCHOOLERS: VYBA members who sail for either Pine View or Venice High should contact their friends and their parents about a meeting at the Pram Shed on Tuesday, Aug. 25 at 4 p.m.