TELL TALES 21 (Mar. 19, 2008)

• Birthdays: Paul Kreider's birthday is day after tomorrow (Friday). Many happy returns.

• Schedule: This Saturday is our regatta in Englewood, but more about that later. We will have regular sailing, including spring series race number 3, on Mar. 29. The following weekend, Apr. 5-6, is Sarasota's Sailfest. It is a major regatta, and we will not have sailing here that Saturday. However, only four people have signed up. Clearwater hosts the state Optimist championships in conjunction with its annual Clark Mills Regatta, Apr. 12-13. Sign-up sheets are posted.

• Standings: After two series races, there are some tight races for the spring championship, including some ties which had to be broken with tiebreakers. RWB: 1, Chloe Dietrich, 5; 2, Paul Kreider, 5; 3, Evan Langer, 7; 4, Cara Patete, 8; 5, Alicia Muscato, 8; 6, Marissa Phillips, 11. Ernest Green Fleet: 1, Stephan VerHulst, 2; 2, Andrew Sosa, 7; 3, Zack Jordan, 8; 4, Garrett Lawlor, 10; 5, Sami Tornese, 10; 6, Ashlyn Weed, 12; 7, Jonathan James, 13; 8, Aubrey Khachetoorian, 15; 9, Stefan Johnson, 15. Portsmouth: 1, Kyle D'Arcangelis, 2; 2, Tyler Thorpe, 4; 3, Mallory Phillips, 8; 4, Bryan White, 9; 5, Sarah Vogelsong, 10.

• Thanks go to Joe Dombroski, former Venice Yacht Club commodore and a member of VYBA's board of directors, for presenting the winter series awards last Saturday. And congratulations to all you sailors, especially those who took home trophies. It was a very good series

• Cec Cerutti, our webmaster and member of the VYBA board of directors, has put all of our "Tell Tales" since we resumed it June 29 on the website. Thanks, Cec. Meanwhile if someone has missed reading one or more issues, you can check it out.

• Looking ahead to this summer, plans are to have 420 and Special Optimist classes the first four weeks, starting June 2. We do not plan to have them later in the summer unless there is enough interest. Those sailors who are interested in those classes, need to contact us and let us know because those sessions are not on the regular registration form for learn to sail classes.

• VYBA thanks Lloyd Weed for acquiring a trailer hitch dolly and bringing it to the pram shed. That way, we can hook up Whaler trailers, for example, and pull them around without putting them on a car or truck hitch. It is a handy device to have around for you Laser and Sunfish skippers.

• Jabbo Gordon Regatta: We have arrived. Ed Baird, helmsman of the America's Cup winning boat, is bringing his three sons to the regatta from St. Petersburg. Andy Levine of Tackle Shack is coming from Pinellas Park. We have registrations from as far away as Naples and Orlando. As of this date, we have 67 entries and the record is 73, set last year. And we believe there will be at least a dozen who register Saturday. Only one person from our Optimist fleet is going to miss it. Much gratitude goes to the parents, sailors and board members for making this such a success.

• Curmudgeon's comment: Since Jabbo is older than dirt and hard of hearing, he tries not to talk too loudly (as some people who don't hear well do). But sometimes, when some people do not hear him, he speaks louder, maybe too loudly. He is not yelling. At least, he is trying not to. That is why he uses a megaphone, especially on the water, so that he can speak in a normal voice and still be heard. If he doesn't use the hailer and yells so folks can hear him, some sailors think he is angry with them, which is not true. Besides, a megaphone saves his voice. Of course, he can be cranky, especially if he hasn't had his coffee. However, if he has offended anyone, he apologizes.