TELLTALES 31 (June 18, 2008)

• A reminder: Saturday sailing will begin at 0900 this week because there is no parent orientation.

• Paul Thorpe, a member of our board of directors, a Venice Yacht Club member and Tyler's father, is planning a special regatta for July 5 to showcase our fleet for the VYC. Paul needs to know how many sailors plan on being here that Saturday. Please contact him for details.

• The summer series runs for nine weeks from 0900 to 1700 (1000 on 6/28, 7/12 and 7/26) with a lunch break to give you more time on the water. We will try to have races both morning and afternoon. However, if you leave at noon, you will be scored DNS (did not start) in the afternoon, and if you don't show up until noon, you will receive a DNS for the morning races. DNS equals number of boats plus one. An excused absence, by letting us know you will not be here, is number of boats plus two, and an unexcused absence is number of boats plus three.

• If you are going to be late or absent, call me or Capt. John. Don't call another sailor or the VYC.

• Unfortunately, there have been some unnecessary collisions among RWB skippers during the summer. If we see any more of that, both offending sailors will find themselves sailing summer boats, complete with old summer sails, until you know how to treat your boats properly.

• We will reassign boats again in August. Meanwhile, your assigned boat is your responsibility. Treat it with care. If something is broken, let us know immediately. Don't wait a week.

• Thanks to Sammy Waldron who substituted for Charlotte Sims last week. Charlotte was sailing with Fred Strammer, a former VYBA skipper, and Mike Marshall of Connecticut College in the Connecticut-Rhode Island district regatta for the Lightning North American championship June 14-15. They were sailing from Cedar Point Yacht Club in Westport, Conn., and took third out of 27 boats, thus qualifying for the North Americans which will be in Newport, R.I. on Aug. 8-14. Charlotte said it was a tough district and the winds were very shifty throughout the four races.

• This is the last warning for the Lost and Found. A bag of items is going to Goodwill this week.

• Once again, Chloe's mother, Jin Dietrich, had donated the check she earned from 'Southwinds' magazine to the VYBA. She has had two cover photos in the last six months and both featured our sailors. Our thanks to her for passing along her earnings to the association.

• Sarasota's Youth Sailing Program is hosting a summer sailing series on Wednesday, starting at 6:30 p.m. A $5 fee covers the whole series. Two or three races are planned each evening.

• Sailing tips to save time and distance

1. Tighten your sprit pole before you leave the dock and between every race. It tends to slip.

2. Position yourself so that your boat is well balanced with a slight heel to leeward.

3. Do not sit with your back to sail. You cannot see your sail that way.

4. Watch your sail and where you are going. When a coach speaks, listen but don't look.

5. Know the starting sequence, signals and the course.

6. Start on the line, not one row back. Be across the line within 10 seconds, maximum.

7. When going upwind, keep looking for lifts and trying to point higher.

8. Avoid overstanding the windward mark or the finish line. Don't hit the corners.

9. If you have to fall off, chances are you are facing a header. Tack.

10. However, you cannot tack right in front of a boat. You must give them room to keep clear.

11. Do not tack or jibe without a good reason. And don't take too many tacks. They take time.