TELL TALES 12 (Dec. 27, 2007)
• We wound up with a dozen sailors for Bill Ward's team racing clinic Dec. 22. He discussed the basics and went over some rules during his opening remarks. Then everyone went out on the water for some drills and practice races. Almost everyone had such a good time that we are trying to put together a couple of teams to compete in the Southeastern Optimist Team Racing Regatta which will be in St. Petersburg on Jan. 19-20. Whether or not VYBA enters this event depends on our sailors' interest to be demonstrated over the next three Saturdays. We need at least four sailors, preferably five, for each team Ð one for the Gold Fleet and one for the Silver.
• This coming Saturday, Dec. 29, will be optional sailing again from 1000 to 1500, but on Jan. 5, there will regular sailing. There are a couple of changes for 2008. First, as mentioned before, Green Fleet skippers will be allowed to sail in the afternoons with the Red, White and Blue sailors. Second, the RWB Fleet will run from 0900 to 1700, instead of 1600.
• Also on Jan. 5, we will have a pizza lunch from 1200 to 1300 during which time we will present the Fall Series trophies. Jan. 12 will be regular sailing and a boat load if we go to St. Petersburg.
• Our Winter Series is well underway and here are the standings and scores so far:
Green Fleet Ð 1, Garrett Lawlor, 7; 2, Sami Tornese, 9; 3, Zack Jordan, 11; 4, Andrew Sosa, 14; 5, Stephan VerHulst, 15; 6, Aubrey Khachetoorian, 17; 7, Stefan Johnson, 17; 8, Ashlyn Weed, 21.
RWB Fleet Ð 1, Chloe Dietrich, 8; 2, Cara Patete, 9; 3, Marissa Phillips, 12; 4, Evan Langer, 12; 5, Tyler Thorpe, 13; 6, Alicia Muscato, 16.
Portsmouth Fleet Ð 1, Kyle D'Arcangelis 3; 2, Bryan White, 3; 3, Jackie Sims, 5; 4, Mallory Phillips, 6; 5, Samuel Dolby, 9; 6, Sarah Vogelsong, 12.
The two Optimist fleets have had three races while the Portsmouth division has had only two. There are some ties in points, but officials determined the rankings using the tie-breaker rule. Winter Series races are slated to continue through January and February.
• Sailors are leaving a lot of gear in or around the Pram Shed, and it isn't cheap stuff. To avoid someone coming in and taking it, please take it home with you. Jabbo sees some items and puts them in the Lost and Found basket, but he does not spot everything.
• Grantland Rice, a famous sportswriter from the first half of the 20th century once wrote this couplet: When One Great Scorer comes to mark against your name, it matters not that you won or lost, but how you played the game. This is particularly true in sailing where we do not have referees and umpires. Therefore, sailors should not only know the rules, they should observe them. If you hit a mark or foul someone, do your turns. And thank the race committee after a regatta. Those folks donate their time so you can have fun racing. Express your appreciation.
• Some sailors are spending too much socializing when they come to sailing. The longer it takes for you to rig your boats, the less time you have on the water. By like token, some sailors spend more time sitting on the seawall than they do cleaning up. Let's cut down on the horseplay.
• Parents and sailors: Occasional rumors manage to circulate about various VYBA situations, and like most rumors, they are not always accurate. Be cautious about what someone tells you unless it comes from a coach or a board member. If in doubt, please give us a call.
• And finally, when a coach runs a drill, play the game. Do the drill. These drills are designed to help improve your sailing skills even if you don't happen to think so. You can make them fun.