TELL TALES 13 (Jan. 9, 2008)

• In Sarasota County, the Community Foundation administers finances for the Corinthian Sailing Fund. This fund accumulates money to help Olympic class sailors compete in qualifying races, to provide scholarships for graduating high school students who are active in sailing and to provide assistance to other qualified non-profit organizations. One course of revenue has been from the $1 per head donation by all sailors competing in Sarasota Sailing Squadron races, but the proceeds are not restricted to squadron members. You may ask how this affects you and while we don't have any candidates right now, some of our alumni such as Charlotte Sims and Fred Strammer have received money to help cover their expenses at various sailing events.

• Here's another reminder on sailing times. Green Fleet is from 0800 to 1200, but those sailors now have the option of staying in the afternoon and sailing with the Red, White and Blue skippers who sail from 0900 to 1700. Portsmouth sailors sail from 1300 to 1700.

• Optional sailing is from 1000 to 1500 and there are some optional sailing days coming up. For example, there is no school on Monday, Jan. 21 and we can have optional sailing IF enough sailors sign up. We must have at least six boats to justify opening the doors. Other optional sailing dates on the schedule include Friday, Feb. 15 and Monday, Feb. 18.

• Upwind sailing tip: watch the boats ahead of you. They may be outpointing you or they may be falling off which should tell you that a wind shift is coming. Be prepared for a lift or a header and if it is the latter, you may want to consider tacking. Wind constantly shifts back and forth.

• Downwind sailing tip: does the wind continue to shift when you are going downwind? You bet. Therefore, you should be sailing a straight course (unlike upwind sailing) but adjusting your sails to the wind, remembering that if you are in doubt, let it outÉuntil it luffs. Then pull it in a little.

• Here are the Winter series standings after four weeks. Where point totals are equal, placement depended on tie-breaker in accordance with the racing rules of sailing.

Green Fleet Ð 1, Garrett Lawlor, 10; 2, Zack Jordan, 13; 3, Sami Tornese, 13; 4, Stephan VerHulst, 16; 5, Andrew Sosa, 19; 6, Aubrey Khachetoorian, 24; 7, Stefan Johnson, 25; 8, Ashlyn Weed, 31, 9, Jonathan James, 31.

RWB Ð 1, Cara Patete, 10; 2, Chloe Dietrich, 12; 3, Marissa Phillips, 17; 4, Evan Langer, 18; 5, Alicia Muscato, 19; 6, Tyler Thorpe, 22.

Portsmouth Ð 1, Bryan White, 4; 2, Kyle D'Arcangelis, 8; 3, Mallory Phillips, 8; 4, Samuel Dolby, 9; 5, Jackie Sims, 10; 6, Sarah Vogelsong, 17.

• As of this writing, it appears VYBA will have two teams in the Silver Fleet competition at the Southeastern Optimist Team Racing Regatta, which will be in St. Petersburg on Jan. 19-20. The board will determine whether or not there will be sailing in Venice on Jan. 19 since this regatta was not on the original schedule. However, there may not be enough sailors left here to sail.

• The next big regatta on the schedule is the St. Valentine's Day Regatta, which also will be in St. Petersburg. It will not be on St. Valentine's Day, but will be Feb. 9-10 and a number of our sailors have signed up already to participate. After that, there are no more regattas until we have ours on Lemon Bay in Englewood on Mar. 22, which is the Saturday before Easter.

• Our thanks to Joe Dombroski, former Venice Yacht Club commodore and a member of the VYBA board, for presenting the trophies for the Fall Series at last Saturday's celebration.