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2024 SAILING SEASON AND AWARDS

 

ANOTHER GREAT  SAILING SEASON (Our 63rd)!

We had 8 race days this year.  

There were 35 participants, about half women and half men.  Ages of the Grandview sailing community range from preteens to octogenarians.

Of these, 19 were Sailors and 16 were Committee Boat volunteers.

NEW PARTICIPANTS – WELCOME ABOARD!

George Devidze, Rachel Gall, Lily Garret, Nick Kotterman and Nathan Schloss participated for the first time.  We hope to have them back regularly (note: Lily begins the fourth generation of the Voelz sailing dynasty).

VOLUNTEERS RECOGNIZED

 

Our Volunteers:

Beth Auld

Cindy Bartlett

Lisa Duret

Steve & Gretchen Fisher
Rachel Gall
Harry & Sandy Meshberger

Jack & Sandi Miller

Bob Orben

Margaret Powers

Jim & Mimi Riffle

Nathan Schloss

Lance & Bianca Snider

Arlene Truex

We are grateful to our Committee Boat volunteers!  They are wonderful, great at what they do, highly esteemed by the sailors, and are always right!

Special thanks to  Arlene Truex, “Mainstay” and “Harbormaster” of the GYC. On race days there is no busier place on the lake, or busier person than Arlene from morning until evening.

One of the events Arlene hosted was our quirky annual rite of spring celebrating the beginning of barefoot season.  It is our annual burning of smelly, worn out winter socks.  Some recite poetry suitable to the occasion as they toss socks into the fire.  This year we also had a lengthy poem composed by an artificial intelligence app.  You can find the blog post with all of the poetry here.  

SAILORS & AWARDS

Sailors of 2024

• John Auld
  
• Matt Bartlett 
• Phil Bush 
  
• Sarah Cartwright 
• Tom Cartwright 
  
• George Devidze
  
• Dianne Fisher
  
• John Gall
• Rachel Gall
  
• Laura Garrett
  
• Lilly Garrett
  
• Paul Hass 
• Catey Hale 
• Nick Kotterman
  
• Kevin Preuss
  
• Tom Schroeder
• Jim Voelz 

 

SPECIAL AWARDS

Ghost Sailor Award

This is awarded to sailors who really wanted to be sailing, could not, but were with us “in spirit”.   

This tall trophy doesn't photograph very well for some reason

.

For 2024 our ghost sailors were Lance and Bianca Snider.   Although they were unable to sail, we were grateful to them for setting up and taking down the buoys for one of our race days. We look forward to them racing with us again in 2025.

The "Jim Riffle Perfect Attendance Award"

This award is named after Jim Riffle because he is seldom absent from, well, anything!   The award is Jim's favorite holiday breakfast doughnut - jelly filled.

PERFECT Attendance: Laura Garrett 15 of 15 races.

NEAR-PERFECT, 80% or more attendance (because who buys just one doughnut?):       Matt Bartlett, Jim Voelz, Tom Cartwright, and of course, Jim Riffle.  

 "Booby Prize”

 

The 2024 winners are John Auld and Paul Hass.  Amid the congestion and wind gusts, they managed to make contact with at least two sailboats, all while negotiating the turn at one mark. Or perhaps the other sailors made contact with them. We’re not sure, but we awarded them the prize anyway.

RACING AWARDS

Memorial Day Race Winner

Matt Bartlett (right) and Kevin Preuss

 July 4th Race Winner

Jim Voelz the winner, (center) with the trophy awarded by Lisa Duret and Kevin Preuss

Labor Day Race Winner

Laura Garrett

CREW  AWARDS

    FIRST PLACE

Phil Bush   Master of the jib, tuned to the breeze.

 

 SECOND PLACE

Kevin Preuss

THIRD  PLACE

Sarah Cartwright    If you look really carefully you can see her peeking from behind the mast! (We really do need more photos!)

LASER CLASS AWARDS

    FIRST PLACE

Matt Bartlett

SECOND PLACE

Jim Voelz

         THIRD PLACE

Laura Garrett

INTERNATIONAL  CLASS AWARDS

FIRST PLACE

               

Tom Schroeder

SECOND PLACE

Tom Cartwright  

THIRD PLACE

  

Catey Hale, left (Elizabeth is crewing)

     ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

George Devidze - just making sure the medal is really gold

  CLUB CHAMPION

MATT BARTLETT

AND THANKS TO OUR CLUB OFFICERS FOR ANOTHER GREAT SEASON!

 

Beth

Kevin

Lisa

Tom

Thanks to Beth Auld our Committee Boat Chairperson and Kevin Preuss our Race Chairperson. They are the ones that organize the races and keep them running like clockwork. And to Lisa Duret  our Secretary/Treasurer keeps our memberships and checkbook current and helps in many other ways. And to Tom Schroeder the Commodore who tries to stay out of the way and help if he can.

Sept 15 Race Report: Fun at the last race of the season.

Photos courtesy of Justin Bush

We had glorious weather for our last race with a decent wind. We were delighted to welcome a new GYC sailor, Rachel Gall, who did a fine job crewing for Tom Schroeder. 

This was the last chance for sailors to upset the tight cumulative season standings prior to the awards gathering on September 21. Who will win the championship, 1st place in the various classes, "holiday race" trophies, rookie of the year, and the booby prize?  Stay tuned to the blog. 

Sailor Phil Bush's cheering paparazzi followed the race closely. His son Justin, equipped and skilled with a nice camera, got some great shots shared below. Thanks Justin, we needed more photos!

Three Lasers and the JY-15 rounding a mark. Jim and Laura are closest

Thanks very much to our volunteers who officiated the race with experienced expertise.  Thanks Margaret Powers, Lisa Duret, Nate Schloss and Jim and Mimi Riffle, Well done!  Matt Bartlett set a good race course with help from Mark Cassidy.  And another fine job of organizing by Kevin Preuss and Beth Auld.  Thanks everyone! 

The starting line was a challenge.  Usually sailors try to start on a starboard tack (wind coming from starboard side) because they have the right of way over the few daring to start on a port tack.  But in this race, on a starboard tack,  the wind required sailing nearly parallel to the starting line, so a high degree of difficulty.  Most sailors reluctantly opted for a port tack which worked out okay for most. Matt was somehow able to start on starboard which gave him the right of way over others, but was not without its own difficulties.  During the race we had a couple of calm wind periods to wait out, but overall we were able to have two pretty satisfying races. Those in the west coves had plenty of wind to get back to their docks after the race. 

We had a well-attended and fun, relaxing protest meeting at Arlene's.  Thanks Arlene!

 Now for the photos, then the race results:

Tom (left) and Phil Coming at you fast in the mighty Thistle.  We'll use photos from the race to have them show you a maneuver or two. Ready?  Beginning with a wave to you, the audience, lets begin:

First they tack (change course). By turning, the wind moves the sail and the boom from one side of the boat to the other so the sailors must duck to avoid getting hit in the noggin. Watch that boom Phil!  Sailors must also move their weight to the other side of the boat or risk capsizing. Since they are right in the middle of their turn, the wind has come out of one side of the sail (that is why it is slack) and in a moment will fill the other side. 

Tack completed, now they are well hiked out. Next they're going to show us just how far they can lean that mighty Thistle...

Far enough to expose one of the Thistle's cheeks!  Easy gentlemen...no need to show us how to capsize (result of a "full" moon), then right the boat. We'll save that for another day.

Matt doesn't like to sit too long....

 

So sometimes he stands. But there is a catch...

When standing, you can't reach the cam cleat. So instead, you have to hold the main sheet in your teeth between pulls on it.  Its a bit of an art. You have to tilt your head at just the right angle. Kind of like eating spaghetti, but much harder on the teeth.

John with a full sail. 

Race Results: