LABOR DAY BREAKFAST

A large turnout of lot owners, their families and guests attended the Labor Day Breakfast hosted by Robb Bonebrake and Chris Braun.  Thanks Robb and Chris!

Ready ! Quite a display of donuts etc. There was coffee, juice (and other beverages) as well

But first you need a name tag.  Thanks Lisa for welcoming everyone and taking/renewing Yacht Club memberships for those interested

A string of lot owners in kayaks (all the way to the upper right of the photo) arrived.

Soon the place was abuzz

 

This was a great idea! Thanks for bringing me!

"Moose" the dog was a hit

Beth took a lot of T-shirt orders

Time for announcements!

After thanking Robb and Chris for hosting, we recognized those who LABOR on behalf of lot owners: past and present board members, committee members, club volunteers, and Beth Ann and Todd, A request for hosts for 2023 events was made. Stepping forward, Lenny and Jodi Verebay volunteered to host the Memorial Day Breakfast, and John and Laura Ludwig volunteered to host the Labor Day Breakfast. Thanks in advance! 

 

All we need now is a volunteer to host the May Spring Social which is a pitch-in of appetizers.  Please contact Tom Schroeder at 317-873-1637 if you would like to volunteer or have questions.

August 21st Race: Volunteer Day

We had more volunteers than sailors for this race.  The gourmet "dine while you officiate" team of the Millers and Fishers along with Fisher's guests the Neils enjoyed Reuben sandwiches along with other delicacies while officiating the race (they are encouraged to list the full menu in the comments section). We are also extremely grateful to them for bringing in all the race markers after the race since sailors were scarce for a variety of reasons. We assume our volunteers were able to get back to their respective docks after dessert, and before the downpour that came through about 45 minutes after the race.  This same group of volunteers got soaked the last time they helped out in this manner and we are pleased that did not deter them.  Jim Riffle kept watch over the sailors on the safety boat.  We don't think he motored over for a serving from the Committee Boat, but he should have.  Thanks to all of you for making our race possible.   Tom Cartwright took responsibility for setting up a good course with some assistance from Tom Schroeder. Kevin Preuss and Beth Auld organized the race.  Thanks everyone!

Winds were just "okay" for the most part without a lot of dead air or really strong gusts. Observers may have noticed that Tom Schroeder and Arlene Truex in the JY-15 were just inches away, side-by-side with Laura Garrett in her Laser the entire way from the 2nd to the 3rd mark.  Had they been in dead air they might have all had a nice chat, but that was not the case, so no world problems were solved or lake news shared.  Jim Voelz in his Laser and Catey and Elizabeth Hale in their Y-Flyer each had a first place finish as well as a second place finish in the two races on a handicapped basis and finished first in their respective classes in both races.

Race results are below.

 

 

August 7th Race: MANY BOATS, FAST WINDS, COURTEOUS TUBERS

A great weather forecast brought out eight sailboats.  And unlike previous races the forecast did not disappoint. We appreciated two or three powerboat captains actually stopping while pulling tubers so they would not be in the way of the racing sailboats.Thank you!'

Thanks to volunteers Beth Auld, Bob Orben, Margaret Powers and Jim Riffle.  Thanks also to John Auld for setting up the course, Kevin Preuss and Beth Auld for organizing the race, and Arlene Truex for hosting the "protest meeting".

The races were quick, at about 20 minutes for both. Races were very close with difference in times of just 10-15 seconds in some cases. Gusts were not as bad as the July 24th race, but we did have a couple of capsizes and a couple of equipment snafus.  

Jim Voelz was first in the Laser class and overall in both races. Tom and Sarah Cartwright were first in the International Class in both races, even overcoming the speedy Thistle's handicap factor.

We had an enjoyable post-race gathering with excellent snacks at Arlene's afterward - thanks Arlene!

Race Results:

July 24th Race: MORE WIND THAN WE HOPED FOR - YIKES!

Photos courtesy of Kevin Preuss, Lisa Duret and a mystery contributor

After two low-wind races, we really needed a race with some good winds.  We got plenty of wind all right, including some significant capsizing gusts.  Some sailors opted out after sizing the situation up.  Others took the gamble and half of them paid for it with capsizes.  Tom Schroeder's "turtled" boat required assistance from Good Samaritan, Matt Claymon on his jet-ski, to get righted.

Step-by-step photos of the righting process are below.

 

Thanks to Margaret Powers, Arlene Truex and Bob Orben for doing a great job officiating the race.  They stayed anchored in the gusty wind, so well done!   The Voelz family set up a nice long race, appropriate for the winds.  Our safety boat was well staffed also with Jim Riffle at the helm and Kevin Preuss and Lisa Duret assisting and taking some great photos.  Thanks as usual to Beth Auld and Kevin Preuss for organizing. And special thanks to Matt Claymon for helping right the turtled JY-16!

We had fun re-living the exciting race and settling a finish line protest at Arlene's after the race.  Thanks very much Arlene!

Shortly after the start of the race toward 1st mark, all on same tack

 

Boats on different tacks toward first mark.  A gust hits the Thistle (middle)

 

Cartwrights round the first mark (orange flag), while others converge on it

 

Catey and Elizabeth (left) and Tom and Sarah (right) are hiked out and managing the gusts as they head for the second mark

Cartwrights round 2nd mark with Hales right behind

 

Hales round the mark as Tom and Phil approach it, about to meet their fate

Then Laura rounds the mark, just in time to watch Tom and Phil capsize

The strong gust put Tom and Phil in the water before they could stand on the centerboard to prevent the boat from turning completely over.  The centerboard would not stay up, so the only option to right the boat was a line tied to the mast and a pull from a boat or jet ski.  Kevin and Lisa on Jim Riffles pontoon feed out a line for that purpose.

 

Good Samaritan Matt Claymon shows up on his jet-ski and offers to pull the righting line since the jet-ski is more manueverable than the pontoon boat. His generous offer is accepted

 

Matt applied steady pressure to the line which goes up over the gunwale of the boat and is tied to the mast.  Tom and Phil are behind the boat pushing on the submerged gunwale and pulling on the other gunwale.  Shortly after this photo, Tom made his way to the cockpit and lowered the centerboard.  Phil stepped on the centerboard to apply more leverage.

And the boat is righted.

Tom climbs back aboard

Phil's turn

Rescue work completed, Matt departs. Thanks Matt!

Race Results:

 

July 5th "July 4th" Trophy Race Race Report

 This was the "July 4th" Trophy Race (we don't sail on holiday weekends like we did in days of yore since the lake is too busy, but the eons-old traveling trophies still refer to the holidays).

We welcomed a new sailor, Nick Zachidny who crewed for John Auld.   Tom and Sarah Cartwright in the tall-sailed Thistle finished first in both low-wind races, even after applying the substantial handicap for the speedy Thistle. In the second race they were able to sail back to their dock and de-rig the boat while most of the other sailors were still trying to make it from the third mark to the finish line after the wind had died. Kevin Preuss finished 2nd in both races.  In the last race, Auld/Zachidny, Schroeder/Bush and Laura Garrett all finished within seconds of each other. With the low-wind race over, the fickle Grandview wind finally showed up to speed the tired participants back to their docks.

Thanks to Jack and Sandi Miller and Harry and Sandy Meshberger for a flawless job of officiating the race and Jim Riffle for watching over us in the safety boat.  Kevin Preuss not only filled his official role as race chairman, but he and Lisa Duret also set up and took down the course.  And Beth Auld as usual made sure our Committee Boat was well staffed. And it certainly was.

We wished Jim Riffle a happy birthday at the protest meeting after the race. Bernice Rains made jelly filled cupcakes since Jim has a well-known liking for jelly filled baked goods.  Thanks Arlene Truex for hosting us!

Race Results:

 

JUNE 26TH RACE: New additions to the roster and to the fleet!

 

We wish the wind would have provided a warmer welcome for our newest sailors Izzy and Clemence Delfosse in their new-to-them Puffer sailboat, and Lily Garrett, fresh from sailing camp, sailing with Jim Voelz (and teaching him some new low-wind techniques). And Beth Auld crewed for husband John Auld, perhaps not for the first time, but if not it has been many years.   We are happy they all are sailing with us!  Welcome aboard!  

Delfosse's in background with their Puffer.  John Gall in foreground in his Laser

 

A great shot of Beth and John. Too bad we can't show a larger version. 

 

We can zoom in though. Yeah, you can bet reprints will be ordered!

Normally we cancel a race if there is too little wind. In this case, there was plenty of wind in the morning and the forecast from two separate sources called for 8 mph wind, which would have made for a fine race.   But at race time the wind went AWOL.  With 8 boats rigged and at the starting line and our officiating volunteers ready to officiate,  we chose to "race" anyway.   About an hour later the first race was over and we chose not to spend more time drifting around the course chatting again.  Sailors and volunteers returning to their docks were cooled off with a furious downpour.  Some of us gathered at Arlene's after the race and had a fine time.  Thanks Arlene!

We are grateful to our soaked volunteers Jack & Sandy Miller, Steve & Gretchen Fisher, Bernice Rains, as well as Jim Riffle in the safety boat..  Enduring the long race and the rain was above and beyond the call.  They even reeled in all of the race markers after the race. This particular officiating team usually has a gourmet meal during the race and this time was no exception.  They had plenty of time to dine while we inched our way around the course.

The menu was Chicken salad hot pockets, watermelon and cookies.

Steve and Gretchen have captured the spirit with their T-shirts (make sure to look at the backs)!

 

Don't understand this photo?  Well, the goal of anchoring the officiating boat is to anchor such that you are as close to the yellow flag the set-up crew has anchored in the water as possible.  This is a lot harder than it sounds.  You will notice that Jack and Steve anchored such that the yellow flag is touching the side rail of the pontoon boat. That is a perfect anchoring job!  The Orange flag with the buoy attached stays on the officiating boat and forms one end of the start/finish line.

Thanks also to Kevin Preuss assisted by Tom Schroeder for setting up the course. Kevin along with Beth Auld organize the races and we are grateful to them.

 

No need to raise the jib when you have a trolling motor!  And it is easier on your crew.

Race Results are below: Yep, just one race.

 

June 5th Trophy Race, and SPECIAL THANKS

 

Arlene and Levi watch the race

This was our first race of the season, and the "July 4th" Trophy Race.  The wind for the first race, the trophy race,  was light, but picked up for the 2nd race.

Thanks to our volunteers, Beth Auld, Bob Orben and Margaret Powers in the Committee Boat and Jim Riffle in the Safety Boat. And to John Gall for setting up the course.  Committee Boat Chair Beth Auld and Race Chair Kevin Preuss keep the race machinery running smoothly.  And thank you to Arlene Truex for hosting our first protest meeting of 2022!

Speaking of race machinery, SPECIAL THANKS to PAUL HASS for his custom woodworking, creating six new spindles to hold 60 feet of line for each of our race markers!  The old ones had become unworkable.  He did this on short notice just a day or two before the race using one of the better old ones as a template, and even varnished them.  And he used just the right wood.  Thank you Paul! 

 Three of the spindles are pictured below:

 

Race Results are below:

 

 

FIRST MEMORIAL DAY BREAKFAST SINCE 2019 At the Gall's

 We were blessed with a beautiful sunny morning to gather at John and Rachel Gall's for the first Memorial Day Breakfast in a long time.  We stopped and recognized those who died defending freedom, and those among us that served in the military.  Thank you John and Rachel for hosting us!

FIRST SPRING SOCIAL SINCE 2019! At the Olson's

We are so very grateful to Larry and Nancy Olson for hosting the first Spring Social in so long!

This was the first outdoor Spring Social in many years, and the weather was great.  Sorry for not getting a photo during the event, but below is  a photo of their place all decked out.