In this post you will read about our 2020 season, awards, including some special and humorous ones, a story of the "Sailboat Whisperer", winners of trophies and medals, and some special recognition and thanks. Plenty of photos!
What a competitive year! After sixteen races, most of the 1st-3rd place rankings, and the overall season champion were determined in the final race of the year. And even then, we had a couple of ties, including for first place in one class. That last race was a real nail-biter!
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| Races were close! Here are the 3 Y-Flyers in the fleet |
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This is not the start of the race. It is approaching the 2nd mark. THAT is a close race!
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Sailors and volunteers felt fortunate that
sailing was not one of those activities that had to be cancelled due to the
pandemic. And we were able to continue to stay connected by gathering after each race, for our "protest meetings" at Arlene's patio (thanks Arlene!), albeit keeping our distance and not sharing our usual pitch-in of snacks. But we missed the big holiday breakfast gatherings for the whole lake, and the Spring Social. In 2020 36 individuals participated in our races as captain, crew,
or volunteer, close to ½ men and ½ women
22 sailors raced, and 14 committee boat volunteers helped
out, many of whom served multiple times.
Our committee boat volunteers are very highly regarded by the sailors
because they make our races possible and partake in all of our fun together.
< A complete list of our esteemed volunteers is in the port (left column). THANKS TO YOU ALL! Some of our Committee Boat volunteers are pictured below:
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Cindy, Bernice and Beth
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Gretchen and Steve
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| Jim and Mimi. |
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We averaged 7 boats per race - like the one pictured above
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In late September we held an awards “Protest Meeting”
for sailors and race volunteers. At this
event detailed in photos below, we revealed the winners of our season-long
sailing competition, recognized our wonderful race volunteers and had some
special awards to present. We were
blessed with great weather and were hosted by Arlene Truex on her patio
overlooking the lake.
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Volunteers like Margaret Powers, above, were recognized with gifts that Committee Boat Chair, Beth Auld had selected.
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SPECIAL AWARDS
"Sailor Emeritus"
On occasion we will recognize a long-time award-winning sailor who has also been instrumental to the Yacht Club and to the Grandview community with the designation of "Sailor Emeritus". This is usually when they have chosen to no longer race regularly, but we will always consider them one of our sailors. A list of our Sailors Emeritus is in the port (left) column of this blog.
This year we recognized Peggy Voelz.
Peggy
has been one of our finest sailors during her long sailing career with the
Grandview Yacht Club in several sailboat and sailboard classes. Peggy was an overall season champion, frequently
first place for the season in her class, and consistent “trophy race” winner. She was also the club Commodore, and importantly served in many important leadership roles, completing many projects for the Grandview community.
Her husband, many-times season champion presented the award. He shared stories of their meeting at Grandview Lake while sailing, their wedding at the lake, and all sorts of sailing and other tales. Attendees very much enjoyed sharing the moment.
The Jim Riffle Perfect Attendance Award
A new award was given for those with perfect attendance after observing that Jim Riffle volunteered at every race in 2020. It turned out that sailors Kevin Preuss and Tom Schroeder also had perfect attendance. In Jim's honor all of them were awarded a jelly doughnut.
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Jim with a treasured jelly doughnut
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The Ghost Sailor Trophy
The Ghost Sailor trophy is presented to a sailor we didn't see much of, but who really wanted to be sailing. Really they did.
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Steve Willment receives the big "Ghost Sailor" trophy from Tom Schroeder. Laura Garrett shipped it back from England, just in time for the event. Steve sold his Laser sailboat in anticipation of a big adventure he and first mate Marisa will be starting. So we didn't see much of him. Awarding him the trophy gave us the opportunity to recognize him and Marisa (see below). They will not be able to take the trophy on their adventure, so it will be on display at the Grandview office until next fall.
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We wished them well on their adventure of a lifetime and thanked them
for their many contributions to the Grandview Community. They hosted two of our holiday breakfasts and
offered to host a third.They volunteered regularly for
roadside trash pickup and trail cleanup. They decorated the entrance markers
with flowers. And
they were active in all the activities that make Grandview Grandview, like the
Garden Club, Land Use Committee, full moons, and of course, the Yacht Club.
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The Booby-Prize Trophy
Then there was the "Booby Prize". This coveted trophy is the legendary chamber pot from which many a
famous GYC Labor Day Trophy Race-winning sailor has downed a beer. That was in days of yore. It
has since been repurposed to this more humorous calling. It still has the names, going back eons, of all past winners from its more noble purpose.
This year's winner had a mishap in which he hit one of the markers for the finish line. The impact launched him from his capsized sailboat causing him to lose his glasses to "Davey Jones Locker". And he was unable to finish the race. This was very uncool, from a normally very cool character. So "glasses" and "coolness" became the theme for the presentation of the trophy to winner Jim Voelz.
The trophy comes with two sets of glasses. One set is cool. The other uncool.
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You guessed it. These are the uncool glasses. Yikes-kind of scary.
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| Jim wears the cool "Elvis"glasses complete with sideburns. Unlike Elvis both these guys could use more hair up top. Elvis themed jokes were made: "After he hit the marker...."mmm oh oh, yeah yeah, he was all shook up!" Stop it. Don't be cruel! |
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Jim demonstrates how to drink from the chamber pot trophy.
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HOLIDAY TROPHY RACE WINNERS |
Jim Voelz won the Memorial Day trophy race, presented by Race Chairman, Kevin Preuss.
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| Matt Barlett won the July 4th trophy race |
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| Catey Hale won the Labor Day trophy race |
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SAILBOAT WHISPERER
Catey told us the story of how she won the Labor Day trophy, attributing her win to "Sailboat Whisperer" Bob Orben and to one of Jim Voelz's "tips and techniques" classes:
She and daughter Elizabeth were well behind all the other sailors. The rest of the fleet was following the best wind close to the shoreline. She knew she had to change things up significantly if she was to catch up.
In a previous race, champion sailor Bob Orben yelled to her from his vintage Chris Craft "Stay away from the shoreline! Stay toward the middle of the lake!" She heard Bob's voice in her head again, and tacked toward the middle of the lake, away from the path of the rest of the fleet. Then, because of the wind direction, she found herself pointing away from the mark in order to keep momentum. At that point advice from champion sailor, Jim Voelz tips and techniques class popped into her head: "If ever you find yourself pointing away from the mark, just tack!". So she followed that advice also. Meanwhile the wind by the shoreline subsided and the rest of the fleet found itself with no wind. Catey however was enjoying the unblocked wind in the middle of the lake. She went from last place to first, and won the race handily to everyone's amazement.
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Bob in his Chris Craft
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One of Jim's racing classes
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CLASS WINNERS:
Laser Class
Our Overall season champion and 1st place winner in the Laser Class was Jim
Voelz. Just like last year, He and Matt
Bartlett were in nearly a dead heat all year for the championship, so it was remarkably
close and came down to the last race.
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| Jim won first place in the Laser Class. Beth Auld hand-highlighed the 3D sailboats around the frame. |
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Matt Bartlett with his 2nd place medal. Matt is up in the "crow's nest", the 2nd level at Arlene's. We used the 2nd level to properly distance and still participate in the goings on down below.
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Race Chairman Kevin Preuss takes time out from awarding medals to award himself the 3rd place medal in the Laser Class.
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International Class
The International Class was also awfully close. Up until the final race any one of three sailors
could have won first place.
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| Catey Hale
and Tom Schroeder tied for first place. John Auld came in a close second. |
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Here are John Auld and his crew, Paul Hass
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Lance and Bianca Snider took 3rd place in the International Class.
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CREW (photos below)
We have a scoring system for those who crew. It too was very close. Paul Hass who crewed
for John Auld won first place
And there
was a tie for 2nd between Phil Bush (photo below) who crewed for Tom Schroeder in most of the
races, and Bianca Snider who crewed for Lance Snider
Elizabeth Hale won 3rd, crewing for her mom, Catey.
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Paul crewing for John
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Phil crewing for Tom
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Bianca crewing for Lance
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Elizabeth crewing for Catey
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OVERALL CHAMPION - JIM VOELZ
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Jim
with the Overall Season Championship Trophy. He has won this trophy so
many times that anywhere you glance at the base you will see a little plaque with his name and year he won it.
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Thanks to all our, race volunteers, our Treasurer Lisa
Duret, our Committee Boat chair Beth Auld , our Race Chair, Kevin Preuss, and Commodore Tom Schroeder. They keep our club running like a well oiled
machine. And again thanks to Arlene
Truex who stores all of our equipment and hosts our socializing after every
race.
Happy New Year, and best wishes for a great 2021 sailing season (and a burning of the 2020 masks)!
