• Commodore

    Spring is here!

    April 8, 2016 - By 

    Spring has arrived! The trees are beginning to bud, the birds are beginning to return from their southerly vacation, and our first ECSC work party has concluded.

    I have some exciting news to report! We have come to an agreement with the Purdue Sailing Club to make ECSC their home for 2016. In order to make this happen, we have changed our bylaws to now include a “student membership”. In addition to paving the road for collegiate sailing, this created a platform for our junior program to be more successful as well. Traditionally the junior program had to rely on a scholarship program to allow kids whose families werenot members at ECSC, to participate in the program. With a student membership now available, the scholarship “band-aid” will no longer be needed.

    The Purdue Sailing Club races International 420’s and will be hosting at least 1 collegiate regatta at Eagle Creek. They will be practicing on weekends which may help invigorate Sunday racing participation. For those of you who may be looking for crew on Wednesday nights, many of these college kids would love to get experience on bigger boats. PSC will certainly add a new dynamic to our racing program.

    If you have not put your 2016 stickers on your boat yet, please do so as soon as possible. We are making a concerted effort to remove all abandoned boats from the property. Updated stickers make this job much easier.

    See you on the lake!

    Perry

     

  • Social

    2016 Social Calendar set

    April 7, 2016 - By 

    The 2016 Social Calendar has been set. Below are the events and dates. We need volunteers to sign up for host and crew for the events.

    If you have hosted in the past, please consider signing up again. If you have worked on a crew before and want to step up to host, here is your chance.

    If you have never worked a social event, please consider signing up to work an event. This is a great way to meet other club members, give back to the club and earn those valuable work credits that can be applied to next year’s membership dues.

    Vickie

    The 2016 Social Calendar

    Event Date Time Host Status
    Mother’s Day Brunch May 8 11:30 am Need Host & Crew
    Mayor’s Cup Dinner/Party May 14 5:00 pm Race Crew
    Memorial Day Cookout May 30 3:30 pm Need Host & Crew
    Father’s Day Brunch June 19 11:30 am Need Host & Crew
    July 4th Pig Roast July 4 3:30 pm Need Host & Crew
    ECSC Beach Party July 9 5:00 pm Race Crew
    Lobster Fest Augutst ?? 6:00 pm Need Host & Crew
    Labor Day Cookout September 5 3:30 pm Need Host & Crew
    Governor’s cup Dinner/Party September 17 5:00 pm Race Crew
    Hornback Chili Cookoff October 8 5:30 pm Need host and crew
    Final Bash November 5 6:00 pm Need Host & Crew

     

  • Harbormaster

    Harbormaster Notes

    April 6, 2016 - By 

    Ahoy Eagle Creekers,

    I know I sounded bit harsh in last month’s newsletter article. Thing is, I am the kind of guy that will stick up for and help people that actually love sailing at this club.

    As the “land-side Harbormaster,” I am charged with making sure all members have a place to store their boats and trailers. That makes me the designated “Bad Cop” who makes sure that only boats and trailers with current stickers are stored at the club. So, please make sure that you have current stickers on both boat and trailer, or I will be calling you.

    If you haven’t used your boat in years and it is deteriorating due to neglect, don’t expect to find it in that prime spot you laid it to rest in six or seven years ago. You will most likely find it moved to an out of the way corner of the property to make room for boats that are well maintained and sailed often. We have to be mindful of the impression we make on prospective club members and guests. We don’t want their first impression to be that of a “boat graveyard”.

    On a lighter note, I would like to thank the “water-side Harbormasters” Dennis Robertson and his wife Jenipher Gee for their world record slip reassignment and new slip allocations. It was completed much faster than in recent years. Yes, Dennis and Jen are the good people and the “good cops” I figured them to be. We are lucky to have them working at our club for the benefit of all of us. You can see the 2016 wet slip assignments on the Members Info web page or by clicking here.

    So far, about 9 boats have been identified as abandoned. These have been drained of water and moved to the worst spaces available (not including Flying Cloud). Your club officers are contacting the owners to have these abandoned boats removed from the property. I have also moved about six or seven wet slip owner’s boats to the beach in an angled parking arrangement that I would like to see repeated again this fall.

    Finally, please note that that trailer parking in the upper lot will be allowed beginning April 1st for trailers with 2016 stickers. All boats and trailers on the property must have current stickers including Racing and Junior sailing boats and trailers. There will be no exceptions.

    Kenny

     

  • Racing

    2016 Racing Schedule set

    April 5, 2016 - By 

    Hello fellow ECSC sailors!

    Spring is upon us and we can’t wait to dip our keels and cross our tacks.

    This Saturday April 2nd, we will be holding a spring Racing Work Party. Come earn some valuable work credits and help out your club. We will get our club boats cleaned and in the water, clean up and do some work on our race shed, and if the weather allows, get the lift for the RIB into the water. Bring your waders or a wetsuit if you have one.

    On Saturday April 9th at 11 A.M. we will hold an intro to racing seminar at the race shed. We will go over how to run races and the proper operation of our RC and Safety boats. If weather allows, we will hit the water and run several starts and even a short race. We would love to have everyone from the beginner to our experienced racers on hand. We will need a few boats to go out and practice some starts and train with us.

    The following Wednesday April 13th, our 2016 racing season will officially get under way with our first Wednesday Night Beer-can race at 6:40 P.M. This is the first race of our 12-week Spring Wednesday series. Much like last year, we are scheduling a 12-week Spring Wednesday Series, a 12-week Summer Wednesday series, and a 5-week Twilight Wednesday Series. The first warning for the Spring and Summer series will be at 6:40 P.M. The first warning for the Twilight series will be at 6:30 P.M.

    Scoring for our Spring and Summer Wednesday series will be the same as last season. Each boat will begin each series with a 7-point slacker-penalty. Once someone from the boat serves Race Committee Duty in that series (and write the boat sail number on the score sheet), that boat moves to non-slacker status and the 7-point penalty is removed. The boat will be scored regardless of the skipper. See the Notice of Race on our website (at www.ecsail.org/racing ) for official information. There are no work credits given for the spring or summer Wednesday race committee work; however work credits are given for Twilight, Sunday, and special regattas.

    Sign up for your race committee duty the way I used to vote in Chicago…..Early and Often. The link for our sign up page is on the Racing website, or follow this link http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f084ca9ac22a4f58-race2

    Our Sunday series will not begin until Sunday, June 5th. Sundays will consist of 3 short races held between 2 and 4 P.M. There will be two 6-week summer series. All fleets are eligible to race in each series, and each Sunday will have a special class or division championship named. For example, our first Sunday will also be the Catalina 25 Club Championship. Win those three races in your Catalina 25 and you get your name on the Club Championship Trophy in the Race Shed and an extra- special prize. Classes and groups that are included are: Catalina 25, double and triple handed green fleet, J24-Merit 25, Single Handed Green Fleet, Cruisers, Multi Hull, Double Handed Keelboat, J22, Ladies Championship, and a couple of downwind race days.

    Speaking of fleets, the fleet designation we will use this year will be the same as last year (Red, White (including our old blue fleet), Green, and Green-multi) except we are establishing a Blue Fleet. B is for Blue, B is for Beginner. This fleet is for sailors who are new to racing (around 2 or less years experience in racing) and sail a boat that rates as a white fleet (including our old Blue designation). If you want to race as a Blue Fleet racer you will need to declare yourself to be scored as Blue Fleet to me at racing@ecsail.org. The Racing chair, along with Larry Conrad (our PHRF czar) and Rich Fox (our scoring guru) will need to approve your “beginner” status. Blue fleet will always start with our white fleet. If you race a green fleet or Red fleet boat and qualify as a new racer, let us know also and we will notate that on the scoring sheets. The Notice of Race (the rules of the series) will be published on our website the first weeks of April. Read them… follow them.

    Our major regattas of the year are:

    • May 14th and 15th – Mayor’s Cup and Party
      • This should be a great event. Two great days of racing. Free Rum pour on Saturday.
      • Dinner and a live band – Catalyst Gypsy – Saturday night. Even if you aren’t racing, come for the party.
      • Free Drinks and a cheap dinner
    • July 9th and 10th – ECSC Regatta and Beach Party
      • What can I say? Nick Mates promises to top last year’s party….
      • Warm weather, great racing. An all boat raft-up in the cove is planned for Saturday post racing
      • With the band on the beach.
    • September 10th – INDY 200
      • This event for our boats and crews that race with a PHRF over 200 (or about)
      • We had some great racing last year and this year should be even better.
    • September 17th and 18th – Indiana Governor’s Cup Regatta and Party
      • This should be a great event. Two great days of racing. Free Rum pour on Saturday.
      • Dinner and a live band – Catalyst Gypsy – Saturday night. Even if you aren’t racing, come for the party.
      • Free Drinks and a cheap dinner.
    • October 8th and 9th – Hornback Regatta and Chili Cook off
      • Where the fast start last – Come to one of the most fun regattas of the year. Slow boat??? No worries,
      • The slower the boat, the bigger the headstart. Just watch your rear view mirror as the Multi-hulls try and catch you.
      • Also enjoy some of the best Chili in Indiana for dinner on Saturday

    Special races during the year include:

    • A match race championship on Saturday, May 7th,
    • The annual Flying Scot Regatta on May 21-22,
    • The Day after thanksgiving race,
    • The Ladies Sail on August 13th,
    • and a night race on November 2nd.

    The ECSC Boat of the Year championship will use the same formula as last year. It included all Wednesday and Sunday series racing, The Governor’s Cup, The Mayor’s Cup, and the ECSC Regatta.

    New for this year for the J24 fleet will be a Hoosier championship series between our J24 fleet and the Indianapolis Sailing Club’s J24 fleet. Check out the NOR on our website for details. Events include our Mayor’s Cup and Governor’s Cup and their Geist Guzzler Regatta (June 4 and 5) and their Keelboat Regatta (August 20th and 21st). A champion Club as well as an individual boat will be named.

    Rich Fox will be handling our scoring for the season and Larry Conrad is our PHRF czar. In order to be scored in any race at ECSC you MUST have a current PHRF form on file with Larry. If you raced last year, Larry has pre-filled out your form and it is in the PHRF box on the official race bulletin board. You will need to check it for accuracy, sign it, and return it to the completed form folder. If you need to fill out a new form, there are blank forms there. If you have any questions, ask any racer. If you don’t know any racers, just hang out near the race shed with an open cooler of iced adult beverages and one will appear.

    A few reminders:

    • Your gate key opens the Race shed.
    • If you use the race shed (for any reason) clean up after yourself (As Kenny says – The Club is NOT your mother)
    • Sign up for Race Committee
    • When you use the RC or RIB, put all gear away afterwards and pull motors back out of the water.
    • When you use the RC or RIB back the boats out towards the lake, NOT THE SHORE. It is shallow and we have already had to replace propellers from groundings.
    • On the race course…. Don’t hit other boats!! Even if the rules are on your side… you break a rule when a right-away boat fails to avoid a collision (RRS Rule 14) Read it…follow it
    • Don’t bypass the liar’s table after racing…. It is where memories are made
    • Have fun

    Our 2016 ECSC Racing calendar is set and is listed below; it can also be accessed on our club’s website at www.ecsail.org on the racing page or the calendar. Or you can click here to view the a PDF of the race schedule.

    Rick Graef and Janet Hickok

     

  • Membership

    New Member Orientation scheduled

    April 4, 2016 - By 

    Welcome to three new members in the month of March. All three have asked to be placed on the wait list for a wet slip. If any member already assigned a slip might wish to sublease, please contact Assistant Harbormaster, Dennis Robertson.

    • Karen and Ken Orndorff of Indianapolis. No boat at present
    • Gordon and Susan Perry of Lebanon, sailing a S2 6.9
    • Steven Gummer of Indianapolis with a Hunter 212

    Our first New Member Orientation will be held in the upper shelter house on Sunday, April 17th at 1:00. Come to meet with Christy, learn more about the club and to meet each other.

    Spring is rolling right along. Water has been turned on so boat clean-up can begin. ECSC had great work day last Saturday with much accomplished and another work day is planned for this next Saturday, April 2nd 8:30 am.

    All decals and keys have been mailed to those of you who have paid-in-full. Our Harbormaster has announced that trailers may be taken to the upper storage area beginning 4/1, but ALL MUST HAVE 2016 DECALS on the port side of the trailer – no exceptions. Dennis and Jenipher have put the 2016 decals on the docks so members with newly assigned slips should have no trouble finding where to put their boat. Boats are being launched as we speak. This wonderful weather will see boats in the water early this season.

    So we are off to a great season at ECSC. See you all at the Mother’s Day Brunch on Sunday May 8th 11:30.

     

  • Safety & Education

    Junior Sailing season starts soon

    April 3, 2016 - By 

    The ECSC Junior Sailing Camp which is scheduled for the weeks of June 20-24 and June 27-July 1 is filling up quickly! We care currently sitting with about 2/3 of the spots filled. If you are thinking of having of having someone you know attend the camp, now is the time to print off the on-line registration form and get it sent in to be sure you have a spot. If you are a club member and know someone who might enjoy the camp, be sure to talk to them and their parents about it. The camp is a great way to get families exposed to the sport of sailing and also get new members in our club.

    Register here! Register here!

    The ECSC Junior team will be starting their season with a Laser regatta at ISC this weekend! This regatta is always a good “warm up” for the juniors, although the weather is usually cold and windy. But it is good for them to get out on the water and check that they and their boats are ready for the summer competition season. We could all follow their lead and give our boats a good once over before the sailing season gets in full swing. Good luck ECSC Juniors!

     

  • Store

    Ship’s Store is replenishing inventories

    April 2, 2016 - By 

    Ship Stores is busy recalibrating and replenishing inventories for the 2016 sailing season.

    Inventories are now replenished and we are ready for the sailing season. The Ship Store is open. Here is a picture of the new Coolie for 2016. It’s yours for only $1.00.

    Stores Operating Information for 2016

    • Our main shelter will have a formal display with on duty sales personnel to help you at all regattas and major family events during the sailing season. The actual dates can be found on the club calendar followed by specific details in the monthly Telltales.
    • At any other time, orders can be placed by phone or through an email request (no texting). Items can be picked up at the club based on a mutual agreed on pickup time. We take cash or checks made out to ECSC. Sorry, no credit cards.
    • The product lineup of all items, with individual descriptions, photos and pricing can be emailed to you on request for your shopping pleasure in between the social events and Regattas. This package will be available for the season effective April 24th. Just email or call me and I will send this information to you.

    Mother’s Day & Mayors Cup Regatta Sale

    As a reminder, don’t forget the upcoming Burgee and Sailing cap sale in May. These items will go for ½ the list price!

    Your Ship Stores Committee chair,
    Al Wilkins