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| Commodore |
Thank You…. Thanks to everyone for making 2004 a great year for ECSC. This Club runs on volunteerism and we have the best.
Membership Dues and Fees This is our last chance to remind everyone that membership dues and fees are due on Feb. 28th. Members waiting for a slip and are late, move back to the bottom of the Slip Waiting list. OUCH!!! Members who have a slip and are late, lose that slip and move to the bottom of the dreaded Slip Waiting List. Double OUCH!!!
Below is a link to the Membership FAQ page of our Club website. It's full of useful information about membership, slipage, subleasing, etc. www.ecsail.org/membershipfaq.htm
Wacky Weather Even in the winter, flooding (especially when the Lake is iced over) is a concern at the Club. Docks can be damaged and small boats may drift away. Our ever watchful Harbormaster Bob Hickok informs me that he and some helpers moved several small boats from the beach and nearby areas to prepare for flooding. Thanks Bob! The water level has been going up and down like a yo-yo, but we haven't flooded yet this month. The Lake nearly reached 792 feet above sea level which is a little over a foot above the seawall. Click Here for a link to a website that Colin Risley found to monitor the water levels.
Completion is scheduled for the summer of this year. There will be one entrance on Raceway Road and two on 46th Street...one probably directly across from our entrance off 46th Street.
Ship's Store To better serve the Club, this year, the Mallette's (Malcohm and Joyce) have offered their services. They have past experience at it and will hopefully run our Store for more than just one year...and I'm excited to see what their new offerings will be. Happy New Year !!!!!
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| Social |
Get your snow gear together and sign-up for the Perfect North Ski Trip on Saturday, February 12th. We are going to meet down at Perfect North between 9:00am – 9:30am in the lodge. The price includes your lift ticket, ski rental, and a free ski or board lesson. The Club will be providing pizza and drinks for lunch. Give me a call and get on the list. So, if you’ve always wanted to learn to ski, or haven’t been in awhile, this is a great place to go. For directions on how to get there, trail maps, live video cams of the runs, and other information go to
www.perfectnorth.com. Have you always wondered what was involved in hosting an event at the Club? The 4th of July Pig Roast is open and I’m looking for a host. This is a great way to get to know people at the Club and earn those work credits for 2006! Please call me at 846-0211 (home) or 817-2365 (work) to volunteer for this event. I have the contract for the Final Bash for 2005 and secured a date at the Rathskeller downtown on November 12th. What is this, you say? The Final Bash has always been on the 1st Saturday of November. November 12th is the 2nd Saturday. Unfortunately, the only room large enough to accommodate a bunch of rowdy sailors in semi-formal attire was booked on November 5th. I am going to propose we change the date for the Final Bash from the 5th to the 12th this year at the next Board Meeting. If anyone has any objections to this proposal, please lobby your local board members with extravagant gifts before February 8th.
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| Harbormaster |
First In/Last OutWell, another year is upon us and the sailing season is just around the corner...except for Bruce Cameron, Sharon Knoth, and Mike Gray on Coal Pile, who started their sailing season on January 2nd. So please accept “First In” honors for 2005. I guess the ice was still a bit thick on the 1st. I was also in a quandary if I should count Jim Wodock's J24 as first in because it weathered December stuck in the ice. Nah, maybe “Last Out” would be better.
Welcome New Harbormaster Assistant
Do the Due
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| Racing |
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for his or her participation in last year's ECSC racing program. Last year was a success and Mike Irwin and I intend to build on that success and continue the great tradition that is sailboat racing at ECSC. We are looking forward to an exciting year with the start of the season swiftly approaching. We have set the dates for the spring and fall series and are currently looking for interested people to act as race committee. We are also planning several fleet and match race series along with the regattas. So whether you’re new to sailing or an old timer, racing sailboats will only help to improve your sailing skills and you just might have a little fun out there, too. We hope to see you on the racecourse this year. There are two race meetings left February 15th and March 15th. We hope to see you there. Race meetings are the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 7pm at Sport Bowl (3900 S US 31, 788-0878). Sport Bowl is located on US 31 about one mile north of I-465 on the south side of town….exit 2A heading towards town from I-465. It’s on the west side of East Street (that’s US 31) directly across from the Ford dealership. Race meetings are informative and fun.
Remember. OUR racing program is VOLUNTEER DRIVEN. Each Club member who skippered or crewed in a Club race in 2004 is expected to and should volunteer for at least one series race assignment. Contact Chris or Mike to sign up. It was ALWAYS a pleasure last year looking forward to our gathering at the Liar's Table after our Series Races. Bill Harrington (left) was always there before we came in...setting up and cooking the burgers & dogs. I'm thinking this effort played a large part in his being given one of our most prestigious honors last year...the Sportsmanship Award. As I understand it, he's in extremely good company with prior winners of that award. Oh....and the pictures sprinkled throughout this Webtales are from the Day-After-Thanksgiving Regatta courtesy of Bob Hickok.
Racing is fun (even if you don't know the rules)
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| Safety & Education |
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Our Junior Sailing Week is June 9, 10, and 11 this year. Look for the ad below and don’t dawdle, this class fills up quickly! Our yearly Sailing School opens June 4th, Saturday 9:30am for each Saturday until the end of the season. No class on race days. No fee to members of the Club.
Two of our members’ sons will be sailing for our Team ECSC...Tyler Andrews in the full rig Laser Class for a shot at the Laser Class World Championships 2005. Phil Tate in the Finn Class will also be looking for slot to go to the Moscow World Finn Championships in June 2005.
Junior Regattas Sign up now...we have the boats and the funding to help your junior.
News Oh and, RIU is near Narragansett Bay...the heart of the U.S. East Coast sailing waters.
Something To Think About Any fool can carry on, but a wise man knows how to shorten sail in time. Men in a ship are always looking up, and men ashore are generally always looking down. The sea finds out everything you did wrong. Waves are not measured in feet or inches, they are measured in increments of fear. Live your life so that when you die, the preacher will not have to make up lies at your funeral.
Spring Laser Regatta at ISC
U.S. Nationals Laser
ECSC Weekend Warrior
Finn Mid-West Championship
ECSC Junior Sailing Week
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| Membership |
Please welcome our first new members of the New Year – Gary and Susie Avery of Indianapolis...sailing an O’Day 22.All Club members should have received their 2005 Annual Dues and Fees Statement in the mail. If not, please contact me. All dues and fees are payable to the “Eagle Creek Sailing Club” and must be postmarked on or before Monday, February 28, 2005. Please do not wait until the last day to track me down with delivery of your Annual Dues and Fees. If your dues and fees are not received by Saturday, March 5, you will receive one follow-up letter and phone call to help us identify if you plan to renew your membership. Members not renewing by the end of March will be removed from the 2005 Membership roster and wet slip wait list. Have you lost your blue/yellow ECSC Membership ID Card and need a new one? Drop me note by E-Mail, by phone, or include a note with your Annual Dues/Fees Statement letting me know you need one or two cards. Membership ID Card labels will be mailed with the Annual Directory in April. |
| Tag Article |
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The Ashworths are relative newcomers to sailing and did not buy their first boat until they were in their 50s. While they had sailed the occasional sunfish or Hobie Cat while vacationing, the demands of raising their family and pursuing careers in science left little time to pursue what has become their favorite past time. Ed, a professor and the department head of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Purdue, had a long time interest in sailing, but just never found the time nor place to pursue sailing. Likewise, Sharon had always enjoyed being on the water. However, as their children grew older she returned to school and spent many busy years completing her Ph.D. while also being a wife and mother. It was not until Sharon started her present job as a medical researcher in Nephrology at the I.U. Medical Center and the Ashworths moved near Indianapolis that the couple considered taking up sailing. Driving around one fall weekend, they stopped by ECSC to look around. It was during this visit that they first heard about Highlanders. Boats were coming back in after a race and when Ed and Sharon inquired, Bruce Cameron and Bob McCoun, two Highlander sailors, talked enthusiastically about the merits of both the Highlander and ECSC. While Bruce and Bob’s enthusiasm may have been partially fueled by beverage consumption, they helped convince the Ashworths that they should take up sailing.
Sharon and Ed spent much of their first summer with the boat learning basic sailing skills and day sailing. As their confidence grew, they began to shadowing boats during Sunday afternoon races. They were always careful to give a wide berth and keep well out of the way. Friends at ECSC suggested that they try racing and one Wednesday evening they came out to the Club and asked Bruce Cameron to place them each as crew on the boats of experienced Highlander sailors. Sharon sailed with Tim Hollingsworth and Janet Hickok, while Ed sailed on “Fast Eddie” with John & Marsha Schaub. While the wind was light, the racing and camaraderie were terrific. They were hooked!! Since then, Sharon and Ed have participated in numerous Club races and regattas. While never in the front of the pack and often struggling to remember port vs. starboard and windward vs. leeward; they have learned a lot about sailing and more importantly had even more fun. Ed believes that buying the Highlander and joining ECSC was one of the best things that he and Sharon ever did. “We have had a great time learning to sail and race. People at the Club have taken us under their wings and helped us in many ways. Fellow Highlander sailors like Charlie Brehob, Bruce Cameron, Tim Hollingsworth, Bob McCoun, John and Marsha Schaub, Rob Maxey, Craig Johnson, and many others have been generous with their advice and patient with our constant questions.”
Ed and Sharon’s enthusiasm for sailing has rubbed off on their two grown sons and daughter-in-law. Eldest son, Ted and his wife live in Western Australia and after hearing many sailing stories and visiting ECSC on a Christmas visit, returned to Australia and promptly joined the Koombana Bay Sailing Club. Their younger grown son, Stephen, who lives in Michigan joins them as crew for an occasional race and has since bought his own sailboat. Teenage daughter, Emily, has yet to be converted. Clearly, Sharon and Ed have found a link between Highlander sailing and happiness. “The Highlander is a wonderful boat and we have really enjoyed sailing it. But more importantly, we have enjoyed meeting the people at ECSC.”
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| IUPUI Club News |
We're starting to get ready for the upcoming season. Our new officers are:
Jon Storer - Commodore Members of our Club will be attending the MCSA Midwinter Meetings as well as the Strictly Sail Boat Show in early February. We are also sending 12 sailors with the ECSC Ski Trip on February 12th. Just a reminder note, due to our semester timing, many of our college-aged regattas will be held before many of the ECSC boat owners even have their boats launched for the season. We know well how to use wetsuits!
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| IUPUI Sailing Program |
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To start this article, I thought I would put the number of years we have had this program in place with our brethren sailors taking classes at IUPUI. But, it’s been so long, I can’t remember how many years now. For those involved in setting up this program, both from IUPUI and ECSC, good job. Both groups seemed to have benefited from this arrangement.
Our members with youth sailors well know the benefits of this IUPUI program….their three “extra” FJ sailboats they share with us; their willingness to sail with and help train our youth; and simply more trustworthy sailors around our Club at alternate hours to help keep a watch over things. Note: Anybody know who in our Sailing Club stores their boat over the winter in their front yard...then strings Christmas lights down from the mast (pic above right)? |
| Ex-Patriot Notes |
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Securing a boat to a trailer is a critical skill that unfortunately is not a prerequisite for owning a sailboat. When towing a boat it, is important to make sure the bow and stern are secure. The best way to secure the stern is by running a line from both the port and starboard horn cleats to the trailer. Make sure the cleats are "solid" and use a "trucker's hitch" to get proper tension on the line.
A few days ago, a friend of mine was taking his J/29 from Chicago to Key West for KWRW and had it fall off the trailer on HWY 1 just south of Miami! (See Photo on Online Version) Even though he secured the boat properly, he failed to check it at route gas stops and some lines came loose without him knowing. While this photo is seemingly comical, it would certainly ruin your day if it was your boat! Hopefully I’ll see some of you at the 2005 Strictly Sail Chicago Boat Show which is running February 4-6. The annual Chicago to Mackinac "Pink Pony" Party is held at Chicago Yacht Club on the evening of Saturday, February 5th starting at 7pm. Admission is open to all and there is a live band as usual. This is always the best Winter party in town!!!
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2005 Social Calendar, Click Here.
2005 Racing Calendar, Click Here.
2005 Overall Club Calendar, Click
Here.
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| Click to view Sailboats, Inc's website. |
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| Click to view Sport Bowl's website. |
Bulldozers 
The series racing schedule is set. The competitors’ meeting and race management seminar will be held on Wednesday evening April 20th at 7pm in the upper shelter at the Club. Spring Sundays begin on April 24th at 1:30pm and Wednesdays on April 27th at 6:50pm. 
Rolex Regatta
New Rule Book
Calendar
Researchers at Purdue University and Indiana University Medical Center have established a direct link between Highlander sailing and happiness. The results were neither from a 5-year government study nor reported in the latest medical journal. Instead, they are first-hand observations of Sharon and Ed Ashworth, proud owners of #645 and members of ECSC.
In spring of ’02, Sharon spotted a classified ad for a Highlander. While they had not decided on a type of boat to purchase, they did remember their encounter with Bruce and Dr. Bob and were intrigued by the ad. The Ashworths had no interest in racing, but knowing that there would be other similar boats on the Lake seemed attractive. Likewise the HCIA web site noted that the Highlander had a large cockpit, was a good family boat and was forgiving. This sounded like an ideal first boat and they became both boat owners and members of ECSC.
Sharon remembers how helpful it was to have Charlie Brehob and Bob McCoun go sailing with us. “They were able to teach us a lot during those outings. Our time out with Bob was particularly memorable.” They remember that the winds that day were brisk and Sharon was more than a bit apprehensive. After returning to shore, Sharon remarked to Bob how the spinnaker run had been both exhilarating and a bit scary. Bob replied “that she could not have been that scared, as her pants were still dry.”
We’re now in the process of completing the annual paperwork requirement for this arrangement...there are some special bylaws in place as well as liability waivers to be signed by each IUPUI member (and their dues, of course).
In addition to securing the boat, it is critical to check the tie lines every time you make a stop for gas or no more than 300 miles. This 2 minute check can eliminate a disaster.