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| Commodore |
We were just getting to the race course for the start of the Mayor’s Cup when we saw that the Race Committee was flying this flag (left). For the non-racers, the flag makes the wearing of personal floatation devices (PFDs), also know as “life jackets,” mandatory. I own several different types of PFDs including self-inflating, a “float coat,” and a very comfortable one made especially for racing.Of course, even though I knew there was a likelihood of strong winds, I forgot to bring any of them. I blame such forgetfulness on age these days and call them “senior moments.” If I had planned to race in a Highlander, bring a PFD would have been automatic, but I was to be crew on a J24 and they just don’t turn over. In any case, I had to borrow an extremely ratty PFD that might have had a prior life on a ski-boat.
The risk may actually be greater for the cruiser than the racer. Racing crews tend to be focused on the sailing (and our crew has learned not to trust everything our skipper tells us – we wait to see which way the boat actually moves). The skipper and crew of a cruiser may be distracted by more pleasant things and not notice the “auto tack” the Eagle Creek wind gods are about to dish out. And while I am being a fussbudget about all this, I may as well remind the members that spring is the time to do the safety equipment inventory. A PFD for every crew member is the law of the land. The Rules and Regulations have a list of other required safety equipment (and include an oar). The Coast Guard has other requirements. I am not sure that flares are very useful on Eagle Ocean, but if and when needed, a working fire extinguisher could be damn helpful. I guess the point, if I have one, is that I would like a safe summer. One way to do that is to encourage us all to take a minute, reflect, and review all the safety rules we all know. It shouldn’t take a Race Committee and flag that otherwise simply means the letter “Y.”
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| Social |
 The ECSC Social season is off to a great start! Two socials are behind us and we have several more to celebrate together. Please see the ECSC Website for the social schedule for the year. Right: Bill Harrington & Crew serving up the eggs for the Mother's Day Brunch Thanks to all of you who have contributed all the great side dishes for the last two events. We have had a great variety of food and lots to go around from first diners to the last. The next social up on our calendar will be Father’s Day Brunch on Sunday, June 15th at 11:30am. George Alyea and his crew will have eggs and sausage. We ask everyone attending to be sure and bring their favorite side dish to share. Be sure to bring your Dads and enjoy your friends and family here at ECSC.
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| Harbormaster |
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Thanks to Bob Bodish, Jack Hale and Co., and all of the Club members who have made the grounds look as good as they do...great work! Thanks also to Jim Hubbard for renumbering our wet slips with our updated member numbers, Rick Sprowl for Dock Repairs, Bill and Kim Grant for the spotless restrooms, and Bill Harrington for assisting whenever it is needed. Recent Club projects have included new no-wake buoys (should be in the water by first week of June), additional gravel on our roads (Thanks to Ralph), and pressure-washer repair (thanks Bill).
Parking If your boat isn’t where you left it the last time you were here, we may have moved it trying to get a head start on the last minute boat shuffle. Please make every effort possible to abide by this Club rule. The board did agree to the possibility of assessing a fine for your boat not being in its assigned space by June 1st and we don’t want to start any enforcement. Right: Our Harbormaster, Rick, helping setup a Laser at Vermilion If you have a wet slip, your trailer should either be in the trailer parking field at the top of the hill or in an unassigned space along the east tree line of our property. Please check the dry parking maps at the Club to ensure your trailer or boat are not in another member's space. If your boat is for sale, make sure there is a sign visible and park it at the bottom of the entrance drive on the left with all the other for-sale boats already there. Your boat is considered abandoned if you're not a current Family or Regular member and it is on our grounds. It may be towed away by a law enforcement agency.
48 Hour Dock
Membership Stickers
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| Racing |
 May in Indy means only one thing—RACING!! Wet, windy, and cool described the conditions for both the Brickyard and Eagle Creek, as both venues struggled to get their camps in place and ready to perform. The Mayor’s Cup Regatta, May 17th & 18th, was chaired by Jeff Drake and helped by first mate Vicki Drake, his crew Ed & Josh Pascoe, and assistants Kelli Morehead and Vickie Maxey, as well as Wayne Myers at Safety. The event brought racers from across the Midwest...including at least five national champion helmsmen! All in all, 28 boats competed in two solid days of screaming, wicked wind. Right: Mayor's Cup Winner, Jason Hubbard (right) and his crew Barret and Mandy Saturday's weather: Eagle Creek played host in the Mayor's Cup to a group of Hobie Waves - organized by Skip Kaub and promoted as the Inaugural. Its writeup can be viewed at: http://www.catsailor.com/waves/MidwestChamps/MidwestChamps08.html Saturday’s shifty, gusty winds proved challenging for even the most seasoned veterans of Eagle Ocean, resulting in many lead changes and finishes throughout the day. Though wiped out by the end of the day, the participants were able to dine on excellent catered BBQ pork and beef brisket. Dancing followed, to the live music of Barometer Soup!
Day Two: No Rest for the Weary!! Strong and sustained NW winds came with a red and yellow diagonally striped warning flag from the Race Committee — Lifejackets Required (Thank you, RC)! Three races were completed...seven altogether. As is tradition with the Mayor’s Cup Regatta, the “Cup” is awarded to the boat with the lowest total score in any fleet with 6 or more boats. The 2008 MAYOR’S CUP goes to our own JASON HUBBARD...Highlander #952, with six bullets and one 2nd place!!!! Way to go! For detailed results, check the Racing website. Our next regatta is the ECSC & Comet Territorials, July 19th-20th. This is a always a fun event in that we have music and dancing on soft white sand brought to the laser area to make it our own BEACH PARTY! Of course, all members and their guests are welcome! Racers can find the flyer, registration, and NOR on the website. Above: Mayor's Cup Winner, Jason Hubbard, with his new look!
Dates to remember:
RC Duty
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| Sailboats, Inc. |
 Spring…what’s that? Whew…summer is finally here. We were beginning to wonder if winter was ever going to end. With all the crummy weekends this year, at least the heavy shop workload was spread out over a longer period of time. We can’t wait to enjoy all that sailing and all the Club has to offer. While there’s still much work left to do, we do want to thank the members of Eagle Creek Sailing Club who trusted Sailboats, Inc. with their work and support. Speaking of work, we would like to remind everyone that we are members of Eagle Creek Sailing Club, #102 & #111, FIRST...and Sailboats, Inc. owners second. Our love for sailing and the Club are #1 in our hearts and minds and we WANT to keep it that way. We kindly request that when we are at the Club with our families and friends, whether to race, socialize or otherwise “chill,” that you be considerate. With the number of hours we spend at the shop, we encourage you to call us there, while we are in “work” mode, for service and repair advice.
Above: Erika on the O'Pen BIC Demo More importantly, when one of us is at the Club servicing paying customers, we must be fair to them and only focus on their work at that time.
Your business is VERY IMPORTANT to us. Your FRIENDSHIP is very important to us, too. We know how valuable Eagle Creek Sailing Club is as an escape pod from everyday work life. This may be a subject that we shouldn’t touch upon, but we want to be able to come to the club, enjoy the camaraderie and fun it provides, without hiding. Charlie, having spent 30+ years in the bowling industry, knows all to well how difficult it is to mix work and play in the same venue. All that it takes is consideration and understanding on both sides. Our commitment is to be available to you as needed. Our only request is that you consider using our shop and regular business hours as your first choice. Left: Eileen with crew Phil and Joe at the Mayor's Cup regatta Again, thanks for your support and understanding. We look forward to enjoying the great lifestyle and challenges sailing provides and your company and laughter at the club as in the past. See you on the water and at the chair parties! Editor's Note: I ran across this same phenomenon with Eileen & Charlie's predecessor, Tom Moore. For Tom, it came to the point he no longer enjoyed coming to our Club. For the last few years before he sold his business to Eileen and Charlie, it was rare that I ever saw him at our Club. On those occasions, I made it a special point to chat with him on all topics but his store. Please...both Eileen and Charlie are far too value as friends and Club members to have this happen to them. It's just fine to raid their coolers, but let's try to steer clear of work topics! ...not too hard for me!
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| Members' News |
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Several ECSC Catalina 22 owners are participating in
this year's Catalina 22 Great Lakes Cruise scheduled
for July 20-26, 2008. A caravan of C22s will depart
Indianapolis on Friday, July 18th. On Sunday, July 20th,
we will sail from Lexington, Michigan located along
the western shore of Lake Huron, and make a long
distance one-way sail/motorsail south to Toledo,
Ohio. For more information, please visit www.fleet130.org. If you are planning to attend, please contact Rich Fox (rich_fox at yahoo com) so you may be included in a pre-planning dinner (in Indy) and the caravan ride to Lake Huron to launch. ========================================
Wanting to visit Mexico? Our Club member Dick Lowe owns & operates two villas there: http://www.locogringo.com/tankah/luminosa.html?name=Villa%20Luminosa For an understanding of life in Mexico: http://rollybrook.com/Page Directory.htm Right: Rob on an O'Pen Surf-Board Demo ======================================== Good day, all! I'm pleased to announce the placement of the West Marine discount coupon on the I-LYA website. Please go to our website at http://www.i-lya.com and click on the "West Marine" line toward the bottom of the page. Print the coupon and take it to your West Marine dealer for discounts on your purchases. We thank West Marine for their continued sponsorship of I-LYA, and hope all our members will benefit from the discount coupon. Have a GREAT weekend, all! Ed Payne, I-LYA ======================================== Want to learn how to sail? Want to better learn about your own sailboat? ECSC member, and home from college for the summer, Ki Hickok has considerable experience in sailing instruction. He is also US Sailing Certified for small sailboat instruction. Either 414-4705 cell or patriot01230 at sbcglobal net
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| Bailer's Tips & More |
 I was able to fix my head with old sail cloth and ice. No doctor visit required despite that my wife, my children, my grandchildren, my parents, my siblings, my aunts, uncles, and all my other next of kin (even my own peers) told me to go to the doctor. Well, once again I proved them all wrong. The swelling subsided with the aid of ice and proper application. Call me crazy, but if it takes me three attempts to bust a bottle on my own head, I always apply ice to the lumps. I have been attempting to and always have succeeded to break bottles over my head. The problem with calling in the medics is they do not know which lump to apply the ice to. Despite common knowledge and common sense, so far I have come through my extreme hobby unhurt...other than memory loss, family interventions, and some other things I cannot recall.
Above: Steve Earnhart doing grill duty for the Mother's Day Brunch So, lets move on to the many letters I have received from club members...and even some foreigners as far away as some fool trying to round the Horn in a boat I refurbished and assured him it would take anything that Big Blue had to offer. I think they told me where they were in their SOS (· · · — — — · · ·). Speaking of common knowledge, I do not need to remind you that my column has now become syndicated not only across America, but around the world. These humble tips of mine have been translated (by myself) into thirty-seven different languages and broadcast via single-sideband modulation radio around the world so our global friends can benefit from my knowledge of Big Blue as well as my friends at the Club. So, let me get back on subject, which is tips. 1: It is always wise to get a second opinion. 2: Never try to break a bottle over your head. Sail on, Sail on.... The Bailer
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| Membership |
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No new members for May 2008. Membership to date: 225
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| Safety & Education |
Junior Racing News - District 18 Laser Championships RJ finished 8th overall to Tyler Andrew's 9th and Barret Rhoads' 10th out of 34 full rig Lasers in the District 18 Laser Class Grand Prix in Vermilion (Lake Erie)...in light and shifty conditions. When ask about event, RJ said, “I just kept my head out of the boat and was fast...” RJ's father, Rick Graef, finished 13th overall with a best race of 5th. RJ's best was a 2nd. Erika Williams rocked in the radial class with 2-1-2-3-2 = 2nd in class. Erika said, “Very hard conditions on Saturday, but I put together some good races. I'm working on my speed.” Left: Our junior sailors at Vermilion for the District 18 Laser Championships EJ Williams also raced in the full rig class...but, didn't find any luck on the 1st day. He started to put it together on Sunday, but...you know the rest of the story! Good job to all!
Junior Racing News - ISC Spring Laser Regatta On April 12th & 13th, the ECSC Junior and adult Team, 16 members strong, took on Mother Nature again at the Indianapolis Sailing Club. On Saturday afternoon, the wind speed was from the west and above 22mph...with hard rain, gusts of wind above 25 mph+ in our face, and water down our back. The water temperature was 52 degrees! ISC was well up to the job of setting a race course and getting six races off the first day and three on Sunday. The best finish for our ECSC team was 2, 6, 7, 3, 2, 5, 6, 9, 10 for Tyler Andrews finishing 4th overall. Jason Hubbard, sailing under the ISC flag, finished 7th overall and sailing very good. Oh, by the way, if you guys need new sails or other racing items, think of Jason Hubbard. He and Phil Tate have a good sail-making sewing-machine operation going on in Bloomington and do good work.
On to racing, Capt. Richard Graef sailed to a 9th overall and finished within the top four in his class. One of our newest team members, Capt. Steve Schaub, brought a Club boat to this event and had a very good time. In race 2-6, he sailed without a tiller extension and steered with his foot while hiking out with the other foot under the hiking strap...what a sight to see. His best race was 12th and 14th over all. At 205 pounds, he’s fast upwind and can work the boat. Let’s see what he can do in the Finn... Junior RJ Graef just switched this year to the full rig...and did well finishing 13th overall and 3rd in his class. ...Job well done... RJ! Oh, by the way, he’s driving now!
Above: Wayne somewhere above beating the J-Boats in his Finn New juniors Kat Petrucci and Becca Hallstedt also took to the waters on Sunday and had a battle of their own downwind with Kat beating Becca by 2 seconds and placing 5th place in the Junior Class. Becca finished 19th overall, but not last. John Fisher, Rick Wood, and Ryan Wood stayed ashore warm and dry. EJ Williams joined them after a bad capsize in the first race. “I wish I had stayed in! It was cold and wet in the safely boat looking after all our juniors!” said Tony Hubbard after Sunday's racing. “During the first race on Saturday, there were 9 boats upside down on the downwind leg." said the race committee. Also on hand to help load & unload were the following support members; Phil Hallstedt, Katie Williams, Mr. & Mrs. Fisher, and Wayne Myers. Thanks to all who helped. This was a very good turn out on a very poor weekend of weather!
Something to Think About Don’t argue with an idiot. People watching may not be able to tell the difference.
How To Do a Legal 720 US Appeal 60 provides a good summary of how quickly you must do a 720. It says: The rule does not provide time for a boat to deliberate whether she has broken a rule. If she delays in doing her 720 penalty, she is still liable to be disqualified. Right: RJ shown with Vermilion Commodore Nikki with his 1st place trophy for District 18 fastest junior. According to Appeal 46, a boat’s “failure to do a proper and timely 720 turn broke no rule. It meant only that she failed to take a penalty.” If your 720 turn is done improperly or too late, it is just as if you didn’t make any penalty turns at all.
Junior Team Calendar June 7, Hoover Regatta, Ohio, 1st Traveler Series June 9-13, ECSC Junior Sail - Week 1
June 14, Port Clinton, Ohio, 2nd Traveler Series June 15, All paper work due to me for Bay Week June 16-20, ECSC Junior Sail Camp - Week 2 June 21, Sandusky SC Regatta, 3rd Traveler Series June 23-27, ECSC Junior Sail Camp - Week 3 June 28, North Cape Regatta, 4th Traveler Series
Note to ECSC Members: Work credits will be offered this year for assistance with this program!!
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2008 Social Calendar, Click Here.
2008 Racing Calendar, Click Here.
2008 Overall Club Calendar, Click Here.
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| Eagle Creek Sail Club ECSC Home Page |
