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| Commodore |
This will be a short article. I was tagged by Rick Ahrbecker for this month’s “Tag Article,” so I’m sure you’ll have had enough of my writing after reading it. We survived another winter and the Club is coming back to life. Many members have their boats in the water already, and the nice weather has others hurrying to get theirs ready. Edna and I enjoyed our first sail of the year under 80 degree sunny skies. The Club opening work party was very well attended and the Club looks great. Much thanks to everyone who pitched in. The Spring Series Racing began on April 24th.
Sail More, Work Less….
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| Social |
The Club is coming back to life and I am looking forward to seeing all the familiar faces along with some new ones at the Club. To make the events even more enjoyable, we now have a new stereo and speakers in the main shelter. Special thanks to Bill Harrington for making the selection and to the installation by Bob Hickok, George Alyea, Tim Hollingsworth, and Bill Harrington. Mark your calendars and bring Mom to the Mother’s Day Brunch at 11:30am. Bill Harrington and his crew will be providing scrambled eggs, sausage and beverages. We ask everyone attending to please bring a covered dish to share. Later in May, we have the Memorial Day Cookout on Monday, May 30th at 5:00pm. The Hales’ (Jack and Karen) and their crew will be serving up hamburgers and hot dogs and again we ask everyone to bring a covered dish to share. I’ll say it again, if you really want to get to know the people at the Club, volunteer to help at any of the events: social, racing, etc. It is the people who make the Club such a great place to come all summer long. The people who are always volunteering to run the events, also enjoy the extra set of hands and getting to know new members.
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| Harbormaster |
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Spring Shuffling It looks like the weather has kept the members from launching many boats this year so here are the reminders:
These are basic things that need to be done every year and with your help, we'll get through the “spring shuffle” with ease.
Work Partying When I awoke at 5:30 in the morning to cold blowing rain, I wondered if the next weekend would be better for the job. But, by 9am the weather was breaking and the sun was starting to peek out. A crowd of about 30 members where scattered across the grounds on various jobs including:
These were only a few of the accomplishments and members that helped. For each person who was there, I take my hard hat off to you. Thanks!! And thanks, Janet, for the good chili!
This dock is bound to drift back with the next high water.
No Swimming, Fishing, or Hunting
Grounds
Dry Parking
Abandoned Boats
Life
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| Racing |
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Series Racing Begins….. ECSC Veteran Racers Welcome New Racers!!!!
Club Series Racing is one of your many benefits of membership in ECSC. IT’S ABSOLUTELY FREE!!! All you have to do is gather a crew and show up for lots of fun any Wednesday evening and just about every Sunday afternoon. Extra emphasis is being put “D-Fleet” for novices and those that haven’t raced for awhile. D-Fleet has its own start and a different, shorter course. At the competitors’ meeting, a challenge was issued to the veterans to help out a new racer “learn the ropes” and enter a race. ECSC has one of the best racing programs in the Mid-West and we want every Club member to know they are welcome. Meet Mike or Chris at the committee boat at 5:30pm on Wednesdays or 12:15pm on Sundays for a crash course on starting signals and few quick racing tips.
The complete schedule of assignments is available online. If you cannot make your assigned date, please trade with someone and let Chris or Mike know. The first big regatta of the year is the Mayor’s Cup on May 21st and 22nd. Highlander Fleet #45 will host a welcome party on Friday evening May 20th beginning at 7pm to welcome the out-of-towners and all regatta participants. The Notice of Race (NOR), on the website, has the details. Please note that the cost for regatta T-Shirts is discounted when you register early. Entry fee includes one T-Shirt and one regatta Saturday dinner. Smooth Sailing......
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| Safety & Education |
Have a teenager that will be just staying home and playing video games this summer? Let us help .... Junior program open to ages 13 - 18, m/f. Our Saturday Sailing School starts May 28th.Pic Right: Wayne & Rick doing the perennial boat repair.
News
Sailing Instructors The small boat sailing instructor course is designed for sailing instructors who will be teaching beginners how to sail on dinghies, catamarans, or small day-sailing keelboats. This 4-day course covers sports psychology, lesson planning, classroom, on the water techniques, and adverse weather activities.
Something To Think About
Calendar
Finn Mid-West Championship
ECSC Junior Sailing Week
Sailing School
ECSC Regatta—July 9th & 10th
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| Membership |
We have no new members to report for the month of April.Membership Count: 247 All active members of the Club should have received their Annual Directory and Membership Card Decal. If you did not receive the items you expected, please identify what you are missing via E-Mail to ecsc_membership@yahoo.com or leave a message at 317-815-8599. Congratulations to my husband Rich who has been nominated by the Catalina 22 National Sailing Association to serve as Commodore for a two year term beginning in June. The C22NSA organizes one design class racing and cruising for approximately 1,000 sailors.
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| Tag Article |
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I was a fixture on Eagle Ocean long before I’d heard of Eagle Creek Sailing Club. As I motored my aluminum tub from fishing hole to fishing hole, I wondered what enjoyment anyone could possibly get from sailing. Sailboats seemed slow, hard to fish from, and were always in my way. My life was about to change.
One day, Christy had a garage sale. In it was a Super Snark 10 ½ foot sailboat. So, I thought I’d give it try. After some lessons from Skipper Christy, my daughter Cheryl and I began sailing on the pond at Westlake Apartments where I lived at the time. Then it happened. Christy asked if I wanted to sail on a “real boat” as I had been invited on a day sail with Dave Dyer and crew. I still wasn’t convinced about this sailing thing as we motored out of the cove with the sails up. As soon as we hit the wind, Dave asked me to take the tiller. The look of fear on my face quickly turned into a mile-wide grin, and my passion for fishing and golf was replaced by a sudden urge to get my own “real boat.” I didn’t have the means yet for a boat, so I spent the next couple of years crewing for different Club members. Along with making many lasting friendships, I had a great time learning racing tactics, sail trim, and the fact that sailboat racing rules are wide open to interpretation. Ralph Merriman and Jim Yeary bought a fixer-upper MC Scow and Felix Valesquez and I began racing it from the public side. We had fun learning the hard way how to make it “go” while trying not to get run over by the big boats. Edna and I began dating about the time I bought my first real boat from Rick Ahrbecker, a Venture 21. I introduced Edna to my world of quiet leisure by crashing into another boat during a Wednesday night race. Everything in the boat went flying including Felix who got a nice gash in his leg. Edna was shaken but not too rattled to come back again. I knew then that I’d found a keeper.
Scariest Moment – Being dismasted when caught in a sudden storm. The mast was bent level to the water and the sail acted like an airplane wing trying to tip us over. Edna calmly emerged from below and asked “What do you want me to do.” I suggested that life jackets might be a good idea. After getting back to the docks, everyone on shore pitched in to help secure the boat, and after the storm passed, they went to work clearing the wreckage from the deck. Thanks to them and my State Farm agent. Most Embarrassing – Pulling sections of the old A-Dock onto the beach with my Ford Explorer. I hooked onto a cleat on a dock that was screwed in instead of bolted. I had the dock half way out of the water when the cleats tore loose. One cleat shot right through the back window exploding it, smacked into and broke the windshield...then came to rest on the dashboard after punching a hole in it. Kenny Chapman witnessed it and after seeing that I was okay, laughed until he chocked. He quickly came up with a nickname for me that I won’t share in this article. Best Moments – Making so many wonderful friends at this Club. We feel very lucky to be a part of it.
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| Club History |
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In 1957, Eagle Creek had flooded and created near devastation to the small town of Speedway. As a result in 1960, plans were being made for a reservoir. Its main purpose was "flood control, water conservation, and outdoor recreation."
At the start of the 70s, Commodore Dr. Ned Hornback reported that they now had 18 members and $2,400 in the bank to start construction of the sailing club. The 1st regatta for the Club was September 27th, 1970 and is still called the Hornback regatta. At one point when the Club was having financial problems and the Parks Department had expressed some concern, Commodore Ned called a special meeting by sending out postcards illustrated with a drawing of himself as commodore standing forlornly in a sinking ship. Members have installed driveways, parking lots, launching ramps, shelter houses, a beach, play ground, and wet slips over the years. A new road, sea wall, and boat hoist were under construction in 1974. The first set of docks were installed in 1976 under Commodore Larry Johnson and Harbor Master Bill Christy. Stan Dziacko and Mitch McKnight designed the “new” shelter house (finished in 1986).
In 1976, Bob Bodish was hired as property manager. Today our Club is still growing with around 250 members and over 275 boats on the Club grounds at any time. Our strong racing program is well attended with 4 major regattas each year...bring sailors from all over the country. The 4th of July cookout brings over 100 members and friends together each year...along with the other social and on-the-road events. Your sailing school and junior racing programs are also growing each year. Our membership continues to understand the value of working together through volunteer efforts to build the ECSC of the future.
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| Club Photos |
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One of the benefits of inviting friends to sail is that sometimes they take good pictures. One of our friends, Sara McBride, not only took some great pics at our first Wednesday series race (April 27th), but she posted them on the web for all to see. Try to find yourself in the shots located at http://2cat.com/photos/ecsc/index.html.
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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. |
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| Click to view Old Bob's website. |
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| Visitor at our Club |
| Eagle Creek Sail Club ECSC Home Page |
A-Dock Repositioned
Pic Left: Our elongated beach dock.
The first race of the series was held on a windy Sunday, April 24th. The competitors’ and race management seminar was well attended on April 20th with more than 30 Club members participating. There were lots of questions and use of the Club’s racing equipment was explained. RC Guidelines for running races, that were distributed at the meeting, are available online and on the RC boat.
May racing assignments are: Wednesdays: May 4th Schuab and Dolders, 11th Irwin and Cunningham, 18th Brehob and Ashworth, 25th RT Moore and crew. Please plan to arrive at the Club by 5:30pm and on the water at 6pm. First flag is at 6:50pm. Sundays: May 1st Cunningham and Emily, 15th Brehob and Johnson, 29th Leonard and friends. No series race on Mother’s Day nor on May 22nd (Mayor’s Cup). Sundays RC should be at the Club by 12:15pm and on the water by 12:45pm for the 1:30pm warning signal.
Pic Left: Wayne repairing a Laser.
Junior’s Open & Master’s Class
My friend and co-worker of many years, Christy Merriman, had been crewing during races for Dave Dyer on his Laguna 24 and would tell stories of how much fun it was. I still wasn’t convinced.
We spent three years as Race Fellows docked at Rick’s Boatyard. During this time, Dave Richards bought a Merit 22. We liked it and bought a 1983 model. “Run Toto Run” has been with us since. We had fun at Rick’s, but really wanted to be a part of the social life that the Club had to offer, so we joined the Club in May of 1997.
In 1968, the Indianapolis Parks Board suggested that an association form a sailing club. Eagle Creek Sailing Club was born and was incorporated September 25th, 1969.
In 1974, the Club members’ boats were: