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| Commodore |
Well, I couldn’t refuse and had a great race on Jack Hale’s Merit 25 on following Wednesday. Not long after that, Chuck Dunn invited my family and me for an afternoon of sailing. Friends and grilled chicken. It seemed inevitable that I would join this great Club...so I did! It seems like yesterday that I scraped together the cash for my ECSC initiation fee (the best investment I ever made) and drove over to the Mates’ house to officially join the Eagle Creek Sailing Club.
As I do when I am on a crew of a Chicago to Mackinac boat, or helming my J24, or sitting Principal Horn in the Indianapolis Symphony; I will do my best for ECSC. Our Club is different things to different members; an oasis from the daily grind, a base for our racing sailboats, a social spot to meet and greet friends, a place for kids and adults to learn and experience sailing, and an all-around great place! We are a volunteer Club and we are what you make us. We are the best Club around because we have the best members.
Right: Commodore Rick on Don't Panic In mid November, your board approved the budget for 2010. Despite the current economic climate, we managed to keep the initiation fees, annual dues, and slip fees at their 2009 dollar amounts. We raised the winter storage fees from $60 to $75. In 2010, we will be re-roofing our main shelter house, doing a major repainting project, and resealing our asphalt surfaces. We will also continue to work on the hill reclamation project. Look for our newly relocated junior sailing area at the far end of the beach. I am sure the temperatures are plummeting as you read this, so bundle up, throw another log on the fire, and get started planning your next sailing adventure. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Membership |
First, welcome to new members: Steve and Eileen McClure from Lebanon, sailing a Catalina 25 and Scott and Jamie Douglas of Crawfordsville sailing a J24. Your 2010 Annual Dues and Fees Statement will be mailed out in mid to late January and will be due on February 28, 2010. It will be considered late if not post marked by 2/28/10. If you do not receive your statement by February 1st, please send a message to me at: ecsc_membership @yahoo.com or call me at 317-575-9837. If you have had an address change in 2009, please get the new address to me ASAP.
Right: Jeff & crew on Quiet Chaos If you have earned work credits this year, the committee heads will be getting that information to me by December 15th and this information will be included with your Dues and Fees Statement. At the recent board meeting, a decision was made to raise the cost of winter storage from $60 per winter to $75. This will be reflected on the Dues and Fees Statement. The Harbormaster inventories ALL boats on the ECSC grounds on December 15th and those will be charged for 2009-10 winter storage. Again, please check your boat and trailer to be sure that your membership number is clear and can be read by those doing the inventory.
Left: Jeff & crew on Mustang Sally Rich and I especially want to thank Charlie and Eileen of Sailboats, Inc. for their continued support and their wonderful encouragement to potential new members to come and talk with us about ECSC. Thanks to them for many referrals. We had a successful season with 19 members joining, four of whom were legacies. We love to see second and third generations become members...continuing to carry on the great tradition of sailing at ECSC.
Remember Again, it has been a great season. A big thanks to Tony Hubbard and the board members for all the work they did to make this happen.
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| Social |
I want to thank all of your efforts in making the social events happen this season.A big THANK YOU to all of our event hosts and work crews for putting on our socials. It doesn’t happen without YOU.
Right: Mike passing on one of our most revered trophies to Tony & Joyce Those who contributed to our success include the following:
Final Bash – Bonnie and Jim Wolfinger and their entertainment crew Sizzling Greg Bacon (Jazz) I am in the process of setting up the social calendar for 2010 for everyone to enjoy...posting a schedule for the upcoming year in the next Telltales. Call me to reserve your place to host one of the above social events for the upcoming 2010 sailing season. I have Mother's Day, Memorial Day, and the 4th of July already booked. If you are interested in volunteering AND earning work credits for next year’s dues, call me ASAP and we will put you to work.
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| Racing |
Hello ECSC sailors, it has been a while since I have performed this job as racing chairman. I will do my best. My motto will be the same:THE CLUB IS NOT YOUR MOTHER! First, a little history as the make up of our fleet of racers has changed a wee bit from the time I started sailing here in 1988 as a race fellow. This my take on where our fleets have evolved. Right: Dr. Bob & crew on Cowa Bunga In the year of 1992 when I joined as full member, we had A, B, and C fleets. "A" fleet was comprised of about ten boats (no J-boats and no Merits) of which about 3 sailed regularly. "B" fleet was a smaller fleet of cruising boats like Greg McGarvey's Lindenberg 22 and Randy Tomsen's Santana 20. "C" fleet was the fat momma of the day. I bet we had 30 to 40 boats (Catalina 25, 22, San Jaun 21, Hunter 25, 23, 20, 18) and at least 20 sailed every Sunday and every Wednesday night (beer-can series). There was no green fleet nor portsmouth fleet at that time...we just lumped them into "B" feet.
Left: Rich & crew on his C22 As time progressed, our Club members began switching to Merits and J-boats which took a lot more crew to man. We also got very interested in one-design racing (portsmouth racing boats). None of this is bad...it's just a natural evolution of interests. But what did happen is that the old "C" fleet skippers either bought new larger boats or began crewing on these many varied sailing yachts and racing dingys. In recent years, our numbers have been dwindling at our series races and regattas in general. Many have complained of no competitors in their respective fleets. It is my goal to turn this trend around. One of the ways I see to do this is for YOU to get your fellow competitors out on the lake and race. This is where my motto comes into effect. I only give out trophies...it is up to you to earn them. I also don't care what US sailing says in the rule book about one boat in a race. One boat in a fleet does not constitute a race. I will not listen to whiners. I will implement good ideas and sugestions...but no whining. I addition to our popular Super Sunday Series (1st Sunday), I will begin the Single Hander's Sunday Series (2nd Sunday of the month) and the Bimimi Racing Series (3rd Sunday of the month) No series racing on regatta weekends and Ladies' day racing is tenative for the fourth weekend. And, Ladies...I need some input! This should be "real racing" by real women...not the "old way" if you know what I mean.
Fleets for this year will be as follows: Red Fleet, Green fleet, White fleet, and Bimini Fleet (Blue). All fleets racing PHRF will be separated by as close to 30 handicap-point groupings as possible by our PHRF Czar, Mike Gray.
Right: Governor's Cup Regatta I would also like to streamline our RC and Safety Boat duties to a group of 12-15 people to run all races and regattas. These people will add continuity to our races and provide a safer and familiar enviroment to Eagle Creek Sailing Club. If this interests you, let me know. Any person also racing in a series, and working a race, will get their season average for each race and work credits. Any questions or ideas...please contact Dr. Bob or me. No whining!!
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| Safety & Education |
The first thing I would like to say as Safety and Education Chair is to thank Wayne Myers for all the time and effort he put into this program. He has spent many hours teaching me and many others how to sail and race. THANK YOU WAYNE!! Right: Ki with father Bob In other news, the new Safety and Education shed is mostly done. Thanks to many members, the ramp is in. We also have power and a light thanks to Kenny Chapman, Wayne Myers, and Mike Gray. That project will be complete by next spring. It looks like EJ and RJ are going down to the Orange Bowl Regatta in Miami on December 27-30...sailing Laser Radials. Good luck you guys. I hope everyone had a great sailing year! Be safe and have fun.
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| Bailer's Tips & More |
Ole Bailer is back at the Club!My mailing address has been some post office box labeled Alice Town, North Bimini. Last year I somehow sailed the Queen Anne's Revenge from ECSC to Bimini. I write the word "somehow" (or some how) because I have no idea how I accomplished this with out stepping the mast. The QAR is 26' long on the surface but again, I refer to the "somehow." I somehow built a basement into the QAR and have nearly 3,500 sq. ft. of living space underwater.
Right: Hornback winners: Matt, Devon, & Tyler I sailed the Queen Anne to the Bahamas without stepping the mast...the mast is not step-able without the aid of a saw. I did not cut the mast. I have no idea how I built a 3,500 sq. ft. underwater basement. I arrived sober, shaved, washed, and much to everyone's surprise, pleasant to be around! Gone is the know-it-all Baiiler. Gone is the attitude. Welcome back the Bailer who will help you landlubbers and ol' salts with equal enthusiasm. Welcome back the Bailer who fellow members will enjoy as a crewmember or even be willing to crew for! Bailer is proud of his new self...proud to be an asset to the Club and is looking forward to participating in the prosperity of the Club. However, I (Bailer) am only here for a short visit and then back to the Gulf Stream for the winter. I love the Club, but for a winter? I have no home. Home is the QAR back in Bimini. I would have sailed her home, but without stepping the mast? Impossible! So I am here renewing old friendships gone sour, making new friends and also trying to figure out (remember) how I sailed from the Club to the sea and built the only basement in sailboat history. These are all mysteries to me and everyone I ask. I fly back to the Bahamas tomorrow and will spend the winter fixing things and trying to remember how I accomplished the impossible. One thing I know is I could not have done any of this without my friends at the Club. Thank you all and see you next year. Sail on....Sail on!! The Bailer
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| Notes |
Hola!Searching this morning for some better weather sites...found some stuff that may interest ECSC sailors. http://passageweather.com/ http://www.thedailysail.com/ Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! Hope you are able to have a fun day tomorrow The Friday after Thanksgiving. We will definitely be going out here. Richard Lowe
Right: Tony awarding George the 2009 Sportsmanship Award
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| Sailboats, Inc. |
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It's been so warm lately that we decided to leave one of our boats in the
water a little longer. So far, a week of sailing has not been missed since
the fall series has ended.
Since it's the holidays, we chose to leave the RED boat in. John & Joy...why did you take the GREEN boat out?
Right: More Hornback "winners" - Charlie & crew Our store hours remain the same until December 20th when we will close for 2 weeks to enjoy the Holidays. We'll be back on January 5th. During our slow time (now), we are taking inventory of the vast quantity of unusual, old, or often hard to find parts that have accumulated throughout the years at the sailboat shop. So, watch for these parts in 2010 on our website. You will not believe what we're finding in the drawers and attic. By the way, did you know that the shop has been home to four different sailboat companies since the late 80's? Can you name them? If so...send an E-Mail. Hopefully, you've made the list of "HAVE TO DO" or "HAVE ITEMS." Let SECRET SANTA know (call or E-Mail the shop...then let your better half know who to call) and maybe you will find what you REALLY WANT under the tree this year. Happy Holidays! Eileen & Charlie
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Above: Roger & Michelle at the Bash
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| Eagle Creek Sail Club ECSC Home Page |
For those of you who missed it, we had a great Final Bash earlier this month!! Great band, great friends, and great party! Thanks to all who helped plan and put on this event. Ralph Merriman will continue to serve as our Harbormaster and is coordinating our hill reclamation efforts. Kenny Chapman is taking over as Racing Chair and has great plans for our club racing programs. Rob Maxey will be our Treasurer this year. I’m proud to say that one of our own juniors, Ki Hickok, has come of age and will lead the Safety and Education programs for this year (Wayne will be at his side as his assistant). Jane Schmidt will continue as our membership chair, Chauncey Olin will continue as our social chair, and Evan Williams will continue with Publicity (the Telltales). Look for a full listing of your new board members and committee heads later in the Telltales. 
I want to thank all those who helped with membership during this last year. These great members are: Pete Combs, Jim Hubbard, Barb Andrews, and a special thanks to Rich Fox. Rich fielded all inquiries regarding new memberships, many times meeting the prospective member at ECSC to view the facilities. He processed the paper work for all new members, sending them their decals, keys, membership card, By-Laws, and General Rules. He spearheaded the printing of our annual booklet as well as holding several orientation sessions for new members. He also chaired a regatta for new members in June.
Sue Ross used to head up the Mayor's Cup for years and I ran most of the races for her. We used to get nearly 60 boats every Regatta and a good many of those boats were "C" fleet boats that needed only one or two people to sail them. 
The Bimini Fleet will be a permanent fleet. It will be comprised of all fleets at the beginner level or more relaxed racing courses and no flying sails will be permitted. Ony JaM sailing (Jib and Main). 
AND THE SAILING HAS BEEN GREAT!!!! 