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| Commodore |
Speaking of heat, I want to thank all those who came out for the Commodore’s Casino Party. Members and guests came dressed and ready for the occasion despite the high temps. From the reports, everyone had a great time eating, gaming, and winning some fantastic prizes. Winners of the new-member wetslip drawing were Scott and Christy Hutchison! Those who offered prizes and donations for the party are listed below. If you see them or won a prize yourself, please thank them again.
I suspect a few of those outgoing Board members just might sign up for yet another term.
CU at the Labor Day Cookout --- or on Eagle Ocean/Pond… Below: Al & Burnie at the Casino Royale
Donaters for Casino Royale
Raceway Laserwash - Karl and Diane Walther
Junior Sailing School Week - Wayne Myers
Boathouse Grill - John & Joy Gilmor
Sailboats Inc. - Eileen Leonard & Charlie Brehob
Colts Game Tickets - Zink distributors / Boathouse Grill
Patrick’s College Park Marathon - Patrick Shallenberger
Indianapolis 500 on May 25th 2008 - Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Nick Marson
All State 400 at the Brickyard on July 27, 2008 - Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Nick Marson
Red Bull Indianapolis GP on September 14,2008 - Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Nick Marson
Brownsburg Alarm Co., Inc. - Wayne S. Myers
Cessna Airplane Ride - Bill Harrington
Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra Tickets - ISO and Rick Graef
Red Ox Bar and Grill - Ryan Finney
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| Social |
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This summer has been quite a scorcher; pretty decent winds for sailing and lots of chances for comraderie here at the Club. Just a reminder for upcoming events happening soon….. There is a Labor Day Cook Out on Monday, September 3rd, 5pm. The White’s are again hosting this event with burgers and dogs provided by the Club as well as beverages. Please plan to bring a side dish to share if you will be attending. The weekend of September 8th, ECSC will NOT be hosting the Governor’s Cup Regatta. But, I'm sure our racers who do come will be having their normal after-racing social Saturday evening...and all members are invited as usual.
I also want to take this opportunity to thank Commodore Bob and Lady Janet for hosting the Casino Royale Commodore's Party. They did a great job with a fun evening with great give–aways. Several members really “dressed the part.” Right: Black Jack table at the Casino Royale As I am writing this, the water level in the reservoir has been on a roller coaster ride and some of us have had to pull out. Hopefully, we will be able to launch again soon and enjoy more weeks of sailing. Hope to see you soon…..on the water!
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| Harbormaster |
 Yes, the rain helped! But the water level is going back down again. As I write this, the water level had gone down about 4¼ feet! As of Sunday the 26th 8pm, it had gone back up just over 6 inches. Now it is receding again. Left: Commodore Bob, Ardy, & Christine at the Casino Royale While our ability to park our empty trailers at the top of the hill is greatly appreciated, there are some restrictions. The one that affects us now is ALL trailers have to vacate the parking area by October 15th. Please, please, please make arrangements to move your trailer by that date. If you don't and the Harbor Master Committee (Rick or Me) has to move it, you could be charged. If you are going to have trouble with that date (about 45 days away), give Rick or me a call ahead of time (as in before the day before) and we will try to help you figure out a plan. And just to make it more complicated this year, following a long-term protocol initiated well before my term, empty/full trailers are not to be parked inside or just outside the car corral until after the Hornback Regatta on Sunday afternoon. Thanks to Jack Hale for trimming the bushes along both the east and west parking lots. It makes parking a lot easier.
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| Racing |
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Greetings fellow sailors!
This year, our annual Governor’s Cup Regatta is going to be a bit different from previous years. I was hoping to make this year different by paring the regatta with a charity event to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation. But, the unfortunate lack of rain and subsequent drought we’ve experienced have made me doubt the success of both regatta participation and our ability to achieve the donation goal for the charity auction. Hopefully, circumstances will not align themselves in such a way next year and we will attempt this then. I believe that the combination of the Governor’s Cup Regatta and a charity fundraiser will be a success, both in terms of increased participation for the Regatta and allowing our Club an opportunity to give back to the community that has so generously given to us.
Above: Comet Fleet at the ECSC Regatta
But, our 2007 Governor's Cup Regatta has been canceled!On a higher note, while the Regatta has been cancelled, we are going to have races for those who would like to participate. There will be no entry fee for these races, but the times and number of races (as stated by the NOR) will be the same. While we won’t be giving away t-shirts nor awards, we will have plenty of frosty beverages and some sort of ordered/delivered food. I hope that everyone will be there. It will be a fun weekend of racing! If you have any questions, please call me at 317-938-2998. Happy Sailing! The NOR and Registration for the Governor's Cup can be found at: http://race.ecsail.org |
| Bailer's Tips & More |
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Waking up, laying face down on the foredeck of the Queen Anne’s Revenge, was not a new one for me. But this time, something was different. I had a knot on the back of my head from some sort of blunt-head trauma...my hands tied in a knot stretched tight over my head and another around my legs...pulled tight. I was hanging above my own deck like a hammock...a strikingly handsome hammock, but a hammock non-the-less. My mouth was gagged with a monkey’s fist knot; which I marveled at because the monkey's fist is among the dying breed of knots. I realized my boat and I were in the middle of Eagle Ocean; me hanging hammock-like before the mast. I heard laughter and craned my neck towards the laughter and recognized Jack Bellamy and Tailer at the wheel...both of them drinking straight from my beloved blender-vessel passing it back and forth...my own recipes I would imagine.
I shouted, “Hey, drop my beloved vessel!” More laughter. I hung like a hammock (as I had mentioned) and watched the two mock me and disrespect my blender-vessel which has become legendary for its nectar. The story goes, my blender-vessel is as close to a perpetual-motion machine as human-kind will come for some time (until the computers invent one, which does not really count...it's like cheating). Yet, these two cads were mocking my efforts to make the Club a place that belongs on the map of civilized...the Club that has a nearly perfect perpetual-motion machine..the sailing Club that is so civilized we have transcended the blue blazer as dress code. I yelled again at the two brothers in contempt and they laughed and asked me if I had ever been “keel hauled.” (From Wikipedia: Keelhauling) (from Dutch kielhalen; "to drag along the keel") It was a severe form of corporal punishment meted out to sailors at sea. The keel-hauled sailor is tied to a rope that is looped beneath the vessel to the other side. The sailor is then thrown overboard on his side of the ship and pulled under the ship's keel to the other side. As the hull was often covered in barnacles and other marine growth, this could result in lacerations and other injuries. More injury generally occurred if the offender was pulled quickly. If pulled slowly, his weight might lower him sufficiently to miss the barnacles...but might result in his drowning. If the rope snapped, the Captain could conclude that the punishment was not done properly and order it carried out again.
I asked for what and they replied in unison, “Cause if you ain’t got no tips for the Club, we gonna keel haul ya!” More laugher. I replied, "Uhhh...I got some tips." I was then hit in the head with a banana! I said, "Dudes, bananas are bad luck on a boat!" The two knot heads replied in unison, “Sure seems to be for you!” More laughter. Above: Rich Fox on his 22 I said, "Dudes, the water is low. I have a wing keel and it's resting on the bottom. How can you keel haul me if the keel is on the bottom?“ Tailer said, "We can do anything if we put our minds and backs into it.” I got to thinking and came up with some mighty fine tips...although, I admit, they were thought up under duress: 1. If the opportunity knocks, do not volunteer to be keel hauled. 2. Do not drink green lake water. 3. Bananas are bad luck on-board ship. They also hurt when thrown hard enough at your noodle. The pointy part hurts the most.
4. The garbage can by the grill has a 8 5/8” hole drilled for the deposit of recyclable aluminum cans. Use it! We can help lighten our carbon footprint...plus, the money from the sale will help ease the pain of our dues (true in all aspects of our life, maybe). 5. Is the hole on the can really 8 5/8” in diameter? I will wager that the first person to correct me can offer a donation of $45 towards a good cause. 6. When one attempts to fathom the thoughts of Mark Twain, are they less of a person if they mark less?
Right: Bonnie & Jim at the Casino Royale 7. Samuel Clemens lived as a reporter in Virginia City. It is said he took his pen name from his time on the river boat...marking twain meant that the person at the head of the boat would be measuring the depth of the water with a rope and weight with knots in the rope every twelve feet. Each twain was two fathoms (twelve feet). Hence the name. Another theory less popular was that when he was a journalist in Virginia City, Nevada, he would enter his favorite watering hole and say “Mark Twain” which meant he was asking for two drinks on his tab. Being a pirate’s buddy and a man of the world, I suspect it was the riverboat that gave him his pen name because he did not want to be known as a western drunk. The Virginia City legend was offered by those whom he made fun of (the poor fella lost his job telling the truth about the news). Samuel moved to San Francisco where he was quoted to say “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” He soon landed a job to travel and write about a boat trip to Hawaii! 8. When you are stuck in the doldrums while sailing to Hawaii, read some Twain. 9. Do not believe everything you read. 10. Bring Gifts. 11. You read my rambles about Twain, don’t get me started on Joshua Slocum or, of course, the Big Show from WWF fame.p> Kind Regards and tack well..... The Bailer
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| Laser Junior Sailors On The Road |
 This season, the ECSC Junior Sailing Team expanded and continued its improvement. Due to all the training we did, every team member improved since last year. Our junior sailors attended 26 regattas this season already. We have plans to attend about 10 more before the year is over. This season our traveling junior sailors included: Cody McCoun, Jacob Hubbard, George Jerman, Alice Tchang, EJ Williams, Erika Williams, my brother Austin, and me. This season, our sailors competed on Laser, Laser Radial, Laser 4.7, 420, FJ, Highlander, Thistle, Vanguard 15, Interlake, J22, J24, and a Farr 42. We started out the year at the ISC Spring Laser Regatta. This year, it lived up to its reputation as an icebreaker (cold, rain, sleet, and hail). My dad (Rick Graef) and I traveled to Chicago to sail in The Vlad Kobel Regatta at the Chicago Yacht Club. ECSC sent several junior and adult sailors to the District 18 Laser Championships at the Leatherlips Yacht Club in Columbus, Ohio. In May, ECSC sailors teamed up with Leatherlips Yacht Club sailors to form a team for the 24-hour endurance race (Leukemia Cup) Regatta. We had 8 juniors and 2 adults from Indianapolis racing on two Lasers and a Highlander. Our team raised over $750 for charity, placed well, made many new friends, and had lots of fun. June brought about the first regatta in the I-LYA Junior Traveler Series. The Traveler’s Series is a group of eight Saturday regattas in Laser, Laser Radial, 420, FJ, and Thistles. At the end of the series, the best five races count towards an overall award. Our juniors sailed at Buckeye Yacht Club, Hoover Sailing Club, Sandusky Sailing Club, Gross Ile Yacht Club, Lorain Sailing Association, Port Clinton Yacht Club, Vermilion Yacht Club, Cleveland Yacht Club, and the Edgewater Yacht Club. In the I-LYA traveler series, I placed 1st in the radial fleet with all bullets (Pictured above getting the trophy). Also in the radial fleet, Erika Williams and Austin Graef finished well. EJ Williams finished well in the full rig Laser division. All of our sailors improved from last year.
Also in June, I traveled to Hyannis, Massachusetts for the Laser North American Championships. Thanks for driving me, mom (Sandy Graef). I had fun sailing in winds up to 35 knots and waves up to 10 feet. EJ and I also attended the 3-day Junior Olympic Festival at Bayview Yacht Club in Detroit. We saw the best of the best. All of our junior sailors had some very proud moments this season. In a large fleet of Laser radials at the Vermilion Pre-Bay Regatta, Erika Williams finished third out of 16 boats. EJ Williams (Shown left) finished 1st in several races and won in Cleveland in the full-rig division following with a win in the radial division the next week at Edgewater while I tried my hand in a 420. Austin Graef finished third in the Sandusky Junior Regatta. Cody McCoun and Jake Hubbard won the endurance award at the 24-hour Leukemia Cup Regatta. As already mentioned, I tied for 1st at Junior Bay Week and won the Laser Radial Travelers Series overall trophy with bullets in every radial regatta I raced. We still have a long season ahead of us including the ECSC Laser Championship (Wayne’s World “5 for 5”), Junior Olympic Festival at Holland, MI, the Lake Lemon Regatta, and the Junior Orange Bowl Regatta in Miami. I speak for the whole ECSC Junior Sailing Team as I say “Thank You” for all the support we received from the Club and its members. The new boats that we received these past years have improved the overall performance of the team. The junior sailors would like to thanks to all of our parents (Rick & Sandy Graef and Evan & Katie Williams) who drove our equipment and us all over the country. We would also like to thank Wayne Myers, Ki Hickok, Tony & Joyce Hubbard, Bob McCoun & Anne Cameron, and Bob & Janet Hickok and all of our Junior Support Members and the members of the ECSC Board for their continued efforts to help their “Junior Sailing Team” expand and improve. Without this support, we just might have been sitting in front of our TV or playing some video game. Thank You....
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| Safety & Education |
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Something To Think About I wish to say “Thank You” to RJ for the above report...and a job well done to our Junior Sailing Team!
22 Lasers on the Line
3rd - Rick Graef
Junior News There's an opening for one more junior sailor for our next year's racing team.
Contact Wayne Myers or Ki Hickok at the Club or alarmco@netdirect.net
Calendar
Harvest Moon Regatta
Lake Lemon Regatta Others can be found on the website under the Junior Program. If you or your junior would like to travel to one of these regattas, please call or talk to us. The Club will supply the boats/equipment and some funding is there.
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| Sailboats, Inc |
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A customer recently put his boat away for the winter as he was done sailing for the season. But before doing so, he made a list of repairs needed while it was fresh in his mind. He stopped by the shop and dropped off his sail, boom, and mast (it was a small boat) for repair. He told us as long as it was done by April, he would be happy. As his repair order was written up, I commented about how far ahead of the game he was. He knew what was broken and what he wanted fixed and ordered the work. He will be ready to sail in the spring.
Last spring was our first year here at the shop. Far too many sailors brought items in for repair just before they wanted to go sailing and had to wait for the repairs to be completed. Others launched only to find they couldn’t sail because of that tear in their sail that they knew was there when they put the boat away or some other hard-to-find part that was missing in the fall was still missing. Please...Please don’t fall into this trap!! As you take your final sail for the year, make that list of things you want done. At least you will remember what you wanted to do in the spring. We all know that first sunny warm day and the need to go sailing is overwhelming. We can help you be ready. Above: Repairs being done on the water?? HEADS UP EAGLE CREEK MEMBERS: Sailboats, Inc. will have a close out sale of all remaining 2007 model year boats. If you’ve had your eye on a new boat, there is no better time then right now to buy. The 2008 model year price increase is already in effect for the new boats. Financing is available…good rates, too!
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2007 Social Calendar, Click Here.
2007 Racing Calendar, Click Here.
2007 Overall Club Calendar, Click Here.
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| Click to view Sailboats, Inc's website. | |
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| Click to view Old Bob's website. | |
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| Eagle Creek Sail Club ECSC Home Page |
