• Commodore

    Commodore September 2017

    September 6, 2017 - By 
    Recently, an editor from Sail Magazine asked questions about our club. They are planning to publish one of our pictures in the reader pictures section of an upcoming issue. Answering those questions reminded me how fortunate we are. We sail on a lake dedicated to sailing and small craft under 10 horsepower. Speedboats and personal water craft are not a problem for us. The shorelines are generally wooded and will soon be just as pretty as the picture we submitted. We have a fine restaurant on the lake. We have very active social, education and racing programs. We are fortunate indeed.
    The grounds improvements planned for this year are nearly complete. We had a long list of small to large projects, so this will summarize only the larger items. Decayed supports for the upper shelter deck and stairway have been reinforced. The lower shelter has new supports, a concrete floor, and new tables. The L dock structure and decking was completely rebuilt last spring. There are new LED lights in the parking lot. New rip-rap lines the shoreline near race shelter. Finally, the A dock has been moved closer to the ramp. Now members should be able to launch and retrieve boats much closer to the dock without concerns for the trailer wheel running off the ramp. There is a long list of members to thank for getting all of this done.
    The mountain bike issue has been relatively quiet in the last month. However, Geoff Endris is leading a team of members who will follow this closely. Please reach out to him as appropriate for information or to share ideas. This will help achieve a good outcome in this important issue.
    Our season is winding down but we still have excellent social and sailing opportunities. Come out often and enjoy everything ECSC has to offer. As always, be safe, have fun, and sail fast.
    Larry Conrad
  • Social

    Social – September 2017

    September 6, 2017 - By 

    We have had several exciting events this summer!  As usual, our Lobster Fest was a great success as Eric Jones and his crew served up over 200 lobsters and grilled to order some mighty tasty steaks!  Eric spent hours just in the preparation for this event.  He did a great job coordinating with a Lobsterman in Maine to assure we had Live Delivery the night before the event. We made a few changes in check to the reservation and check in process and used bracelets instead of tickets to assure everyone received what they ordered.  All in all, it was a GREAT SUCCESS!!   A shout out to all involved!

     

    Although I was not able to attend the Labor Day Barbecue, I understand David Knapp and his crew served up some wonderful Brats and Burgers!  Attendance was a little lower than anticipated, but a good time was had by all!  Thank you David for continuing to step up and host an event.

     

    Our next social event is coming up October 14th, when we break up the two day Hornback Regatta with a Chili Cookoff!  Jennifer Curtis has offered to host this event again.  Although, with a little one on the way, she may be recruiting some extra hands to help her out!  This event will kick off at 5:00pm.  All those interested in participating in the Chili Cookoff should bring your Chili and fixin’s.  Those just wishing to sample and vote can bring a dish to pass as a contribution to the event.

     

    Make sure you mark your calendars and Save the Date for the Final Bash, held on November 4th at 6:30pm.   Be on the lookout for more information from Perry Cameron as he is finalizing the details.

     

    Vickie Greenough

  • Harbormaster

    Harbormaster September 2017

    September 6, 2017 - By 

    Hello Creekers,

    I hope everyone is enjoying the sailing season so far.  We still have a few months of what will be great weather remaining before we must put our boats away for Winter so by all means come out and enjoy the club. Any questions about parking, different slips, Winter parking, 48 hour dock usage or any questions in general should be directed to myself (Kenny Chapman) or the other Harbormaster Dennis Robertson. We will gladly help you in any way we can.

    Last weekend we moved A dock back to it’s normal position on the ramp so there is little chance of getting you trailer stuck. I would however always try and launch or retrieve  your boat in the middle of the ramp as it is much closer to level in that area. I would also like to thank Mark Walker for helping Dennis and I in the moving of the dock.

    On another note, please try and be very carful with the equipment that the club provides. Especially at the pressure sprayer. The wand for the pressure sprayer was broken last week and I put a new one on it as soon as possible and sure enough the new one is bent already. The hose reel was ripped off the wall last week also (along with the one at the upper shelter) .  The reel by the pressure sprayer was recently replaced last year  so I’m pretty sure it wasn’t sun damaged. I put a new hose reel in place and I am kind of hoping it lasts more than a year. Please try to respect the equipment that our club provides. More club repairs and damage only lead to higher dues in the future.

    If any members have positive or negative comments about the work Dennis and I have done over the last two years please inform members of the board of directors.

     

    Kenny Chapman

  • Racing

    Racing September 2017

    September 6, 2017 - By 

    As we head into September, we still have a lot of sailing to do. In addition to our weekly series racing, we have 3 regattas.

    Weekly Series Update

    [one_third][/one_third] [one_third]We have 3 more races for the Wednesday Summer Series. We continue to have great turnout. More importantly, we continue to have great wind. Results are posted on the club’s Facebook page and on the ECSC web site.

    [/one_third] [one_third][/one_third][one]

    Our Fall Twilight series begins on Wednesday September 27. Note that because it is getting darker earlier, the start time is at 6:40, not 6:50.

    September is Packed full of Sailing!

    September will be a busy month for regattas. Our first regatta will be on Labor Day weekend when the Purdue Sailing Club will be hosting a collegiate regatta at ECSC. PSC is expecting 6 boats to compete. Each competing school brings 2 teams – an A and B team. Each school’s A team sails two races, then switches with their B team, who then sails two races and switches with the A team again. We have lots of PSC students coming down to help with race committee.

    The Indy 200 Regatta is scheduled for September 9th. This is always a favorite and we typically have at least a dozen boats participating. It is a one-day regatta for cruising boats with a PHRF rating of 200 or greater. Basically, this is the Blue/White fleet. Rich Fox is the PRO, with help from Tom Moore.

    The Governor’s Cup regatta is the following week on September 16&17. Geoff Endris will be the PRO for the race. We expect J-24’s, J-22, Catalina 22’s, Highlanders, and our Blue/White fleet. Don’t forget the live band/party on Saturday night. We reached out to club members to volunteer and got great response. Thanks to all who volunteered.  Don’t forget there will be a live band on Saturday September 16.  Music will start at 7:00.  Come on out and have some fun!

    October Sailing

    We have two events in October. First it the ECSC Championship. This will be a one-day regatta for those who placed in the Wednesday Spring and Summer series. All boats will race both in fleet and PHRF on the same course with a single start. We will announce a fleet champion and an overall club champion. So, get those boats hauled out and cleaned off!

    Our second and final regatta for the year is the Hornback regatta. This is always a fun race because it is a pursuit race. This means that instead of starting everyone at the same time and adjusting the finish times, we stagger the starts so that the first boat over the finish line wins the race. Always a good time and always some interesting courses.

    Don’t forget to go to the RC Signup page to sign up for RC duty. http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f084ca9ac22a4f58-2017

    Geoff Endris

    Racing

    [/one]

  • Membership

    Membership September 2017

    September 6, 2017 - By 
    Welcome to new member, Michael Kalbfleisch of Zionsville sailing a Precision 165.    Mike is our 18th new member in 2017.
    Next new member orientation session will be Sunday, September 17th at 1:00 pm in the upper shelter house.
    It was great to see everyone at the Labor Day Cookout last Monday.
    Jane Schmidt
  • Safety & Education

    Safety and Education September 2017

    September 6, 2017 - By 
     
    After a busy summer the majority of the 2017 Junior Sailing season is complete.  The end of the I-LYA travelers series was plagued by a few cancelled regattas due to weather at the hosting clubs, so that made for  a shortened series.  ECSC’s Reagan Lessick ended up 6th in the series for 2017, up one spot from last year.  Reagan has one more year in the program and we are looking forward to some great results next season.   Grant Goff has also been doing some conditioning as well as competing in his first regattas.  He is getting a little taste of what this sailboat racing thing is all about.
    Typically this time of year, the Junior Team would be heading to Lake Lemon for a final regatta of the year This regatta has always given some new youth the chance to experience their first real regatta.  Unfortunately that event has been cancelled this year!  Not to worry, our own Wayne Myers is setting up a Junior Regatta in conjunction with the Governors Cup Regatta on Sept 16-17.  Race against the best in the mid-west. Free registration and meal! Short windward / leeward courses, lots of starts, great prizes. Open to all small boat single hand sailors.  Contact Wayne for more information. This is a great chance to get a youngster started in one of the clubs Opti’s or Lasers!
    Chuck Lessick