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August 1, 2001

It’s hot, hot, hot.  But we’re still managing to get some (if not all) of our races in. 

INTERLAKES REGATTA……is this weekend at White Bear Lake.  Many of you will be traveling north to participate or spectate.  And that means the X, MC, C and E races won’t count.  Good luck to the CLYC team!

JACK MACNIDER REGATTA RESULTS……The First Annual Jack MacNider Memorial Regatta got off on the right foot and hats off to these trophy winners:

EARLY PARTY REMINDER………The next Yacht Club party is fast approaching.  It will be Saturday, August 11 at Tom and Charlotte Spragg’s home, 5990 S. Shore Ct.  The MCs, Es, Hobies and Past Commodores are handling the hosting.  Those of you in the E and MC fleet who are also Past Commodores only need to bring one dish, not two (but you need to serve beverages twice as long).

BUILDING UPDATE…….The exterior of the building about complete, except for whitewashing the trim.  All of the stone work, siding and roofing is done.  Work is beginning on the sidewalks surrounding the building.  About 50% of the interior siding and nearly all of the interior ceiling work is finished.  The kitchen is sided, the bathrooms are sided and the main room is nearly half sided……It’s getting there……Check out the latest pictures on our web site under photos (Click here)  

SAILING SCHOOL NEWSLETTER……If you get the Crow’s Nest by email, the last part of this week’s edition has the Sailing School’s own version of a year-end newsletter appropriately titled News From The Trailer (if you get a hard copy of the Crow’s Nest, there should be an attached sheet).  J.C. Risewick, in a moment of brilliance (must have been a rainy day at sailing school that day), decided to have the sailing school kids help contribute to a final sailing school report.  So take a peek at it.

 News from the Trailer   (Summer at the Sailing School)

The summer of 2001 brought light winds and lots of heat to Clear Lake, but the kids and instructors at the CLYC Sailing School forged on.  It was a new experience to teach out of a Henkel job trailer, but some folks say that it was better than the building that was there before.  Go figure.

The beginning and intermediate Optimist and X classes  had a great time learning the basic techniques of sailing such as how to dock a sailboat and how to sail it upwind.  However, the kids favorite thing do to was capsizing.  In fact capsizing became a regular occurance at the sailing school.  “I learned not to bring an inexperienced crew because you might tip over or something,” said Ben Gentry on the subject of capsizing. 

The X Racers class this year was full of young enthusiastic sailors.  Throughout the summer the racers learned starting techniques, the proper way to round a mark, how to tack and jibe faster, and how to read wind shifts.  “I learned valuable upwind tactics such as ’staying out of Vegas’,” commented Chase Langhart.  

On top of all this they sailed a plethera of races which were scored, and the winner will receive a polished X boat rudder with their name engraved on it at the awards ceremony on Labor Day.

All in all sailing school was a huge success this summer, and everyone had the time of their lives!  

X Championships Results

X Championships this year brought light winds and lunches on the sailboats.   Reports on the regatta stated that for the most part the regatta was fairly uneventful, with a few exceptions.  Apparently Ben Gentry, sailing in the junior fleet tipped over and turtled before the start of one of the races.  Miraculously he got the boat back up, with the help of the Okoboji Yacht Club Sailing School instructors, and drained it and was able to sail the next race.  Way to hang in there Ben! 

In the senior fleet Chris Osmundson had a pretty decent showing, despite sailing into an enormous hole in one of the races.  Congratulations to all those who competed.

Later, OZ

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July 24, 2001 

Races are getting as scarce as hen’s teeth, unless you are part of the Saturday morning crew.  The only races held during the entire weekend were squeezed in before noon on Saturday.  The rest of us were left to play follow the leader as Race Officers Hanson and Bang did their darndest  to set a starting line with a dying wind which did a big graceful circle over about a 45 minute time span.  Of course about 4:00 p.m. a nice breeze appeared out of the southeast.  Sunday morning was looking like “second verse, same as the first” when a marauding thunderstorm or two mercifully made us stay home.  Definitely a challenging weekend for our judging crew, but they were up to the task….now if only they could get Mother Nature to listen to the VHF radio.

REGATTAS COMING……….X Inlands is this weekend.  Ben Gentry and Chris Oz are journeying to Lake Geneva to give it a go.  Good luck guys.  Word is that, instead of having all the kids come in for lunch, the Regatta Committee is going to experiment with giving the sailors “to go” lunches to eat on the boat (capsizing would make for soggy sandwiches); and one evening all the X Boaters will get to visit a local water park.  Sounds like fun. This also means, I believe, that the X Boat Regatta Series begins this weekend. 

AND GOING………..From the biggest to the smallest……….”Chaos”, Clear Lake’s entry in the A Invitationals at Lake Mendota, in Madison, Wisconsin found the winds no better than at Clear Lake this past weekend.  Zero…..you heard it right….zero races were held.  But that didn’t stop the CLYC folks from taking the Congeniality Award (for at least the 5^th year in a row).

C Invitationals were at Lake Nagawicka and there were zero…..you heard it right………zero Clear Lake C’s in attendance.  However, our own Jenny Child did find time to make an appearance crewing with John Wicks of Minnetonka.  I don’t know how they finished, but they did have more than zero races.

Ben Gentry did the X Boat T.R.A.S.H Regatta thing at Minnetonka, tuning up for Inlands.  And Jon Oz and Gil DeBartolo day-tripped it to Lake Okoboji to bring home 3^rd and 8^th place hardware, respectively, in the Optimist No Tears West Regatta.

IN CASE YOU HADN’T NOTICED……….the Sailing School Building is starting to look like a real place we can use one of these days.  The doors and windows are in, the shakes and stone siding look complete (the stonework looks awesome, by the way) and the shingles have to be nearly done by now.  It’s time to get inside and cover the interior walls with car-siding.  The finish line should be reached sometime in August.

AT THE MC FLEET PARTY….this last Saturday (grandly hosted by the Risewick family) the Fleet unveiled its 2 year effort to fashion a response to the C Fleet’s “10 Reasons Why You Should Sail a C”.  It somehow seemed appropriate, since at least 2 members of the vaunted C Fleet have opted to spend most of their racing time in MCs these days.  Here it is, “The Top Ten Reasons To Be in the MC Fleet”:

            10.       No need for a crew.

             9.        Fits easier into the garage.

             8.        It’s like sailing in a regatta every weekend.

             7.        We have a masters division.

             6.        Unlike other fleets, we sail over 2 days, allowing for rest, strategy and espionage overnight.

             5.        The purchase and upkeep of an MC allows more money to be spent on spouse/significant other.

             4.        Hitting the judges boat with a smaller boat causes less damage.

3.        Out fleet roster doesn’t match up with the latest “Who’s Who” in AARP.

             2.        The babes dig us.

             1.        We have better parties !! 

I know, I know……..isn’t it amazing what 2 solid years of creative thinking can do?

SAILING SCHOOL INSIGHTS…….
Stay tuned for inserts in upcoming editions of the newsletter with news and views from our Sailing School members.  The students talk about their thoughts on everything from upcoming regattas to stupid sailing tricks to who knows what. 

Later, OZ

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July 18, 2001

It seems that we have definitely left the monsoon season and entered the doldrums…..no wind, no rain, just sun, sun, sun.  It may sound like paradise, but we could really use a break. The summer of Xtremes continues……….. 

MC INVITATIONALS…………were held this past weekend in Lake Delavan, Wisconsin.  Three of our intrepid MCs made the trip, joining 40 other boats in discovering that it’s not only Clear Lake that is experiencing the doldrums.  Despite it all, J.C. Risewick pulled off a 19^th.  And unconfirmed reports are that his brother Mike inserted himself into the low 20s, with Rob Protzman a bit further back.

X, C AND E FLEET CAPTAINS……You have to call or email Rick Fitch 357-1985 or rfitch@netconx.net  BEFORE THIS WEEKEND with the team members for your fleet’s Interlakes team.  As of Monday only the MCs have given Rick a list.  Rick has to turn in the lists to the Interlakes Association this weekend, so don’t dilly dally around any longer…..or else he’ll be forced to use the old scientific method of pulling names out of a hat.

MC FLEET PARTY………is this Saturday, July 21, 6:00 p.m. sharp at the Risewicks, 1715 North Shore Drive.  Beverages and table service will be provided, courtesy of the hosts.  You bring the rest.  Prepare to party until the bugs outnumber us 1000 to 1.

REGATTA SEASON IS UPON US…………This next Monday, July 23, the Optimists will have the chance to participate in the No Tears West Regatta at Lake Okoboji.  Clear Lake has hosted this a few times and it is always an excellent event for the younger sailors.  The Sailing School is coordinating a day trip over to Okoboji to make it even fun.  Later next week, from July 26-28 to be exact, the X Boats get to show their stuff at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin at X Inlands…..this is a great opportunity to see if all your club racing, your sailing school education and your practice have helped you match up with the other X Boats from all around the Midwest.  The weekend after that is Interlakes, and a week or two after that is the weeklong Big Inlands for all the rest of the scow racers.  Stay tuned for results. 

IN THE MEANTIME……during the weekend of July 28-29, the CLYC will be holding its own club regatta, the first annual Jack MacNider Memorial Regatta.  So use the upcoming weekend to tune up. 

Does anyone know any jokes?   If not, I’m all out of material…………..

 Later, OZ

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July 11, 2001

The 4^th of July week certainly brought summer with it.  Not great for getting lots of races in, but just fine for about everything else.  The parade was exactly the opposite of last year’s gully washer, and as far as I know, no one was injured from flying Tootsie Rolls (thanks to those who made the time to get the CLYC float together);  the fireworks just keep getting better every year (Disney may have to send a rep next year to check out the competition); and the Carnival obviously enjoyed it all enough to stay around for an extra 2 days (more time for you to find just the right carnie to hug).

JULY 4^TH REGATTA……A 1 race light air regatta for all but the X’s, who got in 2.  Here are the results:

THE PARTY AT LUNDEENS…….was great.  Good weather, fun people, lots of lying.  Tom and Nancy Jo set a new standard for hosting YC functions by ordering up a hot air balloon show on the lake (they also tried to make an emergency order for bugs late in the evening to get us all to leave, but that’s another story).  Thanks for having us. 

INTERLAKES REGATTA TEAMS……should be set by now.  If you don’t know who the qualifiers were from your fleet you can check it out on the web site.  Your fleet captains have probably made calls to those on the list to see who can really make it.  If you haven’t heard anything, and think you might be eligible for the team, give your fleet captain a call.

MC INVITATIONALS……….are this weekend at Lake Delavan in Wisconsin.  An unconfirmed rumor has it that 3 MCs from Clear Lake may be making the trip – J.C. Risewick, Mike Risewick and Rob Protzman.  If the rumor proves to be true, good luck to you guys……..and if it’s true, that also means MC races will not count this weekend.

WHICH REMINDS ME………..Make sure to notify our Head Scorer, Mark Tesar, if you are planning to attend a regatta, so he can determine whether races will or will not count that particular weekend.

FAMILY NIGHT – THE SEQUEL……is Wednesday, July 18 from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m.  The first one was a lot of fun.  The second one should therefore by twice as fun.  Although the Sailing School sponsors Family Night, it’s really for everyone.  You don’t need to be in sailing school, you don’t need to have a sailboat, you don’t even need to have a family.  Just go down and join the fun.  There’s (1) a picnic/potlock……bring something to grill (Sailing School provides the grills), a beverage, a dish to share and table setting, (2) tours of the new building, (3) rides on the 420s, (4) Opti and X-Boat mini-races at 5:30 (bring your own or maybe borrow the Sailing School’s).

2^ND SESSION OF SAILING SCHOOL IS UNDERWAY……I understand there are 30 advance registrants and, maybe best of all, 13 beginner X sailors.

OPTIMIST NO TEARS WEST REGATTA……is at Okoboji on July 23.  The Sailing School  is planning to do a group day trip there, so keep that in mind.

CLASSIFIEDS……Eric Protzman (357-1418) has a couple of lifts for sale….one is a pipe lift for a runabout or a whaler….the other is Shore Station lift for an X Boat (he would like to lift $300 out of your pocket for the pipe lift and $500 for the other.

…………and John and Mark Reuber (422-0237) are looking to buy an X Boat trailer if you’ve got one lying around (not surprisingly their snowmobile trailer just isn’t cutting it).

Later, OZ
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June 27, 2001

I almost hate to say it for fear of jinxing the program, but we seem to be in the middle of a winning streak of weather.  We actually got all of our races in this past weekend, and I have the aches, bruises (and serious naptime) to prove it.  Summer obviously is not entirely here, as Saturday’s breezes bore a strong resemblance to mid-September stuff – gusty and shifty enough to leave big holes in the middle of the course during the a.m. races, and to turn the first race of the afternoon into a 2 ½ lap drag race around the “Clear Lake oval.”  There was definitely good air on Sunday….. the 15+ knot winds gave PRO Caslavka the opportunity to say, “Let’s play two !”, and we did, despite some whining from a tired sailor or two (actually if anyone happened to hear my whining, that was only because we did 2 races and I really, really wanted to do 3, maybe 4…….believe it or don’t).

FIRST SERIES…………is over and the results are in.  And in spite of weather problems early in the series, the fleets actually got in quite a few races.  The X’s made 12, while the E’s and MC’s got in 10.  And the MC fleet demonstrated the most parity……..out of the 10 races there were 8 different race winners………..everybody plays, everybody wins (which reminds me, the Carnie is coming to town this weekend).

E Fleet                                     C Fleet                                    MC Fleet                    

1. Z-16  Tom Erickson            1. Z-2     Tom Birdsall               1. 1910  Jeff Nicholas

2. Z-5   Mike Lundberg           2. Z-3     Bill Nicholas               2. 2091  Stu Oltrogge

3. Z-15 Charlie MacNider      3. Z-55   Don Taylor, Jr.            3. 1764  Randy Kotz

4. Z-24 Bob Swanson              4. Z-100 Steve Swift                  4. 2050  Eric Protzman

5. Z-4   John Toepfer                                                                    5. 1635  Brad Oz

  X Fleet                                        Cougar Fleet                            Hobie Fleet

1. Z-84 Chris Oz                     1. US8   Ken Hanus                 1. 96812 Steve Ashland

2. Z-8   Spencer Anderson      2. US21 Andi Ludwig             2. 63125 ???????

3. Z-16 Ben Gentry                  3. US7   Bob Krogh                3. 20017 Wesseks

4. Z-4   Chase Langhart           4. US282 ??????

5. Z-6   Taylor Zachar 

4^TH OF JULY REGATTA………is this weekend, so expect back-to-back races on Saturday (or Sunday, if the weather frowns on us).  Remember that qualifying for Interlakes Regatta runs through this regatta, so you’ve still got 3 races to get that average up there.

EARLY PARTY REMINDER………Tom and Nancy Jo Lundeen are hosting the next CLYC get-together of the season on Saturday, July 7 starting at 6:30 p.m.  They live at 5990 S. Shore Ct.  One of the reasons for this early notice is so the A’s, E’s, Cougars and X Parents can start preparing scrumptious hors d’oeuvres way ahead of time.

BOARD MEETING REMINDER……Next CLYC Board Meeting is at 8:00 Saturday morning, July 7.  The plan is to meet at the YC building, although I have no clue exactly how we will accomplish that (bring a hard hat???).  Stay tuned for better information in next week’s edition.

TRY IT, YOU’LL LIKE IT………The Sailing School wants you to know that it is the recipient of a kind donation from Tom Winninger…….a shiny, nearly new MC.  And it’s available if you want to try it out for a casual sail or maybe a race.  If that sounds fun to you (and it should) give Sailing School Director Jeff Nicholas a ring at 641-357-2630

HOBIE SAILORS………..Brush your teeth and comb your hair, because Michael Quinn of Ventura will be taking photos of Hobies this Saturday morning during the races.  If you would like to see your mug and your boat on a glossie, you can give Michael a call after Saturday at 641-829-3971. (At least I think that’s his name and number…you see I lost my notes on the phone message).

NEW WEB SITE STUFF……Harry Alcorn has put a crew registration page on the CLYC Web Site.  If you are interested in being a crew on a sailboat, you can type in some info on the page (with your parents’ permission for those under the age of 16) and we can have a complete list of those looking to get involved with crewing.

AQUATENNIAL REGATTA NOTICE……The annual Twin Cities Aquatennial Regatta will be July 14-15 at Lake Calhoun for any interested C, MC, M or Laser sailors.  You can get more details from the CLYC Web Site or contact Steve Woldum (612-823-8269 or scwoldum@norstan.com).

Have a great July 4^th.  Hug a carnie for me.

Later, OZ

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June 20, 2001 

Now that’s more like it!  A few more weekends like that and we might be able to imagine that summer is actually here.  We managed to get all our regular races in….and more.  The winds were reminiscent of an early fall wind (gusty and shifty), but at this point I am willing to take what I can get.  Unfortunately those kind of winds create lots of opportunities for skippers (and their unlucky crews) to test the temperature of Clear Lake’s water…….and several sailors made the most of the opportunity……..but more about that later. 

DAD/MOM/LAD/LASS RESULTS………The wind and weather held through Sunday afternoon and made for some fun racing in the annual Dad/Mom/Lad/Lass event.  7 young X Boat sailors gulped real hard and let their parents (or in 2 cases, “ringers”) take their boats for a 2 ½ lap spin around the race course.  J.C. Risewick and Ben Gentry, disguised as Gilligan and The Skipper (at least, I hope those were disguises), led pretty much from start to finish.  The rest of us muddled our way through the building breeze.  I am convinced that the determining factor in how well anyone finished was the willingness to listen to your crew’s advice.  Although it pains me to say it, the more I paid attention to my 14 year old’s instructions (which was frequently accompanied by exaggerated rolling of the eyes) the better things went.  Go figure……….Anyway,  here are the results:

           1.         Z-16     J.C. Risewick/ Ben Gentry

           2.         Z-84     Brad and Chris Oz

           3.         Z-6       Jamie and Taylor Zachar

           4.         Z-21     Stu Oltrogge/ Nathan Kotz

           5.         Z-5       Dave and Katie Roberts

           6.         Z-4       Rex Bergo/ Chase Langhart

           7.         Z-8       Matt and Spencer Anderson

C NATIONALS WERE LAST WEEKEND……71 C’s journeyed to Lake Geneva for C Nationals, including Bill Nicholas and Steve Swift.  I understand that a 6^th race might have been great things for our troops (meaning they could have thrown out a crummy race), but, despite predictions of strong winds, the 6^th race was called as the wind went from zip to nada. 

“FAMILY NIGHT” AT THE YACHT CLUB………….will be next Wednesday evening, June 27, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Yacht Club (or what you can find of it).  Bring your family and join your friends for the inaugural Family Night picnic/potluck get-together.  There will be Opti races at 5:30 (bring your own or borrow one at the sailing school), and 420s will be available for adults and kids to try out.  Bring a dish to share, some meat to grill, a beverage, and table setting.  Grills will be there, so will the sailing school instructors and committee members.  It’s a great chance to get to know these folks and your fellow members a little bit better.  Any questions?  Call Julie Oltrogge at 357-8957/

COULDN’T HELP BUT NOTICE……that there is a certain amount of confusion during the Saturday morning races, as to who starts and when.  Race Officer Charlie MacNider advises that (1) a 3 minute starting sequence is being used, (2) Cougars go first, C’s go next, MCs and Hobies together  go next, and X’s go last (if no boats have shown up from the fleet that is supposed to leave before you, your fleet will move up to the next starting spot…..IF THERE IS SOME DOUBT IN YOUR MIND, CHECK THE BOARD ON THE STERN OF THE JUDGE’S BARGE (Charlie promises he is getting a new, improved version which will be easier to see), and (3) the Judge expects to run back-to-back races for all the Saturday morning fleets (except the MCs), unless he is informed otherwise by a fleet captain.

 FROM THE HEAD SCORER……….Make sure you let the judge know if you are using a sail with a number different from the number you are registered under.  So far, we have results for both a Cougar and a Hobie that we are not showing as being registered.  ALSO, check the results on the web site and when we attach them to the newsletter every couple of weeks, and let Mark Tesar know if you think there may be a problem.  It’s easier to fix results now than to do so after the trophies are engraved. 

ALL THE TIPPING OVER LAST WEEKEND MADE A FEW THINGS PRETTY CLEAR…….Spectator boats are so important in assisting sailors who capsize, especially when weather conditions and water temps are less than ideal.  But spectators need to know what is they need to do to be helpful.  I think everyone out there wants to help, but is not certain how to go about it.  One bright person has suggested holding a class or two, with some real hands-on training to help spectators and sailors alike understand what works and doesn’t work when it comes to rescuing capsized sailboats.  Great idea !  Stay tuned for further announcements. 

BUILDING FUND DONATIONS……….The Sailing School Building fund has been the fortunate recipient of several donations from generous contributors since the date the Yearbook was published.  We still want these folks to be recognized for the support they have shown; so a sincere thank you goes to:

           Harry and Janine Alcorn                          Crew

           Roger and Peggy Bang                             Crew

           Tom and Nancy Jo Lundeen                    Crew

           William L. and Mary Lou Nicholas        Skipper

           Brad Price                                                 Skipper

           Lon Rosenthal                                          Chase Boat

           Steve and Sheila Swift                              Crew

           Jamie and Nancy Zanios                           Skipper

           Anonymous                                               Race Officer 

Later, OZ
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June 13, 2001 

The strange summer of 2001 continues.  The weather gods are not doing us any favors this season, but did allow us just enough of a break to get some races in on Saturday.  Actually the X boats are not short very many races, but the rest of us will be really hard pressed to get 10 races in through July 4^th. 

DAD/MOM/LAD/LASS…………The Annual Dad/Mom/Lad/Lass race will be this Sunday, June 17 at 2:00 p.m. (if the weather doesn’t cooperate…..gee, imagine that…….the makeup is scheduled for the following Sunday at the same time).  If you’ve never watched this race (or participated in it) before, you will find that it is a great opportunity to observe otherwise seasoned sailors demonstrate just how little they know about sailing X Boats…..or maybe it’s just how little they know, period. 

RESULTS………Even though there is not a heckuva lot to report, there should current race results and standings attached to the snail mail version of this week’s newsletter.

SAILING SCHOOL HAS STARTED………The first session is underway today.  I understand that the sailing school is currently operating out of a big construction trailer that Henkel Construction is allowing us to use while the new building is going up. 

BUILDING DONORS……….If you’ve perused this season’s yearbook, you will see a list of the donors (at least those who did not wish to remain anonymous) who have pledged donations.  Unfortunately we had a printing deadline and the list does not include those who made pledges either right at the deadline or sometime after that.  Not to worry.  We are continually updating the list of donors and donations, and will be giving proper recognition to all of you kind enough to contribute to the building project.  If you do see a mistake on the list in the yearbook, please let me know so we can correct it before all is said and done. 

BURGEES STILL AVAILABLE………..The CLYCSS still has a few of the CLYC Burgee stickers for sale.  They are $3 for one, $5 for two.  So, for those of you who bought (or found or borrowed or stole) a new car or a new boat this past winter, you can still get a sticker to show your support.  If interested, see Mark Tesar at 641-357-8642 or email at mark.tesar@kingland.com. 

That’s all I’ve got.   Later,  OZ

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June 6, 2001 

MAKE IT STOP!!!  I don’t know about any of you but I can hardly stand the weather hand we’ve been dealt.  I have no idea where my shorts and T-Shirts are stored away, but I could really care less…………why would I possibly need shorts and T-shirts when a down parka, boots and mittens work just as well?  Global warming is a neat theoretical concept, but this part of the globe is not getting its share of the warmth.  OK, enough whining about climate………..there’s plenty of other things to whine about.  Like the fact that our races are few and far between so far this season……….

NO NEED TO WHINE ABOUT THE FIRST YACHT CLUB PARTY………The Lovells rolled out the red carpet and rolled back the gray clouds just in time for last Saturday’s party.  It was a fun event and the social members, per usual, provided us with what will probably prove to be the finest food fare of the season.  Frankly, I was surprised that folks were optimistic enough to actually bring chips, dip and assorted other summer dishes when hot chili and hot chocolate would have seemed the more appropriate choice earlier in the day.  Anyway, thanks to those who made our first get-together at a new venue all possible.

SINCE THERE’S NOT MUCH RACING TO TALK ABOUT LET’S TALK JUDGING…..Head Race Officer Craig Caslavka has offered to write a column periodically with some info that many of us will find useful.  So, here it is, in its raw and uncut state:

Head Race Officer Stuff 

“Starting this summer I intend to share with the Yacht Club Members’ answeres to some the questions about procedures and/or rules that I get asked throughout the sailing season.  Asked Sunday, what flags should be used during the starting sequence.  The Clear Lake Race Officers will use the following starting signals.  These signals are very similar to what will by used in the ILYA race instructions except they use a 5-minute sequence.

Signal                          Flag and sound                                    Minutes before start 

Warning                       Yellow flag up; one gun                                6
                                     Yellow flag down                                           4

Preparatory                 P flag up; one gun                                           3
                                     P flag down                                                     1

Starting                        Red flag up; one gun                                       0

Continue to use the Red flag up and down for each fleet in 3-minute sequence.

See P flag picture on back page of CLYC yearbook.  We are two P flags short at this time so Charlie and I will continue to use the blue flags until Reece gets them made.  The reason for the change is that in The Racing Rules of Sailing 2001-2004 the P flag can easily be distinguished from the Black Flag, which can now be hoisted at the Preparatory signal instead of the P flag at the discretion of the P.R.O. (read rule 26 & 30.3)

Also asked Sunday, is there a rule prohibiting outside help (coaching) during the race.  Answer:  yes there is a rule prohibiting outside help during the race.  See The Racing Rules of Sailing 2001-2004; Part 4 sec. 41 Outside Help.  A boat may receive outside help as provided for in rule 1 (safety related).  Otherwise, she shall not receive help except for an ill or injured crew member or, after a collision, from the crew of the other boat.  I think a good way to improve one’s sailing skills is at the chalkboard right after the race where a dialog can take place between the sailor and the instructor/coach.

Please E-mail your sailing questions to clcaslavka@home.com or call me at the lake 357-4652.

H.R.O. Craig Caslavka 

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DIDN’T MAKE THE TRIP DOWN SOUTH (and that was most all of you except for 2 guys named Protzman)………..MC Nationals were held last week in             , Georgia.  And for the 2^nd year in a row,  a CLYC sailor won the MC Jr. National Champion trophy.  Congratulations Robert Protzman (and, by the way, you’re in for a weather shock when you arrive back at the Outing Club with your hardware)!!

SAILING SCHOOL’S FIRST SESSION STARTS THIS WEEK………The Facilities aren’t the greatest right now, but the instructors definitely are.  So, get yourself or your kids or your neighbors or your friends down there for some sailing. 

IF YOU USE YOUR CLYC MEMBERSHIP CARD or YCA card……..at other Yacht Clubs around the country or the globe, you should know that many of them are requiring a note from your teacher……….well, not exactly, but a letter of good-standing from your Commodore is often needed to gain access.  If you need one of those, feel free to contact our Commodore, Dave Roberts via email or phone.

Later, OZ

May 30, 2001 

It was pretty obvious that very few really had their act together over the Memorial Day weekend….and that 
includes whoever is in charge of the weather.  Saturday was gray and cold; Sunday was brighter and cold.  
Monday actually seemed great……maybe it really was….or maybe it just appeared to be heavenly because 
the week leading up to it was so hellish. 

Either way, the calendar says it’s summer and, unlike last year, we had a Memorial Day Regatta.  The X’s 
got in a full complement of races, but the E’s and MC’s managed to squeeze in only one race.

 MEMORIAL DAY REGATTA RESULTS…………….

              These 14 boats ought to be congratulated for getting out there no matter what!

THE INAUGURAL PARTY OF THE 2001 SEASON……is this Saturday, June 2, starting around 6:30 p.m. 
at the Tom and Jan Lovell residence, 545 North Shore Drive.  The Social Members will get their chance to 
show how prepared they are for the upcoming summer by serving up their typically great hors d’oeuvres and 
tending the beverage counter. 

NOTES FROM LAST WEEKEND’S BOARD MEETING…..The Board voted to follow US Sailing’s lead in 
scoring our club races.  There will no longer be a ¾ point score for first place.  If you win a race, you get 1 
point.  Since we don’t have huge fleets, this is probably going to result in more ties.  When a tie occurs, the 
tiebreaker is whoever had the best race; if there is still a tie, then it goes to whoever had the 2^nd best race, 
and so on.

 It also looks like we may have a few 420s sailing on Saturday mornings.  The 420s have proven to be a 
popular transition boat for those who have just gotten out of X’s and haven’t yet decided which scow 
fleet they want to decimate.

 SAILING SCHOOL REGISTRATION……is still wide open for anyone who is interested in learning or 
perfecting their sailing techniques (or if you know someone else who might).  The first session starts in 
about a week and a half, so get on board. Click Here to go to registration form.

 YEARBOOKS ARE OUT…….Most everyone should have theirs by now.  They look great and are chock 
full of information, thanks to the efforts of a host of people.  Make a special effort to patronize the 
businesses of those who paid to advertise in the yearbook, or, if nothing else, thank them for their 
support of the CLYC.

 Later,  OZ

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May 15, 2001 

TIME IS NEARLY UP…………Tune-ups are this weekend, and the real season starts Memorial Day weekend.  
Get your Yacht Club registration in NOW, if you haven’t already.  The yearbook is going to print, maybe 
even as I write this.  You can use the form we sent you a couple of weeks ago with the first newsletter of 
the season; you can print a form off the CLYC website; or you can register on-line.  I don’t think there are 
very many other options we could set up to make it any easier for you to get signed up. 

THE SLICK NEW SAILING SCHOOL BROCHURE……is attached to the snail mail version of this 
newsletter.  Mary Risewick put a lot of time and effort into putting the brochure together, and the Sailing 
School is making a concerted effort to market itself to a broader audience this year.  Since the first session 
will start in only a few short weeks, make sure you get that registration in also.  You can use the form sent 
with the last newsletter or print one off the website.

GOOD NEWS/ BAD NEWS……..The bad news is the new building definitely won’t be finished in time 
for the opening session of sailing school.  The good news is that there will be a cool new building……the 
project passed the final public hearing at the end of April, the old bathhouse is down (did it blow down or 
was it torn down?), and the new facility is underway.  By the way, thank you to those of you who attended the 
public hearing to show your support for the Yacht Club, the Sailing School and the project.  I know that 
many of you were prepared to make public statements in favor of what we are doing but never got an 
opportunity to do so…….because no one objected to the new building.  Sorry that it was kind of a 
non-event, but I really do appreciate your having been there. 

NEW PARTY VENUES……..We have some new suckers……er, volunteers……..who have generously 
offered to hold parties at their homes this summer. The June party will be at Lovells, the July party will 
be at Lundeens and the August party will be at Spraggs.  Thanks for permitting us to take over your 
homes for an evening.  Details for the parties will be in the yearbook.  But I should give you a heads 
up on the very first one, since it’s going to happen in about 2 ½ weeks.  It will be June 2 at Lovells, 
545 North Shore Drive, and the Social Members get the honors as far as hosting hors d’ oeuvres 
and beverages.

BLACK TIE REGATTA AND LAKE HARRIET REGATTA………..I hear it blew in Texas for the Black 
Tie Regatta (which, incidentally, was chaired by our own Eric Protzman).  4 CLYC racers made the trip 
to Dallas (actually 2 of the 4 didn’t drive too far, since Eric and Robert Protzman live there).  But Byron 
Beasley and Bill Nicholas trekked down with MC and C, respectively, in tow.  48 MCs showed up…..Eric, 
Byron and Robert pulled off 4^th, 11^th, and 30^th……….a very nice showing.  31 Cs attended……..
Bill N. was all set to pick up his 3^rd place trophy, when he found out at the awards ceremony that he 
was over the starting line in the last race……….dropping him to 9^th………worse yet, trophies only 
went to the top 8 places.  Ouch !!

Stu Oltrogge and J.C. Risewick enjoyed some nice weather at