feb 2013 windjammer
DESCRIPTION
Feb 2013 issue of the WindjammerTRANSCRIPT
Houston Yacht Club February 2013
2012-2013 Flag Officers Commodore: Bob Wright,
Vice Commodore: Nancy Edmonson, [email protected]
Rear Commodore: Robert Williams,
Line Officers Fleet Captain: Gordie Keenan: [email protected] Secretary: Ken Humphries,
Treasurer: Steve Gillett, [email protected] Measurer: Derek Beck, [email protected]
Trustees Gary Banks: [email protected]
Madonna Breen: [email protected]
Farley Fontenot: [email protected] Paul Francis: Pfrancis@ Bakerlaw.com
Lawrence Maher: [email protected]
Andrew McStay: [email protected] Bob Wells: [email protected]
Jack Yoes: [email protected]
Honorary Officers Fleet Historian: Sam Akkerman 713-526-0482
Fleet Surgeon: Dr. Michael Lucas 281-881-0265
Fleet Chaplain: Linda Christians 713-875-7454
Other Contacts Ensigns: Carol Lee Hollister 281-867-5068 Entertainment: Barbara Matuszak 281-471-1988;
Debbie Cardenas 281-470-6602; Danna Jennings
713-247-9331 Harbor Committee: Bob Wells 281-471-0066
Heritage & Standards: P/C Ginny Garrett 281-471-
6131 House & Grounds: Ed Matuszak 281-471-1988
Ladies Association: Martha Gillett 281-471-4568
Membership: Andrew McStay 713-522-3201 Memorial Fund: Judy Lamkin: 281-471-2130
Mosquito Fleet: John Peter 281-471-8468
Race/Regatta: June Shaw 713-629-7747 Ragnots: Amy Beck, 281-480-0278; Maya Houston,
713-723-0868
WSA: Terry Eukel 281-531-7123 Yachting Committee: Jack Yoes 281-480-1115
Staff General Manager: Ross Tuckwiller Ex. 106
Harbor & Facilities: David Hampp Ex. 107
Food & Beverage: Sandy Tuckwiller Ex. 104 Accounting: Barbara Belansky Ex. 141
Sailing Director: Katrina Williams Ex. 149
Member Services Administrator: Julie Dunlap Ex. 100 Marketing: Jennifer Glass Ex. 150
WINDJAMMER is published monthly by:
Houston Yacht Club
P.O. Box 1276 La Porte, TX 77572-1276.
Telephone 281-471-1255
Fax 281-471-9260
Deadline for the March issue is Feb. 15. e-mail: [email protected]
Please call the HYC Office with your ads
Commodore’s Corner
2012 ENDED WITH A BANG, AND
2013 IS OFF TO A WONDERFUL
START!
Over the Christmas holidays, Ross and
the staff worked tirelessly to make the
Clubhouse even more beautiful than
usual with a touch of paint here and
there and completely refinishing the
ballroom dance floor and the dining
room buffet area. New tile was laid in
the staff serving area, making it safer
and easier to take care of, and we are
now ready for the much anticipated arri-
val of new carpet which will be installed
soon.
The New Year’s Eve party was a huge
success! Al Henson was our DJ for the
evening, keeping us all up and dancing
in the ballroom, while Bill Parish played
the guitar and sang, entertaining every-
one in the Casual Area. Although
Stephanie and I didn’t stay until the bit-
ter end, I have been assured that every-
one who hit the floor survived! Sandy
and her staff worked their magic to
transform the Club yet again into a
magical place to ring in the New Year,
and the night was followed by a chal-
lenging REVOGNAH regatta on New
Year’s Day. A band of seven brave
skippers and their equally brave crews
bundled up against the chilly weather
and mixed sailing conditions to compete,
and the newest member of the Blue
Gavel came out victorious in the spinna-
ker fleet, while Drew Peerless drove
ALERT to victory in the non-spinnaker
class. Congratulations, Pat and Drew,
and kudos to everyone who competed!
On Jan. 13, the River Oaks Chamber
Orchestra (ROCO) Brass Quintet per-
formed for the Commodore’s Concert,
which was extremely well attended – in
fact, it was totally sold out! We want to
express our thanks to the HYC members
who supported the event through their
generous underwriting and to everyone
who attended. We received nothing but
positive feedback, and have been asked
when we will have another such per-
formance. The music was wonderful,
the performers were not only talented
but also amusing, and an original com-
position by our own Ross Griffey which
he composed in the summer of 2012
while studying music composition in
Berlin was premiered. The piece was
inspired by a folksong, “In Seaport
Town,” based on a collection of Appala-
chian folksongs from the twentieth cen-
tury. If you have the opportunity, every-
one should check out ROCO’s website
and attend one of their events because
their promise of their events being “the
most fun you can have with serious mu-
sic” is an understatement!
One thing I have learned over the years
is that HYC fans are the greatest! Being
“Texan Proud,” the Club was invaded by
football enthusiasts for two separate
tailgating parties in HYC’s bar to cheer
on the home team. The first game was
replete with a resounding victory which
was celebrated by all, and even though
the game results for the second game
were not quite what everyone hoped for,
the drinks flowed and everyone had a
great time watching some prime football
and enjoying each other’s company.
This past weekend was one that Stepha-
nie and I have been looking forward to
for a long time, and I sincerely hope that
everyone enjoyed the evening as much
BY BOB WRIGHT Commodore
2 WINDJAMMER February 2013
CONTINUES on page 3
February 2013 WINDJAMMER 3
ON THE COVER... Commodore’s Ball
Commodore Bob and Stephanie
Wright, V/C Nancy Edmonson and
Charles Griffey with R/C Robert and Judie Williams.
Photo by Lakewood Photography
FEATURED INSIDE
Registration for the HYC Mid-Winter Regatta is now
available online. Read about the
Race and Regatta action on pages 4
and 5.
FEATURED INSIDE
The Women’s Sailing Associa-tion is busy both on and off the water. Read
more about WSA on pages 10 through 12.
News
Commodores Concert Series Concert Was a Success
Don't Miss the Boat SAVE THE DATE for the 30th year of
Windward Bound Camp for Women and
discover your on-the-water dreams
June 5-8 at HYC. Windward Bound Camp
is for you, if you are female,
New to sailing or want to improve
your skills
Want to build confidence as a crew
member or skipper
Want to feel good making decisions
about tactics
Need a refresher course
Want to sail a Sunfish, Ensign or J-22
Want to improve racing skills
Like being on the water
The cost is $500 for HYC Members, $650
for Non-Members. Applications are avail-
able in the HYC office or visit our website
at www.houstonyachtclub.com. The dead-
line for signup is March 23. The 2013
Camp Co-Directors are Madonna Breen
and Anne Lee.
The Commodores Concert Series concert
on Sunday, Jan. 13, was a great suc-
cess. The River Oaks Chamber Orchestra
Brass Quintet chose some music with a
nautical flavor and was very warmly re-
ceived by an enthusiastic audience of al-
most 200 people. A particular highlight of
the performance was Variations on "In
Seaport Town" by young HYC member
and composer, Ross Griffey. The concert
saluted Commodore Bob and Stephanie
Wright and honored Vince and Margaretta
Morvillo and the profit from ticket sales
was turned over to the Club.
Alecia Lawyer, Executive Director of
ROCO expressed her delight with the
event and asked that her appreciation be
extended to the membership.
as she and I did. The Club was beautiful,
the food was excellent, and the company
was the best. David Caceres entertained
in the ballroom, and the dance floor was
never empty, while Cindy Thomas
crooned to the crowd in the casual area.
John Peter was our DJ for the “after-
party” which saw much table dancing and
lasted, I hear, until the very wee hours of
the dawn. I am very pleased to report that
after the Jazz Brunch yesterday, I person-
ally checked out the bar, and based on
visual observation and quite some time
personally testing their strength, the tables
are still supporting plates, glassware and
silverware, and appear to be no worse for
all the “table dancing” wear from the night
before.
Our thanks to everyone who came out to
share this special time with us, and a huge
“thank-you” from Stephanie to Pam Dav-
enport, Laurie Donley, Martha Gillette,
Ginny McDonald, Jane and Hunter Mick-
litz, our guest “Georgia Designers” – Alli-
son and Jim Orchid, Judie Williams, Jay
and Jonese Wright, and Gena Young for
all of their help in creating, assembling
and setting up all of the decorations for
the Commodore’s Ball. Additionally,
Stephanie and I send our sincere thanks to
Ross, Sandy and Chef Joseph and the en-
tire HYC staff for making our special
weekend so perfect.
Going forward, this promises to be a busy
and fun-filled year at HYC, and there are a
number of events I want to make sure eve-
ryone is aware of that are coming up
quickly. On Feb. 2, the Mosquito Fleet
will be hosting a fish-fry and Yachty Gras
Boat Parade, and everyone is invited to
the Super-Bowl Party in the HYC bar on
Feb. 3, followed closely by the Mid-
Winter Regatta which is set for Feb. 8-10.
There are also two charity regattas coming
up early this year – the Elissa Regatta on
April 5-7 (the Competitor’s Briefing is
currently scheduled to be on the Elissa),
and the Leukemia Cup on June 21-23 –
and Stephanie has assured me that NOW
is the time to start fundraising for both of
these regattas. Please make plans to at-
tend any or all of these events – we look
forward to seeing you there!
BY P/C GINNY GARRETT Commodores Concert Committee Chair
CONTINUED from page 2
4 WINDJAMMER February 2013
Race and Regatta
January came in with a lot of rain and
chilly temperatures and the brave at heart
arrived at HYC New Year’s Day to race
Revognah. This was no problem for our
experienced PRO Billy Richnow (11th
year) and his team of expert committee
members. When it came time to start rac-
ing the rain had stopped, the winds
dropped and the sun come out. A total of
seven boats participated in the race.
The following took home the awards:
Spin:Seco Tu Pelo, P/C Pat Gibson
Non-Spin: 1st place, Alert, Drew Peerless;
2nd place, Redhead, Jack and Cissy Yoes
The Doubled Handed Race had a great
turnout and there were some close calls on
HYC Mid-Winter Regatta Scheduled Feb. 9-10 at HYC BY JUNE SHAW Race and Regatta
Jack and Cissy Yoes and crew on Redhead won second place in the Non-Spin category during the Revognah Regatta held recently at HYC. CONTINUES on page 5
February 2013 WINDJAMMER 5
Race and Regatta
TVs will be set up in the bar and casual area with ample seating for all. A buffet consist-ing of sliders, a baked potato bar, salad bar, chili, hot dogs and cookies will be served, all for $10 per person. Come and join the fun. The event is spon-sored by the Entertainment Committee.
SUPER BOWL PARTY Sunday, Feb. 3 starting at 4 p.m. at HYC
the water, but the following teams were
rewarded with “Dark and Stormy Kits”
which were prepared by the PRO Gordie
Keenan. The Spinnaker Class was won by
P/C Pat and Beth Gibson, Non Spinnaker
Class by David and Pat Nielson and the
Ensign Class was won by P/C Dean and
Kay Snider. The racers were also treated
to Annemarie Majewski’s famous sauer-
kraut and bratwurst and beer for all.
The HYC Mid-Winter Regatta is Feb. 9-10
at HYC. This is an open event and all are
invited. Please check the HYC website for
registration and the Notice of Race. We
are planning on having three lines: Pur-
suit, Ensign and PHRF. John and Debbie
Cardenas have a lot of fun and racing
planned for the weekend – just the cure for
those winter blues. We can also help with
crews and crews wanting to sail but no
boat. See you on the water.
CONTINUED from page 4
P/C Pat Gibson and crew on Seco Tu Pelo took first place in the Spin category in the Revognah Regatta.
6 WINDJAMMER February 2013
News
Everyone is Invited
Leukemia Cup Regatta Kickoff with Gary Jobson
Leukemia Cup Regatta, National Chairman
who will share beautiful films from around the world, great sailing stories and a lot of laughs
Friday, March 15 at 7 p.m. The Friday Night Buffet will be available before and after the program. Gary Jobson won the America’s Cup with Ted Turner, is Past President of US Sailing, is an award winning ESPN commentator, is Editor at Large of Sailing World and Cruising World magazines and is the author of 16 sailing books. The 2013 Leukemia Cup Regatta packets and online fundraising registration will be available during the eve-ning. For more information, visit us online at www.houstonyachtclub.com.
February 2013 WINDJAMMER 7
News
Dominoes – Monopoly – Uno Candyland – Hearts – Clue
Family Games Night Feb. 15 starting at 6 p.m.
* Enjoy a night with the family.
* Have dinner at the Club. * Kid-friendly buffet available. *Bring your favorite board or card game to share and play.
*Get to know others in the HYC Family.
Open to all ages! Please call the HYC Office for reservations.
Sponsored by WSA
February at a Glance Feb. 2: Mosquito Fleet Fish Fry &
Mardi Gras Boat Parade
Feb. 2: GBCA Icicle Series 5
Feb. 3: Super Bowl Party
Feb. 6: Usual Suspects Luncheon
Feb. 6: Ladies Association Board
Meeting
Feb. 7: Harbor Committee Meeting
Feb. 9: Ladies Association Valentine
Dinner
Feb. 9-10: HYC Mid-Winter Regatta
Feb. 9-10: TSA Kick-Off Regatta @
LYC
Feb. 14: Membership Committee
Meeting
Feb. 15: Family Games Night
Feb. 20: WSA In-Town Party
Feb. 21: Board of Trustees Meeting
Feb. 22: Go Texan Day
Feb. 27: Ladies Association Games
Day
For more information on these events,
please visit the HYC Online Calendar at
http://houstonyachtclub.com/
Calendar.aspx
The HYC Entertainment Committee
hosted two unfortunately too rare Texans
playoff tailgate parties to cheer on our
Houston NFL football franchise to victory
in the HYC Bar. The first playoff party
attracted about 20 fans and they heartily
cheered on the Texans to a win over the
Indianapolis Colts.
The second tailgate playoff party, more
aptly called a “Bar Gate Party”, on Sun-
day, Jan. 13 attracted a full house crowd
of more than 50 fans. Unfortunately all
the yelling, cheering, food and beverages
were not enough fuel to power the Texans
to a win over the New England Patriots.
Although the score on the board was Patri-
ots 48 – Texans 21 it seemed a lot closer
in the bar. In the end, a fun time was had
by all. Hey, there is always next year.
Submitted by Barbara Matuszak
More Than 50 Fans Have Fun At the Tailgate Party
There was a full house of fans for the Jan. 13 tailgate party.
8 WINDJAMMER February 2013
News
In the late 1920’s HYC had a committee
not often associated with yacht clubs, then
or now. The Aviation Committee was
chaired by Harry Baker, an active mem-
ber who was both a motorboat enthusiast
and a strong supporter of HYC sailing.
(He was also one of the developers of
Bayside Terrace subdivision. Baker and
his partner Cecil Sisson, owner of Sylvan
Beach, named all the streets in this
“beautifully wooded bayshore tract” after
HYC commodores, trustees, and friends.)
Baker’s many interests included aviation
and as chairman of the Aviation Commit-
tee, he was no doubt the moving force
behind the Houston Yacht Club Airport.
The HYC Airport consisted of an airstrip
on land adjacent to the Club where the
subdivision of Bay Colony now exists.
Eighty years ago that land was bare and
flat open acreage with no trees. (A narrow
and shallow ditch did run through the
property to the Bay – it is now known as
the Bayport Channel.) When the formal
opening of the HYC Airport was held,
among the planes landing there for the
festivities that day were A-3s, Curtiss
Falcons of the Third Attack Group of the
Army Air Corps stationed at Fort Crock-
ett in Galveston. Keep in mind these
fighters were 28 foot long bi-planes.
Little more is known about HYC’s air-
field. In 1927 the Houston Airport Corpo-
ration, a private company owned by W.T.
Carter (original developer of Shoreacres
who gave us the land upon which the
clubhouse sits), opened a 193 acre airfield
on Telephone Road. Ten years later the
city of Houston would purchase Carter
Field, expand it and rename it the Hous-
ton Municipal Airport. In 1967 it was
renamed in honor of Governor Wm. P.
Hobby.
The websites of the USAF Museum and
the 1940 Airport Terminal Museum are
among the sources for this article.
LOOKING BACK: The Houston Yacht Club Airport BY SAM AKKERMAN
Fleet Historian
Pictured above: Harry Baker (right) and Bill Moores. The plane is believed to belong to Southern Air Transport, an airmail transport company acquired by American Airlines in 1930. This photo was possibly taken at the HYC Airport or at Carter Field.
Fleet Two Ensign Moment In History
Ensign Anniversary Moments
Submitted By P/C Ginny Garrett Chair, Ensign Fleet Two
50th Anniversary Committee Chair
In the early 1960s Rufus G. (Bud)
Smith, founding commodore of the Gal-
veston Bay Cruising Association, HYC
member, and local yacht broker repre-
sented Rhode Island-based Pearson
Yachts in this area.
In those years, the golden dawn of fi-
berglas cruising boat one designs, Pear-
son offered several in various lengths
including the 22' Electra, the 26' Triton
and the bigger Bristol and Vanguard.
Uncle Bud (yes, he really was my uncle
by marriage) had sold several on Gal-
veston Bay and believed that bigger
cockpits and smaller cabins would be a
great design improvement for the hot
summer months in Texas, and for our
Bay which offered few cruising destina-
tions as compared to the watery recrea-
tion areas on the East Coast.
Pearson Yachts embraced the idea and
developed a "day sailer" version of the
Electra which became the Ensign, and
of the Triton which became the Ariel.
The Ensign rapidly became on the of
hottest selling one-design boats in his-
tory up to that time.
February 2013 WINDJAMMER 9
News
BITTS AND TALES By Vice Commodore
Nancy Edmonson
I am sure you have heard it said—if you
don’t like the weather in Texas, just wait
a few minutes and it will change. That is
the sort of winter we have had.
Most of December was beautiful, with
unseasonably warm temperatures and
sunny skies, allowing for great boating.
January has been cold, wet, and gray, and
few have braved the seas this month.
Clearly, we were not going anywhere on
the boat in the picture! So with few
yachting adventures to relay, let’s talk
about getting involved at HYC.
We are blessed to have a number of new
members who have joined the HYC fam-
ily in the last year or so. Some of you
may be wondering how to get involved in
Club activities.
The Membership Committee and many
of our other groups try to reach out to
new members or even longer term mem-
bers who we haven’t seen much of, but I
know we don’t reach everyone.
Just because someone hasn’t asked you
to serve on a committee or volunteer to
help with an event doesn’t mean we
don’t want you! Let us know your inter-
ests, and I promise we will get you con-
nected with the right group or event.
Here are a few ideas:
Race Committee You don’t have to know anything
about racing or even sailing to be
useful. It is a great way to get out on
the water, meet some people, and get
a front row view of the races. Tasks
range from recording (writing down
which boats finish when), to drop-
ping and pulling anchors for the rac-
ing marks, to raising flags to start
races, and more. You will get plenty
of instruction—don’t worry!
Youth Activities While many of our youth activities
are oriented around sailing and rac-
ing, many of you may not know that
this group also organizes events such
as the Easter Egg hunt and Boo
Boating. Help is always needed for
these land-side events that are en-
joyed by even the very youngest
HYC members.
Standing Committees Key committees that work hard for
our Club include House and
Grounds, Harbor, Entertainment, and
Membership. Each of these groups
always needs fresh perspectives
brought by newer members. The
committees generally each meet
once a month and assist with a few
projects over the course of each year
as well.
Major Regattas Each major regatta at HYC generally
has a committee that is established to
handle all of the logistics—things
like registration, T-shirt design and
sales, food, parties, and many other
items. Major regattas this year in-
clude the Elissa Regatta (April),
HYC Offshore (April), Leukemia
Cup Regatta (June), Sears, Bemis,
Smythe Championship (August), and
Houston Open One Design
(September).
For More Information I am happy to serve as a clearing house.
Just call me (281-291-8355) or email me
if any of the items I have listed (or others
you can think of) interest you, and I will
get you in touch with the right person.
Hope to see you around the Club or on
the water soon!
Pictured above: Charles Griffey, Ross Griffey, V/C Nancy Edmonson and Vivian Griffey
10 WINDJAMMER February 2013
WSA
In 2013 HYC’s Women’s Sailing Associa-
tion will celebrate its 30th anniversary.
The following is the first of a series of
interviews with WSA members about the
history of this group. In addition to these
articles, WSA will celebrate its 30th birth-
day with special events throughout the
year. Stay tuned for more fun.
“Let there be women on the water, steering
their own boats and trimming their own
sails!” That was the pronouncement from
the HYC Goddesses of Women’s Sailing
in the early 1980s.
One of those women was Florence Helm.
She remembers that first, there was Wind-
ward Bound Women’s Sailing Camp and
then there was WSA.
“Ginny Garrett and I were administrators
for the first camp where we used the
Windward Bound name,” says Florence.
“That was in 1983. The year before, Lynn
Stout and Ellyn Roof held a day camp
where they taught women to sail, but the
next year was residential. Lynn and Ellyn
were the sailing instructors and Ginny and
I were the administrators. We spent a lot
of time in the engraving room with Bloody
Marys. That was an important part of be-
ing an administrator.”
Florence believes there were 26 campers
that year. “They shared rooms and beds
with people they had never seen before,”
she recalls. “Our little friend Van (the late
Van Callahan) was one of them. She had
been to camp as a child and knew to bring
a care package. Van’s care package for
Windward Bound was a cooler filled with
her favorite drinks. Everyone had her own
personality and it came out under the cir-
cumstances. I think we were kind of a
shock to the Club staff.”
At any rate, everyone behaved well and the
camp was a big success, according to Flor-
ence. She recalls one story about a camper
who was eager to learn to sail but her hus-
band was not anxious to have her exert any
control on the boat. One day after camp
they were out in the bay this woman in-
formed her husband that he was doing it all
wrong and needed to let her sail the boat.
When he refused, she tucked her purse
under her arm and threatened to jump
overboard if he didn’t let her take the
helm. “I don’t remember how the story
ended, but we did have several ladies who
turned out to be better sailors than their
husbands.
“That first year was fun and it’s very re-
warding for those of us who were there
that year to know that camp is still in exis-
tence even though things have changed,”
Florence notes. “One of the points we
tried to make at the start was that they
came to have fun, but we expected them to
buckle down and learn to sail, capsize and
right your boat and more. Still we had
plenty of fun in the evenings and the bar-
tender knew every camper well.”
At the end of the first year, WSA was or-
ganized. “The women felt they couldn’t
just say goodbye and walk away,” Flor-
ence recalls. “More women were sailing
their family boats, sometimes without their
husbands aboard. It was great to see them
so excited about sailing and getting out on
the water.
WSA still stages Windward Bound each
year, and Florence is still part of the fun,
teaming with Ginny to wake campers each
morning with drums, symbols and a horn
or whistle. Sometimes the campers take a
bit of revenge on the faithful wakeup crew.
“It varies,” says Florence. “On the final
day, we usually wear our weathers in case
the campers decide to pelt us with silly
string or water balloons.”
One year they lost the campers. “I guess it
was the last day of camp,” Florence re-
members. “We were prepared to make a
lot of noise, but as we came up the stairs,
we realized it was awfully quiet. There
was no one on the third floor. We got to
the end of the hall and there was a note, a
rhyme, that told us the campers had left
and we should go to one of the boats in the
harbor.”
On their way to the harbor they questioned
the housekeeping staff. No one admitted
seeing more than 20 women sneak out of
the Clubhouse. So, Ginny and Florence
followed the clue to a boat. There they
found another note. “This note said some-
thing about going over a bridge, so we
decided the campers had gone to Kemah.
But that was against the rules, so we asked
the security guard. He swore he hadn’t
seen anyone leave the Club grounds.”
Women’s Sailing Association: In the Beginning BY ANN BORDELON
Special to the Windjammer
Florence Helm
CONTINUES on page 11
February 2013 WINDJAMMER 11
WSA
Finally, they found the campers camped
out at the end of the north jetty, comforta-
bly waiting with blankets and an urn of
coffee. “They must have gotten up at 4
a.m. to hide from us,” Florence concludes.
She also remembers a tale about Dr. Rene
Maher when she was a counselor. Rene
had long hair but kept it bundled up under
her hat when sailing. She was coaching a
camper when their Sunfish capsized and
both went under water. The camper came
up and then Rene came up. But Rene’s
hair had come loose and was streaming
down over her shoulders. “Who are you?”
the camper squealed. Later, the camper
said she thought they had switched coun-
selors on her.
And finally, Florence tells the story about
Selma Newman when she was a camper.
“The weather forecast was really bad that
year, and Ginny kept telling the campers
there was lots of rain, but if we could find
a window, they could go out sailing. She
mentioned finding ‘a window’ several
times over two or three days. Finally, at
lunch one day, Selma raised her hand and
demanded to know where she could find
this window Ginny kept talking about. We
gave her a window as her trophy during
the final banquet.”
Like many other WSA members, Florence
was also active in other aspects of HYC.
She served on race committee and worked
tirelessly with the Ragnots. Dubbed
“Florence the Weather Watcher” by other
race committee members, she was con-
stantly on the lookout for thunderstorms
that might threaten the sailors. At one
time, she received a lightning rod fash-
ioned from a coat hanger as a special
award.
“At that point, we had a harbormaster who
was very protective of the women and chil-
dren,” she notes. “He made me very aware
of the weather.”
Florence was also part of the HYC Enter-
tainment Committee for years, organizing
progressive dinners around the bay, cos-
tume parties and well-attended theme
events. She was a member of the notori-
ous “Gut Bucket Band,” a group of women
who played makeshift instruments and
organized impromptu singalongs in the
HYC lounge. At times, other members
would join the band, bringing banjos and
kazoos and raiding the kitchen for spoons,
metal bowls and pots.
“HYC is a great place and it’s been a great
part of my life and my children’s lives,”
Florence says. “I’ve made many lifelong
friends here. They’ve stuck by me and
I’ve tried to stick by them. I hope our
newer members have the same kind of
experience.”
CONTINUED from page 10
Campers and Counselors at the first Windward Bound Camp in 1983. The camp in-spired the founding of WSA in October of that year. http://scholarship.rice.edu/handle/1911/37473
SAVE THE DATE WSA In-Town Party
Feb. 20 Watch the weekly email for details.
SAVE THE DATE Windward Bound Sailing Camp for
Women June 5-8
The application is now available online. Please visit us online at
www.houstonyachtclub.com
12 WINDJAMMER February 2013
WSA
2013 is the 30th Anniversary for both Women's Sailing Associa-
tion and Windward Bound Camp! All sorts of plans are underway
for celebrations through the year in conjunction with our tradi-
tional events.
February will be busy with WSA hosting a Family Games night
at HYC Feb. 15 and the annual In Town Party Feb. 20. Watch for
details in the weekly HYC email.
Windward Bound promises to be the best camp yet. Camp Direc-
tors Madonna Breen and Anne Lee have been working hard to
pack the schedule with lots of sailing/instruction and of course
lots of fun. Who do you know that needs to come to camp? Sign
up now before camp fills up!
Patty Ward will organize a Moonlight Anniversary Sail, date to
be announced. If you have a keelboat and would be willing to
take other WSA members on the Moonlight Sail, please contact
Patty at [email protected].
As part of the celebration, Laura Donley is heading a group to
create a WSA archive ([email protected]). Please
let Laura know if you have notebooks, albums, documents or
photos of WSA events over the past 30 years or would be willing
to help sort through scrapbooks and notebooks.
Andrea Zaite will set up a group photo of current WSA members
to go on the cover of an issue of the Windjammer. Look for
more info and plan to get into the picture when the time comes.
October will be WSA Month at HYC because that is the month
when WSA was originally organized. Carol Nicholson is plan-
ning a special WSA 30th Anniversary Happy Hour at HYC on a
Friday evening in October. This event will also serve as a WSA
reunion, so if you have contact information for former WSA
members, please send that info to Ann Bordelon
([email protected]) or Carol ([email protected]).
Cindy McMordie will stage a style show featuring WSA fashions
through the years, date to be announced. Special attention will
focus on Sail to High Tea fashions and camper gear then and
now. You can get on her team by contacting her at
Watch for news about a special 30th Anniversary Shirt. You can
preorder the shirt and proudly wear it to all HYC events.
Sabra Francis ([email protected]) is producing a 30th Anni-
versary DVD. If you have media expertise, I know she would
welcome your assistance. Ann Bordelon and Sabra will co-chair
30th Anniversary publicity throughout the year, including inter-
views with longtime WSA members for the Windjammer.
The 30th Anniversary Committee is asking for donations to help
cover costs associated with the year of events. Contact Ann Bor-
delon if you would like to make a donation.
Last, but not least, in 2012 WSA and Windward Bound donated
funds to HYC for the purchase of equipment for Race & Regatta.
The harbormaster has purchased four new, large tetrahedrons
with the funds.
Don't be left out this year - join in the fun!
WSA and Windward Bound - 30 years of Sailing Fun
BY TERRY EUKEL WSA President
During its 30 year history, WSA has been represented by several women skippers who were quite competitive. Shown here in a 1990 HYC race on Miss Priss are skipper and owner Linda McKee, Ruthie Maudlin and Fount McKee. Becky Roof is just out of camera range. Photo by Jeff Debevec http://scholarship.rice.edu/handle/1911/37928
February 2013 WINDJAMMER 13
News
I hope the new year is leading you all in a wonderful direction.
The Ladies Association Board is making plans for the upcom-
ing events. Due to inclement weather, the Tanger Outlet Shop-
ping trip in January was cancelled. We hope to find another
date in the year to make this trip happen.
Our next event will be Saturday, Feb. 9, when we will have a
Valentine Evening “Night of Romance.” Please join us for a
scrumptious meal, a glass of champagne, dessert and dancing
with your sweetheart to the tunes of our own D.J. John Peter.
The event will begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are $40 per person.
Please call the HYC Office at 281.471.1255 for reservations.
Please remember to let our Sunshine Committee know of any
events involving club members or family members so we can
send them a card or make sure they are able to attend an event
should they need transportation. You can contact Laurie Don-
ley or Cindy McMordie at [email protected] or
[email protected]. Christmas cards were sent out and a
card was sent to Tom Garrett wishing him a speedy recovery.
We will be hosting movies and Games Days throughout the
spring. So please make your reservations for lunch and join us
on the fourth Wednesday of the month.
Mark your calendars through spring with our upcoming events.
As always, reminders will be sent out by myself and Jennifer
through the weekly email and Windjammer, but thought you
might want these dates now:
Feb. 9 - Valentine Dinner
Feb. 27 - Games Day
March 13 - Spring Fashion Show
March 27 - Games Day
April 10 - Trip to Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Na-
ture Center, Orange, Texas
April 24 - Games Day
May –Trip to L’Au Berge du Lac (Dates and details to be
announced). First Vice President Danna Jennings is coor-
dinating this event and with Danna in charge, you know it
will be an exciting trip.
May 22 - Games Day
June 12 - Annual Picnic - Location to be determined
June 26 - Games Day
Hope to see you at a lot of these great events.
BY MARTHA GILLETT Ladies Association
LADIES ASSOCIATION NEWS February Dining Room Specials Wednesday Night Specials:
Feb. 6: Beef Cannelloni
Feb. 13: Smothered Pork Chops
Feb. 20: Chicken Cordon Bleu
Feb. 27: Shepherd’s Pie
Thursday Night Specials:
Feb. 7: Stuffed Flounder with Crab
Feb. 14: Valentine Special Dinner Menu
Feb. 21: East Texas Country Buffet
Feb. 28: Snapper Mediterranean
Dining Room Hours of Operation The HYC Dining Room Hours of Operation are as follows:
Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for lunch
Wednesday and Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. for dinner
Friday from 6 to 10 p.m. for dinner and Friday night buffet
Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
14 WINDJAMMER February 2013
News
MEMBERSHIP NEWS BY ANDREW MC STAY
MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
Well this month we don't have as many new
member applications to report on, but that doesn't
mean that we aren't hard at work growing the
HYC membership. While our applications are
always a bit slack at this time of the year, we are
busy preparing for our single biggest member
recruitment opportunity of the year, the Houston
In the Water Boat Show scheduled for March 21-
24. HYC traditionally has a booth at this event
and we see and talk to hundreds of people during
the event and emerge each year with dozens of
good prospects who either join during or shortly
after the show or respond to the invitation to our
HYC Family Fun Day recruiting event.
Our devoted Director of Marketing, Jennifer
Glass, devotes hours in preparation for the show
and then is in almost constant attendance at our
booth. You could really help out HYC by volun-
teering to help staff our booth. Even a few hours
is a big help, particularly as our members are
always our best marketing tool. If you think you
can donate a bit of time to this important event,
email Jennifer and she will get you set up. Also,
see the coupon on page 15 for discount admis-
sion to the boat show. We are still working to
improve the HYC website and will have some
new and improved features up soon. One of the
improvements we want to make is the addition of
a video virtual tour of HYC and a video featuring
our Ragnot program. It occurred to me after see-
ing the wonderful photographs that many of you
contributed for use in the yearend double issue
Windjammer that there may be some members
out there with equal talent in the making of vid-
eos. If you are interested in helping on this pro-
ject contact me at [email protected]. Like-
wise, if you have existing videos that we might
edit for use on this project, we would love to see
them. Once we activate the video feature on the
website we intend to add more videos highlight-
ing HYC activities. Lastly we are also looking
for a volunteer(s) to help with publicity for HYC.
This would entail both internal publicity for
HYC events and external publicity about our
club. We have several Membership Committee
members who would be glad to mentor and aid
the volunteer(s) for this task. Again, if you are
interested contact me.
The following applications have been submitted
for February:
James and Edith Hodges; Senior Member-
ship; Recruiting Sponsor: Membership
Committee
Michael and Katharina Upchurch; Limited
Retiree Membership; Recruiting Sponsor:
Jim Tyson
Arthur, Christopher and Juli Bieser with Ted and Stella Dow
Nick van Nispen, Peter Salvati with Ryan and Nicole LeRoy attended the New Member reception held recently at HYC. Pictured on this page are some of the folks who have joined HYC over the last few months.
Michael Welch, Chris Thorp, Meagan Jackson and O.J and Gena Young
Linda and Ron Gerdes, Norman and Janet Odam, Andrew Resnick and Ellen and Jerry Giallanza, David Stephens with his guest Mattie.
February 2013 WINDJAMMER 15
Ragnots
Sign Up Now For the Winter Sailing Program
Richmond and Vanessa Keeling, Charlotte Rose, Alex Wise and Angelina Litton participate in the HYC Club Championship.
The 2013 Winter Sailing Program is underway, running through
March 10. The schedule and details for Optimist Green, Red,
White, and Blue, as well as top-level coaching for Lasers and
420s are available from Katrina Williams, HYC Sailing Director,
and on the HYC website. You don't have to sign up for the entire
program to take advantage of practicing on days you select; daily
options are available, so come join us!
A Sunday Series of dinghy races is part of the fun. The next and
final day for the Winter Series is March 10. Any class with 3 or
more boats gets a start. (Dust off your Sunfish or Laser, this isn’t
just for the kids!) 1 p.m. competitors briefing. The best is yet to
come, look for a Friday night series in the Spring!
420s at HYC
The New Year has seen a refresh of the 420 fleet at HYC. New
rigging, new sails, and fiberglass where needed gives us a fleet of
HYC owned 420s for all sailors to use. Plans are underway for a
floating dock to make these boats easy to get on and off the wa-
ter.
These boats will be an important part of reaching out to older
potential sailors as well as for events and training for our current
sailors ready to move out of the Optimist. The strength of our
youth sailing program depends on getting more young sailors and
their parents hooked on the sport, and we believe that a solid
and competitive fleet of club-owned 420s is an important part of
this goal.
We are asking members for financial support for the full set of
new sails for the fleet. Many thanks to our early contributors for
kick-starting the campaign! Contact Marie Wise
([email protected]) for more information about the fleet re-
fresh. Contributions are tax deductible through RASA, and
checks payable to RASA, memo: 420 sails, can be delivered to
the HYC front office.
BY MARIE WISE Special to the Windjammer
Two Ragnot J22s competed in the HYC Turkey Day regatta. Ian beck took home a turkey with his crew Rachel Walston, Joe Murone, Grace Bulgerin and Ethan Tyler. Vanessa Keeling helmed with Alex Wise, Shiloh Walston, and Paige Tyler as crew.
If you would like to volunteer to help in the HYC Booth at the Boat
Show, please contact Jennifer Glass at 281.471.1255 or
HOUSTON YACHT CLUB
3620 Miramar Drive
Shoreacres, Texas 77571