Luff Letter Concord Yacht Club

Knoxville, TN

April 2018 No. 529

Latitude: 35º50’55.27”N Longitude: 84º09’4.809”W

Navigating This Issue-

Notes from 1st Vice Commodore

Rocky Top Regatta Notice

Call Out To Dinghy Racers

2018 CYC Commissioning Party

“Pop-Up” Party Recap

Basic Keelboat Instructor Course

2017-2018 Winter Series Results

TVCC Silent Auction

Memorial Day Shrimp Peel

March Work Party Recap &

New Work Hours Sign-Up

Rope Splicing Class Recap

Secretary’s Report

On The Education Front

2018 Sail Camp Request

Boats/Items For Sale

Important Bits & Pieces

April Birthdays

Save The Date

Board Members/Contacts

PLUS MORE!

www.concordyachtclub.org

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Hello Sailors,

Spring is here and it’s brought a bunch of sailing and racing opportunities with it! April 8th is a big day on the racing calendar as it will be the first day of the inaugural Keelboat B-Fleet Series and of the Spring Dinghy Series. The Primary Spring Keelboat Series will begin on April 14th.

Keelboat B-Fleet: The point of the B-Fleet is to provide an introductory racing series for those keelboat sailors that have thought about learning to race but for one reason or another haven’t gotten around to it. We invite participants who either want to skipper their own boat or who may wish to crew on another boat. Several experienced CYC racers have volunteered to sail on B-Fleet boats as coaches.

The emphasis at this level won’t be as much about winning the B-Fleet, but will be more about learning to race. Participants will make mistakes and that’s condoned and expected. Mistakes represent opportunities to learn. Bring a thick skin and be ready to laugh at yourself and as long as it’s meant in good fun, at your fellow sailors too. Sailboat racing will make you a better sailor and give you more confidence. To me, the element of competition takes our sailing hobby to a whole different level and makes it exponentially more fun and meaningful than just puttering around the lake on your own.

As a precursor to our inaugural B-Fleet races, Johnny Ballatin and I will host a Learn to Race Class, offered on two different dates: Tuesday, March 27th, and again on Thursday, March 29th. Each class will begin at 6:30 pm in the training room below the patio. The class is not a prerequisite for participating in the series, however, attendance is highly recommended.

I’ve sent emails personally inviting those that I know of who have indicated an interest in the Keelboat B-Fleet, either as a competitor or as a coach. If you didn’t receive and email and want to participate, either as a B-Fleet skipper, crew, or a coach, please contact me at 1stvc@concordyachtclub.org or call me at (865) 548-8777. Please indicate whether you wish to skipper your own boat, want to crew on someone else’s boat, and whether or not you want a coach on board with you. Note: If you are a Training Fleet member and otherwise meet their qualifications, you may be able to schedule the Catalina 22 for B-Fleet races, subject to availability.

Spring Dinghy Series: 1st race will be on April 8th. There is no better way to enjoy sailing dinghies (for our purposes small sailboats – think Lasers, Thistles, Hobies, Lightnings, Force 5’s, 420’s or other similar boats) than to race them. If you are a dinghy sailor or racer, you too are invited to our Learn to Race Classes that will be conducted on March 27th and 29th. See above for details. The Spring Dinghy Series will be held on seven different Sunday afternoons between April 8th and June 10th. You’ve probably read my articles extolling the virtues of dinghy racing, and I could go on and on about that again, but instead, I’m going to refer you to Chris Schmitz’s excellent article on dinghy racing in this issue of the Luff Letter. Bottom line: get involved! It’s a lot of fun, you don’t have to be good at it to have a great time, and learning to race in dinghies is a great way to get your foot in the door of this amazing sport.

Primary Spring Keelboat Series: 1st Race on Saturday, April 14th. The Winter Series just concluded. 18 boats participated over a 15 race series. We look forward to more spirited sailing among the Primary Keelboat Fleet on Saturday afternoons from April thru June. Come out and join us. You don’t have to be good at this, just be willing try, have a good time, and laugh at

Mark Van Doren

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your mistakes. If you’re sailing in the B-Fleet and can’t get enough, you can sail with the Primary Keelboat Fleet too.

CYC Regattas: We will sponsor five CYC Regattas in addition to the Tennessee Valley Challenge Cup (TVCC) between now and the end of October. The first up will be the Rocky Top Regatta on April 28-29, followed by the Memorial Day Regatta on May 28th. All CYC Regattas are open to members and non-members alike. If you know a sailor who isn’t a member but should be, invite them out and let them see CYC Racing at it’s finest. All of our CYC Regattas will feature both Keelboat and Dinghy classes.

I’m looking forward to a great Spring Sailing Season. We’ve got a lot on the table and I hope that you’ll come out and join us. Here’s a link to the entire CYC Racing Schedule– click HERE.

See You on the Line,

Mark Van Doren

CYC 1st Vice Commodore

Saturday April 28th & Sunday April 29th

First Start Saturday– 12 Noon

First Start Sunday– 10 AM

Notice Of Race- Click HERE

Sailing Instructions– Click HERE

Come on out and RACE!!!!!!!

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Hello fellow CYC’ers!

My name is Chris Schmitz and I am reaching out to encourage as many of you as possible to come out and join the dinghy racing this spring! I’m very excited about the upcoming racing this season and hope we can continue the

momentum from the Fall Series when we had 10 boats on the starting line for the first night of racing. Mother Nature didn’t cooperate much after that, but with the new start time (1:30 on Sundays) and change in season, I’m

optimistic for good winds and an active series.

Since I’m a newbie to racing myself, I’m going to share a few of the benefits to racing I’ve seen since I joined the club. The first is simply getting to know your fellow members. Particularly those active in racing. These tend to be the faces you see most often at the club and they are also very knowledgeable. Everyone I have met has been fantastic and more than willing to share any tips or pointers or just have a friendly conversation. The more

members you meet and get to know, the more fun and enjoyable the club becomes both on and off the water. Secondly, I’ve heard other members say “they need to practice” or “learn to sail better” before they race. And that seems logical! But the truth is nothing has taught me more about how to sail my boat than racing. When sailing against other boats, you quickly know when you’re doing something wrong, and usually a fellow racer or two will give you tips on how to improve. Another reason some sailors get nervous about racing is the rules. And I get it! They

can seem complicated and no one wants to foul someone else. But, the best way to learn the rules is to race! I’ve found that for the most part, fouling others is rare. If you’re worried about it (like I was), you can usually just stay

away from your competitors during the race. Eventually, you’ll become comfortable and get faster (I’m still working

on the faster part).

We’re lucky to have several racing options at the club. There is the regular Keelboat Series on Saturdays, and the new B Fleet Keelboat Series and Dinghy Series on Sundays. All are great opportunities to learn and have fun, but I really love dinghy racing. Why? Well for one, no crew (or few crew) needed. Most dinghies can be sailed singlehanded or require no more than 2 other people at most. The benefit to this is the freedom to go sailing whenever you want without having to depend on others to help. Secondly, dinghies are forgiving and easier to learn.

In general, they are simple to sail and can be launched and retrieved quickly. Capsizes on singlehanded dinghies are common and nothing to be afraid of so long as you wear a PFD. And being small and maneuverable, collisions are easier to avoid too. Finally, (and maybe most importantly) dinghies can be a cost effective way to own and race a boat. There are many used dinghies on the market (just check Craigslist) and the effort and time to maintain and store them is relatively small compared to other boats. Dinghy sailing is tons of fun and a fantastic way to learn to

sail and race.

I’ve been a member here for less than year, but I’ve already gotten a ton of enjoyment out of the club. I’ve done that

by primarily being an active member and participating in as much of the racing as I can (both dinghy and keelboat). I hope to see all of you (could the race committee handle all those boats!!??) out there on April 8th at 1:30 for the start

of our Dinghy Series or participating in the Keelboat B Fleet Racing. Get out there and have fun!

If anyone would like to try my boat out, I can be reached at schmi008@gmail.com. I have a sporty little 13 foot single-hander that’s fast, fun and tippy ;). I’d be happy to schedule a time to meet at the club and let anyone take it for a spin.

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St. Patrick’s Day “Pop-Up” Party

Quite a few members attended the first CYC “Pop-Up” party on Saturday, March 17th! Everyone had plenty of food & soft drinks, and beer of all varieties! “Celtic Caraoke” time saw many would-be crooners belt out tunes, and several dancing a jig! There were definitely some unexpected participants, which made for an intimate evening. And, we live streamed the March Sadness! It was a very fun evening! Maybe more “pop-up” parties in the future? Thanks to Bob and Kimberly Morris for hosting!

Catherine Trapp

The ideal cruise requires a good yacht, pleasant company, and a strange coast with plenty of islands and rocks.

- Humphrey Barton, sailor and author, Vertue XXXV

What is there about life afloat that has always appealed to men? It is cold, wet and uncomfortable, often accompanied by bad food and danger.

- T. C. Lethbridge, archaeologist, parapsychologist and explorer

When I was just learning to race, my father kept saying to me, “Son, if you want to do well in this sport, be first at the start, stay out in front, and increase your lead.”

- Buddy Melges, champion sailor and boat builder

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BASIC KEELBOAT INSTRUCTOR COURSE

If you enjoy teaching sailing to others, consider becoming a US-Sailing certified Basic Keelboat Instructor at CYC next May.

Course Dates: May 4-6, 2018 (three 9-hour days)

Cost: $410 (with $50 discount for early registration)

Pre-requisites: TN Safe Boating Course,

current first aid/CPR certification

US Sailing membership

Keelboat sailing experience

Questions? Kerry Saltmarsh 865-300-7180

Signup online at US Sailing’s website:

http://www.ussailing.org/education/keelboat/

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The 2017-2018 Winter Keelboat Series!

The Keelboat Winter Series came to a roaring close on Saturday, March 17th, with some nice and gusty winds and a very good turnout of 10 boats. Two races were conducted, bringing the Series Total to 15 races. Congratulations to our Series winners: Frank Larimer taking 1st Place in the 7 boat Spinnaker Fleet; and Brian Nicholson taking 1st Place in the 11 boat Non-Spinnaker Fleet.

Non-Spinnaker Spinnaker

1st Place– Brian Nicholson 1st Place– Frank Larrimer 2nd Place– Chuck Meyer 2nd Place- John Tyner 3rd Place– Mark Van Doren 3rd Place– Johnny Ballatin 4th Place– Ron Mitchell 4th Place– Sam Shaffer/James 5th Place– Carol Rech/Rebecca Bryant/ Arnfield Jerry deLaurentis 5th Place– John Storey 6th Place– Erik Lundin 6th Place– Jeff Gamey 7th Place– Rodney Meryweather 7th Place– James Little 8th Place– John Unser 9th Place– Mike Cox 10th Place– Sigrid Johnson 11th Place– Max Dawson

Here are some pictures, thanks to Sigrid Johnson and Susan Elmore-

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Hi fellow CYC’ers!

By now, you may have heard that Concord Yacht Club will be hosting the 2018 Tennessee Valley Challenge Cup

regatta on September 29th and 30th. I’m not going to go into the details of the regatta, but it should be an exciting

weekend!

A new and fun part of the Saturday evening dinner and music festivities will be a ticket auction, silent auction, and

possibly a live auction!!! All proceeds will go to the youth sailing programs under the Concord Sailing Center.

Now, to insure the auction is super fun AND successful, I’m looking for the following from YOU:

1. Donation Items-

In the process of re-decorating or moving? Tired of looking at a particular décor item? Have something on

your boat that’s still useful that you just want to replace or change? Thinking of donating something to

Habitat or Goodwill, etc.? WAIT! Donate to this auction! Do you have any gently-used items (preferably

nautical-inspired, BUT doesn’t have to be!) that you would like to donate? Items must be clean, easily

portable, in good shape, and in working order, if applicable.

And, don’t forget that professional services can also be donated! Doesn’t have to be boat-related!!!

Donations will be accepted at any time! Just send an email to Lauren, and arrangements will be made.

2. Donation Contacts-

Do you have a merchant contact that may be willing to make a donation you’d like to share? Supply the

information, and one of our volunteers will contact them.

3. Volunteers-

Of course, nothing can be accomplished without volunteers! I am looking for volunteers to help in several

aspects of the auction (possibly 10-15). There’s plenty of tasks to undertake, and doesn’t necessarily

require presence at the event! Some tasks can be performed at your leisure. Help is needed to solicit

donations, arrange for pick-up or receiving donations, cataloging donations received, creating ticket “bags”

for each donation item, setting up and staging donations on Friday, the 28th, selling tickets on Saturday, the

29th, assist the auctioneer and handing prizes to winners on Saturday night, and possibly clean-up on

Sunday. We’ll also send out Thank You letters after the event. Not comfortable with solicitations, not a

problem! There are LOTS of other tasks! CYC work hours will be granted for assigned tasks.

It’s not too early to get started! So, if you’d like to help with any aspect of the auction event, contact Lauren at

lauren.ballatin.174@gmail.com or (423) 404-3311, by Friday, March 30th. Then, we can schedule a meeting to

“brain-storm” and set the to-do list.

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If you’d like to help out with the party, contact

Bryson at bryson.bosson@gmail.com. It’s always a

great party, and a fun and easy way to garner

some Work Hours!

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March Work Parties Update! We had some productive work parties this month, cleaning up the area around the club house, boat lift, and water front. Thirteen people showed up to help March 3rd and eight helped on March 10th. Many of the minor to-do task were also completed. Thanks for all the effort! We have some more big tasks to complete coming this month so keep you eyes open for the e-mails. We're trying something new for signing up for work tasks! We're using SignUp.com, an online service to volunteer for work tasks. At this time you will still need to fill out your card to record your hours, but this may not be true in the future! Here's how it works in 3 easy steps: 1) Click this link to see our task lists on SignUp.com: http://signup.com/go/bRPzxDz 2) Review the tasks listed and choose the one(s) you like. 3) Sign up! It's Easy - you will NOT need to register an account or keep a password on SignUp.com. Note: SignUp.com does not share your email address with anyone. If you prefer not to use SignUp.com, please email me at rearcommodore@concordyachtclub.org and I will send you a list of the unclaimed tasks.

John Unser

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NEW MEMBERS– March

Welcome aboard!

NO NEW MEMBERS

RESIGNATIONS–March

None

Debra MacTavish

Current Active Membership Count: 190 Active-140, Young Active-10, Senior-25, Associate-2,

Student-0

Membership Openings: 40

Honorary-13, Inactive-30

Rope Splicing Class

On the evening of March 8th, 10 CYC’ers attended a class on how to splice rope conducted by splicing masters Jerry deLaurentis and Frank Larimer. Attendees learned how to do a basic eye splice and a back splice. In the end, they came away with valuable knowledge, and a brand new dock line for their boat!

This was the first of CSC's fun and informational events for sailors and want-to-be sailors. During the next few months, watch for announcements about more evening get-togethers covering a range of topics, to include cruising the open ocean; photography; how to use your life sling, and more. If you have something you want to know about, or something you want to share your knowledge about, please contact Ann (heffalumpz@aol.com) or Kerry (kerrysaltmarsh@gmail.com) with ideas!

Photos courtesy of Kerry Saltmarsh

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Concord Sailing Center (CSC) is a non-profit affiliate of the Concord Yacht Club with a mission of

sailing education and training. We have an exciting schedule for this year, including Sail Camp,

Adult Learn-to-Sail, some fun fund-raiser and PR activities. We’re also adding a series of off-

season classes, the first of which was Rope splicing, held on March 8th (see separate article). In Sail

Camp, we’re adding a fleet of Fusion dinghies to replace the ageing Sunfish. Our Training Fleet is

expanding as well with the return of serviceable JY’s. UT Sailing has new leadership, a growing

membership, and exciting plans for regattas this year.

However, with all the good things going on in our other programs, our Youth/Middle-School/High-

School Sailing program is on hiatus, while we look for a replacement for our Youth Programs

director. Wayne Cutler and Don Busby did a great job with this program over the last few years,

and we desperately need someone to step up as director for the Youth programs. If you have an

interest in bringing our sport to the next generation of sailors, please contact John Swindeman at

education@concordyachtclub.org.

CSC is also looking for a Secretary for 2018. Duties are fairly simple - maintaining the contact

information of the board, taking & distributing minutes, and managing the records on our

DropBox and Google Drive sites. We meet once a month on Sunday night, 5—6 pm. Please contact

John Swindeman if you're interesting in serving on the CSC board.

John Swindeman

If you shop on Amazon.com, please consider making your

purchases on Amazon-Smile! SAME products, SAME prices!

BUT, your purchases made via Amazon-Smile can help benefit our 501

(c)3, Concord Sailing Center. Doesn’t cost anything extra!!!!!

Instead of going to Amazon the usual way, enter through

www.smile.amazon.com and chose Concord Sailing Center as your favorite organization. All of the

same items are available at the same prices, but when you purchase most items, Amazon will send .5%

of the purchase price to our sailing program.

Support CSC by starting your shopping at smile.amazon.com.

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Sail Camp is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, with a brand new fleet of Fusion sailboats to replace our aging Sunfish. Early registrations are way up, especially for week 1 (June 4-8), so if you’ve got campers who want in please register soon. Camp is for youths ages 8-16, runs Mon-Fri in three one-week sessions. We divide the campers by age and experience and teach all levels from beginner to advanced each week. All instructors are US Sailing Certified. No experience necessary, but they must be able to swim 50yds unaided.

All we really lack are adult volunteers. We’ve got a use for just about every skill you can think of – carpentry, fundraising, STEM teaching, cruising stories, environmental awareness, drone photography. Give me a call if you’d like to contribute to one of the most rewarding and fulfilling programs around.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Jeff Gamey

Sail Camp Director

Concordsail@gmail.com

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Now, come on, Guys!

The Ladies of CYC would NOT do this!

Recipe Corner

This isn’t an endorsement, but I have found quite a few of these recipes, and they looked mighty tasty! And, I just thought the graphics were cute! Never heard of Sailor Jerry Rum, but I guess any old rum would suffice.

I’d love to know if anyone tries any of the recipes that will be featured in the Luff Letters!

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Boats/Items For Sale Now Online!

Boats/Items For Sale can be found on the CYC website here- http://www.concordyachtclub.org/-, About tab,

Sailboats For Sale section. Hyperlinks to the original Luff Letter ad are included. The Luff Letter will still contain the

new items posted for that month, and the website page will contain ALL items for sale.

And, remember, if you have an item still for sale that was in a

previous edition, access the web page to verify your information,

whether it is still for sale, has been sold but is still listed, changes,

etc., and email Lauren at lauren.ballatin.174@gmail.com with

updates.

San Juan 21 For Sale

$4200 OBO

Trailer

2 main sails

2 jib sails

1 spinnaker.

All are in great condition.

Also included are the covers and bags for sails. Boat is ready to sail.

Contact is Jerry Lawson at jerrylawson157@gmail.com

Yellow, solid hull– Great starter boat!

Full and Radial Rigs, Two Radial and Two Full Sails

Set up for Racing (Rig, Carbon Tiller)

Dolly and Parts Bag

Located by dry docks- “Solar Plexus”

Contact Elizabeth at ladyspica@icloud.com or 865-789-9146

$950

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Important Bits and Pieces Caption Contest!

This interesting piece of Americana found its way into CYC dock territory! Mark Oxley and team managed to drag it to the launch ramp so that it could drain and await removal. Yuck!

Now, this is just BEGGING for a witty caption! Got a suggestion? Submit your caption to Lauren at lauren.ballatin.174@gmail.com and the funniest will win some CYC merchandise! Thanks, Neil!

CYC Membership Card

Did you know that your CYC Membership Card gives you reciprocity at

participating Yachting Clubs of America and other Yacht Clubs when you

are travelling? What’s that mean, you ask? Well, depending on the club

amenities, you can eat and drink at that club, and your charges will be billed to CYC. You will then receive a

bill from the CYC Treasurer. It’s THAT easy!

If you need a current card, send an email to: secretary@concordyachtclub.org. The Secretary will notify

you when your card is ready, and instruct you where to pick it up at the club. You must be a member in

good standing.

To see which clubs participate, click here. Click on the Members Only link, and enter the User

ID and Password found on the back of your membership card. You can search by

Geographical Location (Geographical Index), or if you know the name of a yacht club, click on

the YCA Registered Yacht & Sailing Clubs link. The index on the left side of the screen

reflects 1) an alphabetical listing of yacht clubs, and 2) if you scroll down to the Geographical

Listings link, there is an alphabetical listing of states.

April Birthday Wishes To:

Andre Terry Chris Borden Iris Esch-Williams

Jean Peretz Joan Stone

Lauren Ballatin Mike Brown Ni Qiu

If you would like to share your Birthday Month here in the Luff Letter, email

lauren.ballatin.174@gmail.com. Be sure to include the full name and Birth Month. And, that

goes for the kiddies too!

B-Fleet Learn To Race Class - March 27 & 29

Spring Dinghy & B-Fleet Series Begins - April 8

Spring Keelboat Series Begins - April 14

Rocky Top Regatta - April 28 & 29

CYC Commissioning Party - April 28

Memorial Day Shrimp Peel - May 27

Memorial Day Regatta - May 28

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www.concordyachtclub.org

BOARD MEMBERS

Commodore Neil Quigley

Commodore@concordyachtclub.org

1st Vice Commodore Mark Van Doren

1stvc@concordyachtclub.org

2nd Vice Commodore Mark Esch-Williams

2ndvc@concordyachtclub.org

Rear Commodore John Unser

rearcommodore@concordyachtclub.org

Secretary Debra MacTavish

secretary@concordyachtclub.org

Treasurer Charles Sheets

treasurer@concordyachtclub.org

Assistant Treasurer David Valone

David_Valone1@hotmail.com

MEMBERS AT LARGE

Education John Swindeman

education@concordyachtclub.org

Social Catherine Trapp

social@concordyachtclub.org

CONTACTS

Luff Letter

Lauren Ballatin lauren.ballatin.174@gmail.com

Webmaster Elizabeth Spica

ladyspica@icloud.com

Clubhouse Reservation Jaime Bridgman (Jan-Jun) Mary Beth Berry (Jul-Dec)

reservations@concordyachtclub.org

Harbormaster DRY SPACES (Trailer/Racks; Boat Lift)

David Martin Harbormaster@concordyachtclub.org

WET SPACES (Slips/Railway) Sigrid Johnson

Harbormaster@concordyachtclub.org

Calling Committee Joy McMaugh-Payne goingdublin@msn.com

Board Meetings:

2nd Tuesday of Every

Month

CYC Clubhouse— 7PM

(Members Welcome)

Like CYC on