Commodore Comments
What it Takes . . .
It is pretty impressive that we are going to be having our 34th annual Endless Summer Sailboard Classic in just a few months.
That’s a long time for a social club to carry on. Our club has so many events throughout the year with each one needing people to make them happen that our longevity is even more impressive if you stop to think about it.
Making “it” happen is when people step up and say I will help and put forth the effort with dedication, commitment and pride. I have never seen more talented, dedicated and committed people than the members of our club and I say that with pride. Our club is the best!
I am honored to be this years’ Commodore of the Shell Point Sailboard Club. With only a few months of 2021 remaining I hope this year ends with good vibes flowing and all our sails pointing in a positive direction. Our Endless Summer Sailboard Classic event is sure to help with that!
We also have our elections for the board next month. I am excited to see some eager new faces wanting to show off their talent and commitment to helping our club continue on for many more years to come.
All my best,
Rose McCaffrey
2021 Commodore SPSC
Proposed By-Laws and Constitution Changes
Posting in newsletter as required by SPSC Constitution
BY-LAWS OF THE SHELL POINT SAILBOARD CLUB, Inc.
(A Not-For-Profit Florida Corporation)
CONSTITUTION OF THE SHELL POINT SAILBOARD CLUB, Inc.
(A Not-For-Profit Florida Corporation)
- Bob Graves, SPSC Scribe
The 43rd Atlanta Fall Classic, November 6-7, 2021, Lake Lanier Sailing Club, Georgia
This regatta has been run continuously since 1978 and may be the longest running regatta in the Southeast. The setting at the Lake Lanier Sailing Club is nothing short of spectacular. They have done an incredible job of creating campsites in the woods near the club house. The clubhouse has two newly renovated restrooms and nice warm showers. Of course, after sailing in freshwater all day, showers are only needed if you never jump/fall in the water. This time of year allows you to see the leaves beginning their change, a very colorful sight. The camping here rivals any campground and is FREE to those who come to participate. If you have an RV, you can park up in the parking lot, though there is no water, electrical, or sewer. If you have a long enough extension cord, run one down to the clubhouse.
Since the regatta is in late October, the weather can be anywhere from the upper forties to the upper seventies, having sailed there myself in both conditions. The wind is also the same, varying from very light to hold on for dear life.
The race committee always provides both breakfast and lunch on both Saturday and Sunday as well as supper on Saturday night. There is also PLENTY of beer to be drunk. In past years, SPSC members would coordinate supper on Friday night as we arrived, but SPSC attendance has fallen dramatically, which is why I’m writing this article. If you have never been, ask someone in the club about their experience there. I really encourage some of the newer members who wish to experience a friendly, welcoming regatta and enjoy camping to attend and some of the club members who have been to go again.
Heck, when you go, bring Kayaks and SUPs and explore the different areas where you can’t sail, or go out and do a little fishing.
One year after going to this event, Sandy and I camped at nearby venues to visit all the waterfalls around the area, like Anna Ruby Falls, Tallulah Gorge, etc. If you like mountain biking, Perry, Joe, Bill, and I had a great ride at Chicopee Woods Mountain Bike Trails nearby in Gainesville, Georgia. We finally got to experience the mountain part of mountain biking!
These pictures show that the sunsets over the lake are just as pretty as they are down in Fiesta Key. The others show how large the inside of clubhouse is, and folks just relaxing on the back lawn. Debi had brought some jigsaw puzzles to help pass the time during some nasty weather. We got it together even with a piece missing!
Windsurf instruction during a North wind
The weekend of July 23-25 was a busy one due to the wind and its unpredictability. Friday, Perry and I conducted a class at noon for a wonderful group of kids, ages 13-17, that all knew each other and one guy that was vacationing in Panama City and came out for the lesson. The wind was blowing from the N, NW, and WNW, changing direction about every 5 minutes. Knowing where the wind is coming from is key to any kind of sailing, and when you have never had to deal with it, changing wind directions gets a mite confusing. However, there was a decent little breeze of about 5 mph sometimes gusting all the way to 10. Everyone was doing well until about 2:45, when the four the kids sailed out to the southeast about the same time the tide started to go out, with one of the kids sitting on the board as a passenger of another to get out there. They were making no headway coming in. Perry jumped on the SUP and paddled out to one of the kids and switched boards. I had the passenger going out get on the back of my board, which had a 4.0 sail on it, and brought him in. With one of the others, I was able to get behind them and push their board most of the way to shore with the board I was on. We all ended up close to the mouth of Walker Creek so it was a long walk back, but they all got there.
Saturday was a bit better even though we had a full class of 6 with one 8-year-old and the rest adults. The wind on Saturday was from the northeast, but, like Friday, kept switching between N, NE, and ENE. This group did well, and we were able to keep most of them close. However, the 8-year-old went out a little further than we had wanted and a rescue with the SUP was made and one of the adults couldn’t get back in, so if you see them, please pick them up.
Sunday was a practice day, with the winds the same as Saturday. We had 3 people initially come down to practice and one of them, I could see, could not point up wind and was rapidly headed west. Before I could start a rescue, another group of new members came, and I got them on the water. The person going west had disappeared, so I jumped on the golf cart and headed to Barbara Slaughter’s house at the end of Beatty Taff Drive to the west. Fortunately, when I got there, a kindly gentleman in a sailboat who was using his motor at the time, stopped and got our new member. I drove to one of the empty lots and waded out in the water to get the sailboard from them so he would not have to tow it all the way back and loaded it on the golf cart. He took her to Marsh Harbor. After I got back in the golf cart, I noticed the other group, 4 of them, headed the same way. Fortunately, I had rigged a 6.5 for someone to use, and took off to chase them down. Thankfully, all 4 of them listened well to instruction I gave them they made it to shore. We all then had a nice long walk back, aka, the walk of shame.
One of the enjoyable aspects to lessons, now that the classes are a bit smaller, is the people you get to meet, from all different walks of life, with some having fascinating stories to tell. The great thing about having multiple trainers is that we can give different perspectives to the student and, sometimes, think of something another trainer might not to get them past some humps they encounter. This year the reliable instruction of Tina and Joe has been crucial with Mack, Bill, and Linda helping when they can. I would also like to introduce our newest instructor, Perry, who initially came down to help me with the ABYC sail camp on windsurfing day and has helped with both Friday classes and this past Saturday class.
Key Notes
- Kathy Voigt
Some recollections of Fiesta Key trips in earlier years.
Our first year to Fiesta Key took place in 1997, although some members had started the annual pilgrimage before that time. Our group campsite was directly behind the pool and horseshoe area. It was a KOA then. Those were the days when tents were welcome and none of us had a RV. The group campsite accommodated at least 20 tents; we split the fee among us depending on the number of tents and days stayed. We paid about $15 for our tent site for the week. Camped in a circle like covered wagons used to do with a grill and tables in the middle. Often combining our fare at night, good cooks were popular. The year of 1997 offered rain torrents with brief spots of sunshine. Huddled in our rain gear, all the tents were wrapped in plastic tarps with our stuff floating around inside. After that year, we learned to put everything in plastic bins.
Our group would range up to 30 folks some years. We started to leave as early as possible to get the premium tent sites in the group area. Pitching a tent was a way to endear yourself to your better half. Finding where you put everything was always fun. Positioning the tent so one could run to the bathroom in the middle of the night, not trip over anyone’s stakes, and avoiding proximity to the heavy snorers was a feat.
Sunset was a ritual with Perry’s martinis. The group dedicated one night to a theme to honor various shows like MASH, Saturday Night Live, etc. Dressed in character costumes, we would saunter down to watch the sun set and look for the green flash. There was a year all of us saw the green flash- several times. One of our members, Brian Barr, ran around in his bathrobe and green speedo. Brian Barr would ask “Have you seen the green flash?” and unsuspecting campers would then witness Brian’s version. Thank goodness the nearby campers - not part of the group - had a sense of humor.
Traditionally, one day of non-sailing was devoted to driving to Key West. Always an adventure. One year we rode bikes from one bar to the next with Dave and Lizzie Denmark. Dave had lost his glasses and couldn’t see very well as he was riding on the pavement. Lizzie would shout out behind him “Turn left to avoid the fire hydrant” and “Turn right or you will hit that woman with the baby.” He navigated pretty well considering his limited vision.
We were the entertainment for the older retired crowd at the then KOA. They would come down and watch us gingerly carry our boards over the rocks and use lawn chairs to launch the board as well as tie off our sails so and not to let them drag over coral. It was always sad to leave and come back to a wintery Tallahassee. We would then begin to plan for the next one.
ROADies August
The ROADies have been at it again. These old men picked a Thursday in July to discretely remove the flagpole and ferry it off to a hidden location to make it right. With the combined skills of Quartermaster, Fractions, Suds, Captain Wafer, and Huh?, the pole came down quick, though a lot later than originally planned due to the late appearance of one of the crew. A precision team we aren’t. Once at the hidden lair, the pole was sanded, wiped, and repainted with one coat.
Moving ahead to this past Monday in August, the pole was erected once again in its new splendor. Apparently, a few of the ROADies gathered without everyone’s knowledge and against all unwritten protocols, to put a second coat, yardarms, and rigging lines on. Once the pole was up, a SPSC flag was raised to test the rigging.
The flagpole is looking mighty fine. The ROADies completed yet another dangerous mission with groans, aches, bellyaching, and beer!
SPSC Club Meeting –Tuesday, July 13, 2021
Called to order at 7:33, the beginning of a great and fun club meeting. Read on.
Place: Casa Grande Margarita & Cocina
Attendance: 17 Members present, a drop of 7 from last meeting.
Minutes were approved after accusations that the shouts of approval for the minutes last time may have been FAKE NEWS!
Commodore: Thanked all contributors for the awesome newsletter articles and Deb for posting the constitution by laws amendment on the website for all to read. Thinking of ways to get more people to these meetings. Asks everyone to think about sponsors for the Endless Summer.
Vice Commodore: IGN, but then he said the early constitutional rules are way better than the new ones.
Scribe: Thanked all newsletter contributors again.
Purser: We have cash in the bank. Sharing Smith expenditures of electrical and plumbing. Upcoming insurance payment of $1800+. Currently have 75 memberships with several new ones.
Smith Regatta: In the bag. Kristin thanked everyone for their contribution and said it looks like a good year for the American Cancer Society
NIMBY: Canceled for the year
Rum ‘n’ Root Beer: pirate invasion, pirate theme, games.
Events for 2021:
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May:
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June: Stephen C. Smith Memorial Regatta: June 11–13, 2021.
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July:
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August: Rum ‘n’ Root Beer: August 8. Bob G. chair
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October: Endless Summer: October 16-17 and Atlanta Fall Classic: October 23-24
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November: Presnell’s: November 18-22
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December: Christmas Party: December 11
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Festivus: December 19
Next meeting is August 10th. Meeting adjourned at 7:47
Even though the meeting adjourned, this is where all the good stuff happened! You should have been there:
Deb showed off the legacies page and how to use it. She did an incredible job
Rose started showing clips from last years Rum ‘n’ Root Beer. We go to see Deb do her “How Harry met Sally” diner scene imitation, Ryne disco to Stayin’ Alive, Codie tie a figure 8 note using only 1 hand, Zoey with vegetable eyebrows and Laura with here Hershey ones, John Gilbert does his best Rocky impersonation, creepy dolls made up from REAL humans, AND LOTS MORE!! People at the meeting were laughing their heads off. Rose brought it all nicely to an end at 8:30. Last year’s Rum ‘n’ Root Beer will never be topped, so this year’s chair, Bob G., isn’t even going to try.