Chatham Yacht Club

July 4 pictures

2010-07-16T11:24:00.003-04:00

Thanks to all who made the parade such a fun success!

Stage Harbor Opti Regatta

2010-07-14T20:24:00.013-04:00

We had a record number of CYC sailors in this year's Stage Harbor Opti Regatta - 14!! With the help of their two coaches, Oriane and Catie, we had sailors in both the green fleet and championship fleet.

The pictures are from the green fleet. The day starting with US Sailing's Gary Jobson giving the kids a pep talk. We had almost every kind of weather and situation...fog, no wind, more wind, capsizes, broken motorboats, rescues of our own kids & parents (in their motorboat), as well as, rescuing one drifting opti from Stone Horse Yacht Club. We had many new sailors in the green fleet who showed focus, bravery, camaraderie, enthusiasm for swimming & lunch, and sound sailing.

In the end we had a great day with Julia Fuller taking home a big 1st place win in the Blue Fleet and Oriane and CYC winning the sportsmanship award.

Lots of lessons learned and great stories made...what an adventure!

H2O Day!!!

2010-07-07T21:20:00.006-04:00

What a hot week this has been! With temperatures reaching the nineties during the past few days, we have been making sure to keep cool here at CYC. Yesterday, the Tuesday/Thursday sailors got a special treat: H20 Day!!!

The sun was strong, and wind was light, so rather than sailing we decided to work on team building and leadership and have lots of fun at the same time. Sailors from different classes and of different ages got to work together on 5 separate teams in activities like synchronized swimming, relay swim races, rowing, and

opti bailing.

Everyone improved his or her teamwork skills, rowing, swimming, and bailing--all important parts of sailing. Three sailors in particular received special recognition on this special day. Cecily Long and Emma Sullivan were natural leaders on their teams, helping the younger students finish each activity and keeping positive attitudes. Ellen Fuller showed great sportsmanship when she led her team back to a mark in the opti bailing competition after they missed it the first time around. Great job to all our sailors, and hopefully we will have many more fun days to come!!!

A Fast Start to Racing!

2010-07-06T22:07:00.004-04:00

This Monday we had 9 sailors representing Chatham Yacht Club at the West Dennis Invitational. It was a scorcher of the day with temperatures approaching the low 9os! We made sure to stay hydrated-- drinking water and gatorade between races. Some sailors even went for quick cool down swims between races! The wind was light and shifty. This made it especially hard to get off races. It was so light the Opti Championship line got off just three races! We were very proud of our Green fleet sailors who attended their very first regatta! Congrats to Clayton Kincaid and Jack Murphy! (See Jack posing here in his Opti for a shot between races).

The final placement of Chatham sailors was quite impressive. We had a sailor place in every division! Congrats to Jack Murphy, Ellen Fuller, Meg Sullivan, Julia Fuller, Courtney Bergh, and Sarah Fuller for placing in their respective divisions!

We should also take a moment to notice a very special honor given to one of our sailors. Meg Sullivan received a sportsmanship award! During a long race where she and another sailor (from Stage Harbor) were duking it out for the lead, Meg kept a great attitude! She ended up needing to complete a penalty turn close to the finish and did so with grace and her ever-present smile. We could not be more proud of Meg for the way she conducted herself on the water--a true competitor she still understands the most important part of sailing: having fun!

Cheers to a great start to the racing season! The Opti team eagerly awaits upcoming Stage Harbor Opti Regatta this Friday. Stay tuned for more racing updates!

Catie

High Tide at CYC 1/2/2010

2010-01-02T22:30:00.006-05:00

Saturday, January 2, 2010 brought a winter storm coinciding with an exceptionally high tide to Cape Cod. Rob Bergh and daughter Courtney visited the CYC clubhouse for the 2 P.M. high tide to take the photos shown here. To see additional CYC photos as well as others taken at various locations around Pleasant Bay, please visit Rob's website by clicking here.

2009 Healy Cup

2009-10-11T10:41:00.003-04:00

The 2009 NESSA (New England Schools Sailing Association) Single Handed Championship (Healy Cup) was held on September 27 at Conanicut Yacht Club in Jamestown RI. Racers braved tough weather conditions as a steady 15-18 knot day saw puffs of 25 knots by the end of competition. Driving rain lasted throughout the day as well. Three CYC sailors, Liz Dubovik, and Anoush and Oriane Longerstaey competed in the Laser Radial class for the right to enter the National High School Single Handed Championships for the Cressy Cup which will be held on Halloween weekend in Corpus Christi, TX. Of the 28 registered competitors, the top 4 would qualify for a berth in Texas. Two of the CYC sailors qualified, with Liz taking 2^nd place and Oriane 4^th. For her first participation as a freshman, Anoush finished 19^th.

Liz Dubovik (Portsmouth Abbey right) and Oriane Longerstaey (International School of Boston -left) will join winner Nick Johnstone (Tabor) and 3^rd place finisher Pearson Potts (St Georges) in Corpus Christi next month.

- Jacques Longerstaey

CYC Takes 3rd Place!

2009-08-14T21:10:00.003-04:00

CONGRATS to the CYC Racing Team who placed 3rd at the Team Racing Championship!

Johannes Raatz, Schuyler Ward, Duncan Howes, Sarah Fuller, Meagan Moore, Courtney Bergh, Anoush Longerstaey, Spencer Ward, Lindsey Bergh, Sarah Hargreaves (Missing from photo: Christine deSilva)

This summer has been a terrific sailing season for the CYC Racing Team. Both the A and B team's won all of their team racing clinics this summer which proved to be great practice for the Team Racing Championships.

This past Thursday and Friday the A team competed against 13 other teams at Beverly Yacht Club and Tabor Academy. The weather gave us quiet the conditions on the first day with pouring rain and gusty wind conditions. This made for an exciting day out on the water however it did not stop the A team! They sailed 12 races in the qualifying round with a 8-4 (wins-losses) record. The second day was split into the Gold and Silver rounds and with our scores carrying over from the first day we placed 5th in the Gold Round for the finals.

The weather man on day 2 gave us much nicer conditions with sunshine and warm temperatures. The morning had extremely light wind conditions so the teams drifted around for the greater part of the morning. Around noon time a nice breeze filled in and the Gold Fleet started their double round robin. After the first round robin the team had a record of 3-2 sitting us in 3rd place overall. With New Bedford winning, Hyannis in second, Chatham in third, and Wianno, Cotuit, and Beverly right on our tails with one more loss. We needed to go into the next round robin with our game faces on.

The second round robin started off with a race against New Bedford which over the past two days had only lost 1 race!! Chatham unfortunately lost, however they still had their game face on for the next 4 races! Up next was Cotuit which we needed to win against or they would pass us in the standings. Unfortunately they came out on top and beat us! Chatham picked themselves up and started to turn things around. With the scores of the bottom 3 teams changing continuously it made for some exciting team racing and very nervous coaches!!!

Chatham turned things around and sailed the next two races flawlessly! Sailing against Wianno and Beverly the team pulled out two wins to put us back into 3rd. However we were tied for 3rd place with Cotuit. We needed to win the last race again Hyannis and have Bevery win against Cotuit. The team got hyped up with the help of our cheering section on the motor boat and pulled out a win against Hyannis to put us in 3rd place overall!!

Congratulations goes out to not only the kids who sailed but to the ENTIRE racing team who helped push the A team to where they are today. With out every single person on the team going to practice every day and working hard the team would not have gotten to where it is today! Both Ryan and myself are extremely proud of the entire team for their hard work and dedication this summer!

CONGRATS!!!

Final Results:

SMSA Team Racing Championship:
1. New Bedford YC 11-1, 5-0, 5-0 = 21-1
2. Hyannis YC 9-3, 4-1, 2-3 = 15-7
3. Chatham YC 8-4, 3-2, 3-2 = 14-8
4. Cotuit Mos. YC 9-3, 1-4, 2-3 = 12-10 (beat Wianno 3-0)
5. Wianno YC 10-2, 0-5, 2-3 = 12-10
6. Beverly YC 8-4, 2-3, 1-4 = 11-11

Silver Round:
7. Wild Harbor YC 6-6, 3-1 = 9-7
8. Edgartown YC 6-6, 2-2 = 8-8
9. Nantucket YC 2-10, 4-0 = 6-10 (beat Falmouth on points 18-24)
10. Falmouth YC 5-7, 1-3 = 6-10
11. Stage Harbor YC 4-8, 0-4 = 4-12
12. Vineyard Haven YC 1-11, 0-0 = 1-11
13. Stone Horse YC 0-12, 0-0 = 0-12

Meredith

Finally...

2009-08-14T10:34:00.004-04:00

Summer sailing on Cape Cod is a whirlwind of activity. 2009 has taken this maxim to a new level. Regatta after regatta has gone off successfully in the past month in Chatham, Harwich, Hyannis, Buzzards Bay, and now, on Nantucket for Nantucket Race Week. CYC's annual regatta, followed quickly by the East Coast Junior Windsurfing Championships, and then by the Leo J. Telesmanick Beetle Cat Regatta, all hosted at CYC, drew sailors from around the country and around the world. All three events were a smashing success thanks to the hard work of so many volunteers.

Many of CYC's racers have been competing "off site" in the last month. They have tested their skills at the regattas of Hyannis, Stone Horse, Stage Harbor, Buzzards Bay, and many others. Our 420 racing team is as I write competing at New Bedford for the Southern Mass. Sailing team racing championships. So many of our sailors have earned high places and awards in their travels. I will be adding more pictures and results to come. Above is a shot of Oriane Longerstaey at Stone Horse.

Stay tuned for more news and stories from the last few weeks -

Willis

Tuesday/Thursday kids get to race!!

2009-07-31T15:44:00.003-04:00

Crazy Clothing, Pirate Ships, Racing Galore, and a New Dress Code

2009-07-26T19:04:00.004-04:00

Both tomorrow, Monday the 27th, and Tuesday the 28th, are Crazy Clothing Day. Sailors are encouraged to mish mash their clothing as much as possible in competition for the first place prize. The festivities continue Friday with the annual Commodore's Buffet dinner at CYC. The Chatham Regatta, the Cape's oldest and one of the world's oldest free regattas, begins with a 1000 harbor start Saturday August 1st and continues Sunday August 2nd. That next week, the club hosts the East Coast Junior Windsurfing Championships on August 5th and 6th, with a clinic for the sailors on August 4th.

"Chatham Race Week" continues that weekend with the 2009 Leo J. Telesmanick National Beetle Cat Championship on August 8th and 9th at the club.

What a stretch! To spice it up a bit at the Sailing School during that week in between the Regatta and Telesmanick, Monday August 3rd and Tuesday August 4th are "Preppy Day" at the club. Sailors are encouraged to dress as "preppy" as possible. That whole week is being called "tucked in shirt week" for all the kids and staff of the club.

The next Monday and Tuesday, August 10th and 11th, are Pirate Day! 2009 at CYC. Dress in full pirate garb, play the "Pirate Game" with all your might, and the top costumes will be awarded prizes at the end of the day.

As an update, I would like to make you all aware that Meredith Dart has been away from the club on a medical leave this past week. She underwent appendix surgery last week, and we hope to see her back at the club perhaps by next weekend. Let's send our thoughts and prayers to her as she recovers. She is recovering well and is in good spirits (although she is missing the water).

The Day Sailer North American Championships at SHYC concluded today, and the early word out from stage harbor is that CYC boats claimed the top two spots at the championships! Yeah!

Willis

GOOD LUCK Sarah!

2009-07-23T20:05:00.005-04:00

Send positive thoughts to San Pedro, California where Sarah deSilva is sailing in the Opti National Championship. The regatta is hosted at the Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club from July 23rd through July 26th with some of the nations top Opti sailors. Check out the link below for SailGroove.org to check out the standings and watch clips from the regatta. There is an interview of Sarah after race 5 of the Opti Girls Nationals where she WON the race! Congrats Sarah and keep up the good work!

GOOD LUCK THIS WEEKEND!!!!!

Check out the link below for the video of Sarah!

http://www.sailgroove.org/videos/coverage/view_video/235366-optimist-girls-national-championship/195160-sarah-dasilva-after-race-5

Meredith

2009-07-16T14:38:00.003-04:00

Compliments of Whitney Heavey - here are a couple shots from the Fourth of July parade. A nice reminder of how awesome the float was! Great job CYC!

Whitney/Willis

Chatham Girls Love Wind!

2009-07-15T18:54:00.007-04:00

Sun, Wind, and Waves are what the girls sailing The Gill Trophy came across today as they set out for day two of the regatta hosted by Falmouth Yacht Club. The day started off with a medium breeze with flat water for race one however by the time the second race came around the sea breeze kicked into high gear and made for an eventful afternoon!

These girls love big breeze! As soon as the sea breeze filled in all 3 crews were out on the trap and having a blast! CYC took off in the breeze and sailed themselves into all top 10 finishes today with two boats experiencing OCS's as well as winning the last race! Oh well....I am just excited that they were pushing the line! All of the boats did a fantastic job dealing with the current and 3-4 foot waves considering we do not deal with those on Pleasant Bay.

Congrats to all the sailors for a job well done! Here are the Results:

9th Place: Christine deSilva/ Spencer Ward

10th Place: Anoush Longerstaey/ Catie O'Sullivan

12th Place: Sarah deSilva/ Lindsay Sullivan

GREAT JOB GIRLS!!!!

Tour de Bay

2009-07-14T21:36:00.004-04:00

Coincidentally occurring during the Tour de France, today, the sailing school embarked on a Tour de Bay. We began the day by talking about the aerial photograph in the clubhouse. We talked about Ryder's, Crows Pond, Bassing Harbor. We went over what makes a bay a bay, a pond a pond, a cove a cove. We island hopped across the picture from Strong to Little Sipson, to Big Sipson and imagined the rest up in the Orleans side of the Bay (Hog, Sampson, Pochet). One student even elaborated on Quanset Pond.

At 1015, the sails went up and the first stage of the tour kicked off. Destination one - Head of the Bay. Rounding down, we weaved in and out of the mooring field and around the dock of Wequasset. Meeting the 420's and Lasers at Barker (CYC buoy on the Orleans side just Northwest of Wequasset), the Beetles launched an "invasion" of the swimmers in the water and unleashed havoc with splashes, shouts, and cannonballs off the front of the motorboat (even a couple instructors joined in the mid-morning cool down swim).

Back in the boats, the sails were trimmed and the fleet (which resembled a row of ducks) moved to their next stop - the Channel buoy that marks the corner of the Bay by Strong Island. Here, the maneuvered close to shore and hugged the shallow waters up to the CYC mooring field. As the fleet neared their moorings, the time approached 1145. Perfect timing for derigging and ship-shape, which although maybe not as fun as swimming, are two of the most important tasks for sailors at the end of the day.

PS - the pic above is not from today, come see me if you think you can identify the sailor and the year it was taken...

Willis

Racing team is off to a Fantastic Start!

2009-07-14T19:37:00.004-04:00

This summer's racing team is off to a fantastic start! We have a total of 22 sailors signed up for the Racing Team with all 22 ready and raring to go!

The team started off the season by hosting the first A division Team Racing Clinic/ Scrimmage at CYC coached by Charlie Enright. Charlie did a great job in running the clinic given the weather conditions. The sailors had to deal with every type of weather condition that day including lots of wind, rain, thunderstorms, lightening, and a ton of fog! The team did an awesome job with the windy conditions and won the entire scrimmage (6-0) against Stone Horse, Stage Harbor, and West Dennis. This team consisted of Duncan Howes, Lindsey Bergh, Johannas Raatz, Spencer Ward, Courtney Bergh, Sarah Fuller, Sarah Hargreaves, and Hunter Rosenthall all of whom did a fantastic job!!!

This past week has been a very busy week for the racing team and with an even busier week ahead. CYC was represented in the Cummings Cup (the triple-handed elimination) by Sarah Fuller, Lindsey Bergh, and Hunter Rosenthall. The regatta was held at PBCB/CYC in Flying Scotts where CYC held their own in very tough sailing conditions and a new boat. The team worked extremely hard and learned alot from the experience! They look forward to tackling it again next summer.

Duncan Howes and Catie O'Sullivan placed 3rd in the West Dennis Invite this past week as well. With great sailing conditions this duo had a great regatta and had a ton of fun. Congrats on a job well done!!

This past Thursday the CYC Racing Team was split in half to participate in two team races. Half of the team participated in the B Team Racing Clinic/ Scrimmage at Stone Horse Yacht Club coached by John Stork while the other half went to scrimmage Hyannis Yacht Club's Racing Team. Both teams came across extremely windy conditions which made for a very eventful day at both yacht clubs. The B Team Race Clinic was represented by Hunter Rosenthall, Will O' Sullivan, Connor Sullivan, Andrew Duggan, Schuyler Ward, Anoush Longerstaey, Meagan Moore, Christine deSilva and Cary Anne Kane. The team that went to Hyannis consisted of Duncan Howes, Lindsey Bergh, Colin Hamilton, Johannas Raatz, Spencer Ward, Sarah Fuller, Sarah Hargreaves, Courtney Bergh, Andrew Winn, Ariana Murphy, Rose Healy, and Katelyn Moore. All sailors did a fantastic job and are showing a great deal of progress!

This past weekend was the New Bedford Regatta where we had a number of CYC sailors participate in different fleets. Sarah Fuller and Sarah Hargreaves raced in a 420 and placed 23 out of a fleet of 77 boats! A great accomplishment! Hunter Rosenthall sailed his full laser and placed 4th in his fleet while Anoush Longerstaey sailed her laser radial and placed 5th. Quinn Howes, another CYC member at the regatta, won the laser radial fleet! We had a great showing at the New Bedford Regatta. Congrats to all who participated.

Currently we have two regattas going on. We have Sarah Fuller and Sarah Hargreaves representing CYC at the New England Women's Champs held at Sail Newport, in Newport RI as well 3 women's boats sailing at the Southern Mass Women's Champs at Falmouth Yacht Club. The three teams are Sarah deSilva/Lindsay Sullivan, Anoush Longerstaey/Catie O'Sullivan, and Christine deSilva/Spencer Ward. Send positive vibes to all this women's sailors over the next couple of days!!

The Racing team is off to an awesome start and we look forward to many more great regattas!

Meredith

Independece Day, Cumming Cup, and Sun

2009-07-06T21:47:00.002-04:00

Anyone in downtown Chatham on Saturday, the Fourth, can attest to the excellence of the parade. Saturday's weather was perfect for summer sailors (maybe a tad windy after noontime for wooden boats). The Chatham July Fourth Parade was a huge success. Many organizations, businesses, and other groups had decorative floats and wide grins as they marched down main street. The sidelines were packed twenty deep in many spots. The CYC kids enjoyed riding in the two military style Jeeps, the decorated Opti, and marching holding the gigantic American flag. After a few year respite from an official float, CYC is back as a force in the parade, and we are here to stay!

Saturday afternoon's races, club photo, and opening meeting went well. The race was fueled by SW winds consistently above 20 kts, with gusts over 25. Things got a bit hairy for the Beetles on the reaches and runs, but there was no damage and all crafts successfully finished the race from each fleet.

Today, Monday, CYC served as the host site for the SMSA's triple-handed championship event, the Cumming Cup. In the morning Chatham raced against Stage Harbor, Stonehorse and Wianno. In the afternoon, New Bedford, Nantucket, Vineyard Haven, and PBCB squared off. The winners will race Tuesday morning in the championship event. Come down to the club to watch from the deck to see the finishes.

The sun blasted down today, and warmed up the water another degree or two. We had our swim test for the M/W class, and will likely do the same for the T/Th class on Tuesday. The forecast as of Monday evening is for AM sun and the possibility of PM storms developing in ESE winds of 10-15 mph. See you on the Bay.

Willis

Parades, Trains, and Automobiles

2009-06-30T19:35:00.004-04:00

Okay, maybe no trains. The news is that CYC is making a triumphant return to Chatham's Fourth of July Parade this summer! The plan involves two 1940's Willy's Jeeps as the bookends of the CYC float, which will be a heavily decorated Optimist. Kim Cone and Kim Summers are coordinating the festivities, and will send a club-wide e-mail out shortly. Both have spoken this week at sailing school. There is a float decorating party happening Friday afternoon, which they will provide the details for.

Today (Tuesday) over at the club went off without a hitch. Well, maybe the fog could qualify as such, but the sunshine we got before and after the 1 o'clock hour made for a great day on the water. In the pre-noon hours, the sailing school sent out Crew class (in Beetle Cats), beginner Optimists, Lasers, Sunfish, and 420's. Around 1130, the fog started to roll. And roll it did. Handheld radios buzzed, and all the fleets adjusted heading to make their next destination "home base" back at the beach. Once we were derigged and organized after the morning, lunch ensued. Though we ate and enjoyed the sea breezes outside on the deck, on every one's mind were the worsening conditions. By 1245, the fog had moved to envelope the North end of the PB-2 mooring field next to the dock, and the viability of the scheduled Tuesday Series race at 1300 was in question.

The race began as scheduled, despite the fog, and it was followed by the 6/23 Tuesday Series makeup race, and then by the Ladies' Race and the other regular second series races on Tuesday afternoons. Interestingly, although the fog did not lead to any "lost at sea" young sailors (it slowly burned off from 1300-1500 in the afternoon), it did lead to an unusual protest in the Beetle Cat fleet.

In the end, everyone was happy to get through a full day without the precipitation and cloud cover that has plagued the Northeast United States for the past 6-8 weeks. While walking back and forth to the Chatham Yacht Club, please respect the wishes of the Eastward Ho! Country Club and refrain from cell phone use other than in your parked car. Please also make sure you a dressed appropriately (shirt and shoes) on your way to and from the club. Below is a shot of Dr. Fuller (Sarah, Julia, and Ellen Fuller's dad) after kite surfing in the Nor'Easter last week.

Willis

Ready to Rock, and the Horns Have Sounded

2009-06-28T22:13:00.006-04:00

The storm now several days passed with all damage repaired, we can set our sights on a smooth week of sailing. Nearly all schools are now out for the summer, our entire staff has descended upon Chatham, our whalers are all functioning perfectly, and many more boats have made their way down to the club. The fourth of July glimmers in the distance at us as we begin our week of sailing on Monday.

Glancing down at the wristwatch, there's 1:40 left until the starting gun. The sun is hot today - Saturday June 27 - and the wind is light but steady from the SW. The sails are hoisted, the mooring is jettisoned, and after a few minor modifications to the rig, we join the others approaching the line for the first start of the season. The 420's are on a dead run to Barker, spinnaker's full. They oscillate back and forth, passing each other, protecting air, and preparing to make their moves at the Jibe mark. Behind them 1/4 of a mile are the Sunfish, rounding Head. The daggerboards are yanked out of the deck and the sails are allowed to breathe after the first beat. 0:30 until the start now, sails out, head on a swivel. The Beetle Cats are converging on the favored end. Cruising patiently 5 boatlengths off the line are a swarm of Optimists. Their start is now just over 6 minutes away. The SW breeze is alternating between cool gusts of nearly 10 knots, and hot lulls of just 3-5. The last few Optis have left the shore, and quietly squeeze between the dock and the guide pin (Inner). HORN! The starting gun has sounded, and the sails are trimmed.

Across the Bay - Orleans side - the 420's are finishing a tight reach to Ewing. Up to about 8 knots... cruising now. The shoots are close in, and the skipper and crew both sit heavy. Centerboard up only 1/4 of the way. A righty puff approaches, trim! Trim! ... A fast minute passes, and with Ewing 10 boatlengths away, it is time to stuff the shoot. Pole down. Board Down. Shoot in both hands. Okay...Douse! The shoot's down, and the sails are trimmed as the boat sweeps up to close-hauled. The sun glares down into the skipper's eyes as the eyes try to concentrate on the heading. Waves splash over the side of the deck. The workable 8-10 knots on the run feels more like a difficult 10-12 with the apparent wind and waves on the beat. Sweat drips down the neck, and the boats fight amongst each other with tacks for positioning as they can feel the finish now, just over a few hundred yards away back at the Club.

The Saturday Series races began with a bang on June 27th at 1400. Conditions were great, albeit a bit light for the liking of many veterans, and turnout was strong. The first Tuesday Series race begins at 1300 on June 30.

Willis

Take Cover, The Nor'Easter Front Has Stalled

2009-06-22T21:40:00.004-04:00

Today we were forced to officially cancel our first day of Sailing for 2009. With sustained winds approaching 30 mph, and wind gusts frequently surpassing that speed up to the 40 mph mark, the entire area around the Bay and the club was a danger zone. The rain came and went throughout the day, sporadically clearing only to rain again within minutes.

The National Weather Service has issued a Coastal Flooding Advisory, a Hazardous Weather Outlook, a High Surf Advisory, and a Wind Advisory that remains through Tuesday. We are optimistic in hoping for a change, but are preparing for a day "off the water" again tomorrow. As long as the conditions around the shore are not hazardous, and the tides are not astronomical (which they have hit in the last 24 hours) we will hold on-shore activities and classroom sessions tomorrow.

The pier, secured by a group of brave senior instructors (some of our best knot-tiers) survived the afternoon and evening in solid condition. The 420's were all moved to a protected area behind the paddle tennis courts (backside, by the paddle tennis clubhouse).

I apologize to any brave sailors who were hoping to get out on the water today. Our concerns for safety precluded any consideration of going near the water's edge, although I must admit a number of instructors were tempted by the high wind speeds. I could see the look of "what if..." in a number of older sailors eyes as we moved the 420's within feet of the shore with waves crashing and rolling up against the sand. They rolled in one after another, without a hint of tire from mother nature. Swells, breaking waves, thunderous crashes against the pier. Boats, power and sail, slammed up and back by the waves, wind, and rain against the leash of their iron mooring chains.

The goal now is for the storm to subside enough for the first Tuesday series race at 1300 tomorrow.

Willis

Counting Down The Days

2009-06-18T23:12:00.001-04:00

Grey marine paint, fresh off the brush, drips down onto the sand. The sun beats down, and the afternoon sun is countered by a cool sea breeze, more like late spring than early summer. The marks will be ready to put in their places soon. Winslow, Ewing, Barker, Sipson, Channel. First load has left to be dropped with two smiling instructors and a tank full of gas in the boat. Head, Inner, Outer, Middle are being loaded now. This load won't take as long...

A heavy shovel-load of sand gets thrown over the shoulder and sweat is wiped off the brow. Another ten feet of trench until we reach the dock. Keep shoveling, keep shoveling. Its day two now, and we can break for lunch once this is done. These two instructors are digging the trench to supply fresh water to the end of the dock. They see their colleagues staggering slowly, in unison, down from the Opti area.

Its hot now near mid-day by the Opti lot. Each of these weigh 75 lbs., and we have six to deposit. A 4x10 wooden platform has been spotted near the paddle tennis courts. Yes, that can help us. Combine that with our double-breasted dolly. Now we've got some mechanical help. One by one, each mooring is loaded onto the dolly. Watch the rust, watch the sharp edges. One, two, THREE. Heave-Ho, and soon each is loaded onto the makeshift trailer. Slowly down the path, watch the rocks and keep it under control. To water's edge, where we await our driver and sea transport out to the mooring field for the placement of each piece of cargo.

_____________

These are three of the tasks the staff undertakes, year after year, in preparation of the sailing season. The sailors will arrive in force on Monday, and in a matter of one week, the club must be transformed from its recently awoken state (thank you to the memorial day workers) to its high-energy, high-use daily schedule that commences June 22nd. The boats launched, the grass cut. The bushes trimmed, the clubhouse cleaned. The radios charged, the dinghys painted. Each year, the club is awoken with as much diligence as it is put to rest. Vintage course boards are hung, and flags are raised. Each day, the Chatham Yacht Club comes one step closer to being "back in business".

A Couple More Things!

2008-10-14T16:34:00.006-04:00

In addition to off-season sailing stories, e-mails can be sent to sailingmaster@chathamyachtclub.org with general comments, feedback, or questions related to the now completed 2008-2009 season of sailing at CYC.

The Coleman-Fuller family has started a blog to document their excursion to Ecuador! Here's the link: http://fullerfamecu.blogspot.com/.

The fall Jibsheet will be coming out soon. Stay tuned!

Willis

Time Flies

2008-10-08T13:26:00.004-04:00

Well, we're about 6 weeks out from the last official CYC sailing on Pleasant Bay for 2008. For some of us however, the adventures on the water continue through the off-season. Those who would like to share their adventures can send them to be posted here, or can have them included in the fall Jibsheet.

Willis

Holy Cow!

2008-08-26T22:46:00.005-04:00

What a season and what a summer! The nine weeks of sunshine, wind, smiling, fun, and, yes, a few storms, are now complete. The trips to Sipson Island, the blasts over to Round Cove, and all those lunches on the waterfront in the sunshine are now over. The practice races, the man-overboard drills, the capsizing, and of course, the Pirate Adventures, are done for this year but will not be easily forgotten. The hot summer sunshine has now given way to the cool breezes and quiet shores of late August, and along with them, the earliest hints of the fall season. The racing, the knots, the camaraderie and the sportsmanship will live on into next season. We now, as a club, can look forward to a summer in 2009 chock full of learning, fun, and adventure!

2008 comes to a close only with the continuing hard work of the volunteers at the club. Thank you for the tremendous turnout at the closing work party on Sunday the 24th. Amazingly, in just 3 hours, the entire yacht club was put to rest for the winter. I made a trip over the hill yesterday to tie up a few loose ends and wasn't quite prepared to see the windows boarded up and the dock ready to be taken out of the water. In case you were wondering (I know you were), these pictures are in fact from the 2008 Regatta at CYC! What a great shot of Anoush Longerstaey flattening on a beat to the windward mark, and of Christine deSilva and Spencer Ward relaxing in between races. The Mendelsohns (below) also showed great intensity and emotion in between their Beetle Cat races on Saturday afternoon of the Regatta. At the very bottom, Oriane Longerstaey flattens after a big roll tack mid-race on Sunday.

2008 was a phenomenal season of sailing on Pleasant Bay. As a club, we truly were blessed with good weather, good sailing, and good company on the Bay. Stay tuned on the blog for updates on the structure of sailing school, more pics from '08, possible updates on the Coleman-Fuller family excursion to Ecuador, and more exciting news! Stay in touch everyone! I hope you all have a great start to the fall!

Willis

One More Week!

2008-08-17T22:47:00.003-04:00

The final week of Sailing School is upon us! Tomorrow and Tuesday bring us Crazy Clothing Day at CYC. Wednesday and Thursday bring the 2008 Lane-Leighton during sailing school (see older posts for a full description), as well as the sailing school awards. The award ceremonies will follow the sailing school races on Wednesday and Thursday, so stick around!

On another note, I would like to write about Daysailers on the lower Cape this summer. Many members at CYC, as well as other clubs around the area, have worked to renew interest in and build their Daysailer fleets. SHYC, OYC, and CYC competed together in a circuit this summer for Daysailers, and CYC sailors have done extremely well! This comes before the 2009 Daysailer North American Championships hosted at SHYC next summer! This is a great time to consider getting back involved in Daysailer racing, or becoming acquainted with it for the first time.

Stay tuned for another entry tomorrow evening with more info on the upcoming week!

Willis

CYC Ladies' Lunch

2008-08-13T11:43:00.005-04:00

On Monday, approximately 30 CYC members enjoyed a lovely Ladies' Lunch at Wequasset Inn. Despite less-than-favorable weather, all agreed that the afternoon was such a great success that it should become an annual event. As each lady arrived, she chose a half-card from a deck held by one of our hostesses, Cathy Taylor and Kim Cone, then searched the tables for the other half-card to locate her seat. What a great way to ensure everyone had the opportunity to meet new people! Many thanks go to Cathy, Kim, and Michelle deSilva for organizing the lunch, and to all who attended and took advantage of the beautiful location and the opportunity to spend time with fellow CYC members. If you missed the chance this year, be sure to join us next year at the Second Annual CYC Ladies' Lunch!

Pirates, Trophies, Trash, and Knots!

2008-08-11T20:53:00.003-04:00

Hello all! It is hard to believe we are in the middle of our second to last week of sailing for summer '08!

Shiver me timbers!

This Wednesday and Thursday will be PIRATE DAY 2008 at CYC! Sailors should come dressed in pirate garb and be ready for a day of adventure on the water. A prize will be awarded to the best-dressed pirate and (with safety and sportsmanship in mind) all sailors and instructors will be acting the part of true Caribbean pirates throughout the day and stayin' out of the Davey Jones Locker. Please bring lunch on these days per usual, as we will still have our sailing school race after us buccaneers be done eatin'. Pirates will gather on shore initially in the AM for photos and then 'go on the account' after their boats are rigged.

I described this morning the all sailing school championship that will occur next week. The Lane-Leighton trophy (yes, that Leighton, the current president of US sailing) was started by the two individuals who founded the CYC sailing school. It is awarded to the winner of an all sailing school championship that is sailed in Beetle Cats. Sailors will go through elimination rounds in their individual classes on Monday and Tuesday of next week. Those moving to the next round will all compete together on Wednesday and Thursday, with the ultimate championship being determined just before the sailing school race on Thursday (with the winners from Wednesday competing).

On another note, this morning and last Thursday morning I spent a significant amount of time talking to the sailors before we broke off about three important topics. The first was the environment. Our impact on the environment is becoming increasingly better-understood as time moves on, but more specifically, our impact on special marine environments like Pleasant Bay is worth discussing. Sailors and club members should always remember to not disturb sea life and our natural embankments along the shore. This includes the destruction of seemingly "dead" crabs, clams, and other creatures. The marine environment is also dramatically impacted by our disposal of trash and recycling products. Please remember when eating lunch, snacking after a race, or when in other situations to properly dispose of all trash. If the product is recyclable, please throw away any caps, drain the liquid, and place the item in the blue recycling bin in the clubhouse. We must all keep the charge of respecting the wonderful environment that we utilize so much each day!

The second topic we discussed in the morning meeting was boat care. Respect for club-owned, privately-owned, and loaned boats is of the utmost importance. Our sailors do a great job of keeping this in mind at all times! The third topic, of particular interest to me, was knots. We discussed in roughly 20 minutes three fundamental knots that solve a wide variety of problems and have many uses and advantages over other knots. The eight knot, the square (reef) knot, and the bowline are three basic knots that are particularly useful for sailors. Learning these three (especially the bowline) would be great tools for any young sailor!

Willis

Upcoming Events

2008-08-06T18:25:00.002-04:00

The final two weeks of sailing school will likely be jam packed with events. This coming Wednesday and Thursday (August 13th and 14th) will both be PIRATE DAY 2008 at CYC! This means that all sailors should come decked out in pirate apparel and accessories. The day will be chock full of adventure and danger (well, not really).

The final week of sailing school will feature the famous Lane-Leighton all sailing school championship. Wednesday and Thursday of the final week (August 20th and 21st) will see all sailing school students compete in elimination rounds in their classes and then in Beetle Cats in the final rounds to determine an ultimate winner!

We are tentatively planning Crazy Clothing Day 2008 on Monday and Tuesday of the final week (August 18th and 19th)! Sailors are encouraged to dress as outlandishly wacky, wild, exuberant, colorful, spirited, and eccentric as possible and enjoy the beauty of the Bay!

Somewhere in the last two weeks we are also going to make the trek down the bay to Strong Island for the 2008 Sailing School Picnic. As always, this trip is weather permitting, so setting a date is difficult.

Today the Bay was soaked with on and off showers and haunted by light, shifting winds. Our sailors fought hard and persevered, however, to finish both the sailing school race and the junior race. Way to go! Today we also had a number of sailors at the Hyannisport Invitational Opti Regatta. Stay tuned tomorrow for a full report, along with an update from the Hyannis youth invite!

Willis

Look! A SQUID! School Is Back in Session...

2008-08-05T19:46:00.002-04:00

Sailing School resumed post-regatta yesterday with brisk N/NE winds and plenty of sunshine. Despite a scare from some dark clouds this afternoon, we continue to enjoy fair weather on the Bay.

Both yesterday and today the sailing school blasted off from shore on a straight shot across the Bay to Round Cove. Once ashore, the kids ran wild to the backside of the shoal. The motorboat channel and unique geography provided ideal swimming conditions. With the assistance of a couple junior instructors, some younger and older sailors banded together and built a clever jump off point into the fast-flowing channel water. On the first trip across the Bay (Monday) we had a guest 420 sailor who teamed up with a junior instructor to take some fortunate and eager Helmsmen out one at a time off the beach for lessons. This was very well received by the older sailors.

Today's trip was a bit quieter, albeit just as enjoyable. The heavier winds only allowed half the group of crew sailors to sail at one time (two instructors per boat). Some took motorboats to the unfamiliar territory across the Bay. One happy group who rode first class in motorboats enjoyed singing Christmas carols on the smooth ride across. As with yesterday, once ashore, sailors gathered together to be clear on the ground rules. These were simple: stay with instructors and respect the environment. These rules were well followed when a group of crew sailors stumbled upon a live clam, a horseshoe crab, and another strange creature that they dubbed "a squid".

Stay tuned for an update on the upcoming PIRATE DAY 2008! Tentatively, this will be next Wednesday and Thursday. See you all around the club!

Willis

Woah! What a Weekend!

2008-08-04T19:53:00.006-04:00

The Chatham Regatta went off successfully this weekend! The Bay was decorated with the spinnakers of Daysailors and 420's, the sleek hulls of lasers and sunfish, the beginner bravery of optimists, and the wooden antiquity of Beetle Cats, Marshall 18's, and Bay Birds. Overall, we had roughly 150 registered vessels cruising the waters of North Chatham, Harwich, Brewster, and Orleans.

Let's hear it for the hard work of all our volunteers and perseverance of our sailors! Weather conditions over the weekend were on and off sun and clouds. Wind on Saturday morning was very light, but steadily picked up through the day. As usual, the Chatham Regatta's lunch break allowed for winds to build for the afternoon competition. Race committees had the especially hard task of setting courses and running races under constantly shifting and switching wind directions.

Many of our youngest 420 sailors made the jump to regatta racing for the first time this weekend, which I was particularly proud of. Our younger opti sailors took a big step forward by venturing out for their first regattas as well. We had many instances of great sportsmanship, some of which were recognized in the awards ceremony, that were particularly indicative of the spirit CYC sailors take with them on the water. As par for the course, their were also a number of protests after racing on Saturday and Sunday that were well handled by a variety of experienced protest committees.

We worked hard this year as a club to reach out and build the Daysailor and Bay Bird fleets. I was very impressed with the turnout for both. It is wonderful for our younger sailors to see so many enthusiastic adults racing different classes of boats on the same waters that they sail on each morning. On that note, the flag officers and the staff of CYC did a great job organizing and running the regatta before, during, and after the regatta this passed weekend.

Okay, so, one more time, let's thank the volunteers for their hard work when we see them. CYC is the oldest and last free regatta on Cape Cod (possibly elsewhere as well). Next year promises to be just as successful, and I am so proud of our club. I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend on the water!

Let's Thank in Advance...

2008-07-31T21:02:00.003-04:00

Many people will be graciously volunteering their time this weekend and joining us on the Bay to support the Chatham Regatta. A great amount of work has gone into the Commodore's Buffet as well. We are so grateful to have such an enthusiastic membership. So thank you, in advance, for all of your hard work!

Today the Racing Team worked under the hot sun cleaning the fleet of club owned 420s to prepare them for the weekend. A little manual labor, some strong marine cleaning agent, and about an hour later the entire fleet looked nearly new! The underside of each hull slowly morphed from a dull yellow to a sparkling white with each stroke of the hand. The team also assembled the tables and chairs for tomorrow evening.

P.S. A special guest will be joining us on the Bay from the island life for the weekend. Emily Taylor comes off Nantucket into Saquatucket Harbor tomorrow afternoon and will join us under the tent tomorrow evening!

See you all around the club.

Willis

Extra Sunshine and An Upcoming Regatta!

2008-07-30T18:28:00.003-04:00

Another day chock full of sun! Morning classes took advantage of the light and steady northeast winds. Each class was sure to log valuable swimming time in the heat as the clock ticked closer to high noon. The Beetle Cats once again practiced their unique Man Overboard! drill in front of the opti class (show offs!). Once the last boats made landfall for lunch, everyone ate quickly and shifted their focus to the much anticipated week 6 sailing school races.

The soothing morning sunshine and steady breeze gave way to a hotter, calmer afternoon. The sailing school and junior races went off without a hitch.

The Regatta moves closer each day. With it comes the delight of good food and good company at the annual Commodore's Buffet Friday evening! Set-up began today for the two events. The tent has arrived, and things are moving into high gear around CYC. We are expecting to fill the bay with somewhere in the vicinity of 150 boats on Saturday and again on Sunday. The waters will be trolled by Bay Birds, Marshall 18's, and the other fleets of boats we are more familiar with. Registration begins 0830 on Saturday, followed by the 0930 skipper's meeting and the 1000 harbor start. Sunday's harbor start is at 0930 hours.

The CYC Racing Team had an A team scrimmage at Stage Harbor yesterday. They competed well and gained valuable experience throughout the day. They came out on top in 4 of their 6 races. Way to go! SMSA team racing championships are in the coming weeks in New Bedford.

I encourage all members to turn out to the Regatta regardless of whether they are sailing. The Cape's oldest and largest free regatta can always use extra volunteers, and the fun atmosphere is most definitely worth picnicking on the beach for!

Willis

Racing, Sunshine, and an Adventure!

2008-07-29T17:17:00.005-04:00

What a fun day on the water! The day started out with a moderate westerly breeze and bright sunshine. By the start of our afternoon races, we had a lighter breeze that shifted N/NE. The helmsman took on spinnaker work and competed in practice races, while the sunfish worked on boat handling at the head of the bay. Beginner optis stayed closer to shore and honed their skills, as they thoroughly enjoyed the morning sunshine.

During all of this, the crew class blasted off on the second installment of their adventures to Sipson Island! The Beetle Cats rigged quickly and departed the northeast end of the mooring field around 1030 hours. Favorable winds carried them closer and closer to their end goal until the first Beetle declared land ho! and finally made landfall just past 1100 hours. The sailors jumped overboard and swam to shore, while the Beetles either set anchor or patrolled the island's perimeter. Once all sailors washed up on shore, the class huddled up (to set a few ground rules!) and then took off on a leisurely walk around the island (think Lord of The Flies). As I reminded the group that we had officially left town and were exploring the shores of Orleans, each sailor picked out his/her favorite rock or shell to bring back to Chatham.

We rounded the Eastern bend of the island, facing further into Orleans toward the outer beach. After we surveyed the wonderful, exotic, and unfamiliar view, we took several group photos sitting on the tidal rocks. Some swimming ensued. Life jackets (removed for the walk around the island in the warm weather) were securely fastened, shoes were collected, final rock/shell selections were made, and as a group, we eventually were able to gather together, huddle up, and once again hit the open ocean for our trek back to our home base and more native waters. What an adventure!

With sailing school wrapping up just past 1200 hours, the focus quickly shifted to afternoon races. Lasers, 420s, Sunfish, Beetles, and Optis were all represented and the breeze stayed constant for both Tuesday afternoon series races. (I even think I saw the Berghs out on a sailing canoe!)

I reminded all sailors in the morning of the upcoming Chatham Regatta and Commodore's Buffet. Stay tuned tomorrow for a full report on the racing team's outing today at Stage Harbor.

Willis

First Blog!

2008-07-28T19:56:00.001-04:00

Awesome! This is officially the first CYC blog! Now we can update sailors, parents, and other members on all things CYC.

Today was partly cloudy with a light to moderate breeze out of the southwest. The crew class ran a practice race and practiced a few exciting abandon ship drills, while the opti class ran a morning-long game of capture the flag on the water. I think all of the younger kids were wiped after an intense morning. The 420 class worked on the spinnaker sets further off-shore.

I reminded all sailors this morning that this weekend is the CYC regatta (YES!) and that this Friday evening is the Commodore's Buffet hosted at CYC. Registration for the regatta will take place Saturday morning before the harbor start and the skipper's meeting. It is also still not too late to purchase tickets to the Friday night Buffet.

Tomorrow looks to be another day full of sunshine and decent breeze. Afternoon races will begin at 1300 hours. See you on the water!

Willis