OPENING DAY T-SHIRTS! ORDER IN ADVANCE or BE LEFT OUT! Get your sporty, stylish and slightly plagiarised tee shirt proclaiming your support of this Eco-Friendly sport. $15 per shirt – $17 for XXL – PRE ORDER BEFORE SEPT 9 – or no shirt for U…a small qty will be there for purchase. Do not need to pre-pay – just email azexploder@hotmail.com size, mens or womans style, and qty of each BEFORE 9/10/2011.
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GET READY!!!! The approch of Opening Day brings a bunch of excellent memories over the past 9 years I have been privileged to attend. The butterflies start gathering early as the high temps start to descend ever closer to the double digits ( and always 10 degrees cooler on the water).
Never one to be leading the fleet, so that pressure is not a factor. The excitement of competition, building teamwork, and hanging out with my sailing buddies who understand the want to be around the water, fiberglass, and squeezing every erg of power out of a panel of strings covered with saran wrap, it is what feeds our other soul.
September 24 and 25, 2011 will be the 53rd opening day of your little sailing club in the desert. As always, there will be people painting, sanding, drilling, and pounding out in the parking lot at dawn. There will be the sound of new sails crinkling in the breeze as they are hanked on the first time, the smell of new fiberglass (some from repairs and some from fresh from the mold boats), and bright sunlight reflected from freshly washed and waxed 40 year old hulls. As the start time approaches, some yahoo thinking it would be funny, pulls the string on the only cannon allowed in the fleet – and the race to the launch ramp begins.
Then the parade to the starting line, with some returning to the dock to pickup the jib sheets left on the back seat and to throw Dave Rawstrom a tow line so he can start the first race on time today. The sound of the first horn signalling the start of our proud tradition begins the quest – not to win it all – for most – but rather to meet some more lowly goals for the season.
#1 NO fiberglass damage
#2 No DFLs (depending on your upbringing – “Dead Freaking Last” for me)
#3 My crew will someday want to sail with me again
Now for the High Level Details:
– 9AM: the USCGA will be available for COURTESY inspections with a sticker for passing (better them than to get AzGFD courtesy inspection that gives you a signed certificate for NOT passing).
– 10AM: FIRE THE CANNONS! Official opening of 2011-12 season
– 5pm: Dinner will be following racing. It is always a great food, beautiful scenery, and good friends. Race recaps from the Race Committee and race strategy from those skippers who where successful, and those not so much.
– 6pm: Prizes awarded during dinner for some random and completely arbitrary reason that I don’t even know yet.
REGISTER NOW on the web now and set your calendar those sailing days enjoying the great outdoors, or spend them mowing the lawn, painting the bathroom, or heaven forbid – sleeping in till noon….
Michael Parker
AYC Cruising Captain