Ahoy Fellow Sailors
It is my hope that each of you had a grand summer and enjoyed some of the typical travel plans to escape the heat, explore new places or visit with family and friends.
We were MIA for most of September due to pre-arranged travel plans for a two-week cruise up in the San Juan and Gulf Islands. Yes, it was beautiful and serene. We are sorry to have missed Opening Day and the first in-person monthly meeting. The big surprise while away was a chance to meet up with AYC past commodore Chuck Dahill and his wife Kelly. We docked in Roche Harbor for the day and Chuck recognized our AYC burgee. We were invited aboard for a brief tour of Chuck’s yacht and while he may be the “King of Nothing” he sure is enjoying a king’s life.
The September meeting had a great turnout and Vice Commodore Bob Naylor did an exceptional job at welcoming everyone back, getting new members introduced, and encouraging you to blow up my phone with “We miss you” text messages. I appreciated the pics some of you sent my way too – especially of Martin Lorch finally receiving the Blunder Bucket Trophy. In the spirit of “paying it forward” please give Bob a big hug from me when you see him…or maybe send him a text ! Thank you Bob for stepping in and taking the helm in my absence.
We’re sad to have missed Martin Lorch’s informative and fun presentation about the Baja Ha-Ha Rally. Member presentations are some of my favorites. Thanks for sharing Martin-this rally is on our bucket list!
This year we had another successful Opening Day Celebration and from the postings and pictures, it’s easy to conclude that it turned out to be filled with food, fun and fellowship. Many of you stepped in to help our Rear Commodore, Marshall Willamson, pull it all together. Well done everyone!
October brings us further into our Fall Racing Series and also closer to our next two Regattas – The Ruth Beals Cup on Saturday, October 9th and the Governor’s Cup on Saturday, November 20th. We look forward to your participation and volunteer support. Contact Jeff Coulter if you’re willing to help out with Race Committee for either of these two events.
The Ruth Beals Cup is open for registration. I hope to see all of our women on the water this day. If you have a boat at LP, please consider inviting one of the AYC women to take the helm on your vessel and experience your boat as crew. It will be fun!
As a member-run club, we are continuously putting out a call for more engagement and volunteers. Simply showing up is an extremely important contribution. Your presence sends a heartfelt message to those that invest so much of their time in making great things happen in AYC. My continued thanks to all of you for coming out and being a part of AYC.
Lately, I’ve been thinking about the folks in this club that are “on-call” in their volunteer roles and how much I appreciate each of them. This includes the officers and directors of your AYC board, our Lake Captain Dave Newland, and the members of the ASF BOD.
There are also a handful of our past leaders that give of their time when I need additional insight on club stuff. They are quick to respond, whether by email or to my “quick question” phone call – although Martin say’s there is no such thing! These members go above and beyond and I want to acknowledge all they do and express a bundle of gratitude for their continuous contributions.
Goodbye September – Hello October!
May each of you continue to be graced with good health, a happy spirit and fair winds.
Deb Heisler, Commodore
