Come out for Happy Hour with the AYC at a new venue in North Phoenix!
CB Live will have acoustic guitarist Mike Maleckar (Mal) covering bands from his nearly 800 song list, which varies from Frank Sinatra to Taylor Swift, 2Pac to Hank Williams. As always the club will spring for some munchies.
Starts around 5:30 and goes until you go home (or they kick us out!)
21001 N. Tatum Blvd, Phoenix AZ 85050
Whitbread Round the World Race On “Fisher & Paykel, New Zealand”
With John Jourdane
John Jourdane – Photo Sailing World
Experience one of the most grueling yacht races on earth. 33,000 miles and nine months of sailing through storms, blizzards and icebergs. Climb aboard 82-foot “Fisher & Paykel, New Zealand” with author and world-famous sailor-navigator, John Jourdane, who will recount his around the world race through a video of his experience.
The meeting is Tuesday, February 12, beginning at 7pm (but arrive early for dinner). Monthly meetings are held at The Grill @ Rolling Hills Golf Course, 1415 North Mill Avenue, Tempe, AZ 85281-1205 (map) and both members and non-members are welcome to attend.
OHSO continues to be a great location for our monthly “Dog Watch” events. This month we will be at the OHSO Paradise Valley. Address: 10810 N Tatum Blvd #126, Phoenix, AZ 85028. Day: Tuesday, January 22. Time: 5:30 to… whenever…
What is this? A casual gathering of members and nonmembers just for the fun of it. It gathers maybe a dozen or so sailors who would just like to hang out, chat, and enjoy an adult beverage.
We got such good feedback from the folks that went to the O.H.S.O. in North Scottsdale, we decided to give the one in Arcadia a call…turns out everyone was well behaved before and they’d be glad to host us!
27 November
O.H.S.O Arcadia
4900 East Indian School Rd.
Phoenix, AZ 85018
5:30 until whenever…
All are invited!
Also…why a ” Dog Watch?” Traditionally it is the watch on a ship from 1600-1800 then again from 1800-2000. Since that’s when our gathering is…that’s what we’re going to call it! (It was split, so that seamen didn’t have the same watch at the same time every day.)
We’re going WEST with this month’s 4th Tuesday Happy Hour on Tuesday October 23rd. This month we’ll be at Rogue Tomato! 18561 N 59th Ave #122, Glendale, AZ 85308. Starts at 5:30(ish) and goes until 8:00(ish). As always AYC will spring for some appetizers and you are welcome to wash it down with whatever you like!
This month we’re digging deep… deep into the East Valley that is! Come join us for libations and camaraderie at Fibber Magees in Chandler: 1989 West Elliot Road, Chandler, AZ 85224 on Tuesday Sept 25th at about 5:30 to about whenever. As usual, the club will spring for some appetizers and we’ll all enjoy the fellowship! Click the link below to add it to your Google Calendar!
Photo courtesy of the TSC
Our sister club in Tucson is hosting its annual San Carlos Cruise beginning October 22nd.
Ports of call will include San Pedro Bay, Las Cocinas anchorage, and of course San Carlos. For more information visit their website page about the cruise or contact Richard Sebastian, at iwmfg@comcast.net or phone 520-404-8370.
The first crew party held at the lake was a really great gathering! Lots of people, both members and potential members got together, shared their sailing experiences and a great meal.
The event also had a 50/50 raffle to benefit the Blind Buccaneers. We raised a little over $160 towards their trip. They are fundraising through the end of October. If you would like to support them but were not at the event, donations are eligible for an Arizona Tax Credit (see your tax adviser for more details!)
Much thanks goes to Sharon Bell, and Heather and Josh McClain for organizing the event!
Cruising on Lake Pleasant
One final reminder that this Saturday, 8 September from about 4 to around 8 (boat time you know…) at Scorpion Bay Marina YOUR Arizona Yacht Club will host its annual Crew Party dubbed “Sail Jam!” In conjunction with that we will be fundraising for the Blind Buccaneers and the Foundation for Blind Children with a 50/50 Raffle.
Quick Reminders:
We’re looking forward to a great turnout!
Our Happy Hour events are generally scheduled on the 4th Tuesday of the month and move around the valley! This one is going to be in North Scottsdale at O.H.S.O Brewery and Distillery 28 Aug!
This is another Local First location that not only has their own brews, but distills their own spirits (and the Rum is SMOOTH!) The club will spring for some appetizers and you are welcome to pay for your own drinks and dinner if you would like. Hope to see you there!
AYC Cool Camp Out!
As monsoon storms hit the valley over the weekend, making the 100 degree temps wet and muggy, many of our members gathered in the cool pines outside of Mormon Lake and above 7000 feet where the high temp was about 79 degrees!
There was a little bit of everything as far as accommodations goes; everything from Class A motor homes to tents and hammocks! There was some rain on Friday evening after everyone was in bed, but that didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits.
Saturday night Steve Nahkala brought the fire for the Saturday night cookout, and that was welcome after a hard day of hiking, biking, horseshoes, and cornhole!
Club Member Wendy Larsen
After dinner as the sun set there was more fire as we enjoyed evening bonfire (with the monsoon storms the fire hazards had been lowered to allow it.) Next year we’re going to try and coordinate with LPSC who had a camp out here at the same campground two weeks earlier! We hope to see everyone then!
Organizer Steve Nahkala brings the FIRE.
By Heather McClain
This is the unofficial start of the sailing season in Phoenix! Need Crew? Want to crew on a boat?
Scorpion Bay Marina, Lake Pleasant
On Saturday, September 8, from 4-8 pm, we’ll toss a crew party at the end of E dock at Scorpion Bay Marina. The purpose of the event is to be a matchmaker between captains who need crew and crew who want to sail… and to just have a fun time with other sailors or those who are contemplating sailing.
Here’s to a great (and safe) sailing season in Arizona!
Steve Nahkala works the barbeque.
As I write this, the temperature in Phoenix is flirting with 115 degrees and a weekend in the cool country of Northern Arizona sounds pretty nice.
The annual AYC Summer Campout (formerly the Kinnikinick campout) is Friday-Sunday, August 10-12 this year. No need to register; just show up in the cool pines.
Once again Steve Nahkala will be heading up the trip, which will be held at Dairy Springs Campground by Mormon Lake. Steve moved the gathering to this new spot a couple years ago and it’s more civilized than the traditional unimproved Kinnikinick site. People will begin to filter into the campsite Friday, ready to enjoy the beauty of the location and the fun gathering of AYCers and friends. The activities are as rustic as the surroundings, with “pasture golf” and horse shoes and Liar’s Dice.
Here’s much more information on the event, including map directions.
Happy Hour at 4 Peaks Brewing!
In conjunction with our effort to focus more on our members and the relationships that make our club strong, we had an AYC Happy Hour at 4 Peaks Brewing in Tempe last Tuesday. The Club sprung for some appetizers and there were about 25-30 people that showed up!
We’re going to continue this “Off Week Happy Hour” effort moving it to different parts of the Valley so different members can attend. How do you know when and where they are? The Club Calendar will be updated with the events and we are trying to utilize the Facebook Events Page more as well! We’ll also include them in the roughly weekly email update with what’s going on.
We’d love to have your help to organize one! These are the kinds of events that help make our club great, so if you are interested in helping put a Happy Hour together in your part of the Valley, email Cruising@ArizonaYachtClub.org.
Avalon from Mooring #38
Last weekend AYC Sponsored a Flotilla to Catalina Island, and what a great time it was! The sailing between Long Beach and Catalina was some of the best wind I’ve ever had both ways. On our way out the we had the sails up as we rounded the Carnival Cruise Ship Terminal and sailed out of the Long Beach Harbor entrance. On our boat we had 5 kids and 3 adults. We sailed until we dropped to 4kts and saw that mooring balls were becoming scarce. We motor-sailed the rest of the way.
We spent the first night (Friday) in Descanto Bay, just north of Avalon and open to the ocean. We caught up with our flotilla members Jim and Marilyn Nelson on their Hylas 46 Liberte. We had dinner ashore at Charlie’s Steak and Seafood which was amazing fresh caught fish! Being in Descanto Bay, the dinghy ride was about 10+ minutes one way and it was moderately rough night out in the open ocean, but being outside in the sun all day, sleep was found pretty easily by all!
Jim and Marilyn Nelson’s Hylas 46 – Liberte at Descanto Bay
The next day (Saturday) we cooked breakfast on the boat and planned our day ashore at the beach. Liberte chose to head up to Isthmus Cove at Two Harbors so we bed them a fond farewell. We dinghied into Avalon and got set up on the beach. The kids swam and played in the water and on this massive inflatable fun platform Avalon has set up there. At about 10am we got invited by the Avalon Harbor department to move into Avalon Harbor so My daughter and went over and moved the boat to its new mooring. Later, we had dinner at the Catalina Cantina. Now that we were in Avalon Harbor, the water was much calmer and we had a better evening’s rest.
Our Ship’s Compliment – 3 Gibbs’ and 5 Moreno’s!
The next morning, we cooked breakfast on the boat and made one last trip to shore for ice. We left Avalon, right at 9am, which is checkout time, and motored out of Avalon for about an hour. The wind came up early and we set sail. The USCG was broadcasting a Small Craft Advisory for 3pm with winds 20-30 MPH. We reefed when we started to see 7kts of Speed over Ground and then saw 7kts again under reef within about a half mile of LA Light (AKA Angle’s Gate).
Next year we are planning to arrange this in conjunction with the Tuscon Sailing Club who’s trip was the week before! Maybe even expand it by a day to catch a night in Two Harbors!
Kim OlsonGibbs sailing to Catalina!
We’ve got a great group ready to go to Catalina next weekend!
The general plan is:
There is still time! Get yourself a charter (or trailer your boat over) and join us! If you do, let me know you’re going to be in the area by emailing Commodore@ArizonaYachtClub.org or hailing our boat “Avalon” (Yes, that is the boat’s name) on 16 when you are underway!
Wednesday Beer Can Racing ~ Photo by Marc Danner
Wednesday night was the first of many hot nights out at Tempe Town Lake. The wind started to build out of the west with gusts of around 10kts.
Two boats started on the line with the one minute “call out” by the Ferrings. We were able to get in four races before they had to dash off for the Phoenix Mercury game!
This is great, low-pressure racing before next season. So if you just bought a boat or have one in the garage, come on out, hone your skills and have fun!
See you on the water next Wednesday. Here’s further information.
Marc Danner
What are you doing Wednesday night? How about coming out for some highly casual racing at Tempe Town Lake?
We start racing at 5:30 and go until sundown. We do a one minute sequence. I have a whistle and signal: 5 short blasts is “AP down,” followed by a 10 second gap, then one long as the start of the one-minute countdown. I try to give 3 shorts at 30 seconds, 2 at 20, 1 at 10 and then one long for the start. A single 360 turn clears penalties. We set short courses, so we’ve gotten up to seven races in. If the Ferrings are there, we use their automated starting gadget.
This started as a Laser thing, but others started coming out, which was great. We all start together.
This is not an official AYC event, so you’re on your own in terms of a boat, liability and fun. We start promptly at 5:30 pm and if you miss one or two races it’s no big deal since we don’t keep scores. This is good practice, with bragging rights and then (for those who want to) off to a local restaurant for dinner and drinks.
Have questions? Email me.
See you out there,
George Sheller
David Newland, the recipient of our award for Most Valuable Player. Photo: Mike Ferring
You have a new Board of Directors at the helm after the Commodore’s Celebration Saturday night (5/19). The changeover to the new crew went very well, with over 70 members turning out for the party at The Yard in Tempe.
The formal part of the event is the installation of the board and new Commodore Rob Gibbs and the awarding of trophies and offering thanks to the people who made last year work so well. This year’s US Sailing Sportsmanship Award recipient is David Newland, who did such amazing work to get our Lake Pleasant boats in shape and keeping them that way in his role as Lake Captain. Here’s a lot more description of what David did this last year.
After a vote of the jury, George Tingom will get to keep Ye Olde Blunder Bucket another few months and we hope he takes better care of it than he has lately. You see, part of the responsibility of receiving this coveted trophy is its care and feeding—keeping it prominently displayed on one’s mantle. After winning the prize in December, George instead kept it in his car! Nominated for this transgression—and then foolishly trying to defend doing it—won it again for George.
Ethan Wei accepts the trophy for Most Improved Junior. Photo: Mike Ferring
The Wayne Jason Tucker Award for Outstanding Junior went to Myles Danner. The Jerry Lindeman Award for Most Improved Junior went to Ethan Wei and Matthew Haggart. The Heavy Lifting Award for contribution to ASF went to Mike Parker, who took over the High School Sailing Team this year.
Photos by Mike Ferring and various others who picked up his camera when needed:
Watch six AYC fleet champs duke it out for the coveted Club Championship trophy. Defending champ (and Sport Boat fleet champ) Mike Hester goes up against a field of excellent sailors in a round-robin competition using Thistles.
2018 Club Championship entrants are: Thistle Fleet Champion, Scott Richards; Capri 14.2, Dave Haggart; Catalina 22, Steve Grothe; Laser, Joel Hurley; Multi-Hull, Brett Johnston; Portsmouth, Mike Parker; PHRF Spin, Martin Lorch; and Reigning Club Champion/PHRF Sport Boat, Mike Hester. Steve Grothe and Brett Johnston are not able to make the race, reducing the expected entry to six.
Fleet Captain George Sheller will take you around the course on a luxury pontoon boat and position you for best viewing at the start and rounding marks. Bring snacks and beverages and cheer on your favorite.
One of the Scorpion rental pontoon boats.
The races will be Saturday, May 12, beginning about 9 am and continuing until a champ has been selected. That could be as many as seven races, but often is five or six.
The party boat will leave Scorpion at about 1 pm to see as many races as remain at that time, including the choice of a champ. The boat is expected to be a 24-foot luxury pontoon boat with cushy seats.
George needs at least 12 people to sign up for the boat in order to cover the rental. The price per person is $25.
2017 Club Champs Mike Hester and John Mayall with the big cup. Photo: Mike Ferring
