Newsletter
April 2005

From the Bridge…

…a word from the Commodore

Leave it to our Junior Sailors to get the season started as early as possible. On Sunday, April 17, several of our young members (along with some help from their parents) cleaned and launched our Sunfish fleet for the season, and then dusted off the nautical cobwebs with some spirited sailing on the little lake. We attempted to follow this up with a regatta on Sunday, April 24, with a little less success (see the story below).

With much more luck, we held the Welcome Aboard Party at the CA on Saturday, April 23. We counted about 60 folks in attendance, and it appeared that all were having a good time. I'm pleased to report that six new families joined the club during the party, for a total of seven new families so far this season!

A special thanks from all club members needs to go out to John Brown, who generously donated his Sunfish and trailer to the club. His boat was immediately added to our fleet and was launched and sailed by our Junior Sailors, and is available for member use, along with the rest of the Sailing Club/CA fleet. If you have an old Sunfish, or even just some old parts, we would be thrilled to put them to good use. Just give me a call and we'll work out the details. There is nothing sadder than a boat on dry land!

Pearson Buell
Commodore

Membership

As of April 26, we have 33 families registered for the season. Are you one of them? If not, you should find a registration form included with this newsletter. Please complete and return the form, along with your $20 fee, as soon as possible so we can plan and budget for the season.

We are especially happy to welcome some new families to our crew! Please make an effort to meet and welcome the following families: the Walters (Eric, Eve, Erica, Juliana and Sean-Thomas), Bakers (Kent, Lynette and Nora), the Cuppetts (Leslie, Don, David and Michael), Morenos (Carlos, Debbie, Zach, Gus and Charlie), Smiths (Terry, Cheri, Drew, Haley and Molly), Engelages (Kendall, Karen, Evan and Allison) and MacLarens (Grant and Phyllis). This gives us 118 members so far this season, and there are plenty of you that have not yet sent in your registration for the season.

Once you get registered, don't forget to introduce a friend to sailing and the Sailing Club!

Sailing Club Logo Merchandise Now Available

Lots of you have asked how you can get clothing with the Sailing Club logo. We are now ready to take your orders. We have developed a small list of items available for your purchase, including screen-printed t-shirts and hoodie sweatshirts, as well as embroidered polo shirts and caps. An order form has been included with this newsletter, so please look it over and place your order.

We would like to submit our first order to our vendor by May 13, so please get your form in as soon as possible. While the embroidery can be done in smaller batches, the screen printing requires at least 20 units before we can start, so ordering now will prevent you from having to wait until we have enough for another printing.

If you have any questions about the merchandise, please contact Pearson Buell. You can either call him at 625-2154 or send an email to pearsonbuell@centurytel.net. Be among the best dressed sailors while you support the club!

April Sunfish Regatta

What a difference a week makes. When the Sunfish were launched on April 23, the temperature was around 80o. As we rigged the boats for the Sunfish regatta on April 30, the temperate was hovering around 50o, and the wind was gusting to over 30mph, resulting in a wind chill in the 30's. While some of the young sailors saw discretion as the better part of valor and remained on shore, several attempted to battle the elements, and each other, on the water.

Unfortunately, the howling winds and dropping temperatures eventually drove all but the most hardy sailors to shiver under blankets on the beach, leaving Josh Buell and Alex Williams as the last two sailors willing to race. The race committee, unwilling to sacrifice these two brave souls, opted to cancel the regatta, instead opting to direct the crew to chicken wings and camaraderie in the warmth of a local eatery. Look for the May 28 regatta to be much more comfortable for sailors and spectators alike.

Using the Sunfish Fleet

Some reminders about using the Sunfish fleet:

• Only paid Sailing Club members can use the boats (feel free to take a guest, however).
• Be careful to only take CA or Sailing Club owned boats (they are clearly marked). There are privately owned boats in the cove that we must not disturb.
• Junior Sailors must be monitored/supervised by an adult (either on board or on shore).
• Lifejackets must be on when using the Sunfish.

Calendar

We are always updating and expanding our calendar for the 2005 season, but we are happy to share with you what we already have planned. If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact Pearson Buell.

May

• 18 - Board Meeting - CA Sunfish Room - 7:00pm
• 20 - Cabin Boat Overnight Party - Windjammer and Party Cove - 8:00pm
• 28 - Sunfish Regatta - Little Lake - 1:00pm - Come test your skills against your fellow club members!

June

• 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 - Open Sail Night - Little Lake - 6:30pm - Club members will be on hand to help with Sunfish sailing.
• 10, 11, 12 - On-the-Water Boat Show - Windjammer - Boats of all types will be available for test rides. This is our annual fundraiser/community event, so you need to be there!
• 11, 25 - Sailing Lessons - Little Lake - 9:00am - Learn to sail, or help teach.
• 15 - Board Meeting - CA Sunfish Room - 7:00pm
• 17, 18, 19 - Midwest USA Junior Olympic Sailing Festival - Island Bay Yacht Club, Springfield, IL
• 18 - Pirate Party - Little Lake - Time TBD - ARRRGGH! Try to find me treasure, will ya? (NOTE: the date of this event is subject to change if a number of our Junior sailors opt to race in the Junior Olympic Sailing Festival)
• 25 - Sunfish Regatta - Little Lake - 1:00pm - Come test your skills against your fellow club members!

July

• 2, 23 - Sailing Lessons - Little Lake - 9:00am - Learn to sail, or help teach.
• 7, 14, 21, 28 - Open Sail Night - Little Lake - 6:30pm - Club members will be on hand to help with Sunfish sailing.
• 17 - Sunfish Regatta - Little Lake - 1:00pm - The season is well underway, so why not race?!?
• 20 - Board Meeting - CA Sunfish Room - 7:00pm

August

• 4, 11, 18 - Open Sail Night - Little Lake - 6:30pm - Club members will be on hand to help with Sunfish sailing.
• 13, 20 - Sailing Lessons - Little Lake - 9:00am - Learn to sail, or help teach.
• 14 - Sunfish Regatta - Little Lake - 1:00pm - The summer season is winding down, so why not race?!?
• 17 - Board Meeting - CA Sunfish Room - 7:00pm

September

• 4 - Sunfish Regatta - Little Lake - 1:00pm - It's getting cooler, the winds are picking up. Now is the time to race!
• 21 - Board Meeting - CA Sunfish Room - 7:00pm

October

• 9 - Sunfish Regatta - Little Lake - 1:00pm - Last call to race the Sunfish!
• 19 - Board Meeting - CA Sunfish Room - 7:00pm

November

• 11 - Awards Party - CA Clubhouse - 7:00pm - Let's end the season with a bang!
• 16 - Board Meeting - CA Sunfish Room - 7:00pm

Volunteer and You Help Steer!

Like most things in life, you get out of the Sailing Club what you are willing to put into it. Our ability to keep our costs, and your annual dues, as low as we do is a result of our members stepping up to the plate when it comes time to volunteer. Besides, when you volunteer, you help chart the club's course for the season, ensuring the club will provide the opportunities you and your family will most enjoy. There are lots of ways you can help: sailing lessons, social activities, our On-the-Water Boat Show, open sail nights, equipment maintenance, Sunfish or cabin boat race support, etc. The work is never hard, and is usually fun.

Included with this newsletter is a volunteer sign-up sheet for 2005. Please take a moment to review the many volunteer opportunities and sign-up for something that looks like fun to you. Please return the completed sheet to Lisa Buell, 705 Scarlet Oak Drive, LSL, MO 63367. If you have any questions, please contact Pearson Buell. You can save a stamp by returning both the volunteer form and the logo merchandise form at the same time! We are looking forward to another great year of sailing, and with your help, it will be the best year ever.

Thanks for volunteering.