September - Astoria Yacht Club

AYC Newsletter
ASTORIA YACHT CLUB –PO BOX 323, ASTORIA, OR 97103
WEBSITE: WWW.ASTORIAYACHTCLUB.COM
EMAIL: NEWSLETTER@ASTORIAYACHTCLUB.COM
FACEBOOK:HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/PAGES/ASTORIA-YACHTCLUB/127747073960822
Volume 15, Issue 9
September 2015
Astoria Yacht Club
2015 Lois Island
Raft-Up & Potluck
September 12th - Dinner
6:30pm
September 13th - Breakfast
9:30am
Anchor near Lois Island in Cathlamet Bay, just upstream of Tongue
Point. “Gypsy Rose” will be the host boat. Bring along a dinner and
breakfast entree to share with everyone. (byob - bring your own bottle)
Make plans to be come on to this event on Saturday, September 12. Dinner starts at 6:30
p.m. and ending on Sunday, September 13 with breakfast at 9:30a.m.
There will be ferry service provided on the White Knight, from the John Day boat launch,
for those unable to anchor out. Please let Toby Dyal 503-298-3377, Tom Brownson 503440-5474, or Bruce Faling 503-840-8211if you are needing ferry service. Also, please
RSVP Toby at home 503-325-0819 a few days ahead, so that we will know you’re coming and the number in your party. Let’s make this year’s RAFT-UP the best one yet! So,
grab your friends, bring your cooler of food and beverage, and have some fun visiting
and sharing stories with your fellow AYC members and guests. We hope to see many of
you for this event.
AYC Newsletter
Racing Without Winning by Larry Meade
(submitted by Norm Shatto)
In striving to win, whether at the national or club level, it is easy to forget the true value of competitive
sailing. Larry Meade reminds all racers of some of the qualities that can make the sport worthwhile
even if you don’t come out on top:
Most books ad articles on how to race (invariably written by champions) assume that winning is the
only reason for racing. Their premise is that if you don’t win, your only recourse is to improve so that
you do win.
For the broad base of competitive sailors, this philosophy is unrealistic. Most sailors, even when they
have the ability, don’t have the time to become champions. And even the champions cannot win all the
time. No matter how good a sailor is, the sport is full of uncontrollable variables that cant urn certain
victory into defeat. If we, the also-rans and the champions alike, are to consistently enjoy racing, it is
necessary to find a means of doing so without winning. Basically, this is achieved in two ways: by
changing your attitude toward winning and losing, and by changing your approach to racing.
Forget About Winning: The experts usually tell us that we can win more by caring more about winning. But such intensity can take the fun out of racing, especially when this intensity does not result in
winning. I find racing is actually more rewarding when I care less about winning.
Ignore Your Ego: Everyone needs to feel good about themselves by achieving something in life. But
people who set out to do this by winning sailboat races are courting disappointment. Only a few are
likely to win enough to build a reputation that will consistently satisfy their egos. And even for those
few, usually the price is having to take racing too seriously to really enjoy it. When you no longer pressure yourself by putting your ego on the line each race, you free yourself to better appreciate the sport.
Befriend Your Competitors: People who hate to lose because it bruises their egos often get angry at
people who win more than they do. They imagine that they are looked down on by the winners. In fact,
these people look down on themselves and project this feeling onto others. Remember that sailboat
racing is a social competition. Feeling that you have to beat someone you dislike simply adds to the
pressure and detracts from the enjoyment.
Escape The Past: Sail every race as if it were the only race. Sail every leg of the course as though it
were an entity in itself. Forget the mistakes of the previous leg or the finishing position of the previous
race. Of course, you want to learn from past experiences and mistakes, but beyond that, you should
eliminate any thoughts about having to make up for a poor finish o living up to expectations.
Don’t Worry About Losing: The idea that those who do not finish in the top few places are “losers”
completely overlooks the basic character of fleet racing, which, unlike match racing, consists of numerous victories and defeats within each race. No sailor who competes to his or her best ability can be put
into the category of “loser”.
Race To Sail: Racing, after all, is sailing, and racers are people who enjoy sailing their hardest and their
best, using other boats as yardsticks. Even when not winning, a racer can benefit from the challenge to
his sailing skills and the appeal to his sense of adventure.
(continued on page 5)
Page 2
Volume 15, Issue 9
Commodore’s Corner
by Toby Dyal
Happy days to all club members and fellow boaters.
On the second race of the fall series, Tuesday, August 18th, I asked Bruce Faling and Allen Kuehl, “Did
you see that?” We were near buoy 31, headed towards buoy 29, just after the start. “I think I just saw a
whale spout” I said. “Yah Tob, you’re seeing things” was their reply. I, of course, deferred to common
sense and my spray covered glasses, and thought, “Nah. You’re seeing things, Tob old boy”.
As we worked White Knight closer to buoy 29 and the fleet’s position, we were hailed by the crew of
Mike Campbell’s Rattler. “Did you guys see the whale? We had to alter course to avoid it” they said. So,
I’m not so poor sighted after all! Later, after the race, at the club room, I found out that Jack Conner’s
crew, aboard Zephyr, also saw the large gray whale near at hand. Most of the fleet later reported that
they had witnessed the whale or its spouting. As Mike had to alter course to avoid it, there was also
some discussion as to Rattler’s filing a protest. They were on a starboard tack and the whale wasn’t, or
was it? We sure do live in a beautiful and wonderful place.
I was unable to attend this month’s board meeting; my thanks to Tom Brownson for taking the chair. I
feel that now is a good time to remind everyone that the election of next year’s board is just around the
corner. Nominations are welcome. Now is the time to step up to help steward the club into the future.
We are currently planning the raft up in Cathlamet Bay around Tongue Point on September 12th and
13th. It’s been a bunch of fun in the past and I hope to see you there. ~ Toby Dyal, Commodore
The Unofficial Bridge to Bridge Race to Newport, OR
Cantata (Astoria, OR) vs Acadia (HoodRiver, OR) by Sheryl Holcom
The Cantata crew: Tom Brownson, Liz Bartell, Curt Yoder, Rod Leback, Alison Ruch, Nathan Neal, and Sheryl Holcom
We left the dock at 6:00 a.m. for our race to Newport against Acadia, a sailboat from Hood River who had
also raced in the 2015 Oregon Offshore Race to Victoria, B.C. We met with Acadia’s captain crew the
night before to get to know them and to also agree on start time and location. It was a beautiful morning
with the rising sun peeking though some clouds. We had pretty decent winds overall, with a some strong
wind occurrences and heavy fog to deal with.
We finally docked in Newport, OR, just about 24 hours later, safe and sound, where we had breakfast at
a local cafe and showers at the Embarcadero facility, thanks to the hospitality of Yaquina Bay Yacht Club.
Later in the afternoon, we had Curt Yoder join us for the return trip, as Rod and Alison were picked up
by their loved ones to spend more time there.
On the way back, Nathan throw out some lines to see if he could catch some tuna. As we got to the mouth
of the Columbia River, he casted his rod to see if he could get some salmon to bite. No luck whatsoever!
But, it was a fun way to end our trip.
(see page 5 for photos from our trip)
Page 3
AYC Newsletter
Minutes for 8/13/15 Executive Board Meeting 1830hrs
Board Present: Vice Commodore Brownson, Secretary Elstrom, Faling, Gascoigne, Sorenson, Holcom, Yoder.
Missing board: Jeanette Davis, Commodore Dyal, Treasurer Covert, Weidman Guests: Josh Mcconnell, Paul
Winiarz.
July Minutes: approved
Treasurer's Report: presented by Covert in absentia. Racing expenses have been running less than racing
income. Budget approved.
Membership: 50 full members at this time. New member accepted James Bills.
Newsletter: Please submit content to newsletter@astoriayachtclub.com Please send pictures with captions.
Deadline for submissions is 25th of the month. Advertising to be charged 75/year for business card size,
100/year for 1/4 page, 150/year for 1/2 page with link on web page for monthly newsletter.
Website: Send content to webmaster@astoriayachtclub.com. Calendar entries can be made via Brownson.
Clubroom: Elevator repairs, as estimated by the Port, are $58,000; and not feasible to attain by the Port. The
Board is actively discussing future options for the club. Decision to be made by 4th year clubroom anniversary , May 2016.
Events: "Brewfest and Pretzels" proposed by Paul Winiarz as club fundraiser at the Brew Cup, to benefit the
Sea Scouts. Decision to proceed will be made at next months board meeting. Commodores Ball coming up
October 17th.
Reciprocity: See yachtingdestinations.org for reciprocity. Reciprocity to include internet from AYC-2 in clubhouse, approved.
Ships Store: New Inventory on display in club room for purchase.
Racing: Regatta was a successful event. Fall series has begun. Double hander and pursuit races to follow fall
series. White Knight needs a depth sounder.
Cruising: Labor day raft up at Cathlamet Bay to be discussed under committee next week.
New Business: Humboldt Yacht Club burgee was traded for an AYC burgee. Brownson suggested we discuss
mutual reciprocity with them. Discussed forming an "event coordinator" position.
Adjourned: 2044
Page 4
Volume 15, Issue 9
(Continued from page 2 Racing Without Winning)
Race To Sail Better: Racing teaches sail trim and boat handling skills better than any other form of sailing. A good tack, jibe or mark rounding is a reward in itself whether you are first or last. Racing to extend your personal limits of speed and boat handling will keep the competition challenging and fun.
Race To Play The Game: One of thermoset interesting aspects of competitive sailing is the tremendous
variety of tactical situations that develop. There is nothing quite so satisfying as winning the favored pin
end position at the start or coming in from down low to gain an inside overlap at the jibe mark. Trying to
make the correct split-second decisions, learning to see situations developing ahead of time and striving
toward the “perfect” tactical race offers numerous challenges within the challenge of the race itself.
Race For Adventure: Racing is as much as a competition against the elements as against other boats
and sailors. Similarly, successfully testing your skill against the wind and waves can be every bit as rewarding as beating a close competitor. In a real blow, or even a drifter, anyone who makes it around the
course is a winner.
Race To Develop Concentration: At its best, racing is total absorption in sailing your boat. You become
an extension of the hull and sails and even the wind and water. When a sailor achieves this level of concentration, nothing else matters. The reward is in the depth of the relationship.
Sailing And Winning: These approaches to racing without winning not only make racing more fun, but
generally result in improved performance and higher finishes. By reducing pressure, by concentrating
more on the factors that influence winning than on winning itself and by emphasizing the value of competition and learning, a sailor often discovers that he is racing better.
Winning is really just something that is tacked onto the true rewards of the sport. You don’t need to win
to get personal satisfaction out of competitive sailing. But you do need to
enjoy the racing to be a real winner.
Photos from the Unofficial
Bridge to Bridge Race aboard
Cantata –Aug 1-3,2015
(continued from page 3)
Nathan N
eal
Liz
Alison Ruch,
Bro
Bartell & Tom
wnson
Page 5
Liz Bartell
Curt Yoder & Ro
d Leback
AYC Newsletter
Racers’ Corner
How Well Do you know The
Racing rules?
Submitted by Tom Brownson
Click on the link to test your knowledge
http://game.finckh.net/indexe.htm
From Sailing World's Terry Hutchinson
At a recent Melges 20 event we had a close situation at a top mark where we fouled another boat and if
we did not foul it felt close. Nothing was said; both boats bore away, set kites and went about their business. Inevitably my counterpart on the other boat is an Olympic gold/bronze medalist, multiple world
champion, America’s Cup, Volvo ocean race etc…. all around sailing stud. I would also say that Jonathan
and I are about as different of people that you could meet. Jonathan reminded me about the meaning of
respecting your competitors, pushing the limits, and racing hard while not losing sight of the big picture.
How? Ashore I went up to Jonathan to apologize for what I thought was a foul on our part and thanked
him. He was quick to point out that we do a lot of racing in an environment where we are coaching owner-drivers and sometimes things are just close. Yet, he also said that racing against each other hard is a
give and take on the water and without saying it reminded me in a very simple gesture that there is a lot
to gain by racing hard and in a professional manner.
Lesson learned again! As potentially my own worst enemy with intensity and for those of you who have
the same tendencies, there are some good takeaways from this exchange and experience.
Pick and choose your battles. In the example above if it was a foul it was small enough that our competition did not think it warranted a penalty. Jonathan made a choice to cut us some slack and as we
talked about the situation ashore. It was a great reminder for me that not every situation requires a
red flag and there are times to race competitors hard and cut each other slack. No shouting, just racing.
Knowing the rules. This is a tricky one in our sport. In the best of situations the rules can be confusing.
In confusing situations it gets harder and as emotions in the heat of the moment get revved up thinking clearly can be tough. A clear understanding of the rules and quick acknowledgement of a foul
with immediate penalty clears the air pretty quickly and will allow you to get back to racing.
No cheese. In the situation that I described above there was no real alteration of course and yet it
would have been real easy to put the bow up and do a Hollywood and protest, place the onus and
burden of a protest on us. But they did not and there is the great lesson. Nothing said if it was clean
and keep racing. The conversation ashore revealed what I felt on the boat and yet a solid reminder
from a great professional. No need to be cheesy on the water as there is a lot of racing in 2015.
Each situation on the course requires a different reaction or response. The above lesson though was and
is a great reminder to being a higher standard. There are certain teams that you will race against, we all
know who they are, and that won’t be a good standard. Stay above it, do your penalty turns if you foul,
and remember it is still just a sail boat race!
Page 6
Volume 15, Issue 9
The Rumor Mill: Stay Tuned! The Salvage Chief is coming! Back to Astoria!
M/V SALVAGE CHIEF
The famed SALVAGE CHIEF is equipped with six 100 ton salvage winches installed below decks out
of the weather. The forward three winches lead to 8,000 lb. or 12,000 lb. Eells anchors. The aft winches
provide three towlines to the stranded vessel. The vessel hull has full lines forward and relatively shallow draft, allowing it to lay in heavy surf conditions.
The ship berths 27 personnel, a creative group of welders, riggers, fitters, divers, and seamen, ready for
immediate response. Now owned by the Salvage Chief, LLC, It soon will be the Home of the Salvage
Chief (LCM380) Foundation, a not for Profit Museum here in Astoria!
The SALVAGE CHIEF is proven and highly successful. The vessel has an enviable record of refloating
several hundred stranded vessels and has rendered assistance to many other vessels in various types of
distress. It is one of the best equipped salvage ships and is manned with the finest crew. It is unique in
the world with proven capabilities.
The SALVAGE CHIEF is unique in its concept and design, and its extensive list of remarkable accomplishments attest to its effectiveness, particularly with respect to offshore marine salvage and ocean engineering.
Various types of salvage operations which the SALVAGE CHIEF has responded to:
1. Strandings, ocean and inland
2. Ocean rescue tows
3. Harbor clearance, location and recovery of sunken vessels or equipment
4. Fire Fighting
5. Ocean outfall installation
The design, auxiliary equipment and trained personnel of the SALVAGE CHIEF enable it to perform
efficiently in all of the above types of operations, as well as being uniquely capable of performing many
ocean engineering projects.
The vessels most salient feature is the six Almon Johnson winches, arranged three facing forward and
three aft, which provide the vessel with a standard tractive force (straight line pull) of three
hundred tons. This anchoring and winching system has proven to be infinity more effective than
the industry standard beach gear for refloating
stranded vessels.
(continued on page 8)
Page 7
A Community Organization Dedicated To Sheer Joy of Boating
AYC NEWSLETTER
Astoria Yacht Club
West End Mooring Basin
300 Industry St., Suite 201
P.O. Box 323
Astoria, OR 97103
Astoria Yacht Club was established on October 16, 1931 by Edward C. Judd, H.L. Edling andA.C.
Fulton, residents of Astoria, Oregon. Throughout the years, Astoria Yacht Club has carried on the
tradition of hosting various exciting and unique regattas, cruises, and other functions involving
good food and fellowship with other yacht club members.
We are located at the West End Mooring Basin, just upstairs on the northwest corner above Tiki
Charters.
Upcoming Events
September 12 & 13
Raft-Up at Lois Island
September 25-27
Brewfest & Pretzels
October 17
Commodore’s Ball
November 21
Annual Meeting
Happy Labor Day!
September 7
Remember: Elections nominations for board members is coming up!
New Members to Welcome!
James & Julia Bills
(Salvage Chief - continued from page 7)
If you are interested in supporting this effort, contact Don Floyd at 503-458-6713 email:
mdfloyd@centurytel.net or Floyd Holcom 503-338-9829 email: fholcom@astoriascuba.com. Funding
for this effort is currently held within a private equity group with plans of preserving its lengthy History here at the Mouth of the Columbia River.
Skills and experience will be needed to maintain its 2 Fairbank/Morse Engines and array of mechanical wonders.
With local support, the Salvage Chief will continue to have
a successful future here in our community.
Deck Parties are scheduled soon.
(Salvage Chief is to be docked at the Army dock at the end of Liberty Ln.
and is to be towed from Portland to Astoria)
Page 8