NHYC Hosts U.S. Finn Olympic Trials

I now know the full meaning of“lame duck.” It really hit me when the“Dress Memo” came out for theNovember Board of Directors Meetingand Photo Session. The “monkey suit”will not be required of me. I am off thelist. Well, it has been a great year and Iam going to miss it. It has been greatbecause of you, the members. Yourparticipation in the many events andfestivities as well as the tedious tasks hasmade this year a sleighride for me.There are so many members to thank Iwill leave it at a simple THANK YOU!

With the support of my and yourBoard of Directors and the support ofthe Policy and Planning Commission, wehave accomplished a few important

functional items this year outside of justhaving fun. First and probably foremostwas the successful negotiation with theCatalina Conservancy for a long termlease of Moonstone Cove. Thisaccomplishment now allows us to makefinancial and physical plans that willinsure future generations of NHYCmembers will be able to enjoy our littlebit of paradise.

Another major hurdle behind us isthe refurbishment, top to bottom, of theJim Webster. Staff Commodore BillPalmer, headed up this undertaking withthe able help of Port Captain, TadSpringer and his staff of volunteermembers. We have bought five-plusyears of time before we need to addressthe replacement of this NHYC icon.

Many things happened behind thescenes, due to the management of TomGilbertson that improved our efficienciesin the office, the race office, the boatyard, the bar, and the restaurant. OurHouse Committee installed a new seriesof security cameras throughout the cluband premises, so be aware that “bigbrother” is watching – academy awardscould follow.

Rather than go on and summarizeall that has taken place this past year, Iwill emphasize what we did in the lasttwo months. First we held the Fall GoldCup. This little event had only 180

Sabots on the bay. Not bad after hostinga similar amount in August for theNationals. Then we held an event thatspeaks for the excellence of this yachtclub – the U.S. Olympic Finn Class Trials.This was an 11 day event that went offwithout a hitch due to the involvement of70+ members volunteering for everythingit takes to run an event of this magnitude.Our host members, our measurementcommittee, our race committee, ourjudges, our boat department, our chef,our race director, and last but not leastour manager, Tom Gilbertson werefantastic. It made me proud!

The Skipper Members stepped up tothe plate and put on a highly successfulCasino Night Party. Miami Vice neverhad so many beautiful people on theshow. I understand that they raised asubstantial amount of money to fund theirfuture racing needs.

In closing this year I look back atmany highlights, but none were better forme than having my entire family joinAdrienne and me, all from afar, forOpening Day. This day magnifies what afamily experience NHYC is.

I can only thank you, themembership, for allowing me theexperience of being your Commodore.

I hope to see you on the water,John Garrison

COMMODORE’S COLUMN

cover photos by John Fuller 2

SAVE THE DATE: APRIL 12, 20082008 Conservancy Ball

The Catalina Island Conservancy invites the Southern California yachting community tothe 13th Annual Catalina Conservancy Ball to be held on April 12, 2008 at the beautifulAvalon Casino Ballroom.

The Ball’s theme is “Earth, Wind and Fire.” “Earth” for the island’s land, plants, andanimals, “Wind” for the island’s bird life, and for its marvelous boating community, and“Fire” for the re-growth of the island’s plant communities after the recent fire.

The black-tie event will feature dinner, dancing to Pete Jacobs and his Orchestra, live and silent auctions, and some surprise guests.

You’ll want to consider sponsoring the Ball at the $1,500 level. The popular VIP Sponsorship Party will be held at Casa delMonte – Philip Knight (P.K.) Wrigley’s stunning hillside home since 1927, and newly restored by its current residents Alison WrigleyRusack – P.K.’s granddaughter – and her husband Geoff.

To become a sponsor now, or to order tickets immediately online, please go to www.catalinaconservancy.org. And to receive a formal invitation, please e-mail your name, address and telephone number to

2008Ball@catalinaconservancy.org, or send a note to 2008 Conservancy Ball, P.O. Box 2739, Avalon, CA 90704.This is your chance to show your support for the island we all love, and to share this experience with friends and family.

RACING

MA L L O RY CU P

by Adam Beeckman

On June 28th, Alan Carmichael,Cryssa Byers, and I slipped down to SanDiego for the Mallory Cup. The Malloryis a qualifier for the Adams Cup, anational triple-handed event betweenyacht clubs. We arrived on Fridayafternoon for a quick tune-up session inEtchells, a boat I have never sailed. Thewinds were very light that day so it wasdifficult to get a good feel or work onboat-handling but we managed to dojust fine in the small puffs that camerolling our way.

LA S E R PA C I F I C CO A S T

CH A M P I O N S H I P

by Adam Deermount

Treasure Island Sailing Club playedhost to a total of 81 boats for the LaserPacific Coast Championships on the longweekend of August 10th – 12th. Laserand Radial sailors arrived on the morningof August 10th to an already briskand building sea breeze at theTreasure Island facility in the middleof San Francisco Bay. I had originallyintended to sail with a Standard Rigin the regatta but my plans quicklychanged after driving over the BayBridge and witnessing the buildingbreeze at 10 a.m. Switching to theRadial Rig turned out to be the bestdecision that I made all weekend.

The racing venue for the first twodays was between Alcatraz and AngelIsland, frequently referred to by localsas the windiest spot on the Bay. Asthe fleet sailed to the venue it wasapparent that San Francisco wouldlive up to its well deserved reputation forawesome summer breezes. The first racewas sailed in approximately 15 – 18knots but built steadily throughout theday to over 30 knots, buffered by aripping ebb current that made racemanagement very challenging. It wasnot unusual for a boat to flip multipletimes during a race and just stayingupright could guarantee you a spot in

the top 10 in either the Laser or RadialFleet. I was one of the larger sailors inthe Laser Radial Fleet which definitelyplayed to my advantage as the windscontinued to build. Even so, I foundmyself sheeting out between 4’ – 6’ andfooting upwind to keep the boat flat.The Race Committee ran trapezoidcourses for most of the regatta whichmade for some awesome reach legs andout of control downwind runs.

Fortunately, this also meant that therewas less upwind hiking than there wouldhave otherwise been.

The second day of racing startedeven breezier than the first with anequally strong ebb. Several of the fullrig sailors from the first day had optedto change to the Radial Rig withpermission from the Race Committee. Iwas glad that I had swallowed my pride

and gone to the smaller rig before theregatta started. The wind hit 30 knotseven earlier than it had the day beforeand avoiding wiped out boats near themarks began to get challenging. Therace committee sent us in after the firstrace as the conditions were becomingtoo difficult to run races and there weresimply not enough support boats to pullthe sailors of flipped boats out of thecold San Francisco Bay water. By this

point I had a fairly large lead, duemostly to an upwind and reachingboat speed advantage. Afterderigging, I discovered that Imanaged to bend my top section,bottom section and boom (I hadnever bent all three on the sameday before).

On the final day, the RaceCommittee decided to sail thefleet further east on theEmeryville Flats where the windand current were supposed to beslightly more manageable.Unfortunately, the breeze neverreally materialized and most ofthe day’s racing was in a light to

medium breeze with regular 30+ degreeshifts. The change in conditions servedto shake up the standings quite a bit assailors went from survival mode tosimply trying to find the next breeze.

In the end, I won the Radial Fleet bya solid margin, as did Derek Vranizanfrom Seattle Yacht Club in the Full RigFleet. The regatta was well run and SanFrancisco Bay was an absolute blast.

Southwestern was accommodatingin that they had a live band and snacksbeing served when we got in frompractice. Sitting on the club decksipping your favorite drink, eating tastypupus, and chatting among friends was agreat way to kick off the regatta. Thatevening we dined in style at Little Veniceand then headed out for nighttimefestivities.

The morning dawned with lightwinds and warm weather. Only threeteams showed up for the event, whichwas a little disappointing, but there wereno slouches as the San Diego Etchellsfleet is known to be strong. Only a singleboat could enter the regatta per club so

they were happy to see us participate.The format was round robin and afterlearning one boat’s setup, we then had toswitch and learn another in quick order.The results were relatively one sidedwhere the overall winner had a distinctadvantage with their Etchells experienceand boatspeed. However, it was fun tomix it up and play the spoiler where wemade some impressive moves and hadgood speed, at times.

These events are a staple to keepingNHYC in the national sailing scene and itis very important for us to participate inevents such as the Mallory in the future.Good sailing and may the wind be atyour back!!

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Adam Deermount (right)

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2008 US OLY M P I C

TE A M TR I A L S – SA I L I N G

by Scott Mason

Newport Harbor Yacht Clubhosted an epic Olympic Trials October3-14. Fourty-two competitorsdescended on the club starting inSeptember for the winner take allcompetition. The sole Finn berth inQingdao was riding on the outcome.Many expected light air, long tows,boorish behavior, and some new Finnclass behavioral science material.

We were treated to a regatta thatcould not have been more differentthan expected. The sailors behavedadmirably, boring the judges with lackof protests and Rule 42 violations.Healthy competition, sportsmanship,camaraderie, and NHYC hospitalitymade the 2008 Finn class team trialsone for the ages, and one that will bediscussed amongst Finnsters for years.Winds were surprisingly breezy forNewport, with half the races sailed inopen (free pumping and rocking)conditions. Race management andhospitality was superb under the on-water leadership of Jeff Johnson(SDYC), Serge Jorgenson (US Sailing),Jenn, Jeff Gordon, S/C Bill Palmer,Smitty, and all of the normal NHYCstalwarts. Shore hospitality wasphenomenal—great pupus and beerupon hitting shore, events that drewjudges from other trial’s venues, even a

post-regatta coaches race Sunday night.Zach Railey jumped to the front of

the leader’s board mid-regatta and neverlooked back. He was pushed by GeoffEwenson, Darrell Peck, Bryan Boyd, andAndy Casey, but his thorough preparationand dedication set him apart from hisclosest competitors and way ahead of thefleet. On the rare occasions we were inclose quarters, I marveled at Zach’s abilityto eke out an advantage—small at first,insurmountable later. Zach will representthe USA well, and I congratulate him.

The NHYC Finn fleet was TadSpringer’s brain-child two years ago.Today we boast one of the largest Finnfleets in the US, and we had ten entrantson the water! With the Finn Gold Cupcoming to San Francisco in 2010 and arejuvenated class, I believe that NHYCwill have a Finn presence for many years.I have watched 25% annual growth in theclass since 2005 as US Finn Secretary, andsee signs of continued growth.

In closing, I would like to thank ourclub leadership, staff, and volunteermembers whose dedication and effortmade this event a resounding success. Ihave been fortunate to represent theburgee for 28 years and to be involved inrace management for over 20 years. Ihave never seen the esprit de corps,

preparation, dedication, or condition ofour fleet at the level it is today. TheOlympic Trials are a remarkably high-pressure and high visibility event, muchmore so than our fixtures, a US SailingChampionship or class championship.Our club succeeded brilliantly, we wonthe respect of many high-level sailors,and we raised the bar on what isexpected for the highest level US Sailingcompetitions in future years.

Thank you very much to everyonewho made this event a success, andcongratulations to all of the membershipon our common fortune to be involved ina wonderfully successful sailing club!

photos by John Fuller

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US OLY M P I C TE A M TR I A L S

“TH E JO U R N E Y”

by Tad Springer

Two years ago, the journey toward the2007 Finn Olympics Finn Trials began inNewport Beach. Thanks to each individualwho shared in it; the event’s success will beremembered as one of the most phenomenalevents hosted by the Newport Harbor YachtClub. Jenn Lancaster, our esteemed racedirector, quietly headed the effort of all theSouthern California yacht clubs’ formal bidsto US Sailing for the prestigious right to holdtheir respective trials. Thanks especially goto Jeff Gordon, Fleet Captain at the time,who, along with Jenn, put in a huge effort,and served as chairman of this event.

Two years ago, our boatyard was full ofFJ’s, 420’s, Lasers, Bytes, Sabots, and a fewother one-designs, along with Hank Thayer’slonely Finn. Upon US Sailing’sannouncement of NHYC’s winning bid for theFinn class trials, my own journey tocontribute to the effort began. I spent thelast decade as a supportive parent to myson, Jay, attending regattas all over the US,Canada, and Singapore, along withsupporting other high school sportingevents. Having sailed Finns in the seventiesand early eighties, I saw this as a perfectopportunity to get back into the Finn and dosome sailing myself. Phase 1 began withevaluating equipment. With advancing

technology, the world has changed, andnew Finns are no exception. Thesophistication and costs were eyeopening to say the least. So with muchto learn, and a steep learning curve, Idecided to get into a boat ASAP, andsort out the variables later. I bought myfirst boat, a 2003 Devoti (made in theCzech Republic) October 21, 2005, fromthe venerable character, Henry Sprague.This was the start of the “train thatcould,” and the brethren of Finn sailorspast jumped aboard and committed toshare in the journey. At the time,Southern California had a nice butvintage Finn fleet of older Newport andVanguard boats. Our fleet’s interest wasnot merely to participate, but tocompete locally, nationally, andinternationally, so only the newestequipment would suffice, and thusbegan the “arms race.” I immediatelystarted buying and tying up everyavailable Finn in the US that could becompetitive. Our members also boughtnew boats directly from Devoti inEurope. We became the clearing housefor those European Finn sailorsattending Miami’s Olympic ClassesRegatta. Within a year we assembled afleet of 24 Finns in the NHYC yardrepresenting the largest fleet in NorthAmerica, significant on a world-widebasis.

October 2006 brought the Pre-Olympic Trials to NHYC as a test event

for the trials. This was a three dayevent which drew 39 boats, includingeleven NHYC members. Thisconstituted the largest fleet of theOlympic Pre-Trials regattas. The eventwas attended by the top US Finnsailors and it opened many eyes tohow level the playing field gets with alight air venue. Tony Wattson won thefirst race of the series, chalking one upfor the home team; I finishedoverlapped for second in the finalrace. So these results encouraged allof us to believe we had a very goodchance in the just-concluded trials. Tocapitalize on our results at the Pre-Olympic Trials, Phil Ramming, ScottMason, George Twist, and I committedto a Winter 2006 racing schedule. Wecompeted in the Coaches Regatta inClearwater, the Miami OCR, and theMidwinters in Ft. Lauderdale, as partof a Florida circuit. The friendship andcamaraderie we established with theinternational Finn sailors is ongoing,with daily emails and discussions offuture regattas. These eventsrepresented the steepest slope of thelearning curve; the information gainedfrom the top of the Finn world orderhelped elevate our game, and we allspent time at home sharing thisknowledge. It was in everyone’s bestinterest to work collectively to boostboat speed and push one another tonew levels. Training continued with

(continued on page 6)

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sessions every weekend when there wereno scheduled regattas.

The Summer of 2007 was one of themost entertaining phases of the journey, asby this time NHYC members had gainedcontrolling positions on the board of the USFinn class. Scott Mason took over theSecretary position and spent endless hourscleaning up a mess left by past officers. Ivolunteered to be on the board as theSoCal representative. Peter MacDonaldand Bill Bissell took over as co-Editors ofthe Solo news letter (it has never lookedbetter). We cooperatively put the class intonever-better shape and rocked the boatwhile doing it. Finn sailors around the USAwere just awakening to the boom in SoCaland the NHYC’s presence in the nationalpicture. Jealousy rearedits ugly head and ourfleet took salvos ofaccusations regardingpower, wealth, and thestarting of the arms race.The old guard was takenaback by our approach,yet we haddemonstrated ourabilities not only on thewater, but in buildingand managing a fleet.Our local regattas drewmore Finns than theprevious Finn Nationalsand North Americanchampionships, and USand Canadian Finnsailors took notice.Many fleets jumped onthe fleet building mission; I shared ourprocess and methodology with them. Thelocal characters were crawling out fromunder the rocks (Sprague and Kern),creating chaos, spreading their goodwill,keeping us amused, and bewildered. TheUS National Championship was held in GullLake, Michigan, with Geoff Ewenson’s mainsponsor, Jon VanderMolen, hosting theregatta, and he made a very persuasiveoffer to have our fleet attend. This was thehighlight of my summer sailing. It wasgreat to stand on the podium with threeother Californians, where I placed fifth. Mymemories of one of the most beautifulsettings, with spectacular food and wine,making new friends for life, remainsupreme.

The final push for the trials snuck up

and kicked me in the rear at the end ofsummer. My process was clear (JayGlaser told me not to focus on theresults but focus on the process) and myequipment was sorted out. It was ourunderstanding that we would have foursails measured and I had made mydecision. I geared up for typicalNewport light air and felt comfortablewith my setup. I had steadily improvedwith my results throughout the year andfelt confident. I was training twice a dayand on a mission to lose weight (I lost18 lbs) and increase my stamina.Sixteen races in nine days would take aphysical and mental toll regardless ofpreparation. To minimize that toll, Ispent the mornings riding my bike up

the coast or over Newport Coast. Ibought a standup surfboard andpaddled an hour and a half in theevenings, which was great for corestrength. I gave up my beloved tequilaseveral weeks prior to the event andcarefully watched what I ate. I amblessed to have a very supportive wifewho knows how to prepare food to meetthat need.

With two weeks to go, I cleared myschedule to sail every day with theserious contenders. Phil Ramming and Ihooked up with Geoff Ewenson andZack Railey. The first part of the trainingsession, Zack had Ed Wright (currentEuropean Champion) come and trainwith him; we were able to jump in ontheir afternoon sessions for some

starting practice and races. With a weekto go, Zack brought in Jonas Christensen(2006 World Champion) for more training,and once again we jumped in and tookadvantage of Zack’s training program.This is very typical of the internationalFinn fleet, they work together to helpeach other get better. Jonas will have allof the Olympic-qualified Finn sailors toDenmark prior to the Olympics to train,no secrets here.

We had three days to get throughmeasurement. I was fifth on the list andthis was the start of my nightmare. Myboat weighed 2.9 kilos heavy (I knew thisfrom Nationals) but this was my firstlamboley swing test, part of the Finnmeasurement protocol since its invention

in 1961. This is aprocedure to measurethe boat’s center ofgravity and gyradius, todocument that boatsare evenly matched.My boat had sailed atthe 2005 Gold Cup, so Ifigured that I wouldhave no problem. But Iwas wrong. Not onlywas my boatoverweight, it was wayout of tolerance for theswing test. Theproposed solution wasto put an additional 2.5kilos of lead in the bow,which had meconvulsing at thethought. I opted for a

sidebar discussion with the ChiefMeasurer. He allowed me to pull all thecounter weight lead from the boat andstart at ground zero. Several hours later,thanks to a very patient measurer, I gotmy boat to minimum weight in perfecttolerance on the swing test, a big win forme. Two of my sails were oversized in themid-girth, and the solution to this wasseveral hours in the sun, after which theymeasured within tolerance.

Closing in on the start, Jeff Gordonand David Team donated their Whaler“Brave Bull” as our coach boat. Phil and Ijoined forces with fellow member ChrisRaab and his coach Ian Lineberger as“Team Newport.” I could write an epicnovel explaining the nuances of Raab andcoach, but I will summarize with an image

“TH E JO U R N E Y” (continued from page 5)

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of Raab as a Jack Russel on steroids, andhis coach as a public address system withhis volume dialed up to level ten, theybring an entirely new meaning to hyper.

Once the trials started, thecompetition became a matter of routine,with arrival at the club by 7:30 am,uncovering the boat and airing out tanks.Then wipe down hull with soap andspeculate which sail to bend on for thefirst race. Next, at 8:00 am, sharebreakfast and discuss weather forecastswith fellow sailors, review provisions onthe coach boat, and make sure its fuelwould be adequate for the day. Putextra sail on coach boat with gear bag.At 9:30, there was a daily competitors’meeting, then changing into tow-outsailing gear, andlaunching for the tow.We had set up to towat higher speed withoutanyone in the boats,which halved our timeon a conventional 1.5hour-long tow. Wetook our time on thetow out and discussedconditions, tides,currents, wind shiftsand favored side of thecourse. Once onstation, we wouldmotor by thecommittee boat andcheck in (a dailyrequirement). Wewould stay in the coachboat as long aspossible, waiting for the committee tosetup, during which time we wouldhydrate and snack on a protein bar, thenchange into sailing gear. Pulling sails upand even changing sails, we becamevery efficient and comfortable dealingwith the variables.

The trials started on a Saturday with43 competitors, the largest fleet in anyclass in the US Olympic Trials. Of these,ten were NHYC members. Theconditions were breezy, shifty, and notour typical Newport light. By day two, Ihad buried myself into 29th place. Butwithin three days I moved up to 17th andprayed for some light and shiftyconditions. Then we had a typicalNewport day, which made it a whole newball game. With 5th & 9th place finishes,

I moved up to 11th overall, just hoping forthese conditions to continue. The nextday brought exceedingly light wind; aftertwo general recalls we got off to a verydicey start. You couldn’t afford a secondrow start, so being on the line wasparamount. I rounded the weather markin 6th only to hear a whistle and see mybow number on the OCS board displayedon the weather mark boat. This is howOCS boats were informed they had been“on course side” of the line at the start.My day was over and I tumbled down theresult page. The last two days broughtbreeze with open pumping conditions andI put in some very respectable races toend the series in 15th after my OCSthrowout. This regatta was sailed in

breezy conditions (12 kts plus) for 12 ofthe 16 races. When the breeze was on,there was a very distinctive 5 boat “Afleet”(the kids), with 15 boats in the “Bfleet” and the rest fighting it out behind.In the light air, the A fleet was fifteenboats plus in size and this leveled theplaying field so the old guys could sailwith the kids. This was a long andexhausting event; actually longer than theOlympics themselves will be. Anycompetitor who completed all the raceswas a winner in my book.

NHYC did a phenomenal job puttingon what might be considered the pinnacleof one design regattas, and the club’smost prestigious event. This event should,and will, be remembered as one of thefinest events in the history of NHYC and

US Sailing. This is a tribute to thesupport of our membership and theirwillingness to be involved. Over onehundred volunteers contributed andthe club fielded twelve floating assetson the water daily, including racecommittee, stake, mark-set, tow, andjudge boats. Our staff shone, the foodwas excellent, service was superb, andall involved were warmly welcomed.Everyone looked forward to the end ofthe day’s beer and food which greetedus at the top of the ramp. Ourmanager, Tom Gilbertson, watchedover us every evening. We had plentyto eat – the one aspect of Finn sailingwhich hasn’t changed in thirty years.The sailors were overwhelmed at the

hospitality andgenerosity of our club,its members, and staff.Many members housedcompetitors in theirhomes. The Dockmasterand Boatmen organizedequipment, kept boatsrunning, stocked boatswith food and drinks,and coordinated floatingassets daily whileperforming their normalduties and keeping theboat yard spotless.

I am proud to be aFinn sailor. I havecompleted thisphenomenal journey,now part of history, andcontributed to a sport

that we love. I am blessed to have thesupport of my family, my greatestsupporters. I am honored to be amember of Newport Harbor YachtClub, which we should consider thefinest sailing institution in the world,thanks to our members and theirgenerosity. “While it’s important tohave an end to journey towards, in theend it’s the journey that counts.”Thank you to all the members thatcheered us on and supported ourefforts. Thank you to the Flag Officersand our Board of Directors who had thevision to take on a regatta of thismagnitude and thanks especially toeveryone involved who made it anexperience of a lifetime. I hope it wasgreat for you too!

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RACING

2007 HA R B O R 20 CH A M P I O N S H I P

by Richard Somers

The 2007 Harbor 20 Championship was heldSeptember 29 and 30 at Newport Harbor Yacht Club. Weather was “perfect” with light to moderatewinds and temps in the mid 70’s.

The highly competitive A fleet had 15 boats entered and completed four races in moderateand shifty winds on the first day of racing. At the end of day one, Bob Yates held a slim lead overTerry Gloege and John Fuller.

On day two the top three boats battled it out in light air with a strong ebb tide. TerryGloege and his long time sailing partner Byron Caps scored 10th, 6th and 2nd place finishes,which with their throw out race, enabled them to take first place.

The six boat B fleet was dominated by Peter and Debra Haynes who took home thefirst place trophy with four first place finishes in the seven race series.

Many thanks to the outstanding efforts of the Race Committee headed by S/C BillPalmer, Rear Commodore Bill Crispin, and many others on markset boats.

This is a fun and competitive fleet. Our goal is to have atleast 20 boats in each fleet next year.

photos by Pam Bacich and Bob Yates

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NON-CALM

NHYC HI G H SC H O O L

SA I L I N G

by Zander Kirkland, Non-Calm Director

High school sailing is very popularamong NHYC’s adolescent sailors.Not only is the racing competitive anda great warm-up for college sailing,but it serves as a fun social outlet forthese young people. There are fourmajor high school programs in thearea that have NHYC members; theyinclude Newport Harbor High School,Corona del Mar High School, Sage HillHigh School, and Mater Dei HighSchool. There is also junior memberSydney Bolger at Long Beach Poly.Most of the programs are based indifferent parts of the Bay, but come topractice together in the Turning Basin– NHHS practices at NHYC, CDMpractices at the Sea Base, Sage Hillpractices at BYC and Mater Deipractices at BYC. Since all the

coaches and sailors know each other,there is a high degree of synergyamong the teams. This takes all theteams on the Bay to the next level andhopefully good finishes at PCCs andNationals. So it is not uncommon tosee over 20 boats crowding a highschool practice starting line, jousting fora front row start. There are not thatmany other teams that get that type ofpractice. With all the talented sailorsthat NHYC produces every generation,it is a good thing that they do not go allto the same high school, for anunwanted consequence would bebenching talented sailors atchampionships because of the plethoraof great sailors.

There are five major high schoolfleet racing regattas that are distributedaround California during the year.These serve as great practice for theMallory Trophy, count towards theDisney Trophy (Pacific CoastInterscholastic Sailing Association’s(PCISA) Team of the Year) and allowsmall teams to participate in this

growing high school sport – there areGold and Silver Fleets. On top of thatis there is Cressy Qualifiers(Singlehanded Championships), BakerQualifiers (Team Race Championships)and PCC’s (Fleet RacingChampionships). Traditionally PCISAhas done very well on the Nationallevel (in the last twelve years a PCISAteam has won the Mallory Trophy tentimes), so often half the battle isqualifying out of our hard district. Atthe first PCISA high school regatta ofthe year, the Sea Otter Regatta, heldup in Monterey; NHHS won theregatta, CDM was 4th and Sage was5th – a true testament to the caliber ofsailors this club produces. And mostrecently Chris Barnard just won theHigh School National SinglehandedChampionship (Cressy Trophy) in LaserRadials up in Seattle. Mac Mace wasalso up there, finishing a respectable7th place in the tight Laser Full RigFleet. Thus proving that this year, likemost years, NHYC sailors will bemaking waves on the national scene.

JU N I O R CO M M O D O R E S RE G AT TA

by Zander Kirkland, Non-Calm Director

NHYC sent a largecontingent down to MissionBay during the first weekendof November to compete inone of the largest JuniorRegattas of the Fall. We had19 Sabots and 2 Radials tocomplete our entourage, withNathan Dunham, Mac Mace,and myself coaching the group. To compliment this we had afun, supporting group of parents who looked after the kids andcoaches. On the first day, Big Breeze ruled the day and leftmuch of our sailors humbled and determined to learn how tosail in stronger winds (something we do not get a whole lot ofpractice in thanks to Newport’s location). Sunday dawnedlighter, but with a shifty breeze that was hard to predict. Thekids sailed well and were unlucky to not do better. However,we were represented on the podium by Sean Segerblom whogot 2nd in the C2 fleet and is now a C1 sailor! It must also benoted that Charlie Welsh was 1 point out getting a trophy in adeep Sabot B fleet. Thanks to Greg Wattson for organizing thehotel deal with Paradise and Donna Scott for managing thetrailer logistics.

Highlights for the event include

– Sean Segerblom is now a C1 sailor!– Rhodes Garner grinding in the strong wind in the Sabot B

fleet.– Alex Wolcott was the only NHYC ‘C1’ sailor to sail in all the

strong wind races.– ‘The pool party in Paradise’ – The whole contingent stayed in

the tropical Paradise Point Resort!– Ellery Sever received the highly coveted Sportsmanship

Award! He stopped racing to help out a fellow competitorwho had lost their rudder – what a Corinthian sailor.

Ellery Sever

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CO R I N T H I A N CU P

by Carter Scott

It was a gray and wet Saturdaymorning as team NHYC left on thetow down to BCYC for theCorinthian Cup Regatta. As we satquietly in the drizzle on the towdown, I kept wondering, “Why am Idoing this?” When we got there,they postponed the first race for awhile and I really wished I hadstayed at home, warm and dry,watching TV. As the races finallystarted, the wind was really light andthe current was strong. Megan andKilarney coached us, giving us tipsand encouragement to get throughthe “not so good” conditions.Thankfully, during the day the windpicked up and we could really race! Ihad some good races, and after amuch louder tow back, I got back toNHYC (aka Finn Land at the time)and I was hoping I was in first placein the C1 division. I knew I had to goout the next day and do really well.

On Sunday morning my Dadand I had chocolate croissants and a

cinnamon roll and it turns out thathelped me sail really well duringthe day (the key is to load up onsugar!). I ended up 1st in the C1division, Charlie Welsh took 4th inthe B division, and Sean Dahlended up getting theSportsmanship Award! At the endof the regatta, our team pulledtogether to place 3rd overall. Sothe lesson I learned from thatregatta is – 1) don’t stay homefrom a regatta even when theweather is bad, 2) eat a good (Ididn’t say healthy) breakfast!, and3) some of the best times are to behad on the water with my friendsand making lots of noise on thetow home!!

FA L L GO L D CU P

by Wills Johnson

Sailing in the NHYC Fall Gold Cup 2007 wasfun. The light air was really tough on Saturday butSunday the winds picked up for a while. It was aclear sunny weekend with lots of sailors and a wellrun event. NHYC race committee had set up longcourses for the race with a finish by T mark. Thatweekend sailors came from all over California torace. There were 20 competitors in the Sabot C1class. My scores were consistent both days whichwas a surprise since the conditions were so diverse. Iam grateful to Coach Whitney for her words ofencouragement after the races and also to thecoaches this summer in the Non-Calm program whohave made racing Sabots so much fun for me.

It was a little scary but fun when the red HarborPatrol boat came through the course full throttle andmade a gigantic wake. It passed right in front of meand going over the swell was pretty interesting in mySabot. I probably won’t forget that ride for awhile.

I was glad that my grandparents, Audrey andBill Grundy were there to see my win and my moveup to the Sabot B class. I haven’t been thrown in yetfor my win but I hope the bay warms up before I do.

FA L L GO L D CU P

by Connor Kelter

On Saturday, September 8th, I had the pleasureof sailing against some of the finest Sabot sailors inSouthern California. We could have used a bit morewind, but there was enough to have a good time.Going into this race, I knew Newport Harbor YachtClub would face tight competition from the SanDiego contingency led by Olin Paine, Will La Dow,and Scott Sinks. As it turned out Michael Madiganand the competition were constantly at my port andstarboard throughout all the races and I have nodoubt that I will see these competitors in many moreregattas.

Newport Harbor Yacht Club’s talent finally got tooutshine the competition in our own backyard. TheC2’s were represented by Kate Madigan (3rd) andthe C1’s by Wills Johnson (1st) and Kellen Neighbors(2nd). Campbell D’Eliscu picked up a second placein the B class. Michael Madigan provided stiffcompetition in the A class with a 3rd place win andKeiran Chung finished 7th. Thanks to the superbcoaching from Nathan Dunham and rememberingthe tricks he has taught us throughout the year I wasable to win four first place finishes that helped mesecure the Gold Cup for NHYC. Great Job NHYC,let’s do it again!!!

photo by Zander Kirkland

Carter Scott (2nd from right)winning C1 Fleet

CRUISING

NHYC CR U I S E R S

RE T U R N T O DA N A PO I N Tby Bill von KleinSmid

Cruise leaders, Scott Calder and JackHutchison, led our annual cruise to Dana Point,Oct 19-21, 2007.

I joined Scott and Jane aboard Naiad atNHYC Friday morning for a leisurely cruise toDana Point. We arrived at DPYC at 12:30 p.m.experiencing pleasant summer like conditions onour trip. We pulled into the guest slip in front ofthe club and enjoyed several victory cocktails witha strong westerly breeze on our beam. After aquick visit to the local deli, we returned to Naiadto enjoy our lunch.

Shortly thereafter, we were joined by Georgeand Lari Bissell aboard their new yacht, a Bayliner4588 Pilot house which will be re-named Banshee.We now have three Bayliner Pilot house motoryachts in our cruising group.

After cocktails and hors d’ouevres aboardNaiad, we traveled by car north of the city limitsto Savannah Chop House for an absolutelywonderful dinner. We decided that this finefacility will be our Friday dinner destination on ourcruise next year.

On Saturday, we all joined together at Robynand Jack Hamilton’s beautiful home overlookingthe Dana Point Harbor for the USC – Notre DameFootball game with another TV set up for the Cal– UCLA game for the Calders. We enjoyeddrinks, hot dogs, Chinese chicken salad, and

snacks duringthe game andhad wonderfulUSC cakes thatJanie providedfor dessert. Wewere joined byCommodoreJohn andAdrienneGarrison, John

and Kay Polovina, and Barbara Barnard. The USCfans were much happier than the Cal people afterthe game.

Our cruisers returned to their yachts in theharbor for a good night’s rest. With theprediction of strong Santa Ana winds, our cruisersheaded out early Sunday morning for theprotection of Newport Harbor. All made the tripsafely, but the fire storms had just started.

Thanks to Scott and Jack for planninganother great cruise. And a special thank you tothe Hamiltons for being so generous and hostingour fun football party.

NHYC CR U I S E R S TA K E ON LA HA R B O R

A N D CATA L I N A IS T H M U S

by Bill von KleinSmid

Tod White, our Cruise Leader, put together a great agenda for this cruiseup the coast and then over to Catalina for the weekend of September 28 -Oct 1, 2007.

On Friday, Tod and Linda joined Margie and me on Vivacious for a quicktrip up to the Long Beach West Basin where we agreed to meet with ourfellow cruisers.

At 1400 hours, we were joined by Hallelujah with Frank and Allan Traneand Bill & Joan Wren aboard along with Bobby & Pam Thompson on MadCap. The three yachts then began a leisurely two hour “inspection” of theHarbor which was extremely interesting. We waited about 20 minutes for thetrain bridge to rise at the Henry Ford Train Draw Bridge.

We all took slips near the Los Angeles Yacht Club and were joined byAndy and Diane Jessup on Corvus and Gil and Julie Jones along with theirson Tom and grandson Jonathan on Cat Tracs. We had a cocktail party onVivacious which was followed by dinner at the LAYC. At this point we hadfive boats and 16 people. At dinner we were joined by Andy and CorkyDossett. They came by land because their Bonnie Doone was being serviced.

After breakfast aboard on Saturday, the five yachts departed for theIsthmus and Two Harbors, Catalina. Mad Cap arrived first and took amooring with the Grand Banks flotilla. When we arrived we were met byRoger and Marilyn Riley aboard Encantada and Roger helped us pick up ourmooring using his new strong dinghy. We found George and Lari Bissell’snew Banshee, a Bayliner 4588 in the adjacent mooring row.

Hallelujah and Cat Tracs arrived a little later as did Corvus, so now thefleet was in place in time for the cocktail party aboard the Trane’s yacht, justin time for the USC-Washington football game. After the cocktail party, mostof the “Cruisers” went ashore to the Harbor Reef restaurant for their annual“Lobster Fest” dinner. I stayed aboard Encantada with Roger and Marilyn,so as not to miss a second of that miserable performance of our footballteam.

On Sunday morning, the cruisers all met on shore and went up to theBanning House for breakfast. We took a tour of their facilities, which wasdelightful with views of Two Harbors and Cat Harbor.

After breakfast several of the yachts traveled to Moonstone for theafternoon or evening and the rest found the trip home to Newport very calmand smooth.

Thank you for a fine cruise Tod, and it was a good substitute for thecruise to Santa Cruz Island, now set for the even numbered years.

12

MOTHER SABOTS NEWS - TACKS & JIBES

13

TH E SU N SE T S O N

MO T H E R SA B O T S 2007 SE A S O N

Mother Sabots sailing season ended in August and wasfollowed in September by an Endless Summer Soiree at thebeautiful bay front home of Carlita and Wyn Fuller. MotherSabots members and guests were treated to mai tais “a laCatherine Wiley”, bartendress entraordinare……wow! Thiswas followed by a luau themed buffet, including tai pork andcurried chicken skewers, Polynesian rice and a sassysalad…..dark and white chocolate dipped strawberriescompleted the menu!

Special guests included Commodore John and AdrienneGarrison. I think it is fair to say A GREAT TIME was enjoyedby all!

As my year as Commodore of Mother Sabots windsdown, I would like to acknowledge and thank the many ladieswho have made 2007 really fun and special. To my ExecutiveCommittee and Board Members…….for your patience,commitment, support, and spirit, I say, you are simply THEBEST. To all Mother Sabots, whether sailors or social, I say,keep on smiling, sailing and sipping.

And to Melinda Blackman, Mother Sabots 2008Commodore, I say, best of luck to you and your board.ENJOY THE CHALLENGE!

Special mention to NHYC staff………for the invaluablehelp from Mike and the front office staff…..to DockmasterAnthony and his crew, launching and landing our Sabots eachFriday……to the luncheon wait staff ably guided by DiningRoom Captain Ruben…to Events Coordinator Crystal for herhelp with party themes, decorations and menus…..to Jenn forher “calm, cool, and collected” guidance with the SeniorSabot Regatta…..and, to the captain of the team, TomGilbertson……for your great sense of humor……..I sayTHANK YOU….THANK YOU!

Fair winds,

Jane CalderM.S. Commodore 2007

Photos by Pam Bacich

ANGLERS

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2007 FI R S T FI S H FL A G Sby Christopher Allen

2007 was a good year for local fishing with all but 5 First Fish Flags claimed by the NHYC Anglers Fleet. To clarify, local waters aredefined as the waters from Pt. Conception to the 31st parallel. In addition to the traditional local flags, the Anglers Fleet agreed toaward a new set of flags called Award of Merit Flags for First Fish on a variety of game fish species that are caught outside local watersand are not found locally. Here are the First Fish Flags for Local and Outside Waters in chronological order.

2007 First Fish Flags for Local Waters

Species Boat Skipper Angler Date

Yellowtail Gordo John Curci John Curci 5/18/07

White Seabass Dreamer Alan Watson Pete Binaski 6/05/07

Albacore Shadow Joe Winkelmann Joe Winkelmann 6/30/07

Bluefin Tuna Cazador Chris Allen Mike Allen 7/14/07

Striped Marlin-Released All In Rob Stewart Mark Callin 8/10/07

Yellowfin Tuna Shadow Joe Winkelmann Joe Winkelmann III 9/07/07

Flags not claimed are Swordfish, Striped Marlin-Taken, Big Eye Tuna, Dorado, and Halibut

2007 Jr. First Fish Flags for Local Waters

Species Boat Skipper Angler Date

Bluefin Tuna Cazador Chris Allen Mike Allen 7/14/07

Albacore Cazador Chris Allen Mike Allen 7/15/07

2007 Special Award of Merit Flag for Local Waters

Species Boat Skipper Angler Date

Striped Marlin Tara Vana Burleigh Brewer Rob Ingold 8/12/07

2007 Award of Merit Flags for Outside Waters

Species Angler Location Date

White Marlin - Release Mike Blower Cancun, Mexico 4/09/07

Atlantic Sailfish – Release Mike Blower Cancun, Mexico 4/09/07

Pacific Blue Marlin Jeffrey Littell Mazatlan, Mexico 8/12/07

Pacific Sailfish -Release Bill Bennett Palmas de Cortez, Mexico 10/11/07

Award of Merit Flags not claimed are Atlantic Blue Marlin - Release, Black Marlin- Release, Spearfish – Release, Wahoo

2007 Jr. Award of Merit Flags for Outside Waters

Species Angler Location Date

Ono (Wahoo) Nick Allen Kona, Hawaii 4/09/07

Pacific Blue Marlin Mike Allen Kona, Hawaii 4/09/07

Congratulations to all the NHYC Anglers that captured First Fish and Award of Merit Flags this year. Thank you for participating and reporting your catches.

15

Bill Bennett presenting the First Yellowtail Flag to John Curci. Bill presenting the Award of Merit Flag for First Pacific BlueMarlin to Jeffrey Littell.

Bill presenting the First White Seabass Flag to Pete Binaski. Bill presenting the Jr. Award of Merit Flag for First Ono (Wahoo)to Nick Allen.

Bill Presenting the First Albacore Flag to Joe Winkelmann. Photos by Chris Allen

16

CASINO NIGHT – “MIAMI VICE”

Photos by Jane and Scott Calder

CA S I N O NI G H T RE C A Pby Darren Foster

Casino Night was a greatsuccess! We had 235 people inattendance enjoying the sumptuouscreations of Chef Polly, gambling atthe Casino Tables, and about 40+people still enjoying the dance flooruntil closing time around 11:30pm.

Due to the extensivesupport of the NHYCmembership (and theirguests), the silent auctionand raffle ticket sales broughtin approximately $39,000 ingross revenues.

Some of the funds raised will beimmediately distributed to a SkipperMember team representing NHYC atthe inaugural Soiland Invitational inNew Orleans next month. The sailorswill be Andy Beeckman, Brian Bissell,Cryssa Byers, Alan Carmichael, TylerHaskell, Mandy McDonnell, MattMcKinlay, Tracey Treaccar, and PeterWells.

The Soiland Cup, which is takingplace the first weekend in December,is hosted by Southern Yacht Club andis an invitational regatta challengingyacht clubs from around the countryin three-on-three team racing. Asmany of you will remember, SouthernYacht Club was decimated duringHurricane Katrina. The clubhousewas virtually leveled through acombination of flooding and firesand most of their trophies weredestroyed. NHYC has been a strongsupporter of SYC since the hurricane,and our club graciously donated thetrophy for the inaugural Soiland Cup.The skipper members traveling toNew Orleans would like to thank theclub members for their support.

…silent auction and

raffle ticket salesbrought in

approximately$39,000…

17

18

IN MEMORIAM

GEORGE H. COFFIN, III

October 13, 2007

Member since 1945

ROGER A. DEYOUNG

November 3, 2007

Member since 1966

2008 RACING CALENDAR

JAN. 20 Winter Series #3/ Harry Mann Trophy HARBOR 20/ LEHMAN 12

FEB. 10 Winter Series #4/ Humphrey Bogart Trophy HARBOR 20/ LEHMAN 12

FEB. 16-17 SCYA Midwinter Regatta SABOT/ LASER

MAR. 1-2 W.D. Schock Memorial Regatta SANTANA 20/ HARBOR 20/ LIDO 14/ LEHMAN 12/ FINN

MAR. 15-16 Spring Gold Cup SABOT/LASER/ BYTE

APR. 13 Earl Corkett Regatta HARBOR 20/ LEHMAN 12

APR. 19-20 Ahmanson Cup Regatta PHRF & ONE-DESIGN

APR. 26 Opening Day Regatta JR. & SR. SABOT/LASER/ BYTE

APR. 27 Opening Day Regatta HARBOR 20/ LEHMAN12/ FINN

MAY. 3 LA to Newport Race PHRF

MAY. 10 Nash Spring Championship LEHMAN 12

MAY 17-18 Team Racing Pacific Coast Championship TEAM RACING(RESUME/INVITATIONAL)

JUN. 7-8 Senior Sabot National Championship SR. SABOT

JUN. 12, 19, 26 June Twilight Races HARBOR 20/ LEHMAN 12

JUN. 14-15 Baxter Bowl Regatta STAR/ FINN

JUL. 5-6 Summer Gold Cup SABOT

JUL. 3, 10, 17, July Twilight Races HARBOR 20/ LEHMAN 1224, 31

JUL. 11 SCWSA Sr. Sabot Regatta SR. SABOT

JUL. 27 Jr. Sabot Nationals Measurement SABOT

JUL. 27 Flight of the Lasers LASER/ BYTE

AUG. 2-3 Barney Lehman Championship LEHMAN 12

AUG. 7, 14, August Twilight Races HARBOR 20/ LEHMAN 1221, 28

AUG. 22-24 Long Point Race Weekend PHRF (INVITATIONAL)

SEPT. 13-14 Fall Gold Cup SABOT/ CFJ/FINN

Sept. 28 FALL SCHOCK REGATTA HARBOR 20/LEHMAN 12

OCT.4-5 Harbor 20 Championship HARBOR 20

Oct. 25-26 JEAN SCHENCK TEAM RACE TEAM RACE(RESUME/ INVITATIONAL)

NOV. 16 Winter Series #1/ St. Cicero Trophy HARBOR 20/ LEHMAN 12

DEC. 7 Winter Series #2/ Ken Davis Trophy HARBOR 20/ LEHMAN 12

DEC. 13-14 Anteater Regatta CFJ (HIGH SCHOOL)

FFRROOMM

TTHHEE

EEDDIITTOORR

I wish to thank mydedicated committee

for making these HOTWpublications possible.

I also want to express my sincere gratitude

to all the memberswho have sent in articles,

pictures, and ideasand finally to the

Club’s staff for all their help and support. Let's keep up the

good work.

THANK YOU!

FROM THE MANAGER

HOTWEditor

Anne NuttenCommittee

Chris AllenPam BacichDorothy BeekDonna BentsKristin & Robert BentsYa-Lei BetzJane & Scott CalderJohn ClementJuli CookLyle DavisMichael di DonatoTim DoaneJennifer & John DraytonJayne HauseByron HendersonJeanette & Bowie HoughtonNed JonesJim JordanStephanie MartinNina A. NielsenHarriet PalletteMary Green RooneySteve SchupakDennis ScholzBill von KleinSmidJudith WattsonChris WelshGeorge WestTod WhiteRobert Yates

ContributorsCommodore John M. Garrison,Thomas Gilbertson, CCM, Adam Beeckman, AdamDeermount, Darren Foster, WillsJohnson, Connor Kelter, ScottMason, Carter Scott, RichardSomers, Tad SpringerLayout and DesignVince Mattera Design

Newport Harbor Yacht Club720 West Bay Avenue • Balboa 92661

673-7730 Phone • 673-3972 Fax723-6878 Boatyard

hotw@nhyc.org nutd@juno.comWeb site: www.nhyc.org

CommodoreJohn M. Garrison

Vice CommodoreBruce D’Eliscu

Rear CommodoreWilliam H. Crispin

DirectorsJohn M. GarrisonBruce R. D’EliscuWilliam H. CrispinW. Bradley AveryMarc L. FosterJeffrey J. GordonJeffrey D. LittellEdwin A. MeserveRichard S. Robinson, Jr.

General ManagerThomas Gilbertson, CCM

Happy Holidays! It seems we werejust exchanging New Yeargreetings. 2007 was another fast

paced year with considerableaccomplishment and enjoyment. Notablythe Club’s long term lease at Moonstonemay top the list of achievements. Handin hand with that, the good fortune of notlosing our facility to the Catalina fire.

At this writing we are focused on ourupcoming and busy HolidaySeason. Thanksgiving willhave come and gone asyou read this, but theAnnual Meeting isDecember 1st. Toallow the “fans”who have supportedthe “Cross Town”rivalry, CommodoreGarrison hasscheduled the meetingto begin at 5:30 p.m. topermit the game to be concluded (savefor an overtime). The following day isthe annual family celebration featuringCookies and Kids, Marionettes, and ofcourse Santa! Please make yourreservations to assure your space. TheParade of Lights week begins December12th and concludes with our traditionalfamily buffet on Sunday evening,December 16th. The Club will be closedon both Monday and Tuesday, December24th and 25th. New Year’s Eve invitationsto “Aqua” Lounge have been mailed andreservations are coming in. Do not missthe fun filled event and note theopportunity for Regular and Skipper

members to invite friends to share in theevents, good food, music, andenjoyment.

As we transfer authority of the Club’sleadership and Board, 2007 has beenanother financially successful year.Perhaps though, more importantly, itseems to represent a trend in memberusage of the Club. We continue to enjoya more active participation on the part ofthe membership. This translates into agreater level of member satisfaction. Theextremely active racing schedule offeredmany opportunities to enjoy the Club.Social events were all well attended andmany hours of committee work producedgreat response. The Club, under theleadership of Commodore John Garrisonremained true to the mission of on thewater events. His calm demeanor andsense of tradition was a cornerstone ofhis administration.

With the advent of Vice CommodoreBruce D’Eliscu assuming his

Commodoreship, many plans havebeen in development for months to

help continue the trend ofmember usage and

enjoyment. At stafflevel we have

already beenadvised one ofthe goals for2008 is for themembership to

have fun! Weare excited to

help achieve thisand other goals for

the New Year.As is the case each year with the final

issue of the HOTW, we would like tothank the Board, Committees, Policy andPlanning Commission, and the hundredsof volunteers who gave so freely of theirtime to make 2007 a year to remember!

Thomas Gilbertson, CCMGeneral Manager

19

BIRTHS

Cooper Christopher ClarkeOctober 22, 2007

Proud Parents: David and Teryn ClarkeProud Siblings: Holden and Bree