HORACE BRAMM REGATTA

The Lifted Tack

May 20, 2009

The Horace Bramm Regatta on June 20 celebrates the memory of one of MSSC's most dedicated members. Horace was an Obstetrician, Thistle Sailor, later sailed a Capri 30, and enjoyed the fellowship at MSSC and Wheeler Yacht Club. He was Jane's doctor when our daughter was born in 1966, and we became very well acquainted as he kept me company in the waiting room all night discussing sailing while Jane was laboring away. We did stop talking long enough for him to bring our baby into the world, but it was the beginning of a great friendship. He was very active in the racing program at MSSC, and always willing to help in many different ways. When a new Committee Boat became a necessity, Horace scouted around and brought back a pontoon boat that was used for many years. Our present committee boat is aptly named HORACE BRAMM. Not only was he an excellent sailor who won often, but he had a wonderful wry sense of humor. We looked forward to seeing Horace at regattas, hearing his funny stories, and knew we could count on him whenever the Club needed his support. Those of us who knew him still miss him, and strive to be the same kind of good member that he was. By Hayden Glenn

NOR/Registration Info.

and more pictures in The Lifted Tack at

mssclub.org

THE COMMODORE’S COMMENTS

Your hard work has finally paid off. The new clubhouse lacks only

a few finishing touches. The view from the patio or out the large

windows is one of the best on Lake Wilson. I know we’ll be

spending a lot more time at the club this summer. Thank you

Horace; this is a clubhouse we can all be proud of and a great addition to the

Wilson Lake waterfront.

This calls for a celebration! We would like to have a special “members only” party.

Stay tuned; additional information will be coming via E-mail. An “Open House” is

tentatively planned for Labor Day weekend.

The conversion of the old clubhouse into a pavilion is also in progress. It should be

completed in time for the June Sailing Seminar.

That’s right the Sailing Seminar starts in a month. So please keep your calendar

clear the first two weekends in June. Skippers are needed to teach classes and take

students sailing. In addition to its educational benefits, the seminar is an

opportunity for growth in our membership. We hope to have at least four or five

students joining the club. The Open House in September will be another

opportunity for membership growth. Here again, we’ll need skippers to take visitors

sailing.

The water is back on for all the docks. Thanks to Floyd who spent two or three days

fixing all three breaks in the water pipes.

A reminder, we don’t want to be driving over the leach lines for the new septic

tank. They are located in the tenting area

Flying Scot Seminar Held Before

Commodore’s Regatta

Fresh off their Third Place win in the Challenger Division at the Flying Scot Midwinters, Bonnie and Willson Jenkins conducted an excellent seminar on rigging for Scot owners. Several boats from Browns Creek Sailing Association as well as Scots from MSSC were

given the opportunity to learn from our “experts”. Willson said when he first started sailing the Scot, it was very confusing trying to learn the differences between the loose, tight, and snug rig and why there is a difference. One set of parameters will not work on every boat all the time and there are many variables to consider when you are out there racing. The participants were led through the process of rigging their boats. Demonstrations were given by Bonnie and Willson, and sailors were invited to ask questions about their specific rigs. All of the Scots then hit the water to participate in the Commodore’s Cup Regatta. Lessons learned were definitely put to the test. See complete race results and report later in this issue.

MAY EVENTS

Saturday, 23 - Workday

Sat. 30 & Sun. 31 – The

Confederate Admiral’s &

Flying Scot Regatta

JUNE EVENTS

Sailing Seminar - 6 – Saturday

- 7 – Sunday

- 13 – Saturday

- 14 – Sunday

Application on website

Sat. 20 – The Horace

Bramm Regatta

Sat. 27 – Summer Race #1

and Galley Shower. Please visit the Shower

Tree in the clubhouse to

make your gift selection.

More information on the

shower is in The Lifted

Tack on our website

mssclub.org

JULY EVENTS

Sat. & Sun. 11 & 12 –

Cruise to Nowhere

Sat. 25 – Summer Race #2

MSSC- The Transition Years, 1969-1975

We found this quaint property, called “Old Lock Four” available owned by some people in Indianapolis. Commodore John Hardiman and cohorts decided, that despite being down to only 18 members, we would buy it for $15.5 in September 1968. MSSC borrowed $8K and we sold ourselves bonds for part of the remainder. (It was paid off by 1973). This property had the old lockmaster’s house on it and had been, for decades, a free recreational spot for local folk. We

believe we incurred their wrath by putting a padlocked cable across the access. Truth be told, the old house was going to need much refurbishing to become a clubhouse. About 3 days before a violent thunderstorm in October, our treasurer, O.T.Mefford, Jr., paid up a $15K insurance policy on the structure. Well, either by God’s lightning or the help of hostile natives, the place burned to the ground. The only remnants are those four concrete flowerpots out at the club now! That set in motion the contract for and the available funds for the steel Butler building that sufficed for our needs until 2008, 40 years. We were uncertain about where the NW boundary was so we, out of protection, rented a bit of waterfront on which to install a launching ramp for $45/year. That’s where it is today. The “African Queen” towed over the floating docks to the new slough and although unsightly, unstable and unsafe (they were on Styrofoam logs), they served to get the sailing program underway for a while. After about a year, L.T. Hackworth supervised the construction of some “permanent” docks for which the pylons were driven in by sledgehammer by two small schoolboys, Ricky Walthall and Bruce Richards. Those docks lasted until replaced by the excellent marina spearheaded by Horace Holland in 2000. The Commodores during this period were; 1969 John Hardiman, 1970 Bill Strain (engineer), 1971 Don Freeman (engineer), 1072 Norman Sidebotham (engineer), 1973 George Wilkinson (dye expert), 1974 Wally Elliot (engineer), 1975 Dr. Paul Jacobs (research & development). Wally Elliot initiated the Commodore’s Regatta in his term. Membership grew incrementally due to the attractiveness of the site and the annually sailing lesson project. There were fleets of Thistles, Day Sailers, Sunfish and Open. The first “cruisers” began appearing at the club around 1971 when South Coast 21’s, a Columbia 26 and 34, Balboa 25, Santana 27 and Erickson 27 became part of the assortment. We also acquired a safety boat. Around 1971, one of our members started a sailboat dealership, which included the Alabama territory for Lasers. These became instantly popular and injected new interest and lifeblood into the club. However, the best “shot in the arm” we ever received came in 1973 when a whole group of young, enthusiastic and well-positioned sailors from Huntsville joined MSSC with the extensive fleet of 470’s! They were, and continue to be a strong positive influence on MSSC. Besides staging the DIYRA –recognized, traditional Confederate Admiral’ Regatta and the Little America’s Cup, the surge of interest and capability in Lasers led to two other (then) important regattas; The Maze of Lasers (with 35 boats in the second event) and The Alabama Laser Championship which initially attracted 25-30 participants from all over the SE including Ed Baird. In 1973, George Wilkinson originated “The Lifted Tack” which has proved so important in communicating with, educating, and informing and recognizing club members. In June of 1975, all the land around MSSC (known as Houstontown) came up for auction. It was imperative that we secure Lot H-29, which included our ramp and foreshore extending a ways NE (1129 x average 300ft). This was done for $K27.6, about $K10 more than we had hoped. The bidding for the next important tract, G-29 830 x 270ft), went out of MSSC’s reach and Morley Denbo bought it at $K25. However, he claimed he was going to build a marina and 36 mobile home sites on it and our board was “hi-jacked” into buying that tract and F-27 (520 x 200ft) for $K50 to protect our long term interests. Fortunately, four wonderful members of MSSC agreed to buy 4, 100 foot lots surveyed off from the eastern extremities for about $K10 each so MSSC was left with an indebtedness of around $K40 for which, again, some of the funds were raised with internal bonds. So this tells the story of how we got to where we are and some of the unusual and fateful circumstances that occurred along the way in bringing us to what might be called “The Consolidation Years”. There’s no telling what might next develop! But you can be a catalyst to ensure that you engage in activities or promotions that are beneficial to sailing and MSSC. Nolan Richards, Feb. 2009

2009 MSSC Commodore’s Regatta by Gar Bouse

Commodore McAdams welcomed ten boats to the 2009 Commodore’s Regatta on April 18-19. Three of them

were from Brown’s Creek and seven from MSSC. The dinghy class was the larger with six Flying Scots and one

Day Sailer. There were three cruisers. Jane Glenn registered all of them and organized the fleet lists to keep

the RC straight.

Willson and Bonnie Jenkins taught a Flying Scot seminar on rigging and trim prior to Saturday’s races. It must

have helped some of the competitors because there were a few of them ahead of Willson and Bonnie in the first

legs of the first race. The Jenkins came back strong later in the race and won by more than a minute.

The wind ranged from 4 to 10 knots and averaged about 9 knots over the four races. Direction was remarkably

stable out of the SSE. The Race Committee of Gar Bouse, Bob Parrish, and Dave Seborg did not have to

relocate either of the marks, but did give the RC boat some exercise by starting at the leeward mark and

finishing at the windward mark in each of the four races.

Nolan and Helen Richards hit the line with a great start and won the second dinghy race by over a minute of

corrected time. Then they retired to get a jump on enjoying the evening’s hospitality prepared by Pat Hauffe

and Kathy Mc Adams.

Hayden Glenn emerged from winter hibernation, conscripted his crew, and sailed his San Juan 24 across the

finish line first in the first cruiser race. Todd Travers single-handed the Ensign “Green Dolphin” and crossed

second, but pencil whipped Hayden on corrected time. That was the first in a belt of bullets Todd won in the

cruiser class on Saturday. Rick McAdams and his crew, Nathan, kept the heat on Todd for all four races, but

Todd was too slick and crossed the line first in races two through four. Hayden had to retire early in race three

because of a breakdown that dropped his main sail.

The six Flying Scots became five after the first race. Byron Jamerson blamed his retirement on a busted vang

after race one, but the RC thinks he quit early to go put an “I’d Rather Be Working” sticker on his bumper.

Floyd Hauffe and crew retired Flying Scot “Mellow Yellow” after race two. There was a curfew they had to meet

in returning all the gear they stole from other boats to rig “Mellow Yellow.” That left only four Flying Scots for

dinghy race three. Willson and Bonnie beat the fleet by almost 3 ½ minutes. Two more Scots retired after race

3.

The fourth and last race of the day was a

quick windward-leeward-with a short

windward finish. Two cruisers and two Scots

started together. Butch Starnes from Browns

Creek won the determination award for

competing against the Jenkins in all four

races, but Willson and Bonnie were speedy

again and walked away from the fleet in the

final race.Sunday’s forecast of rain storms

and possible hail motivated the RC to cancel

Sunday’s races and call the regatta complete

after the four Saturday races. Awards were

presented during Saturday’s dinner.

Al Sellers Dam Race Held May 2nd

The annual Al Sellers Dam Race was held on Saturday, May 2, 2009. In light winds and

threatening weather, the racecourse was set to the Wheeler Dam and back instead of the usual

Wilson Dam race. Bob Parrish and Floyd Hauffe formed the race committee for the event. Tom

Cromer did an outstanding job coordinating registration, race, and food.

For those of you unable to attend, you missed the inaugural dinner in the new clubhouse.

At Joyce Sellers’ suggestion, barbeque was ordered from Walton’s. Added to that were the baked

beans that Jane Glenn prepared, and several cakes that Tom picked up.

The Sellers family was well represented by Judy, Al’s daughter; Whitt,

Al’s son; Ernie, Al’s brother; and Ernie’s wife, Theresa. Unfortunately,

Joyce was unable to come this year. Long-time friends enjoyed catching

up with the Sellers, reminiscing about races Al used to conduct on the

4th of July, like an anchor start, mate overboard during the course, and

a motor start. Many of these races got whole families out on the water

because the emphasis was on fun, not serious results.

Tom, Theresa, Judy, Ernie, Whitt

Tom started the program thanking all those who participated in the race and gave a special welcome to

the Sellers family. He then shared a few stories about Al and had everyone in the room laughing. Bill

Parkhurst got into the act by telling a firsthand story related to the “cocktail” flag and its significance

during a race. Several members remembered the flag and had a great time recalling the many times Al

was responsible for enjoyable events held at the club.

After dinner, trophies were given out to the winners. 1st Place – Bill Parkhurst; 2nd Place – Tommy Glenn; and 3rd Place – Rick McAdams

Tom and Bill Tom & Tommy

Al Sellers

Horace Bramm Memorial Cup

Notice of Race and Registration Information

At

Muscle Shoals Sailing Club

A One-Day Regatta

Date: Saturday, June 20, 2009 Entry Fee: $10.00 Handicapping: US Sailing Portsmouth Rules: Governed by US Sailing, class rules for one design boats Racing: Will consist of three to four races, weather permitting First, second, and third place trophies will be awarded based on the following class stipulations: Cruising Spinnaker class minimum of four entries Cruising Non-Spinnaker class minimum of four entries Dinghy class minimum of four entries

Schedule Registration: 9 AM – 10:30 AM Skippers’ Meeting – 11:00 First Race Sequence Start – 12:00 Noon (lunch on the water) Dinner – 6:30 PM (Social prior to dinner)

Cost: $10.00 Dinner Reservations to Jane Glenn handjglenn@netzero.net

Questions concerning this Regatta may be addressed to Bill Parkhurst, (256) 383 – 8791 AQBill@aol.com Location By water: MSSC is located on the North side of Wilson Lake at Old Lock #4, Mile 271.5 on the Tennessee River By land: Take Highway 72 to Center Star, turn south at the North Alabama Flea Market onto County Rd. 33, also known as Houston Town Rd. After making the sharp left curve, take the first road on your right, County Rd. 411 (shows up on GPS as Old Lock 4 Rd.) County Rd. 411 changes to a gravel road ending at MSSC.

Kitchen Committee With Galley Shower Tree

The Kitchen Committee has planned a “Galley Shower” to be held on Saturday, June 27th, at 3:00 PM, during the first summer club race. The idea is to stock the kitchen with some much needed basic items in a way that will be fun for all. Just stop by the clubhouse (or get your spouse to do this) and choose from the many items on the potted tree. Above is just a sample of what you will find to choose from. Wrap up your gift and come join the oohing and aahing that usually goes on at any shower. Finger foods will be served after the sailors come in off the water. Invitations are to be mailed out soon.

Thanks to Privateer Yacht Club for posting a link to our website in their newsletter, The Private Ear. It’s great for both clubs to see what is

happening in our extended sailing neighborhood. Please visit their site,

where the last year of newsletters, posted under “Private Ear”, can be

viewed. www.privateeryachtclub.org

Cruise to Turtle Point By Joel VerPlank

This year’s cruise was a real treat for all who attended. The food, band and camaraderie were an outstanding success. The preceding ten days of rain obviously had a dampening

effect on many folks not to go out on the lake. They were right. The bottom fell out of the sky at about 1:30, which put an end to the entertainment (because of lightning). Sailors got

back on their way to MSSC about an hour later. Thanks to John Glasscock for coordinating publicity and entertainment.

2009 MSSC BOARD MEMBERS

Commodore – Rick McAdams 1st Vice-Commodore – Russ Kerl 2nd Vice-Commodore – Larry Gautney richardmcadams@comcast.net russ.kerl@hughes.net lgautney@hiwaay.net 3rdVice-Commodore – Horace Holland Secretary – Liz Stagg Treasurer – Tom Cromer Fleet Captain – Bill Parkhurst S279hh@comcast.net stagg10@knology.net tcromer@knology.net AQBill@aol.com Recreation Officer – Allen Wall Sailmaster -Tommy Glenn Lifted Tack Editor – Pat Hauffe allen.wall@agedwards.com tbglenn@gmail.com phauffe@bellsouth.net

NOTE: The Lifted Tack hardcopy will not be mailed out in June or July. Look for “Tidings” via email and on the website.

Cutting board potholder

Chef’s knife First Aid Kit

Nancy Gautney, Helen Richards, Pat Hauffe,

Audrey Parrish. Not pictured: Jane Glenn,

Steve Blazier, Willson Jenkins