Greetings!
Guess what? It is going to be a beautiful weekend! Perfect for a Friday Night Harvest Party and a Saturday Regatta. I know that it is rainy right now, and you are already sitting at your computer, so please go ahead sign yourself up. Definitely sign up for Friday Night's Harvest Party, and for Saturday's Harvest Regatta. While you are at it, you may as well look ahead and put your name in to sail the last big boat racing for the year at Manhassett Fall Series. |
Balmy Fall Friday Harvest Party!
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The 4-day outlook looks great for a lovely evening at Oakcliff. Liberty Jet is sponsoring the evening along with many great restaurants and distributors.
Deletable dining will be provided by Jack Halyard's, Sweet Tomato, Canterbury, Christina's, Saggio and Periwinkles. Ladi and Vlad will be taking turns as guest chef's as well.
The signature cocktail ingredients, Mt. Gay and Regatta Beer are here as well as a selection of wines from Robert Oatley Vineyards as well as the local Portfolio Vineyard. BluePoint Brewery and Clare Point Distributor's selection.
The silent auction and dance hall are ready to rock. All we need now is you! If you haven't already please RSVP now. We want to make sure you are on the guest list and you don't want to miss this night.
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Harvest Regatta SI's Posted
|  The Sailing Instructions for the Harvest Regatta are posted on the Oakcliff Sailing home page. Trust me, even if you can't make it this year you should read them. Better yet put together a team of friends and family and sign up to sail on Saturday on a Classic, a Match 40 or Shields. We will add to the fleet upon demand. NOTE: This demand is taken much more seriously when a costume commitment is included ;-). |
Manhassett Fall Series Final Big Boat Event
|  Last weekend once again provided some crazy conditions. Saturday's racing started out in a northerly with as Koko put it - "regular 15 degree oscillations at about 1 to 1 1/2 minute intervals". This was indicative of a dying breeze and die it did! Unfortunately for the 50 the wind came in from the back. The last leg saw a 90 degree shift, triple zero's on the speedo, a spinnaker to jib change and a spinnaker jibe peel. At least we can check those practice items off of the list. Sunday it was completely different and blowing "dogs off chains" with a solid 20 and gusts to 28 knots. It was much colder but in the end of the day everyone had wind and sunburned smiles stretched across their faces, the kind provided by power surfing at 14 and 19 knots! The Ker 50 ended up 2nd in class. The other class ended up with the Ker 11.3 in 4th, just out of 3rd and a relatively new crew on the Farr 40-1 in 6th. Unfortunately an old football injury reoccurred on Farr 40-2 and they ended up retiring for the day. We are happy to report that the crew member's shoulder is now OK. Looking forward, Manhassett Bay the weekends of October 16-17 and 23-24 will be the last races for the IRC boats. We
want to make the call as to which boats will sail by next Tuesday. So if
you are interested PLEASE sign up now as later there may not be room. |
Match Racing Upto Thanksgiving
|  Tonight is the last regularly scheduled weeknight practice. We will however have a special practice on Tuesday October 26th for those wanting to practice before the Oakcliff Invitational Grade 3 Match Race Halloween Weekend. Focus will shift to Saturday's starting next week and continuing through Thanksgiving. Saturday the 23rd conflicts with Manhassett Fall Series so we are asking that people sign up ASAP and we will decide by next Tuesday which boats/events we will send teams to for that weekend. While you are there, feel free to sign up now for November Saturday's as well. |
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I know we are all so so busy, and it seems like there is more and more sailing going on but soon we will have run off of this autumnal ledge and fallen into winter so for now, keep on coming out and enjoying Oakcliff and all of the supporters who are becoming good friends and a great team. Thank you all for "Being Oakcliff"!
Sincerely,
Dawn Riley
Oakcliff Sailing Center |
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Calling all Volunteers
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We need housing for out of town teams, as well as volunteers to help with race committee and the social and logistics for the Halloween Weekend Invitational.
If you can help email: race@oakcliffsailing.org
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Harbor School of New York
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On Monday I was invited to the 'net cutting' for the New York Harbor School. This is an amazing school that supporter Mercedes Tech and a friend of mine, Hannah Swett are on the board of.
The school, located in an old Coast Guard Hospital on Governor's Island is super cool. (yes I regressed back to high school lingo) From the oyster farm on the landing dock to the aquarium in the entry which holds only native Hudson River fish to the wave patterns on the wall and the recycled tiles on the floor. All cool!
A partnership with the EPA as well as cutting edge green technology provide hands-on training in organic gardening, hydroponic plant growing and fish farming. Everything is composted and recycled and reused. The students get training in marine sciences and technology and shipbuilding. They also have extensive opportunities for on the water training.
It has taken dedicated teachers, parents, administrators, politicians, donors and volunteers seven years to get to this point but looking into the eyes of the students every challenge in these years was worth it.
I have worked with a lot of kids in this age range and it is seldom that you see so many completely engaged and participating.
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