The CANNON
Galveston Bay Cruising Association
In this issue...
From the Commodore
We've MOVED! GBCA Has a New Home!
Annual Meeting is August 21, 2007
RUM RACE RESULTS
GBCA Represents at the 2007 Leukemia Cup Regatta
Can You Identify this Yacht Club
Welcome to New Members
Mike and Chris Need Your Help
Planning Underway for the Compass Bank Regatta
Hayes, Byrne Win Single Handed Regatta
Race to the Border - One Sailor's Story
Photos from Race to the Border
Obstruction Map Available on the GBCA Website
Club Racing on Galveston Bay
Sail Blanca Luna
BSailing
Our Sponsors
 
 
bluewaterlogo 
Visit Our Sponsor
 

HayesRigging 
Hayes Rigging and Custom Hardware
 
SeaLake
 
TORC
 
TORC
 
 
If you would like to advertise in The CANNON, please contact Jody Henry
 
Upcoming Events
 
Rum Race 4
July 28, 2007
 
GBCA ANNUAL MEETING
August 21, 2007
8:00 p.m., GBCA Clubhouse
 
Women's Regatta
September 8, 2007
 
Talk (Drink) Like a Pirate Day
September 19, 2007
 
J24 Circuit Stop sponsored by GBCA
September 29-30, 2007
 
Compass Bank Performance Cup Regatta with the J-80 Circuit Stop
October 13-14, 2007
 
Harvest Moon Regatta
October 25-27, 2007
 
Texas Challenge Cup
November 10-11, 2007
 
 
Board of Govenors
Commodore
 
Vice Commodore
 
Treasurer
 
Secretary
 
Rear Commodore
 
Fleet Captain
 
Past Commodore
 
 
Board Members
 
Newsletter
 
 
Not a Member of GBCA???
If you would like to become a member of GBCA or if you have any questions about Membership, please contact our membership chair - Emma Browning.
 
For an online form to sign up to be a member of GBCA, click here.

The Cannon
Galveston Bay Cruising Association
July 2007
From the Commodore
by Mary Miller 
 

maryIt has been a busy year so far for GBCA with Texas Race Week, Race to the Border, the Single-hand and Mixed Doubles regattas under our belt, and the Saturday night races are in full swing.  It's not slowing down very much as we are also in the planning stages for the Lady Skipper's Regatta, J-24 Circuit stop, Compass Bank Cup Regatta (including the J-80 Circuit stop) and the inter-club Challenge Cup fast approaching. 

 

As I write this, GBCA is the newest resident of the Watergate Yachting Center.  It is a real treat to have a large clubhouse with dependable AC and no leaking roofs!  We unearthed some real treasures while cleaning out the old clubhouse that we will be able to display in the new space once we have them cleaned, polished, reframed or varnished.  We also tossed out a dumpsters worth of unnecessary stuff - talk about your spring cleaning!

 

I would like to extend a huge THANK YOU to all of the 20-some members that came out last Sunday to help with the move.  It would have been much more difficult if Chris Alk and Ken Horne had not loaned us the use of their company trucks/trailers for loading the big stuff (trophy case, kegerator, refridgerator, furniture, etc.).  Everyone brought strong backs and helping hands that enabled us to knock it all out in about four hours. Beverly and Walter Caldwell cooked up some great food for the moving crew that we washed down with some cold beer when we were finished. We still have some minor things left to do - Xavier is going to repaint the signs, Tim Thomas has volunteered to refurbish the old glass front message board, Kathy Rodgers is cleaning old burgees and banners we discovered in the race equipment lockers and Dave Hinrichson is getting the kegerator ready to put back on-line.

 

GBCA is a great club only because we have such great members who are willing to step up and help where needed. Let's keep the volunteer spirit up going into the rest of the year as our event coordinators will need on the water and shoreside help for the upcoming regattas.  After all, we have a reputation for putting on great regattas and parties to uphold!

 

Let me leave you with one of my favorite sailing quotes -

 

"To me, nothing made by man is more beautiful than a sailboat under way in fine weather, and to be on that sailboat is to be as close to heaven as I expect to get.  It is unalloyed happiness."  - Robert Manry

 

Look up Robert Manry on Wikipedia, I think you will be impressed.

 

Smooth Sailing - Your Commodore

WE'VE MOVED!!!  GBCA HAS A NEW HOME!
Photos by Chris Kelley and Kathy Rodgers

The new GBCA Clubhouse is in Watergate Marina! 

Our official new address is:
1500 Marina Bay Drive
Suite 1592 Building #59B
Clear Lake Shores, TX  77565
 
For a map to our new clubhouse - click HERE!
 
Thank you to all of our GREAT members who came out to help us move our clubhouse.
gbca move 3   TORC   
 
keg roll   
maninbox
kegcleaning   kegsecure 
 
We want to especially thank Ken Horne for lending us his covered trailer and we want to give a huge thank you to Chris Alk for bringing his truck to help us move!

If GBCA members ever need sensitive electronics, artwork antiques or other  custom freight solutions - Contact Craters and Freighters!

 
Annual Meeting is August 21, 2007 at 8:00 p.m.
 
All Senior GBCA members are invited to the Annual Meeting on August 21, 2007.  The meeting will be at 8:00 p.m. in our new clubhouse.  We will be discussing critical issues that affect the members of GBCA.  Please plan on attending!
RUM RACE RESULTS
by Chris Kelley 
 
July 21 - Race 3
Spinnaker
1.  Mojo
2.  Sea Trial
3.  Painkiller Jane
4.  Attitude
5.  AS-IF
 
Non Spinnaker
1.  Sabani
2.  Moxie
3.  Shared Watch
4.  Chinook
5.  Alessandra
 
June 16 - Race 2
Spinnaker
1.  Mojo
2.  Parrot Tales
3.  Kicks
4.  AS-IF
5.  Hammertime
 
Non Spinnaker
1.  Island Time
2.  7 Star
3.  Shared Watch
 
June 9 - Race 1
Spinnaker
1.  Wiley Rabbit
2.  Silver Bullet
3.  AS-IF
4.  Hammertime
5.  Nemo
 
Non Spinnaker
1.  Sabani
2.  7 Star
3.  Moxie
4.  Shared Watch
5.  Hamburg
 
THE NEXT RACE IS JULY 28! 
 
The party will be at our new clubhouse in Watergate!
 

In August, The rum races continues on the evenings of the 11th and 15th.  The races are low stress, 13.3 nautical mile, fixed mark, rabbit style starts, with no luffing or protesting allowed.  In addition, a GBCA party to distribute awards (and bragging rights)  happens at the end of night.  On August 25th, the racers will get a special treat, with a nearly full, 91% illuminated moon rising over Galveston Bay halfway thru the race at 6:17pm.  This event is really not about the racing but just getting out there, having fun, and enjoying a nice evening of sailing.  The NOR is at  http://www.gbca.org/tgifInst.html or call GBCA at 713-820-7245 to get a provisional rating.  In fact, feel free to call Duane at the GBCA number if you're new to sailboat racing, and want to give the races a try!  This is a popular event, with typical nights drawing 50 sailboats. Best of all, this event is free!

 
 
 
 
GBCA Wins at the 2007 Leukemia Cup Regatta
 

asif   572
The crew of As If:  From left to right:  Janet Ruder           Brad Robbins and the crew of Triple Play
Jeff Kitterman, Behind Jeff is Brandt Wake, Mike Tyer,
Boomer, and Marc Holdaway
 
591  603
 
Marty Krafft and the crew of Hydrodyn                         GCBA Members try out a potential club location
 
 
605
 
Chris Kelly and Boomer CLEARLY having a great time
TORCCan you Identify this Yacht Club?
 
 
SOLUTION:
St. Maarten Yacht Club - St. Maarten, French West Indies.
 
"I meant to put the GBCA sticker at a prominent place at Willie T's but got carried away that evening.  I had a several hour layover in St. Maarten on the way home, so I hiked in the rain from the terminal to St. Maarten YC for one last beer, trying to hold onto the last few moments of a spectacular vacation.  I was feeling mischeivious after a few Heineken's and a bit bummed that I was about to leave paradise.  I can't believe it took so long for a fellow GBCA member to find it.  I knew when they did, they wouldn't miss it." - Anonymous
 
And Now for this Month's Picture:
 
Can you Identify this Yacht Club?
 
potty
 
$25 Gift Certificate from West Marine to the first person that emails me the answer.
Just click here:  Email Jody
 
 
A Special Welcome to our New Members!!
by Emma Browning
 
 
Terry Gale
James Dyer
Jim Lange
Eric Paauwe
Simon Thomas
Bill Usher
Corey Block
Chris Block
Deborah Williams
Ray Doherty
Mark Bolton
Donald Anderson
Cran Fraser
Philip Schutts
William Howze
Henry Legendre
Kim Johnston
Chuck Johnston
Mike Byrne
George Cushing
Kevin O'Neill
Lynn Bell Osina
 
Thank you so much and we can't wait to see you at one of the many upcoming GBCA Events!
Mike and Chris Need Your Help
 
The Women's Regatta is September 8, 2007 and Mike Tyer with Chris Kelley's help have agreed to coordinate the event.  They are looking for sponsorship and volunteers.  If you like women or sailboat racing or both, contact Chris Kelley or Mike Tyer.
 
Planning for the Compass Bank Regatta Started
by Jody Henry
 
The Compass Bank Regatta is October 13 and 14 this year.  Planning is
already underway for a compasslogogreat weekend of racing and of course, an excellent party.
This year, the regatta will be the final stop of the Texas J80 Circuit.  We hope we'll be able to welcome in out-of-town boats and offer a bit of a warm up for the Harvest Moon Regatta.
 
GBCA is happy to announce that Compass Bank has signed back on as the premier sponsor of this 24th annual regatta.  We are also pleased to announced that Hayes Rigging is a sponsor again this year.  We are looking for more sponsors and giveaways for the party so if you're interested in being part of this GBCA tradition, please contact me at [email protected] or 713 927 3703.  For questions on the J80 Stop, please contact Walter Caldwell
Hayes, Byrne Win Singlehanded Regatta
Caldwell's, Hayes/Rhyne and Ross/ McCann win Mixed Doubles
by Jody Henry
 
Thirteen boats participated in the Mixed Doubles regatta (commonly called the Divorce Cup) on July 15, 2007.  Kevin Hayes and Vicki Rhyne raced the J109, Mojo, to a victory in the Non-Spinnaker class and a first place in the J109 Subdivision.  Lone Star, sailed by Gary Ross and Cece McCann, won in the 9 boat, PHRF A class.  Walter and Beverly Caldwell won the J80 Subdivision on their boat, Cluster.
 
On July 14, 2007, Kevin Hayes won the Single Handed Non-Spinnaker class racing the J109, Mojo.  Michael Byrne won the PHRF A class on Painkiller Jane, a J80.  Eight sailors attempted to get around the race course with just themselves and their boat.  For all of the results, please click here.
 
 
kevinboatRace to the Border - One Sailor's Story
By Kevin Box 
 

Long offshore races are unlike day races, in that most of the time you don't see your competition.  On a 240nm race that turns out to be a beat, the course area has the potential to be 28,000 square nautical miles.  That's over 800 square miles for each boat in a 35 boat fleet.  It's hard to comment on the race as a whole.  There are no tactics after the first thirty minutes, just local strategy.  So, I'll just tell my story.

 

Dexter Reed and I were double-handing again on "Star Chaser".  But this year's Race to the Border was not going to be the same port tack reach to Port Isabel we had in 2005.  Even during the start sequence, the wind was beginning to go right.  The cunning starting strategy we had concocted over a pre-race Cuba Libre was nullified.  After a power reach to marker 5A, we tacked onto port.  Close-hauled, heading straight for the Port Isabel sea buoy and second in PHRF-Spin behind Blue, life was good.  OK, it was a distant second, but we could still see them.  These were the salad days or hour(s), as it were.  The wind continued to go right.  "Well, once we fetch the Freeport buoy, we'll have some room to work."  Wrong.  Most of the other boats had long since tacked out.  Soon, we were abeam of San Luis Pass.  "Hey, is the tide going in or out now at the Pass?"  "Man, I don't know.  I'd hate to get sucked in there."  We invoked the 20-foot rule, and found ourselves tacking about ten minutes later.  We decided we'd still play the right side of the course since the wind would surely go back left soon and we'd again be fetching P.I.  We spent as much time as we could on whatever was the favored tack at the time, waiting for that to happen.  We reckoned that would be pretty soon.

 

Sunday morning found us facing a full-on beat in a diminishing breeze.  The one boat we could still see tacked onto port and quickly disappeared.  We thought they had dropped out.  When we decided to tack over we found out otherwise.  In the sub-five knot breeze, we tacked through 130 degrees.  The rest of the day was a fight to keep moving.  A long period swell generated by a storm in the Eastern Gulf made nice waves for South Padre surfers, but tough going on starboard.  Port was better, but how much did we want to roll the dice, sagging well below the loxodrome? 

 

By midday we were reduced to going any direction necessary, regardless of VMG on the course, just to find wind.  Riding the inside of long cloud lines and around the outside of raining clouds that were showing small funnels underneath, it was clear the upper atmosphere was not happy to see us.  Around 11PM that night an incredible lightning show north of us looked like "The Battle for Matagorda".  That's right, 30 hours into the race and we were just passing Matagorda.  No bueno.  Surely the boats to the left of us were making out like bandits.  Why are we hanging-out over here?  These are the things you think about when you don't know where the rest of the fleet is.  About that time, riding along the inside of two cloud lines that were gradually converging, we felt the cool breeze that is your 10 second warning to do something quickly.  We had come to the end of the line.  Running under main alone, the light of the dark orange moon showed through cracks in the storm clouds above the black water.  Even though we got hammered for a while, it was strangely beautiful.  Soon after, we were back to the 5 knot beat, with the added bonus of the slop leftover from the storm.  I grabbed a nap since nothing would be happening for a while. 

 

An hour later, a cold slap of water to the face woke me up.  I figured we had another rainstorm.  Dexter says "well, I was about to wake you up anyway because, you know, it's your boat."  I get up and its clear blue sky and blowing 20+.  Oh, and it was still a beat.  With a reefed main and half-rolled-up genoa, we were back on our feet.  At that time we could've chopped a quick right and surfed right into Port A in time for brunch.  We would find out later that some boats took that rather attractive option.  A couple more hours and it starts to go light again.  Un-reefed and un-rolled, we were back to the usual beat, but now in 8-10kts.  Once again, it was tough going on starboard.  Just as we'd get wound-up and moving well, a series of sharp waves would smack us back to reality.  Around 14:00 we got a little header and tacked.  We were still 40nm out from the sea buoy, so it was way too soon to get excited.  Anything could happen, based on recent events.  The wind could shut off at any minute.  Or, the penguins that Dexter had seen on the rollercoaster earlier could come over and start kibitzing.  Two hours sleep in as many days can take its toll on even the most experienced hallucinator. 

 

Over the next two hours, we were gradually lifted until we were fetching the mark.  Eventually, we were 10 degrees high and keeping every inch of it "in the bank".  As we got closer we would gain a degree, so we'd crack off that one degree.  We would spend the interest earned, but we weren't touching the principal.  Now 7nm out and doing 7kts, we started to drink our own Kool-Aid or, rather, a really good bottle of Pinot.  We finished at 21:50, almost 16 hours longer than our last attempt.  The adventure wasn't over.  We wouldn't see the dock for over three hours, but I'll save that story for another time.

 

Xavier and crew put on the usual great mix of shore-side activities.  The Marion Hayes memorial trophy for the ORC Fleet winner was awarded to Roy Olsen on Danelaw in an emotional exchange that touched everyone.  For full results, see:  http://www.racetotheborder.com/results.htm

 
 
 
kevindex
 
Kevin and Dexter enjoying a much needed cocktail.
 
Photos from Race to the Border
 
Thank you to our sponsors! 
 
Higgins, Smythe & Hood
The City of South Padre
Blue Water Ships Store
Intergulf Corporation
Seaport Coffee
Classic Cafe
 

 
RTTB004   RTTB010
 
RTTB024    RTTB044
RTTB048
Obstruction Map Available on the GBCA Website
by Chris Kelley
 
The goal of this project is to document the obstructions to boaters in Galveston Bay, and eventually get them removed.  The data points we're taken from the various past GBCA postings on the discussion board.  Some of the information might be dated.   I added the rum race course as reference.  If you're looking for an excuse to go boating on the bay,  please use the opportunity to confirm that the hazards are still there, verify the GPS coordinates, or even take a picture and we can add it to the map.  Also, if you have additional hazards to add. You can email me a [email protected].
 
Club Racing on Galveston Bay
 
On June 16, GBCA was invited to particpate in club team racing at Texas Corinthian Yacht Club.  Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate.  The event is to be rescheduled.  Racing is on Sonars.  Please contact Chris Lewis if you're interested.
blancalunaSail Blanca Luna!
 
Sailing Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico
 
Contact us for more information
 
Phone:  281-732-7176
E-Mail:  [email protected]
 
Or visit our website at:

 
 
TORCSailing Simply Fast
by Alan Bates

BSailing provides you with access to performance sailing.  Join for an unbeatably low annual fee which provides unlimited access to the J/80 (26') and J/105 (34').  You can learn to race in local regattas and enjoy fast, fun, cruising all year long.  Complete instruction with as much coaching as you need-more than a weekend course, you can have enough practice with professional instruction until you are ready to sail on your own.  This includes spinnaker training.  Sailing a J/Boat with the asymmetrical spinnaker is without comparison.  Come for a free demo ride-Contact Alan Bates-281.212.7348   Please visit  www.bsailing.com

 
Burgee SmallThe Galveston Bay Cruising Association (GBCA) is a non-profit corporation established in 1947 to promote the sport of yacht racing on Galveston Bay. GBCA hosts a full calendar of sailing events throughout the year and presently maintains a membership of over 175 racing sailors. Members include World Champion Sailors, Olympic Hopefuls and alumni of the organization include an Olympic Silver Medallist, and America's Cup Sailor.