The CANNON
Galveston Bay Cruising Association
In this issue...
From the Commodore
Check your Membership
Congratulations to Emma and Dylan Doss
Welcome to Gulf Coast Sodablast
Steve Rhyne wins the Texas Navy Cup
Ben Miller wins First in Non Spin Fleet at Texas Race Week
Texas Race Week at Galveston - Aboard S/V Dulcinea
Texas Race Week Results
Texas Race Week Photos
Our Favorite Quote
Regata de Amigos XXII Results
Regata de Amigos XXII Photo Journal
A Huge Thank You
GBCA's Racing Seminar and Rum Race #1
GBAD is COMING!
And Now for your Moment of Zen
Galveston Bay Cruising Association (GBCA)
QUICK LINKS
GBCA 2010 Racing Calendar
 
GBCA Discussion Board
 
 
NEED MORE PICTURES???
Visit the Lacy's website for photos from GBCA races.
 

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Upcoming Events
  
GBCA Singled Handed Regatta
August 21, 2010
 
GBCA Mixed Doubles Regatta
August 22, 2010
 
Rum Race Number 7
August 28, 2010
 
Rum Race Number 8
September 4, 2010
 
GBCA Women's Regatta
September 11, 2010
 
GBAD Regatta
Galveston Bay All Design
September 18-19, 2010
 
BBVA Compass Performance Cup Regatta
October 09-10, 2010
 
Board of Govenors
Commodore
 
Vice Commodore
 
Treasurer
 
Secretary
 
Rear Commodore
 
Fleet Captain
 
Past Commodore
 
Board Members
 
Newsletter
 
 
Become a Member of GBCA
 
Senior or Crew Membership available. For more information, contact
Emma Doss.
 
For an online form to sign up to be a member of GBCA, click here. 
 
Not sure if you're membership is up to date?  Click here.
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We publish an e-newsletter that is sent to over 200 sailors in the Galveston Bay and Houston area.
 
Please contact Jody Henry
The Cannon
Galveston Bay Cruising Association
August 2010
From the Commodore
by Chris Kelley
 
chris kelley
It has been a whirl-wind summer so far with Texas Race Week, Regata de Amigos and a series of Rum Races under our belt.
 
Coming up are some of the more unique GBCA racing events: The Singlehanded Regatta, the Mixed Doubles, the Woman's Regatta and a brand new GBAD event.  GBAD stands for Galveston Bay All Design.  The event is in partnership with Galveston Bay PHRF (Performance Handicap Racing Fleet).  The Galveston Bay PHRF is a volunteer committee, separate from GBCA, that determines the handicap ratings for boats racing on Galveston Bay.  Of course, one design boats are welcome in this regatta and we would like to see a number of the GBCA Club handicap boats participate also.   The NOR with all the details is posted at http://www.regattanetwork.com/clubs/gbca.html
 
The GBAD event is an extension of GBCA's continued effort to get new sailors and sailboats introduced to racing. Earlier this summer, the Introduction to Sailboat Racing Seminar brought a packed clubhouse, and the GBCA Club Handicap class has increased the number of boats participating in the Rum Races to over 60 boats.
 
Another positive sign is all the activity on the crew availability list on the GBCA discussion board.  If you have the ambition and commitment, there are rides out there!
 
Speaking of commitment, I would like to thank the volunteers and sponsors that really stepped up during Texas Race Week.  Everyday presented its own unique challenges.  In particular, Kevin Hayes and Team Mojo helped save the day (in more ways than one) with a very nice replacement mark set boat when the rib developed mechanical problems on the first day.   Special thanks goes to Kathy Rodgers (her 5th year!) who once again put in countless hours making TRW happen.   Of course, more thanks are in order to Kevin Box, the race committee team, the setup volunteers ashore and the Lacy brothers for their continued support of the event.
 
Finally, be happy we've made it past August 17th.  According to NOAA, that's the date where the average Houston temperature begins to decrease from its maximum of 94�.
 
So hang tight fellow sailors and pour another cold one, the crisp fall breeze will be here before you know it!

 
CHECK YOUR MEMBERSHIP
by Chris Alk
 
 
In the tedious process of making membership and record keeping an easier and more user-friendly thing, we have put a new membership list on the website. Access it from the home page or click here.  We know there are some errors. Please take a moment to check you record for your dues status. If there is an error let one of the Board know and we will correct it.
 
One thing the new list does show is that a lot you have not renewed your memberships this year. Check you status. If you are past, you can download an application and send us a check.
 
Everyone who enjoys the GBCA free Icicle Series and Rum Races and the free parties should be a member. If you enjoy the best run regattas on the Bay and in the Gulf, you should be a member. It's the best and easiest $130 you'll ever spend on your boat. Skippers, don't forget we have a crew membership for only $35. Encourage your crews to join.
 
All the work that goes into giving you the best on the Bay is done by volunteers. But, we can't distill the rum, brew the beer, create the food, refine the RC boat fuel or manufacture the RC gear that needs constant replacement.
 
This club relies on its members for its continued success. Everybody needs to chip in.
 
CONGRATULATIONS TO MEMBERS EMMA AND DYLAN DOSS
 
CONGRATULATIONS to Emma and Dylan Doss on the birth of their first daughter, Chloe Marie Doss.
 
Chloe was born on August 16, 2010 at 2:23 AM.  7lbs, 14 oz and 19.5" long.  Mom, Dad and baby are doing great!
 
EmmaDylanChloe
 
chloe2 
 
WELCOME to our NEWEST CANNON SPONSOR - GULF COAST SODA BLAST
STEVE RHYNE AND CREW OF MOJO WIN THE TEXAS NAVY CUP
 
CONGRATULATIONS to Steve Rhyne and the crew of Mojo for winning the Larry Kevan Memorial Trophy (First in PHRF SPIN Fleet) at Texas Race Week and for winning the TORC perpetual TEXAS NAVY CUP!
 
mojotrw
 
 
BEN MILLER AND CREW OF SABANI WIN FIRST IN NON SPIN FLEET AT TEXAS RACE WEEK
 
CONGRATULATIONS to Ben Miller and the crew of Sabani for winning First in Fleet at Texas Race Week!
 
Sabanitrw
 
 
TEXAS RACE WEEK AT GALVESTON - ABOARD S/V DULCINEA
by Jody Henry
 
When the commodore asks if you can write a summary of Texas Race Week and you have trouble remembering all of the details, doesn't that mean it was a great regatta with great parties?  Big Thanks go to Kathy Rodgers, the regatta chair and to our PRO, Kevin Box.  It was a great weekend of racing, winning, partying, de-hydrating, re-hydrating, losing, partying and finishing with, of course, a party.
 
Texas Race Week in Galveston is by far, one of my favorite regattas put on by GBCA.  This year, I was lucky enough to race on Dulcinea, the Aerodyne 43 owned by Steve and Jeff Jones.  We had a great crew that was a mix of Austin and Galveston Bay sailors:  Jeff Jones (AYC), Jay Sacco (AYC), Kalyn Lundemo (GBCA), Robert Barlow (AYC), James Collins (San Fran but formerly GBCA), Andrea Pola (GBCA), Drake Borer (AYC), Tony Bolt (AYC), Tim Thomas (GBCA), Mary Miller (GBCA), Steve Jones and Blake Leinart.
 
Andrea and I headed down to the island on Wednesday night after stopping to pick up the truck and, what turned out to be, most of the rum for the weekend.  When we crossed the causeway, we almost kept driving to Jamaica Beach with all of the loot but clearer heads prevailed and rum and mixers ended up safely in the hands of our commodore.
 
Boat time was early on Thursday, or at least it felt early.  (Thank God for the coffee spot on the way to the yacht basin.)  We headed out to the start and were relieved to feel wind, see clouds and find out that there had been some smack-talking at the skipper's meeting.  Nothing like the challenge of a little friendly competition to get the blood flowing.  Thursday would be the long race for the PHRF spin class and forecast was telling us there was a threat of rain.   It might have rained on the course but - with the combination of adrenaline, splash and a lot of sweat, I'm not sure we ever felt it.
james 
 
The first leg was long but there were storm pockets and big wind at times.  It felt like an Aerodyne 43 kind of day.  I could tell because my back was starting to hurt from sitting on the rail (not always the most comfortable spot on the Aerodyne).  We rounded the first mark and caught a time on our competition.  We looked good and continued to sail fast.  The spinnaker went up and stayed up until we crossed the finish line.  Line honors went to Nefte Gaz but we were close behind them - I mean really close.  Next to finish was Mojo, Gambler and Musica.  On corrected time, we came out on top for the day with a first place finish by 50 seconds over Doug Shaffer on Gambler.  Cliff Haddox on Musica took third place, Tres Hombres in fourth and Steve Rhyne on Mojo with the fifth for the day.
 
I headed over to the party to help Kathy with registration.  She is laughing reading this because I was not much "help".  All I did was drink rum and wander around chatting with people.  It started to rain....hard, and with the rain came the memories of TRW 2009 but missing one thing - the cold front, where were those 70 degree temperatures?  The rain washed everything off and in typical Galveston weather fashion - moved along quickly.  The skies cleared up and Michelle served rum drinks into the night.  I loved seeing all of the GBCA tumblers filled with the official drink of TRW, the Mar-Kat. 
 
Friday was hotter and stickier.  There was still wind but it was not near as strong as Thursday.  The water was flat and you could hear people making comments on our boat about it being a "Mojo" kind of day.  The race committee sent us on the windward leeward course with marks.  We raced to the end of the jetty and reached to our leeward mark, did some paperclips and then headed on a reach back to the jetties and a run to the finish line.  The water was smooth so Mojo was fast.  We grabbed line honors for Friday but Steve Rhyne on Mojo corrected over us by a minute nineteen.  Gambler took third for the day, Tres Hombres in fourth and Musica in fifth.
 
dulc1  
 
We finished Friday still in first place and feeling good about Saturday.  We were leading with 3 points, followed by Gambler with 5 and Mojo with 6.  We needed to maintain a 1 or 2 finish on Saturday to win the regatta.   It was definitely in our reach. 
 
And then came the rum....
 
And then the wind died .....
 
I need more excuses.  (How 'bout those green chili shots that I love so much?  That couldn't have helped.)
 
Saturday was brutal.  If you were out there, you know what I'm talking about.  It was hot.  Really hot.  And there was little wind.  Maybe a few knots here or there but as we headed out to the first mark at the end of the jetties, and the hours ticked by, you could hear Kalyn start to mutter:  "....must get out of the jetties....must make it out alive....." .   Race committee sent us on the same course as Friday.  Boats would head off in bizarre directions looking for breeze and once they found it, their lead would stretch out more and more.  We finished the race in 4th place: 29 minutes and 31 seconds behind first place, Mojo on corrected time.  The day was brutal and our finish was brutal.  Nefte Gaz grabbed a second and Gambler, the third place finish, firmly giving us a second overall for the regatta.  It was hard to be so close and lose it on a day with less than stellar conditions but for the amount of fun I had, I really have nothing to complain about.
 
dulc2
 
With Mojo's first place finish on Saturday, they secured the Larry Kevan Trophy for first in the PHRF fleet.  Mojo also took home the Texas Navy Cup.  The Texas Navy Cup is awarded to the skipper with the best cumulative score over three Texas offshore events.  Steve Rhyne accepted the prestigious trophy at the awards ceremony on Saturday night.  Other sailors taking home TRW honors included Ben Miller, who sailed Sabani to a PHRF Non-Spin victory with three bullets.  Jack Spithill on Further was second in the non-spin class with a total of nine points and Allessandra, sailed by Treaf Andrus beat out Walter Caldwell on Shaken Not Stirred in an 11 point tie breaker for third place.
 
Congratulations go to all the top finishers and to all of the boats that came out to compete in Texas Race Week at Galveston.  This was our biggest turnout yet and it was pretty amazing to see more than twenty boats fighting their way out of the jetties.  I hope ya'll can make it next year and I look forward to TRW 2011.
 
team 
Team Dulcinea:  (From L to R)  Kalyn Lundemo, Tony Bolt, Drake Borer, Andrea Pola, Jody Henry, James Collins, Jay Sacco, Steve Jones, Robert Barlow, Jeff Jones, Mary Miller
TEXAS RACE WEEK AT GALVESTON RESULTS
Photos by John Lacy 
 
PHRF (13 Boats Scored) 
FIRST PLACE 
MOJO - STEVE RHYNE
 
SECOND PLACE
DULCINEA  - STEVE JONES/ JEFF JONES
 
THIRD PLACE
GAMBLER - DOUG SHAFFER
 
 
PHRF NON SPIN (10 Boats Scored)
FIRST PLACE
SABANI - BEN MILLER
 
SECOND PLACE
FURTHER - JACK SPITHILL
 
THIRD PLACE
ALESSANDRA - TREAF ANDRUS
 
For all of the results from Texas Race Week - Click here
 
TEXAS RACE WEEK PHOTOS
by John Lacy
 
 
dockshot    danelaw 
 
trw2010  nefte
 
 
trw3   trw4
 

trw2    alert
 
tres  trw3
 
chrismichelle   wyatt
 
 To see all 2,151 pictures - click here!
OUR FAVORITE QUOTE from REGATA de AMIGOS
 
"I don't need a lot of knots guys, just one good one"
 
-Greg Gladden speaking to his crew on Chiron, as they tended to a very busy mooring procedure on the Malecon
 
 
REGATA DE AMIGOS XXII RESULTS
 
 
DIV PHRF A(13 Boats Scored) 
FIRST PLACE 
ROSALITA - JEFF HART
 
SECOND PLACE
CAPTAIN MIDNIGHT  - DON KUGLE
 
THIRD PLACE
TEXAS RANGER - CHUCK WIELCHOWSKY
 
 
DIV CRUISING NON SPIN - A
FIRST PLACE
SEA-QUELL - AUDIE SETTERS
 
SECOND PLACE
CHIRON - GREG GLADDEN
 
THIRD PLACE
MOONSTRUCK - DAROLD MAXWELL
 
 
DIV CRUISING MOTOR - A
FIRST PLACE
CIMBOCO - PHILLIP PIERCE
 
SECOND PLACE
WINDSHIP - GARY WATKINS
 
 
 
Read all of the results here
REGATA DE AMIGOS XXII PHOTO JOURNAL
by Chris Kelley
 
 
RDA4
The fleet arrived to this sight
 
 RDA2
President Calderon arrives as the race committee overlooks the activities at La Fiesta Inn
 
RDA3
The first boat arrives, Rosalita. Safely moored in the shadow of the USCG Eagle, the Chilean and Mexican tall ships.
 
RDA8
The crowds arrive for tours and fireworks
 
RDA1
The Chilean ship arrives, with their own band, in dress whites, singing.
The obelisk in the foreground is the memorial to those lost at sea, the inspiration to the Rodger Stone Memorial trophy
 
RDA5
Oh yeah.
 
RDA6
Traditional dancing and music at the awards ceremony from Grupo Chalchihuecan
 
RDA7
Jeff Hart from s/v Rosalita - Winner of the Roger Stone Memorial Trophy
 
RDA12
Incredible Fireworks over the Malecon conclude the 2010 Regata de Amigos

 
 A HUGE THANK YOU TO C&C SAILMAKERS
 
C&C Sailmakers has donated new class flags to GBCA!  Thank you so much for your continued support.
 
Visit their website to learn more about what C&C Sailmakers has to offer!!
 
 candcbmp
GBCA's RACING SEMINAR AND RUM RACE #1 
by Martha Steele
 
For a novice, this seminar was very well presented in layman terms and allowed as much information that anyone would need to begin to navigate in the world of racing.  Thank you Brian Hawboldt and Chris Kelley.  It led Ma�ana to her first race ever, her first Rum Race and her first in GBCA Club Handicap.  Finding out how fast a Cal 40 truly is - when helmed by a legend like Roy Newberry Sr. - was truly an experience to be cherished.  Our crew consisted of Roy and myself helming.  Roy mostly helping me understand the boat and water thing.  On sail trim we had Jeremy Macki & Diego Saverino.  And, last but not least, Sheila Dromgoole was our foredeck and snacktician.
PIC62    Roy
          
 
Beings that this was her first race, I had to interrupt J Kevin Box while he was cleaning shrimp for a birthday party that he was having on Sunday, so that we could get our PHRF rating.  He said it was not a problem at the time, but after we won the race, I'm sure he had different feelings about the rating.  Somehow I had convinced him that I have a real slow boat and he gave us an extra 2 points to boot.  Our original rating was 157. Our new rating has decreased somewhat.  Go figure.
PIC83

 
We just kept passing boats, one by one.  Roy said that's how you do it and we did.  Just before the last leg we looked around and there were only 3 other boats in front of us and none in our class.  What an exciting feeling to look in back of you and see all those spinnakers flying.
PIC93    PIC101

 
The Lacy's honored us by taking well over 800 photos of the race and even had them posted on the big screen TV in our clubhouse the same evening of the party.  What a treat it is to get to see what your boat looks like out on the water.
 
If you have never taken the first step to racing, take it from me, you won't give it up once you start - it is addictive.
Cheers,
Martha Steele
s/v Ma�ana
 
PIC97

From L to R: Commodore Chris Kelley, Diego Savarino, Shelia Dromgoole, Martha Steele,
Roy Newberry Sr., and Jeremy Macki  

 
 
GBAD IS COMING!
 
GBAD
 AND NOW FOR YOUR MOMENT OF ZEN
 
Clubhouse
 
 
placetoraceburgee

The 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.