MAD MEN AT SPRING FLING   

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This season ABYC will host the 130th annual Lake Yacht Racing Association (LYRA) Regatta. The event consists of both long-distance and course racing, with the fleets representing numerous LYRA member yacht clubs in the Great Lakes.   We are proud to announce that this event will also feature the IRC North American Championships and the PHRF Lake Ontario Championships.  The racing starts on Saturday, July 26 and extends to Sunday, August 3.

 

ABYC has hosted the LYRA regatta on three previous occasions, the last being in 2007.  The club has always received accolades from the sailing community regarding our hosting of this event.  It is a major Great Lakes regatta and holding an event of this scope and magnitude will touch almost every aspect of our club operations with varying degrees of impact.

 

From time to time over the next few months the LYRA organizing committee may ask for your co-operation and support.  We want to thank you in advance for your co-operation.

 

At this early date here's how you can help:

 

- Support our LYRA Fundraising Dinner on March 29th either by attending, or if your schedule does not permit, by donating an item to the auction.  Our guest speaker is world renowned boat designer Steve Killing and it promises to be an educational and entertaining evening.

 

- Plan to race!  Nothing would make the committee happier than to see as many ABYC boats competing as possible.  Not only will it show well for our club, you will enjoy some of the best racing and best race management of the season.  If you know you are racing, then please register - we need to start demonstrating to the community that the racing is on and the competition fierce!

 

-Plan to volunteer!  The success of LYRA 2014 will depend largely on the contributions of volunteers.  All event management, race management and officiating is being staffed by volunteers. Whatever your interest and skills there's likely a need during this event and a place for you in the volunteer pool.  Note: If you are an ABYC Senior, Intermediate or Dinghy member, hours contributed to the LYRA 2014 event can be used toward fulfilling your expectation to contribute work hours for 2014.

 

-Help spread the news!  Tell everyone! LYRA 2014 has its own web site and social media feeds.  

 

Please follow our Facebook page (LYRARegatta2014) and our Twitter feed (@LYRA2014ABYC) and freely "share", "like" and "re-tweet" our posts to your personal social media community.

 

Finally, we will continue to update the members through S2S and please visit the website www.LYRA2014.com where you can lean more.  But please do not hesitate to ask questions of me or any of the committee members - this regatta is being hosted by ABYC, not the committee, and you are encouraged to learn all you can.

 

Roger Van Vlack

Regatta Chair

lyra@abyc.on.ca

 

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Paul Brennan
Rear Commodore

Photos - BCaron

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On Saturday, March 22nd we finished driving the last sheet steel piling for the wall repairs we're doing in the dry sail area.  That's 45 pieces, each weighing 420lbs. 

Photo - Mike Kovacs

We had our problems - the old wall collapsed on us in two areas, the pile driver required numerous repairs to keep it going, and the weather was not the least bit friendly - but we've got that part of the work done now.

There's a lot more work left to do, but it's all much less violent, and quieter too.  The last few weeks we've had enough people turn out that the installation of the tie-backs and walers is almost complete so now we have to finish that, and use them and Come-alongs to pull the collapsed sections back in to shape.  This year we're trying out a steel wall cap instead of concrete and that needs to be installed too - lots of holes to drill for that, but with a nice quiet drill.  Once all that's done, then it's back-fill, grade the area, and then install new decking and fender boards that Mike Leroux's team has been building in parallel with our work. 

That's actually still a lot of work to be completed before launch when you figure there are only four work parties left.  But it's quiet work.
 

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Rear Commodore Paul Brennan held a Tea last Sunday to recognize and thank volunteers who spent many hours doing Race Committee duties last season.  As Rear Commodore Brennan reported in this edition of S2S, volunteers combined for over 3000 work hours of Race Committee work last season and it is expected that even more hours will be required this year.  This is a nice way to get in some or all of your 20 Contribution Hours.

- Celia Lum & Howard Franklin, Entertainment Committee Chairs  

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Spring Fling 2014 - What a Fabulous Party!  None of us wanted the party to end !!!!    It was after midnight when the band Turning Point started to pack up after they gave us an encore.

 

Guess there is a little Mad Men in all of Us.

 

Thank you - Bruce Carr, Dianna Dobbin, Sandra Conley, Tim Hill for all  your time, energy, and creativeness, to put this event together and make it the fun party it was.  Fabulous Job!

 

Thank you Albert, and team for making sure Martini's and the usual Bevies were served up with great

enthusiasm.  We appreciate all you do, behind the scenes as well, in preparation for all of our events.

 

 

 

 

 

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In my recent S2S notice, I explained that the current plan for launch was for the large crane to work half a day on Friday May 2.  After a very thorough review of the plan, I have determined that it will be possible to achieve the staging for the mast-up/hydraulic trailer boats without interference with the broader operation and still complete the entire crane launch in one day, as per our usual practice. 

 

 

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Could all owners of boats in railyard who are NOT launching for any reason please notify me as soon as possible or by April 12 at the latest. 

Please contact me at dsjmarcil0464@gmail.com or 416-278-4585 . 

This will help us organize for launch and keep things flowing smoothly.

Thanks!

- Roy Little 

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There have been some questions about the future of the mast-up storage program.   Our plan is to evaluate the results of the spring launch then make a recommendation to the Board.

 

However, members want to plan for the following season's storage, so to allow those interested in the program some clarity, we will target having some form of guidance in place by 1 June, even if not long term but limited to the immediate upcoming season.