May 20, 2015
SARAH HELPING   

                                                                                                       Photo -  Anna Wharton
Sarah Ashbridge & crew were found at TS&CC last weekend to provide valuable assistance for that club's annual Ice Breaker Regatta.
In This Issue
CBYC Cruise
Upcoming ABYC Events
Rear Commodore Paul Brennan
Commodore's Ball
Irish Rose - Mooring Tire Adjustments
From our Yard Bosun
Keelboat Learn-To-Sail
Cruise to Lakeshore Yacht Club
New Visitor to ABYC
The Wyers Bench
Club Cruising Update
Seawall Repair
Whale of a Tale!
Race Committee Coordinator
Junior Racers
CBYC Cruise

 

Upcoming ABYC Events

MAY             

Friday - Fine Dining 

___________________________                                                                

 

CRUISING 

23  -  Saturday - Cruise to Cathedral Bluffs/Highland YC

 

RACING 

  Tuesday Evening - Series A (May 12 - June 23) 

  Thursday Evening - Series B (May 14 - June 25)    

  --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  23 & 24  -  Saturday - ABYC REGATTA     

JUNE              

Friday - Fine Dining 

___________________________                                                                

 

05  -  Friday - Commodore's Ball

06  -  Saturday - Sailpast

07  -  Sunday - New Boat Party

 

CRUISING 

13  -  Saturday - Cruise to RCYC (New Members' Cruise)   

20  -  Saturday - Cruise to Whitby Yacht Club

27  -  Saturday - Cruise to The Boulevard Club 

 

RACING 

  Tuesday Evening - Series A (May 12 - June 23) 

  Wednesday Evening - Dinghy Series 1 (June 3 - July 29) 

  Thursday Evening - Series B (May 14 - June 25)

  --------------------------------------------------------------------------

  08  -  Monday - Protest Night #1

  13  -  Saturday - Double/Single Handed Races 

  27  -  Saturday - ABYC Hosts Ontario/Great LakesLaser Masters

   Rear Commodore
   Paul Brennan
__________________________________________________________________________
 
New Sailing Committee Chair 
 
I am pleased to announce that Calum Semple has stepped up to take on the reigns so graciously held by Brian Chapman as Chair of the Sailing Committee.

Calum is an active racer, and spent a year on the committee a little while ago in the Race Committee Coordinator role.

Please join me in welcoming Calum to the new role, and try to give him at least 48 hours before raising the first issue! :)

Club Race Chairs
I have had one volunteer come forward to start learning this job.  Thank you, and as promised I won't publicly announce your venture onto the committee boat until you've completed your identity change! :)

There is definitely room for one more Club Race Chair.  The pay is terrible, but the companionship is good, you're returning time back to the racing program at your own club, and you are guaranteed to see some spectacularly wild chute drops without it being at the front of your own boat!  Most importantly, you'll learn to see the course and start the way the Race Committee does, which may help in your own tactics.

Club Boat Stewards
I've had no response to this request, first posted 4 weeks ago, so we're planning to use professional services for the regular inspection of the boats.  Volunteers would still be very welcome to help perform owner-level maintenance tasks.  If you wish to get on the "boat handyman" list, we'll send out work items to the list, and if someone volunteers, they can take on that task, and save the club cash.

Please reach out to me at [email protected] to inquire about or volunteer for one of these roles.
   
Paul Brennan
Rear Commodore, ABYC   
Commodore's Ball

 
Irish Rose Mooring Tire Adjustments - Last Weekend
__________________________________________________
 

Over the last few weekends the Irish Rose and the Dock crew have been adjusting the mooring tires but this will be the last scheduled weekend for this season.  If you have not signed up yet or would still like your tires adjusted: THIS IS YOUR LAST OPPORTUNITY.

 

Sign-up sheet is on the bulletin board at the bottom of the stairs in the clubhouse.

                                                                               

Please Note:  Irish Rose is a great vessel for lifting tires chained to 600lb concrete blocks but precision and accuracy less than a couple of feet was not part of the design criteria so if we get close, we have succeeded.

 

Crew of the Irish Rose  
Yard Bosun 
- Greg Chapman
__________________________________
 

As the ABYC Regatta approaches this weekend it is worth making note of a few points. The club will be bustling with visiting boats, crews and families and your co-operation and patience in regards to the following matters is appreciated:

 

  1. Member parking will be limited to the Railyard and Blue Dock parking lots on this Saturday and Sunday.  The Yard Staff will be directing you to these areas if you arrive in the morning.  Your co-operation in the matter will help tremendously.
  2. Docking space is a challenge, and that is putting it lightly.  With racing boats expected from J80s to Beneteau 36.7's and beyond, we will be rafting a large number of visitors between the fingers as marked by the black stars on the accompanying map.  Please be advised that day sailing this weekend may result in your slip being blocked or occupied.  If this occurs, please contact the yard bosuns and we will do our best to arrange a solution.
  3. That being said, this would be the perfect weekend to avoid all that and take that cruise you've been fantasizing about all winter, wouldn't it?  How about a last minute trip to the Islands?  Your dock space is a hot commodity, so not only would you be proposing a spontaneous last minute getaway but you'd be doing our club & visitors a favour at the same time.
  4. Looking for work/service hours? If you're acquainted with the layout of our docks, a spare set of lungs for "organizing" the docking of incoming racers on Saturday and Sunday afternoon is welcome.

If you would like to help, feel free to leave me a message on the Gas Dock phone extension 223 or an e-mail at [email protected].  Sail plans can be filed at the gas dock, by e-mail or by phone; the sooner I am advised the better.   

 

Thank you in advance for your assistance in these matters, I'm sure we're in for another great weekend!  

 
Keelboat Course

Cruise to Lakeshore Yacht Club
- Sophie & John (Johnnie's Cabana)
________________________________________________

For the first 2015 away 'away' cruise to Lakeshore Yacht Club the ABYC Cruising Fleet was impressive; 15 boats, (+1 land cruiser) and a total 34 attendees (+2 lake faring canines).  The weather was pleasant from start to finish.  Saturday morning started off cloudy but by the time most of us reached our destination, the sun was shining strongly.  The wind was light which made for many a motorsail both there and back.

LSYC is located in the picturesque Colonel Samuel Smith Park in Etobicoke.  We were surrounded by the vocal and beautiful Red-necked Grebes that were preparing their nests.  We also saw playful otters frolicking in the harbour and there was an impressive fireworks display on Sunday evening.

LSYC was ready for us and had plenty of space for our fleet both on the water and in & around their clubhouse. With their great kitchen facilities, impressive BBQ area and vast outdoor patio it allowed us to relax, cook and unwind.

Co-hosts Carolyn & Ralph and newbies Sophie & John paired well together in organizing the cruise and delivering Saturday evening's first ABYC BBQ of the season.  A dinner menu consisting of 3 types of burgers (beef, turkey and veg) and a variety of tasty salads.  As always our innovative cruisers supplied a variety of delicious appetizers and desserts.  A big thanks to everyone for contributing.

Thank you to the cruise captains for their hard work organizing and helping behind the scenes, the ABYC office and the bosuns for welcoming our reciprocal cruisers who enjoyed our beautiful facilities.

Photos by John Scherlowski can be viewed at: 
LSYC Cruise Photos
 

Photos - Bruce Hannah
New visitor to ABYC
_________________________________________

 

This Trumpeter Swan has been visiting our bay for the past few weeks.  You can easily identify the Trumpeter Swan by the colour of its bill - Black vs. orange for the Mute Swan plus they have a call (similar to a trumpet) whereas the Mute Swan is silent. 

 

The Trumpeter Swans are trying to make a comeback from the brink of extinction but are forced to compete with the more abundant Mute Swans which are actually considered an invasive species - brought to North America by Europeans in the 1870's.

 

We witnessed the Trumpeter being chased out of our bay by a Mute Swan this past week but it was back the next day.  With luck, more will arrive.  

Photo - David Gilbert
The Wyers Bench 
- David Gilbert
________________________________________

 

This bench was provided by the Late Hugh Wyers in memory of his wife Lillian who passed away in 2001.

 

Hugh and Lillian were long time, highly regarded members of ABYC.  Each year, Hugh would take the bench home and refinish it and deliver it back to the Club in the spring where it sat on our licensed patio.  A work of love if ever there was one.  Unhappily, in 2013 Hugh became quite ill and was not able to complete the work.  Hugh passed in early 2014 and at our request his two sons delivered the bench back to ABYC.  It sat again on our patio but the finish was allowed to deteriorate quite badly; also, the brass plate that honoured Lillian had disappeared.  I placed a request in S2S in the late summer of 2014 but no one came forward so I decided to undertake the work myself.

 

At my first attempt at cleaning up the bench I had pretty well decided to abort, feeling that the work was beyond my ability but Dan Gregory appeared wanting to help and pretty much embarrassed me into staying the course. The work turned out to be difficult as the bench is very ornate and there are parts that are almost impossible to reach with any tool. Then Mike Robertson offered us the use of the Sailing School washroom which he was in the process of renovating and that work was on hold until late January.  So Dan and I did our best and eventually placed the bench covered in a plastic tarp in the gazebo.

 

In April when we got it out and uncovered, it was apparent that our jury rigged lighting in the washroom had been inadequate so we did more sanding and scraping.  In some of the less accessible parts we used a dremel tool and being unskilled found several areas gouged but once the first coat of Cetol went on Dan saved the day by his comment, "I really like that antique look."

 

The bench was moved over with its back to the beautiful gardens that Ann Kay and her crew keep up and Dan scored a few bricks from another project, the ABYC way, and dug them into the ground for footings to protect the feet.  While it is a "two foot job" ( you stand back two feet and it looks pretty good) it looks great in its new location.  Thanks to Mike Leroux for remounting the plate.

 

The wording on the new plate was suggested by Hugh and Lillian's son Rob who presently has an application to renew his senior membership in process and I personally look forward to having him back among us.

 

Club Cruising Update
____________________________________________________________________________________

 

The 2015 Cruise Schedule and Host Contact Information is now posted on the ABYC Website/Cruising Section (includes  links to the Host Clubs).

 

Please be reminded that members cannot register for a cruise that is not yet posted.  July cruises (NOLSC, MCC & FBYC) will be posted on Monday June 1.

 

New Members Cruise to the Royal Canadian YC - June 13 & 14
Current registration has exceeded estimated boat capacity at RCYC.  A 'wait list' is in effect.  Members who registered on May 8th or later are on the 'wait list'.  We are hoping that RCYC will be able to accommodate additional boats but this will not be known until closer to the cruise date.  The temporary restriction of registration to new members has been lifted and members may register but will be on the 'wait list'.

 

Cruise to Whitby YC - June 20 & 21
Sign-up for this first long distance cruise of the season!  NO WAIT LIST.

 

Cruise to The Boulevard - June 27 & 28
A significant 'wait list' is in effect for this cruise.  Registration is now closed.

 

 Club Cruising Etiquette
  1. Participants are requested to radio into the Host Club when approaching to confirm dock assignment or to receive a dock assignment.  Yacht Clubs monitor VHF channel 68 (RCYC Ch 9).  When a cruise is coming into a club, the Dock Staff/Officer on duty will likely be on the dock(s) and monitoring via a handheld radio thus will not receive until the boat calling in is close proximity to the club;
  2. Participant boats are requested to fly the ABYC burgee when sailing in a Club Cruising event;   
  3. Cruise participants are not required to file a sail plan unless the participant is departing earlier and/or returning later than the scheduled cruise.

 

Chris Pappas / Jean Gap / Nancy Ogden
ABYC 2015 Cruising Captains
Seawall Repair
___________________________________________________

Our "Construction Season" is rapidly coming to a conclusion. 
A huge effort by a few members last Thursday setup the Sailing School area for an even bigger effort on Saturday by a few more members.  On Thursday, in addition to a lot of brick laying, concrete was mixed and poured into the ends of the new seawall in order to seal the cavities and make it ready to accept the large amount of concrete for the rest of the wall on Saturday.

Saturday, you might have noticed the fleet of cement trucks in the yard (10) as the entire seawall in the Sailing School area was filled (gap between old and new piles) with concrete.  In addition, most of the bricks are now back in place and a few other minor items checked off the ToDo list.  There is a need for workers this Thursday and there will be a call for additional workers in the coming weeks.  We are very close to the end and a big effort would be a huge help.





Tail of a whale makes for a whale of a tale!

- Carolyn Weckesser

___________________________________________________________________________________

 

We recently had the pleasure of traveling to California and spending some time with ABYC member Stephen Trevitt who now resides in Mountain View.  After Stephen learned we would be nearby he was, as usual, quick to assist and gracious in his hospitality including an invitation to go sailing!

 

The inaugural Monterey Bay Leukemia Cup was hosted by the Santa Cruz Yacht Club on Sunday May 3rd.  The event was a fundraiser and one of many 2015 events held across North American with more than 10,000 sailors expected to participate.  Since the inception of The Leukemia Cup in 1987 more than $50 million has been raised by the sailing community to support The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's programs.  The Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay event raised approximately $25K.

 

Photos - Carolyn Weckesser 

The Santa Cruz Yacht Club is an active, friendly club with a mission and culture very similar to our own.  There is a considerable one design fleet of Santana 22s, Moore 24s and Santa Cruz 27s and we also spotted a Thunderbird in the dry sail yard.  Stephen tells us he is applying for membership and is starting to look at boat ownership again.  The Leukemia Cup fleet included a wide range of boats including many of these smaller classes, up to a lovingly restored 74' wooden centreboard schooner, "Mayan", once owned by musician Davis Crosby.  To read more about "Mayan" click here.

 

Ralph and Stephen were trimmers for Mark Langer's Sydney 38, "Aboriginal".  The crew also included the local UK Sailmakers manager, Slyvain Barrrielle, as mainsail trimmer and tactician.  I declined, fearing potential injury for my upcoming (running) races at Disneyland in Anaheim.

 

The event was a pursuit race of approximately 10 miles using fixed navigational marks. When scoring ABYC handicap races, similar boats start together, and a mathematical factor is applied to the recorded finish times to account for the difference in potential boat speeds.  In a pursuit race the handicap is applied to pre-calculated start times.   Slower boats with higher PHRF rating start first, and the faster boats start at a pre-determined time later.  With the handicap already applied, theoretically all boats sailing to their rating should finish together with the first boat across the line as the winner!  The pursuit format makes for fun racing since you always know where you are in the fleet, and with everyone more or less finishing together makes a better dockside party!

 

'Aboriginal' was the 'scratch' boat, the boat with the lowest PHRF, and theoretically the fastest in the fleet.  They started 37 minutes after the gun and would have to pass the entire fleet to capture the glory.  In the last tack they overtook one of the smallest in the fleet to win!  The skipper was noticeably pleased with the crew's performance and very appreciative for Ralph's contribution.

 

We were both invited to enjoy the post-race festivities and Stephen introduced us to the Commodore, a large boat power cruiser with plans to visit Lake Ontario next year as part of his passage on the Great Circle Route.

 

When I asked Ralph if sailing on Monterey Bay in any way different, he replied both yes, and no.  He reported that seeing a Humpback whale approximately 30' off the port side was pretty special, but the skipper gave them about 30 seconds to admire the beast before he was back calling for them to watch the sail trim!

 

Thanks to Stephen for a great couple of days and offering us a truly special sailing experience.  And to Mark, the crew of Aboriginal, and the members of the Santa Cruz Yacht Club for their genuine hospitality!

RACING  

Race Committee Coordinator
Molly Asseltine
___________________________________________________________________


 
ABYC REGATTA, MAY 23 & 24
 
Our regatta is this weekend and I'm still in need of RC volunteers.  Last week's notice yielded no responses, which is a discouraging way to start the season.  We still need committee boat and mark boat personnel.  The committee boat people will be starting and/or finishing the coastal race on Saturday, for the PHRF boats and the mark boat crews will be working with RCYC and PCYC on both days.  We could also use some people to fill in their committee boat crews if needed.  

Tick, Tock folks - it's coming up fast, so please let me know ASAP if you are able and willing to help.

Molly
(416) 691-2791
Junior Racers have a busy Long Weekend

- Emily Nicoll, Head Race Coach

 

The Victoria Day long weekend was a busy one for ABYC's race teams.  Nine sailors on the Optimist Race Team attended the High Performance Opti Clinic and Regatta, hosted by RCYC.  Bryan Paine; a very experienced American coach, ran the clinic with the help of some special guests.  One of the most notable guests was Claire Merry, who is currently campaigning to compete at the 2016 Rio Olympics in the Laser Radial. Claire Merry shared her knowledge of the sport and shared her experiences on how she turned sailing into a career.  The sailors learned a lot over the four days of the clinic, through various talks, lessons and drills, and team racing on the final day.

 

Ian Doell, a Laser Radial sailor on the Senior Race Team, competed at the Icebreaker's regatta at TSCC this weekend.  This regatta was a trial for this summer's Pan Am Games.  Due to light winds, only three races were held and Ian sailed very well in them, finishing in 13th place out of 29 boats.

 

The rest of our Opti Team and Senior Race Team trained at ABYC this weekend, focusing on improving their boat handling.

 

Congratulations to all of our sailors on a great start to the season!  Thank you to RCYC and TSCC for hosting such great events.  Next weekend, the Opti and Senior teams will be heading to Hamilton to compete at the Lilac Regatta.   

 
Photos - Emily Nicoll
Summer Hours Of Operation

 ABYC Office Hours:  8:30am - 5:00pm (Monday - Friday) 
For Dining Room Reservations call 416-698-4498 Ext 222 or email [email protected]  
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Ashbridge's Bay Yacht Club
30 Ashbridge's Bay Park Road, Toronto, Ontario M4L 3W6 
Tel. 416-698-4498   Fax 416-698-5760
_____________________________________________________________________________________ 
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