Out There Having Fun

I have not met anyone that has not, in one way or another dreamt of sailing. Sailing can be a weekend leisure activity or a lifetime endeavor. For some sailing is a way of life. Any way you sail, on any vessel, in any location, sailing is sure to be an absolute thrill and an adventure that is guaranteed to make memories that last a lifetime. Whether learning to sail for recreational or commercial purpose, learning to sail is one activity that is as interesting as it is fun. Sailing lessons are a great way to commune with nature and use the elements for pure clean fun. Sailing is the perfect activity for the environmentally conscious.

Our venue in the GSBYRA encourages all ages to participate at the same time, and encourages the competition of racing to test your abilities against your peers. Whether it is grandparents with grandchildren, no other activity is so inclusive as to gender, age, team size or budget.

To promote sailing participation this year, your club delegates have made a few changes for the upcoming season. Scoring for fleet season trophies now includes a participation requirement that at least 51% (a total of 4 events for 2011) of the Invitational Regattas be scored for the season trophy. All classes, from the Mariner Class to our west, to the SS Class and Celebrity Class to the east, can qualify with a little effort. Your delegates also made it easier to compete in our bay triple-handed Championships by allowing sailors to use privately owned Flying Scots when they represent their club; however, GSBYRA owned sails must still be used at our bay triple-handed championships by all competitors.

To foster the health and longevity of the GSBYRA, each of our fleets needs a “spark plug” to tie the fleet together and keep it active. I encourage all fleet captains to keep up the great work this year, as it is appreciated greatly - emails, phone calls, and lending hands are always necessary for each fleet’s growth. This sailing season, we hope you come join us on the race course. Lead, follow, or tack clear…. We’ll be out there having fun.

Mark Stang