Road To The Cup – Week 2
5/31/20
As you know, there was no racing this week.
Not too much to report. Phase 1 continues with a current end date of June 8th, which if it doesn’t slip, would begin Phase 2. The question is whether organized sailing will be allowed under Phase 2, and the answer there is pretty murky. We perused a recent presentation put together by Massachusetts’ outdoor recreation task force, and on the basis of that, it’s hard to tell. A conservative interpretation suggests we could have to wait for Phase 3. Take a look and let me know what do you think?
In other sailing news, the Salem Harbormaster shut down the Lasers last week. They went out with old friend Rick Myers acting as RO, and apparently, all of the activity and whistle blowing caught the attention of the harbormaster, who asked they cease and desist. Actually, according to Steve Uhl, ‘asked’ is probably not the right word. More like ordered. Anyway, this is a good illustration of how seriously local enforcement is taking all of this.
So, as you know, there will be no Cup competition this season, but I still feel compelled to continue including the table below. It makes me feel good to see all of your names. What do you think? Should I keep including it?
Week 3 racing has been cancelled. There will be no Twilight on Thursday evening, no MRA 1-2 on Saturday, and of course, no East Coast Championships.
Other News, Notices & Miscellaneous Scuttlebutt
Fleet 5 Spring Party – A few folks dialed into Fleet 5’s Zoom cocktail party, which you’ll recall was a stand-in for the actual party that we were forced to cancel. While it wasn’t the same as clinking actual glasses, it was nice to see everybody. A few noteworthy mentions. First, Team Berliner sailed on Saturday, so not only do they win the day but they also get the prize for first boat out. Congratulations to them. Second, Nat Taylor was drinking some kind of gin, lime and mint concoction which looked pretty festive, so he wins best cocktail. Maybe he can share the recipe with us. Finally, take a look at the screen shot below. Frank McNamara definitely wins the prize for best beard, as well as the prize for best Harrison Ford look-alike.
Say It Ain’t So – Bill Heffernan is calling it quits. A long-standing member of Fleet 5, Bill is a R19 National Champion (2010) and a 3-time national champion in the Town Class. A gifted helmsman, he’s always been just plain fast, particularly in the 8-12 sea breeze type of condition where, if you let him get off the line cleanly, he’d be gone. Bill has always been one of the boats I worry about, and I always made it a point to keep an eye on him. We obviously would much rather Bill stick around for a few more years, as we’re better with him. But in addition to being a great sailor, he’s also a scratch golfer, and we understand how in your mid-60s, the golf course can start looking better than a 20-knot westerly. Bill will be missed.
In the meantime, Bill has decided to put Sweep on the market. I shouldn’t have to say anything here. Everyone knows the boat is ungodly fast and impeccably maintained. If you want to learn more, email Bill at williamhef@msn.com, or call 508-294-4957.
Rolling Out the Red Carpet – Repeating last week’s utterly shameless bit of self-promotion, it occurs to us that the 2-person Rhodes 19 could provide a viable racing solution to members of other classes needing to sail this season with just family members. If that describes you, let us help. Feel free to reach out to Kim Pandapas (kpandapas@comcast.net), Jim Taylor (ajtaylor8@verizon.net) or Elise Nash (elise.mazareas@gmail.com).
Fleet 5 Masks – We mentioned last week Julianna Thibodeaux’s great idea for Fleet 5 masks adorned with our logo. Jim Taylor has generously taken the lead on this, and started by ordering a small amount of material which he’s managed to convince his better half Annie Taylor to fashion into a few samples. Here’s what it might look like.
Thanks to them both. But we can’t lean on them to do it all. Scaling this project will require some person-power, so we need several volunteers with sewing skills. Who’s in? Contact me at the email below or Jim at ajtaylor8@verizon.net.
Mail Bag
In response to last week’s rundown of the racing situation, Mark Toso wrote in with this. “Good Morning Kim. Thanks for keeping me up to date and including me on your distribution list. Excellent summary on where we are and where we might go. Hopefully, we will see you soon.” Glad we got it right. Hopefully our paths will cross soon in the CYC dry-sailing area getting boats ready.
Also on last week’s RTTC, Stefan Thibodeaux lobbed this in, “Kim, gr8 job! I have to say that seeing Peter and my name at the top of the list is something to shoot for!” So Stefan, I’ll number you among the people who want me to continue including the standings table.
Sara Sheldon got her life jacket question answered. “Kim, Thank you for mentioning my question about life jackets. Rick Meyers contacted me with wonderful advice. I bought terrific jackets, designed for women, that actually look stylish and were on sale! What could be better?” The opportunity to use them could be better – just saying.
Old friend Tommy Tompkins appears to have a motor boat for sale. “I have a Muffinhead rebuilt 1962 whaler for sale currently. It has a firehose outer/foam inner fender system. Yamaha 3 cyl 40hp checked out by Mobile Marine. Pricing to come.” Sounds like a deal.
In reference to the current quandary about how to staff RC boats in a Covid environment, Tommy T. added, “I can run races solo if need be.” Glad to know that’s an option.
Finally, several regrets were lobbed in from folks who missed the Zoom party, the most noteworthy of which was from Stefan Thibodeaux, who was to have filled the role of master of ceremonies. “I am so sorry!!! I was working in the yard and totally missed the time.” No worries Stefan. We’ll give you another shot next time.