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May 2009
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Pirate Party,
May 9th
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I first want to welcome our new members that were nominated
and approved by your Board of Directors in April: Scott and
Sharon Lee who have a 34' Catalina ... I hope you enjoy being
members of the Oakland Yacht Club and enjoy the many activities
available to you. If you would like to volunteer for any
committees, please let me or our club manager
know.....we love volunteers. I mentioned before that Tom and Melisse Cronin were returning and I am very happy to say that they
are back and bringing a Dana 24 called Ruby into our harbor.
Missed you and glad you are back.
A reminder about the "Buck a Foot Rebate" with Svendsens. Here is how it works: (1) bring your boat to Svendsens for a haul out and bottom job or a complete engine service (2) present your OYC membership card and a coupon (which will be in the club office) and, (3) Svendsens will give $1 in rebate to OYC for each linear foot of your boat. This is a great opportunity to fix your boat and help the club at the same time. The harbor inspections continue and because of this the general conditions of the docks continue to improve. Minor maintenance items are provided to our club manager for appropriate action. Thank you all for your cooperation on this. The combined Power Boat and Sail Broker show was held at Jack London Square on April 15 - April 19. Roy Stark has some possible new members and I really want to thank him for handling the booth and representing the club. I'm not sure if he had helpers and if he did, I want to also thank those members. |
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I hope you are continuing to enjoy the one page Commodore's Log that comes out in your statement each month and again, thanks to Frank Hooper for doing this without any cost to the club. Exciting news.................our new Directory will be out soon. A continued thanks to Tom Charron for keeping us updated on the Point Vista/Tied House permit issues and for the current parking lot issues. He has promised a summary each month. If you possibly can, please try and attend the Board meetings on the third Thursday of the month......I look forward to seeing new faces and hearing new ideas. Oakland Yacht Club's Race Chair is Sheldon Haynie and he is looking forward to this collaboration of East Bay Yacht Clubs and the resulting long term enhancement of the racing for the Wallace Cup trophy. More details to follow. We need new members as we continue to see our current membership decline. Please remember that If you sponsor a potential new member and that person joins OYC and is approved by the Board, you will receive a reward of one month free dues. Opening day on the Bay was April 26th and I hope you all enjoyed being out on the bay in your boats or on friends boats. I hung out at the clubhouse with Craig and Elaine to welcome any potential new members and give tours of our facility. Summer is almost here.............................
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HOUSE View: Connie Russell, Rear Commodore
Rites of Spring Race and Dock Party:
Well, the race was a “hoot”, but when the winds clocked over 30
miles an hour on an ebb tide Mike and I (OK, mostly me) decided that
was a bit too much for the two of us and took a DNF and headed home.
There were a few other minor problems like sailing to the wrong mark
but that’s another story! Regardless, we headed home to OYC and
couldn’t believe the calm winds in the Estuary after what we had
just experienced, but great weather for a party. The Dock Party was
a big success. We had over 45 people attending (which is probably
max for the end of dock 6).We used the rail for our bar and the dock
boxes for tables and everyone was happy. I estimate we had about 60%
OYC members and 40% racers. Thanks to all OYC members that
contributed great appetizers for the event. We WILL do this again
soon!
Extended Saturday Bar Hours: If you haven’t yet seen our announcement at the Club, the Bar will be open on Saturdays at 2:30 pm starting May 2nd. This is an experiment to see how and if members will use the Bar on a Saturday afternoon. Let me, and or any other members of the House Committee, know your thoughts on this extended service. Winemaker’s Dinner: Chef Kris did an outstanding job with the Winemaker’s Dinner preparing several very special dishes that were all superb. My favorite was the ravioli, but I’ve heard several other votes to put the chocolate dessert on the regular weekend entrée menu. This was a very well attended evening so don’t miss it next time. A big thanks to Anne Jacobson that planned this event. Ballroom Dancing Lessons: We had our first Ballroom dance lesson on April 10th. We had about 5 couples and 2 singles attend and everyone had a fun time. Instructors, Amy and John are excellent and demonstrated great patience with the true beginners as well as providing tips to our more experienced dancers. The next dance session will be Friday, May 8th. Lessons are $6 per person per lesson and you only pay for the lessons you attend. Even if you don’t want to join the lessons, it has to be the night’s entertainment seeing Chuck Baker help Mike Russell try to master the steps. The May 8th session will be a continuation (or should I say remedial for some) of Swing dance. The June session will be a new dance. Ballroom dance schedule is the second Friday of the month and future sessions are: May 8th June 12th July 10th August. 14th Photo Restoration: Some of our Staff Commodores are not looking quite as green or faded, since Mike Russell has started restoring the photographs over the stairs. Mike is gradually restoring the existing photos and providing Craig with a CD of the existing print as well as the restored print so each will be available if needed in the future. What’s next? Cinco de Mayo Dinner and Dance: By the time you probably read this, our OYC Cinco de Mayo event will have already pasted, but if not, it is scheduled for Saturday , May 2nd. Louis Johns has also arranged for Mexican folk dancing lessons on Saturday afternoon at 2:30 pm for those that would like a slight advantage in preparing to dance to the music provided by the band on Saturday night. (Remember that the Bar will also be open at 2:30pm on that day.) Yacht Photo Day- June 6th: Start shining that sail or power boat, as Saturday, June 6th will be the next photo day. Bob Steffensen has volunteered his yacht for the photographer, so he (the photographer) would have no excuses. The plan is to stay a bit further away from the Bay Bridge, so that Bob doesn’t have to have another Coast Guard inspection like last year. Further details about time and sign up will be distributed by Craig in the next couple of weeks. As always, if you have any input or recommendations regarding the House, please send me an email at connierussell1@comcast.net (note 2 lls in Russell followed by the number 1), give me a call or joins us at the next House Committee Meeting. Thank you, Connie Russell Rear Commodore |
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OYC Crooze Nooze Ready for a great summer of cruising? Next up is the Giants game May 15 – 17. There are still a few tickets left so if you want to go by land, please add your name to the list at the club. Only $17 for the tickets and it’s a day game so it won’t be San Francisco night time cold. May 22 – 25 is Coyote Point. This is a three day cruise to a very nice facility situated in a nice county park and golf course. There is an interesting museum a short walk from the docks and you can get real up close and personal with the big jets landing at SFO. June 27 – 28 is our trip to St. Francis Yacht Club. This is also a beautiful facility in the heart of the Marina district of San Francisco. I need some help with this cruise. I have one cruise captain but it would be nice to have a second couple to share the duties. The annual cruise to Delta Yacht Club is confirmed for July 6 thru 10. Make it a long week by celebrating the Fourth on San Francisco Bay or in the Delta and then cruise to this very nice facility in the heart of the Delta. The island has full facilities including a swimming pool and there are many other attractions within a short dinghy ride. I need two cruise captains for this cruise. Volunteers please. The week following DYC, the Jessies are once again captaining the Delta Experience. Although most boats on this adventure anchor out, you can also find births along the way and visit the anchor out by dinghy. If you combine the two cruises, you have two nice weeks of Delta relaxation. See note below from Diana Jessie August 21 – 23 is our annual trek to San Francisco Yacht Club. Downtown Tiburon is a short walk with lots of fun restaurants and plenty of shopping. The views are spectacular and many boats make a stop at Angel Island, which has had many improvements in the past several years. Benicia was to be our destination for September 4 – 7. However, the Marina called to inform me that we would not have berths in the Marina on Saturday night due to the Music Festival. Alternative arrangements have been made for Sausalito YC. They will be cruising out and we will be using slips vacated by their cruise out boats. The number of boats will be limited. Stay tuned for details. The wrap-up for the year is a trip to Loch Lomond October 9 – 12. This cruise is being led by the Konkles and other past commodores. It should be a very nice end to a great cruising year. Doug Switzer
Just a quick note in the cruising schedule from Diana Jesse:
The Jessies will rendezvous at Decker Island/Horseshoe Bend, Sunday, July 12 with participants in the Delta Daze -aka anchor out cruise - for an agenda meeting. All participants should have a good anchor and ground tackle, a dinghy with functioning outboard or multiple oars, and an anchor light. If you don't have a generator, please contact Jim about adapters to plug in his Onan generator.
We will discuss locations, parties, and projects at the agenda meeting. There is a minimum number for this cruise of five boats. Please be sure to sign up at the clubhouse. The cutoff date for signups will be June 25.
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It was awesome, we ate wonderful food and drank wonderful wines, the
pairings were delightful. Thank you again Anne for a wonderful job in
putting this together for us.
(There is a rumor that Anne might be
thinking about some sort of a Spanish winemakers dinner coming up, just
a rumor, shhhhhh). Thank
you again Kris for your creativity in the galley. We tasted three
different kinds of olive oil’s and then proceeded through six courses,
with six wine pairings. For all of you who ordered wines and oils, they
are available for pick up on Friday May 1.
Don’t forget our Mother’s Day Breakfast on Sunday May 10. This menu
sounds yummy, Juices, coffee, tea and milk: Assorted breads, pastries &
lox: Crab & Asparagus Quiche:20 Egg Florentine with chipotle
hollandaise: Honey glazed ham: Corned Beef Hash: Chocolate dipped
long stem strawberries: Blueberry pancakes: Mimosa: The breakfast
begins at 9:00 AM and ends at 1:00 PM. Cost for adults is $18.00 and
$9.00 for children.
Reservations are requested.
Moving on through our spring and summer social events, there will be a
dock party on June 13th. The 4th of July will
feature another dock party and then on July 11th we will have
the luau, always a fun event. More information of course in the June
Social report.
Coming into August our annual blues and barbeque will be held on the 11th.
I know, we say this every month, but please mark your calendars and
planners for these social events. Your participation makes these events
special. If there is something you would like to see us plan, contact
one of us, and we will certainly see about putting it together.
Did you all know that May 12th is Limerick Day, May 13th
is Leprechaun Day and May 16th is Wear Purple for Peace Day?
Have a great May, and a safe Memorial Day.
Your awesome threesome,
Inez, Pattie and Toni
see the entire social calendar
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On Saturday, June 20th I will be conducting a one day cooking class on fresh sausage and salami making. Growing up this was an activity that I enjoyed with my grandfather and father, and I hope to share it with you. In this class we will produce two fresh sausages that we can sample immediately, and we will produce two salumi that we can taste once they have cured (in about 90 days). This will be a hands-on class, so be prepared to make a mess. The class will start at 2:00pm and last about 1.5 hours. To keep it manageable there is room for a maximum of 25 students. The cost of the class is $15 per person. A sign-up sheet is in the club lobby. If there is sufficient interest
we will continue with other classes/topics such as cheese making,
mushroom foraging, fresh pasta, etc. I hope to see you there! Chef Kris |
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From the Race Deck:
April was the start of the Interclub series
and also the annual Rites of Spring Shorthanded race.
The Interclub race on 4/11 saw a start in very light winds
with many of the fleet having difficulty crossing the starting
line, and then progressive building winds to the finish. Robin
Olivier, John New, Steve Zevanove, Mike Maurier, Martin Jemo were
leading finishers in their divisions.
The Rites of Spring race, ably run by George
Gurrola, on April 18th, saw again light breeze build to 25-30.
Seven Fleets came to the line with more than 50 boats in total,
though many racers retired due to the heavy sailing. Results are
here. Notable finishers were Mike Jackson, Richard Johnson &
Jim Jessie, Emile Carles & Allan Ross, Martin and Judith Maurier,
Upcoming events are the Sweet Sixteen series,
and another Interclub race. Sign up on the OYC racing website. As
always if you have interest in racing and want to crew, please
contact the race committee, there are often skippers who need
crew, and if you have a boat, get out there and join the fun. Any
one who would like to help run the races is most welcome to come
out to the race deck and participate. Its a great view of the
starts and a good way to start to learn about the mechanics of
racing. OYC will be sponsoring the June Interclub and we need help
for that race, including a committee boat.
The
practice race for the Sweet Sixteen had 4 boats getting in 5
short races on the 29th of April, first race is May 6th, with 16
entries so far, plenty of room for late comers to register, we
will take entries right up to race time, (or even afterwards if
you just show up !)
Tentative fleet breaks will be posted on the racing website.
Race Committee
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Editor's Column Pandora is a free music service that helps you listen to and discover new music. You can use it on your computer or on your iPhone/iTouch or on a Blackberry. Stitcher is a free site streaming news and radio shows to your computer or your iPhone/iTouch or on a Blackberry. The OYC Racing Site is very well done by Sheldon Haynie. A long time ago I did the racing site, but as I travel extensively it became a problem as the racing folks are impatient, and always want the race results posted before the race is over. OK, they are not that impatient, but some years ago Steve Shaffer took over the racing site, and now Sheldon does it. He has created an all new site, and I think it looks great. And the racing folks can post their results in a timely manner, and provide links to other great racing sites and events. Contact your webmaster at webmaster@oaklandyachtclub.com, or your Seascape Editor at SeaScapeEditor@oaklandyachtclub.com. Please report errors and suggestions. |
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Opening Day on the Bay was a huge success this year with over 105 boats joining in the fun and activities on the San Francisco Bay on April 26th to officially open our boating season. Judges on the PICYA Committee Boat along with 137 others from yacht clubs from across all of Northern California spent the entire day enjoying the beautiful Hornblower Empress with wonderful food, cocktails and camaraderie while taking in the fantastic decorated boat parade. There are five significant trophies that are awarded each year to boats in different categories participating in the decorated boat parade: best decorated power boat, best decorated sail boat, 1st place junior decorated boat, the yacht club representing boats decorated with flags and streamers, and the best overall boat in the parade. Opening Day trophies will be presented to the winners of each of these at the May 4th Delegates dinner at Oyster Point Yacht Club. In addition, the Claude Benham trophy is awarded to the yacht club with the highest score of points in the parade by nomination letter 15 days after the event. The Benham trophy is presented to the winner at the Delegates meeting June 5th at San Joaquin Yacht Club. Scholarships to be Awarded The Western Boating Safety Group (WBSG) and the Pacific Inter-Club Yacht Association (PICYA) have joined together to offer three $2,500 scholarships. PICYA will also offer one more for a total of 4 scholarships. These scholarships are for students whose parents, grandparents or guardian are members of a yacht club that belongs to PICYA. Applying for the scholarship is simple. Please go to the PICYA web site www.picya.org and click on scholarships. You’ll find everything you need – criteria, application forms and other information. The deadline for submission of applications is June 30th. The scholarships will be awarded on November 2, 2009, at the PICYA Awards Dinner Meeting at Encinal Yacht Club. If you have any questions regarding the scholarship application or process please contact Linda Breninger, Chair 916-771-5685 lbreninger@ips.net or Sue Roderick 510-521-6754 rodsroost@alamedanet.net. Call for Assistance Continues Doug Hipsley, Member, RBOC Board of Directors and fellow yachtsman informs us that on May 7th there will be a hearing in Sacramento on the Department of Boating & Waterways issue. He asks all of us once again to contact Senator Joe Simitian by phone, email, or fax urging action to keep the Department as an independent department in state government. Senator Simitian’s contact information is Joe Simitian, senator.simitian@sen.ca.gov, fax 916.323.4529, phone 916.651.4011. As always, if you have any issues you would like to be brought up to PICYA, let us know.
John Roderick and Sue Roderick – PICYA Delegates – Oakland Yacht Club 510-521-6754 or cell phones 510-51704727, 510-205-1908 |
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A New Amenity for Boating “Clean and Green”
Free bilge absorbent “pillows” are now
available in dispenser racks at Gate 6 and Gate 3. Each berther will also
be getting one directly through the mail. Place it in your bilge (a handy
loop can be used to tie it in place) and check it from time to time.
Water passes through it, but oil sticks- it can hold up to a quart of
oil. When it looks dark and blotchy, it’s time to pull it out and dispose
of it in the red can, located next to the dispenser rack. It will be
picked up by a specialized hauler and recycled.
The bilge absorbents and recycling service are funded by the City of Alameda, using grant funds from the California Integrated Waste Management Board.
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HUNGRY?? Taking the boat out for the day? Taking guests? Need some great food? Call OYC and order box lunches. Fixed fresh to your order. Sandwich – salad – cookie - & a drink! $ - - - - - $ Priced right $ - - - - - $ See the Box Lunch Program
IMPROVE YOUR SAILS’ PERFORMANCE & SHARPEN YOUR boat handling SKILLS
The fastest, and the most fun, way to fine tune your sail trim & boat handling skills is to join an OYC informal race series. Keep your eyes open for the advance notice about this winter’s Sunday Brunch Race series. Even the best among us can always get a little better. If you’d like to volunteer to help the Race Committee, please contact Craig Wong. Racing is a “hoot”, give it a try! |
Try something a little different and volunteer to help your Club. We belong to a Club that is completely dependent upon each of us volunteering to help with a variety of Club projects. Please make a little of your time available and become involved with our Club's governance, boating, & social functions; our Club's future always looks much brighter when we have a wealth of new ideas.
Host Your Next Event at Oakland Yacht Club I wanted to make sure that all members know that the Clubhouse is here for each member to use. If you are getting ready to celebrate a special occasion (Wedding, Anniversary, Retirement Party, Baby Shower, Holiday Party, etc.) the club is here for you. Members get a $200 discount off the Room Rental rate. We want you to feel welcome in planning any special occasion at you Yacht Club. For more information please contact Elaine Mendes at (510) 522-6868 or via e-mail at emendes@oaklandyachtclub.com Why do all the work, when we can do it for you
Point San Pablo Yacht Club in Richmond has extended OYC a personal invitation to attend their Pirate Party on May 9....the cost is $15.00 admission...there will be live music and food....from 5pm to 9pm....wearing pirate gear is optional |
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Sublease
Opportunity May 23rd – June 30th (exact dates negotiable) Slip 104 – 28’ x 12’ If interested, contact Kate Kuzina 415.676.7310 |
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Salutations from the Harbor!
Even
a well-maintained boat engine may drip a little oil from time to time-
ever think about where all those drips end up? Thanks to a new program at
Oakland Yacht Club, it won’t be in our Bay! 
