News

CYC Low Tide Cruise to Blakely Rocks

We had a fun cruise to Blakely Harbor for the Low Tide Cruise this past weekend with 10 boats participating. We rafted in small groups of three boats and gathered in the evening in small groups for dinner or happy hour.  Everyone enjoyed a picnic lunch on the Rocks and time to explore the tidal areas. The beach has moved significantly and parts of the areas we have explored in the past to look at various sea creatures, were covered with sand from the beach.

Participating boats: Solstice (Peggy and Ron Watt), Altair (Suzette Connolly and Paul Baker), Tula (Bob and Margaret Liston), Ete(Hans Reinhardt), Wind Dancer (Chris McMuldroch and Crew), Outlaw (Derek Storm and Cindy Gossett), Island Time (Tom Kohrs and Cary Purvis), Equilibrium (Nathan, Vanessa and Evelyn Kundtz), Shaker of Salt(Tana and Bio Graham) and Gusto (Beth Miller and Holm Albrecht). Half of the Fleet was from K Dock.

On Saturday, June 25, 2022, due to promotion by San Juan 24 skippers Jeff Kendal and Sean Busby, the SJ 24 fleet “hosted” a Lake Washington long-distance race, restoring a CYC tradition of Lake long distance races often to its northern reaches.  This year’s 13 nautical mile version ran from Leschi to past Sand Point and back, with all boats going through the east end of the 520 Bridge in both directions.

Eight boats participated in the no-fee no-awards (other than a hearty “well done”) event: 4 SJ 24s from the Lake Fleet and 2 SJ 24s from Lake Union were joined by a J-24 and a Thunderbird. 

A sunny day, 10-15 knot warm northerly winds with gusts approaching 20 knots, all the mountains out - nothing could be finer. Just after 11 am, Kendall’s SJ 24 “Fancy” led a well-received rabbit start.  Staff Commodore Denny Vaughan’s J-24 “Habanero” led the fleet north, with the rest of us jockeying back and forth clearing the Bridge in a group led by Ellie Ungar’s SJ 24 “Green Fleet.   On the North side, the winds increased with the strong gusts rewarding the SJ 24’s with the smaller No. 2 headsails up.  Almost all boats followed “Habanero” to the west side of the Lake near Laurelhurst, north around San Point and then west to a turning mark (a “speed” buoy) just off the Sail Sand Point Boating Center, and return.  A reach along the north side of San Point, one jibe and then up with a spinnaker for a fast if bumpy starboard run all the way to the bridge and back to Leschi – no more jibes. 

The gusty winds continued and coupled with waves from the many power boats made for exciting travel.  On “Grauer Geist,” we recorded several stretches above 7 knots, with a high of 7.5, well beyond a SJ 24s hull speed!   Nearing the 520 Bridge meant more power boats and wakes, and Kyle Roethle on the SJ 24 “Cake or Death” reported:

“Had a unique whoopsie near the bridge entry when two large power boats just pushing water at 10-15 knots converged big wakes on us that really weren’t manageable - positioning the port stern quarter on the first wave was met with an opposing wave on the starboard bow and we literally were twisted into a crash gybe. The wave momentum was strong enough to leeward collapse everything and once the water calmed for a few seconds we still had enough water moving across the rudder for a large turn hard over and popped the rig back onto the wind. Pinned not by wind but by wake, don’t know I’ll ever experience that one again.”

The entire run took most of the fleet about an hour or less, compared to the 90-100 minutes upwind half of the race, with all boats finishing between 1:35 and 2 pm.  Vaughan’s “Habanero” crossed the finish line first, with Staff Commodore Ken Johnson’s SJ 24 “Grauer Geist” second and Brendan Gilbane’s Thunderbird “Rowdy” finishing just ahead of a gaggle of SJ 24s.  Using a very rough informal handicap, the adjusted finishing order was: (1) Grauer Geist, (2) Habanero, (3) Sweet Jesus, (4) Fancy, (5) Great Escape, (6) Rowdy, (7) Cake or Death and (8) Green Fleet.

Irrespective of where they finished all enjoyed a wonderful day on the water.  As one crew commented: “Thanks for putting on such a fun event…. it was a nice change from the standard buoy racing, and the rabbit start just added to it.”

By Chris McMuldroch:  Five boats cruised to Port Orchard on Saturday, June 25th, including Wind Dancer, Serendipity, Those Guys, Dulcinea, and Shaker of Salt.  We had 16 to 20 knots of Northerly for a downwind sail from Shilshole to Restoration Point, and then a very fast reach across to Rich Passage, where the flood pushed us along to Sinclair Inlet.  After visiting the farmers market and an early dinner, we enjoyed the Port Orchard Fathoms of Fun street parade. We then later took the foot ferry across to Bremerton. 

On the Bremerton side we walked through more fair stalls, and out to a little park overlooking the Manette Bridge.  At 10:15 the fireworks began.  From the wide base of the bridge, the fireworks were fun to see.  Plus, they had fireworks that appeared to float on the water, and then a wide waterfall of fireworks from the bridge deck.  It was a cool sight!

Sunday was another beautiful and warm day, but not the over 100 degrees we had last year!  In the morning we socialized on the dock getting to know each other better: long time CYC cruisers, and new to CYC cruising boats too.  Then one by one the boats untied and left Port Orchard to head back through Rich Passage before the maximum flood.  Coming back around Restoration Point we were greeted with a 16 to 19 knot Northerly, so up wind this time. Shaker of Salt enjoyed a fast sail tacking up the sound, while the sunbaked lazy Wind Dancer crew motored home upwind.  It was another double red letter day with both Baker and Rainer on display. 

If this sounds like fun, put it on your calendar for the last weekend of June 2023.

Next, six CYC cruisers are already registered to anchor out July 3^rd in Poulsbo for the boat parade and many fireworks from shoreside homes.   Then on July 16 we plan to anchor in Blakely Harbor with a view of Seattle for our low tide brunch on Blakely Rock!

By Geoff Pease, Star Districts ‘22 Principal Race Officer and David Watt, event organizer

The Stars came out during the weekend of May 14^th and 15^th.  What was to be a dreadful day of sailing during Saturday, May 14^th, turned out to be quite beautiful.  The Wind Gods blessed us with 8-18 knots of oscillating breeze from the SSW and kept the Rain Gods away.  Playing off these long period oscillations was the key to doing well.  Boats heading both directions (port and starboard) up the course just to pass either other – great for the PRO to see. After one hour-long races, the competitors were all finishing with in minutes of each other!  Just after the second race finished, we had about a one hour timeout as the northerly and southerly convergence zone visited us, and killed all of the wind. Fortunately, the wind came back and we got a heavy air race in just before the day’s starting time limit expired.  Saturday evening’s dinner, which was provided by Hey Jude Catering’s Judy Hebert, was super good and a well-balanced meal.  During Sunday, the conditions were very, very wet with no wind in sight. After about a one hour postponement and waiting for the next weather forecast update, the competitors decided there were better things to do during a  Sunday afternoon, so racing for the day was cancelled and the regatta’s awards were handed out with Danny Cayard and Jamie Buchan winning this Blue Star regatta. Thanks to Dave Watt for organizing the event, and to Danny Cayard for working on the SIs and NORs. And a big Thank You to Catherine Picha as a RC volunteer!

Of the many elements that contribute to CYC’s success and well-being, having the right physical assets in good working condition ranks very high on the list. Without things such as the clubhouse and the club’s fleets of power and sail boats it simply wouldn’t be possible to offer the programs we do. Therefore, it is equally critical to have a plan to fund the maintenance, repairs, and acquisition of these capital assets.

              In recent years, these types of expenses have been funded primarily from two sources. One is the club’s annual operating budget, which also serves as the source for items such as salaries, moorage, insurance, and everything else that keeps the doors open. Second, truly extraordinary expenses, such as those recently seen with the clubhouse remodel, have been paid for primarily with donations from club members and supporters.

              The challenge with respect to capital expenses is that they tend to be “lumpy” – meaning that even while relatively predictable over the long term they can vary significantly from year-to-year - so they don’t match either of these funding models particularly well. While the generosity of members is greatly appreciated, we don’t want the club to be overly reliant on donations. At the same time, because the specific timing of capital expenses – when a new furnace is needed for the clubhouse or a new mark set winch is needed for a whaler – is impossible to predict, relying on funding from an annual budget introduces a problematic level of uncertainty.

              In considering all of this, CYC’s Board of Directors decided, as part of the strategic plan that was adopted last year, to institute (or, for those club members old enough to remember, to re-institute) a capital fund from which capital expenses can be paid. The goal is to build the capital fund to a level at which it can be used to pay for whatever capital expenses might arise in any single year, up to and including major repairs on or even, someday, a replacement for the clubhouse. To kick off the fund, 100% of the increase in member dues this year is being allocated to the capital fund.

              That, however, is just the start. The early years of the capital fund will be especially challenging because we will need to fund the expenses that arise while also growing the fund itself.  Since these are unavoidable expenses if we are to continue providing the high quality Racing and Juniors programs for which we are known, we will be accessing some of our operational reserves to pay for them.  The biggest demand for capital expenses this year comes from the support boats for the Race and Juniors programs. We have invested considerable funds in servicing, repairing, and upgrading those vessels in the last six months – well over $50,000.  These investments supported by a strong maintenance budget will maximize the reliability of the equipment supporting our programs.  Because of these investments, we have added an option for racers to add a contribution to the capital fund with their registration if they want.  Expect to hear about other avenues for adding to the capital fund in the future.

Thank you for your support of CYC and its programs.

This past weekend Corinthian Yacht Club was well represented by 30 Junior Sailors (only 60% of our team!) at the NWISA Fleet Race Championships in Bellingham.

Six teams sailed, two of which were competing for two spots in the ISSA Mallory Doublehanded National Championships. We had a late start on Saturday and the weather changed from a rainy, light wind morning to a sunny, no wind afternoon. The competition for the two berths at nationals came down to the final couple of races, with the top three teams battling it out on the water. Ballard (one of our teams) went into the final race of the series with 51 points, 8 points out of first. Those on shore were riveted, staring through binoculars waiting for results. Ballard Highschool placed third, just missing the mark but excited to try again next year! Dieter Creitz and Meimei Peterson sailed hard and managed to win B division with a solid 11 points through 6 races, and Catie Vandervort, Phoebe Howe, and Sam Airhart placed 7^th in A division. Our other teams had a great regatta too- many top 5 finishes in both Gold and Silver fleet, and several 8^th graders who had never sailed in a high school regatta gave upperclassmen something to be worried about. Delicious tacos served by majority Bellingham parents filled an entire regattas worth of teenagers' bellies on Saturday evening, and throughout both days chaperones cooked over grills and kept the team as warm as possible and fed. The team camped together in Bow and had a delightful time. Sunday was rainy all day with just enough wind to get races off! Overall, lots of fun grilling burgers, warming hands, and competing with 43 teams in Bellingham total. This was also the last regatta for our 6 seniors. From The Downtown School, Mira Shupe, Kermit Tonnes-Priddy, Ryan Curtis, and Isabelle Mcnabb, and from Ballard High School, Catie Vandervort and Meimei Peterson, are graduating. We'll miss these kids and all they've brought to the community over the years and wish them the best of luck as they move on to their next adventure. 

Based on the results and a bit of calculation, it is clear that Grace, sailed by Andy Mack, has won the Center Sound Series Overall Trophy.  Not only did Grace have the lowest cumulative scores in the PHRF overall scoring for the 3 races (A total of 8 cumulative points versus an average cumulative score of 33+ for the next 4 boats) but they also won Class 7, the largest class, by the largest margin in the fleet (A cumulative score of 5 versus an average cumulative score advantage of 15 over the next 4 boats).

Dos, in Class 4, was the runner up, with 25 cumulative points in the Overall scoring for Second Place and, in a class of 11 boats, an average cumulative score advantage of 5 places over the next 4 boats).

A total of 72 boats participated in one or more of the races, which seems to be an increase of 10 or so boats over 2021.  

It appears that giving the Race Committee flexibility of choosing courses for the last two races is working.  Alternative courses were set in both races and having choice of heading north or south also seemed to work.

Steve J

We had a great attendance at this year’s CYC awards ceremony to recognize our 2020/2021 nominees and winners.  Login to the members only section if you'd like to see the presentation from the evening. A big thank you to CATHERINE WEATBROOK for preparing and serving a tasty dinner.  And congratulations to the two new additions to our Honor Roll of Champions, Dick Rose and Carl Buchan!  Winners of the 2021 discretionary awards are: Boat of the Year (Nefarious, Dan Randolph), Sailor of the Year (Carl Buchan), Hans Otto Giese (Wayne Balsiger in 2020 and Jared Hickman in 2021), Boating Family of the Year (The Barnes Family for 2020 and The Bereson Family for 2021), Cruising Boat of the Year (Tuuli, Karen and Scott Tobiason), and Doghouse trophy (Kamoon), Gorder Horder Memorial Trophy (Erik Anderson 2020 and Catie Vandervort 2021), and George Spalding Trophy (Ella Reed 2020 and Isabelle McNabb).

Register here: https://cycseattle.org/event-4703392

A LIVE IN-PERSON CELEBRATION AT THE CYC CLUBHOUSE

First, we will celebrate the Re-Opening of the CYC Clubhouse – it has been too long!  In addition to honoring the new additions to the Club’s Honor Roll of Champions and the winners of the Club’s Performance Trophies during 2021 we will announce the winners of the Club’s Discretionary Awards, as selected by the CYC Board.  With so many outstanding 2021 performances, being nominated is itself a great honor.

And we will note the 2020 Award Winners as there was no in-person celebration last year.

Honor Roll additions- a Stellar Group:  Jay & Lisa Renehan, Jonathan & Libby McKee, Carl Buchan Dick Rose, Steve Travis, Keith Whittemore

Performance Awards:  Alex Simanis, Shauna Walgren & Al Hughes, Dan Randolph, Steve Travis, Alan Timms and Others

2021 Discretionary Awards Nominees include:

Boat of the Year – Creative (Shana Walgren & Al Hughes), Different Drummer (Charles Hill), Nefarious (Dan Randolph), Reckless (John Sezer)

Hans Otto Giese – Bob Combie, Jared Hickman, the Clubhouse Haul-Out Team: S. Burnell, S. Johnson, N. Morgan, K. Whittemore

Sailor of the Year – How to Chose Among:  Carl Buchan, Steve Travis, Keith Whittemore?

And there will be recognition of outstanding Junior Sailors, the Boating Family of the Year, the Cruising Boat of the Year, the famous Dog House Trophy, and the winners of various performance trophies.

Come to the Clubhouse to honor all the nominees!

Friday Evening, April 1, 2022 at the Clubhouse

Bar opens at 6:00

Dinner at 6:30

Awards Program starts at 7:30