Awards for 2016 - and the High Point goes to

Congratulations to the crew of Ful Dek for a great sailing season! 

Not only did Ful Dek win the B Class for the season by dominating with 15 points, but there was only 28 points between 1st and 5th place making Ful Dek the overall winner for the Season. That makes them the King of the Miles!

Of course, there was plenty of other great racing. Here are all the winners from the season:

A Class - Series and Season winners

1^st overall – Ostinato – Skipper – Jeff Staley 

2^nd overall – Claiborne Ferry

B Class - Series and Season winners

1^st  overall – Ful Dek 

2^nd overall – Penniless – Skipper – Janet Schilling

3^rd overall – Tarris 

3^rd fall – Hinesight – John Hines

3^rd spring – Pagan – Norm Brown

Star Class - Series and Season winners

1^st overall – Betty Ford – John Jenkins and Mike Keene

2^nd overall – Wish – Will Murdoch and Carl Langkammerer

3^rd overall – Tim’s Boat – Tim Godlee and Tim Paris

4^th overall – Mischief – David and Jeff Cox

4^th spring – Maddie – Bob Bradford and Corbin Penwell

4^th summer – Lil’ Buddy – Bob Flower and Jib Jallade

4^th fall – Ithaca – Peter Bruns and Owen Lyons

Gus Plutschak Award for Most Improved

Taaris

Hugh Kabler Spirit of Sailing Award

John Richardson

James H Wilson Memorial Overall best performance

Starstruck

Don Elliott and Peter Elvart

A Class - James H Wilson Memorial

1^st  – Ostinato – Skipper – Jeff Staley

B Class - James H Wilson Memorial

1^st   – Penniless – Skipper – Janet Schilling

2^nd  – Ful Dek

3^rd  – Esperanza – Skipper – Mariana Lesher

Star Class - James H Wilson Memorial

1^st   –  Starstruck – Don Elliott and Peter Elvart

2^nd  – Betty Ford – John Jenkins and Ebby duPont

3^rd  – Mischief – David Cox and Eric Crawford

And, of course, our Best Dressed award (for their spiffy #70 football jerseys and a ref on the boot)

La Quatrieme

Thanks Everyone for a great season!

Awards Tomorrow!

That's right, the Season Awards are tomorrow, October 28th, at 6pm at MRYC.

If you have a perpetual trophy, be sure to bring it back! The new owner of the Lighthouse would sure like to have it to take home.

Looking forward to lots of good food and fun discussions. See you at 6pm.

Now is the time to make reservations

That's right! The awards party is on Friday at 6pm.

Let the Club know that you are attending by calling:

410-745-9511

What's for dinner? It's a Fish and Chips dinner for $13 per person.

What should you bring? If your last name starts with A-M, please bring you favorite side or appetizer. If your last name starts with N-Z, please bring a dessert.  What else should you bring? Be sure to bring back those perpetual awards you have been hanging on to for the last year.

Want to check out results in the mean time? Here is version two of the season results. I think the math is right this time.

click >HERE<

Awards Party Time!

October 28th at 6 PM is the Awards Dinner

Call the Club at 410-745-9511 and let them know how many in your group are coming.

What's for dinner? It's a Fish and Chips dinner for $13 per person.

What should you bring? If your last name starts with A-M, please bring you favorite side or appetizer. If your last name starts with N-Z, please bring a dessert.  What else should you bring? Be sure to bring back those perpetual awards you have been hanging on to for the last year. Do you have a ratty-looking squirrel or a pair of gold-painted plyers? Bring them back for the new winner!

The Star class is graciously bringing oysters for the party. Get there early before they run out. WNR is also buying a tub of beer. If you are looking for other beverages, there will be a cash bar.

Lot's of fun!

Call the Club at 410-745-9511 to reserve your spot. See you Friday!

2016 Season Draft

Let's try out a draft copy of the season results!

Check out all the results >here<

What could be wrong? All kinds of stuff:

• Make sure the night you did Mark Boat is marked as such
• Make sure there are no typos and transpositions
• Star sailors like to use the wrong sail number, so make sure we recorded you correctly
• I could have just messed up

Well, check it out and let me know if you see something wrong. Last chance before we print awards! Remember the awards dinner is on October 28th.

Results from 10/5

Yeah! Another season in the books!

It was quite pleasant out there last night. Just a little cold, but that was fine. We're not complaining as long as there is wind. Thanks to everyone who dressed up last night for our annual Costume Race. We'll be choosing the "Best Dressed" award based on last night's dress.

Congratulations to Charlie Barranco and crew on Tarris for a first place finish in B class. Also coming in first in the Stars was Peter Bruns and Owen Lyons on Ithaca. And a great finish to the season coming in first in A class was Jeff Staley and crew on Ostinato. Great job everyone.

You can see all the results >here<

I'll have some season standings here in the next day or two. Continue to send in those MOB notices.

MOB drill?

Did you do your Man Overboard Drill yet?  It's the last week to get it done.

Once you do your drill, send me an email and I will score you as completing the MOB.

Here is a great video on how to do a proper man overboard drill from SailVision. (thanks SailVision) They're not around anymore, but the video is a good demonstration. For example, don't put a person in the water to drill - why not use a jug?

marshall.patterson@gmail.com

Hope to hear from you soon!

Results from 9/21

Normally we don't like to stay out that late, but the sunset sure made it worth the extra time on the water. It sure was dark coming back in after the races, though!

Congratulations to John Hines and Doug Abbott on Hinesight for a first place finish. Also congrats for coming in first to Jeff Staley and crew on Ostinato and John Jenkins and crew on Betty Ford.

You can see all the results >here<

Starting Early now

Remember that it's September, so we start 20 minutes earlier now.

Warning for the Star Class will be at 5:45 pm. Plan accordingly!

Results from 8/31

Caroline says Hi!

Far more wind out there last night than was predicted by the weatherman! Just a nice night to be out there on the water enjoying the sailing. With fall just a couple weeks away, we should see some good racing as the season starts to wind down.

That sunset is very early now. Remember that next week we are starting 20 minutes early. The warning for the Star class will be at 5:45pm. The sunset next Wednesday will be at 7:25pm, so we will need every minute.

For PHRF boats, make sure you make the position of the weather mark on your GPS when you go by. The Committee Boat will be close to there for the finish. If it gets too dark to see the Committee Boat, you will have your GPS waypoint to help find us. Also running lights - turn them on when the sun goes down!

Congratulations to John Jenkins on Betty Ford for fast racing in the Star Class. Also racing fast last night was our usual suspects - Ostinato and Ful Dek. Good job!

You can see all the results >here<

Results from 8/24

Finally some wind!

Who would think that we would have so many Wednesdays without wind. Last night was just fine and the temperature was perfect. The last boats were finishing just as the sun went down. That is getting the most out of the night!

One more race in August when we start at the normal time. Remember starting in September we will start 20 minutes early.

Congratulations to Bob Bradford on Maddie for a fast race. Also coming in first last night was Ostinato and Ful Dek.

You can see all the results >here<

Guest Skipper night 8/10

Remember tomorrow is Guest Skipper night.

Always wanted to find out how that other boat goes so fast? Now is your chance. Find that skipper and switch boats for the night!

We don't count the races tomorrow, so ave fun out there.

Results from 8/3

Tow different camp inspections for the JSP camp today, so I'm running out of time to tell you how great last night was for sailing. Suffice it to say, awesome sailing! Can't go wrong with 8-10 from the east.

Congrats to Penniless, Starstruck, and Ostinato for first place finishes. Great sailing!

You can see all the results >here<

It's time for the Jimmy Wilson race!

Early start - 5:45 pm is the first warning for Stars.

That's right, this week is the James H Wilson Race around Herring Island. It's great fun to do a distance race, but we need more time to get everyone finished. More time means we start EARLY!

There are special Sailing Instructions because this is a special race. You can get them >here<

What time tomorrow? Leave 20 minutes earlier and we'll see you on the course.

Don't be lost like these two. Make sure you print out the special Sailing Instructions. You will need them.

Results from 7/20

Yeah! Finally some wind with no storms!

It was a great night to be out there sailing last night. Light to moderate winds (6-8 knots), but the wind stayed up as the evening progressed keeping it cool and keeping the boats moving. As predicted, the wind went from the NE to the East making for some interesting finishes, but we can't do much  about the wind. At least we got in some good sailing!

Congrats to Tim and Tim on Tim's Boat for a fist place finish in the Stars. Also congrats goes out to the crews on Ostinato and Ful Dek for first in A class and B class.

You can see all the results >here<

Results from 6/29

NW winds steady at about 6-8 knots; clear skies; reasonable temp; nice sunset - That's what Wednesday Night Racing is all about!

It was a great night to be on the water last night. Congratulations to John Jenkins on Betty Ford, Ful Dek, and Claiborne Ferry for first place finishes. The first three boats in the Star class finished within two seconds of each other making for quite a finish!

You can see all the results >here<

There is an outstanding protest for A Class that may change the results.

Speaking of changes, we forgot to record Swagman as non-spin last week, so there is a new version of 6/22 races with the new corrected time. No changes in places. You can see it >here<

Results from 6/22

Log canoe racing in two days, so I only have a few minutes.

Congrats to Ostinato, Wish, and Moonraker for fast races last night!

You can see all the results >here<

Results from 6/15

It was a beautiful night last night until the wind decided to leave us. Nice winds around 6-8 knots from the southwest at the start turned to 1-2 knots as the B class worked its way to the windward mark. We thought a 5 mile course was fine, but it was just a little too long. Sorry for the long drifter.

There were some boats who made it around the course, though. Congratulations to Bob Flower and Jib Jallade on Lil' Buddy for winning the Star class and to Ostinatio and crew for winning the A class.

You can see all the results >here<

Mark boat for 6/15

Hi Everyone,

No one has signed up for mark boat for tomorrow. Are you available?

Sign up  here:

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0a48a4aa2caafc1-20161

Remember that everyone should try to do mark boat once a year. Use your boat, or ours.

Marshall

The new Z mark is there

You saw the Z mark on the SI appendix and you heard us talking about it. Now you can see it in the water!

How do you find it? Just plug the location into your GPS. Here is the location:

N 38:46.610

W 76:11.170

We might just use it any day  here. Be sure you know where it sits on the course.

Video from 6/1

Crazy wind, but fun racing!

Results from 6/1

That wind sure didn't work out the way we were expecting. Southwest backing to SE just before the start made for a lot of jockeying at the last minute. And the wind just kept going east and building all night!

Congratulations to David Cox and Andrew Parish on Mischief for winning the Star class. Congrats also to Ostinato and crew as well as Ful Dek and crew for first places.

You can see all the results >HERE<

Video from 5/25

It was great to be out for a Wednesday Night when there wasn't predicted rain. Somehow the video is shorter this week. Not as many boats for some reason. Maybe that was it.

Results from 5/25

Finally some sun on a Wednesday evening!

Congratulations to Ostinato on a fast race last night. Also doing well was Ful Dek on the B class and Steve and John on Betty Ford in the Stars.

You can see all the results >HERE<

Let's keep up the nice weather for the summer!

Video form 5/18

Mostly cloudy and chilly, but it was nice to be out sailing none the less. Think anyone was barging at the start?

Results from 5/18

That was a fun night! Okay, the wind was pretty crazy. And it died as the night went on. There was a jibe mark, though. And we had a break in the rain for a few hours.

Congrats to John Jenkins and crew winning in the Star class. Very fast tonight. Also doing well was the Ostinato crew in the PHRF A class and the Hinesight crew in PHRF B.

You can see all the results >here<

Video from 5/4

Here is the video from 5/4

It's gotta be warmer this week... Right?

Results from 5/4

Well, that's one in the books. Temps hovering around 60º and humidity about 50% made for a cold night out there! It's nice to have that dense air, but a little sunlight would have gone a long way to staying warm.

Fifteen boats was not too bad for a first night out. Congratulations to Wish for winning the Star class; Ostinato for winning PHRF A; and Penniless for winning PHRF B. Rumor has it that Ostinato broke 10 knots reaching back to the leeward mark

Were trying out some new software for scoring. Turns out that Javascore will not run on Windows 10. On to the new.

Check out all the results >HERE<

Sign up for Mark Boat!

We might need some help setting the marks this year! Those marks just start to take over after a while.

What we need is for each boat to take on the responsibility to help with the marks for one Wednesday over the summer. About 2 people is all that is needed.

What will you do? Simple really: Get there early, inflate the marks, load marks and anchors on the boat, and then meet teh RC on the course.

Start by Signing Up!

If you have your own runabout that you want to use, sign up to provide the mark boat. If you can only crew, sign up to crew.

Sign up for mark boat Here!

We'll send an email with the specifics soon before your date.

We still need someone for 5/4. If you boat is not ready yet, sign up for this coming week and you're set!

Sailing Instructions are ready

The Sailing Instructions are ready!

You can download them >here<

What new? Well you know about the three seasons. We are also adding a new mark. Check it out on the chart.

NOR amendment

 Oh my! There is an amendment!

Check it out >here<

What do these changes mean to you? 
These are subtle changes, so remain calm. The WNR Steering committee decided that they would like to change how the throwouts work and encourage people to participate throughout the year. They also thought people might like to have some shorter series to allow for more awards.


What are we adding? 
We are breaking the season into three series (spring, summer, and fall). Each is about 7 races long. Yes, there is an extra week in the fall. Yes, August 10th doesn’t count because it is the guest skipper night.

How do the throwouts work? 
There is one throwout per series. We almost never have more than 3 throwouts, so this is just a change in where you will see them show up.

Will there be trophies for Series winners? 
Yes, probably. This is a test to see how it works and if people like the concept. More trophies are fun, so we’ll add something using our catch-all “Additional prizes may be awarded at the discretion…”.

Skipper's Meeting tomorrow

Just one more day to the Skipper's Meeting!

Here are the details:
6 pm - Miles River Yacht Club
I think we are meeting above the pool
Club open after if you like

Register your boat and pay your fees!
New chart with the new mark

See you there!

Notice of Race for 2016

Stories from the Wet Letter Office

The NOR is available online for you to download now. There is some interesting stuff, but the main interesting thing is the registration sheet!

That's right - you register every year. $50 and a registration sheet and you can race all summer. That's a pretty good deal. You can try to race without paying, but I'll sic Mariana on you - a fate far worse than paying $50.

So where do you send the $50? That's easy:

St. Michaels Wednesday Night Racing

215 S Hanson St

Easton, MD 21601

You can also give it to me at the Skipper's Meeting on April 20th.

Last year, someone mailed their registration to the Museum. A little perplexed, the Museum thought it might be best to give it to the boat shop. The boat shop sent me a note and left the registration on Volunteer, but I never saw it.

Where did it go next? It seems that I couldn't find it because it fell into the bilge of the boat. Being a bit soggy, someone thought it would be best to dry it on a sail bag. Now nice and dry, it was stuck into the sail bag where it hung out for a week or so until we launched the staysail on Edmee. Back into the bilge of a boat - this one a log canoe.

Soggy letters floating in the bottom of a log canoe can get lost, so they stuck it in the stern of the boat for safe keeping (or safe losing it was called in my house growing up). A few weeks later, we capsized in the Tred Avon and, while cursing my misfortune, I noticed a $50 check for WNR float past me. I've seen a lot of strange things float out of the boat in a capsize, but this was new.

So, while you're sitting at your desk trying to come up with inventive places to send your registration check, try the Hanson Street address above. It really works and no log canoe crew will be harmed in the delivery.

More snow - really?

Well, it appears we are going to have one more snow on Sunday. I thought we were done with snow and we could start planning for summer fun. No luck.

The Wednesday Night Sailing Steering Committee has picked dates for this year and we are thinking about what should change for the coming season. What dates are interesting?

There is a skipper's meeting planned for April 20th at MRYC. The skippers meeting is a good excuse to get together while registering for the races. Plus I hear that the Club will be having Oyster Magic that evening. I think Herring Island may also meet that evening.

August 3rd is a good day to remember too. That is when we will be doing our annual Jimmy Wilson Race around Herring Island. We start early for this longer race. Be sure to invite all your friends to come over for the fun.

Awards are already set as well. The Annual Awards party is planned for October 28th at MRYC. Mark your calendars!

Do you have any thoughts you want to share with the Steering Committee? Is there something we can be doing better? Feel free to use the comment section below to share your ideas. We'll have more info on the Notice of Race and other good stuff coming soon.