2010 Miami OCR2010 Miami OCR

COMMODORE’S COLUMN

2Cover photo by Greg Fisher

Our more observant membersmay have noticed thatsignificant objects are

missing from the club house. Thesewould be the four beautiful fullmodels of early America’s Cupyachts that have graced the trophyand dining rooms for the past sixyears. As most members know,these large models were built by ourown Kenny Gardiner for DennisConner. At Kenny’s request, Dennisgenerously loaned them to us, andnow has reclaimed them. Theirdeparture left a void, and made me

realize there are just two full yacht models in the clubhouse,Skylark (sailed by Don Ayres Sr. in the 1940’s and 50’s ) andGlory (sailed by Frank Simpson in the 50’s and 60’s.) We shouldhave more full models. We are rich in half models, but I submitthat full models, particularly of classic sailing yachts, are muchmore engaging.

While we were fortunate to have the America’s Cup models,they were not an ideal fit for NHYC. A club should be filled withmodels of its members’ yachts. A club that treasures its historyand the sport of yacht racing should have models of racers fromits early era; representing the boats, owners, and crews thatbuilt the club’s offshore reputation for others to follow. Some ofthese storied NHYC ocean racers included Amorita, Audacious,Chubasco, Dragoon, Escapade, Gallant, Glory, Goodwill,Islander, Jada, Kialoa, Kitten, Landfall, Monsoon, Nalu II,Odyssey, Orient, Quest, Seadrift, Sirius II, Skylark, Staghound,Viking IV, Whirlwind II, and Yucca. There are more of course.Many of these boats and their crews are gone, but they remainimportant threads in NHYC history, some going back a century.The adventures of these boats and their crews should continueto be told; these are our stories.

Club historian Howard Chastain, House CommitteeChairman Paul Marshall, Ken Gardiner, and Mike Nash areheading up our new full model effort. A campaign has beenlaunched to build the first boat, which will be Chubasco, a boatwith an incredible history and, after more than 50 years, is stillowned by Don Haskell. The Chubasco effort is alreadyunderway, thanks to Cathie Nash, her son Mike, and the lateRuss Nash, who was a master model maker. After Chubasco islaunched, another NHYC classic will be selected for build.Standby for more.

While full models are much more manageable than the realthing, it’s always a thrill to see a large classic yacht up close,especially one that is really big and beautifully restored. Suchan opportunity is right around the corner. Sea Diamond is backin town. This exceptional 90-foot Rhodes motorsailer, now 54years old, has just completed a delivery from Newport, RI. Sheis owned by Cita Litt, who bought her 18 months ago with help

from Tom Corkett. A massive restoration had begun yearsbefore, and luckily for Sea Diamond, Cita has completed it withhelp from Willy Bents. The big ketch is in pristine condition, withnew teak decks, lots of bright work, and an elegant interior. Hernew varnished spruce masts reflect the herculean effort to returnher to original condition. Cita is an experienced offshore racer,and a few years ago campaigned a boat which is almost theopposite of Sea Diamond, a Shock 40. She also happens to bethe niece of Sea Diamond’s former owner, William “Bart”Bartholomae, who was one of the Club’s more colorful members,an oilman with significant holdings in Diamond Bar. Bart wasdevoted to keeping his steel yacht in bristol condition, and shebecame the first winner of the Shirley Meserve sweepstakesaward on Opening Day in 1961. Now almost half a century later,Cita is bringing Sea Diamond back to Opening Day this year. Asa kid sailing around the bottom of the Balboa Peninsula, Iremember being awed by Sea Diamond in front of the hugeBartholomae estate. A few years later, the mansion gave way tofive big waterfront homes, but Sea Diamond has returned to usbetter than new. It will be great to see her stern-to and gleamingon Opening Day. If we could only put our boats in glass casesafter the first Sunday in May…

It’s also nearly half a century since the 1961 Transpac, whichwas a very good year for our members sailing in the race. First tofinish was Howard Ahmanson’s 82-foot M boat Sirius II. On boardwere S/C Bill Ficker, S/C Don Wattson, Ira Fulmor, Bill Pereira,Tom Webster, and Freddy Schenck. (along with USC President Dr.Norman Topping.) In a classic Molokai channel battle withTiconderoga, Sirius II finished 37 minutes ahead with herspinnaker dragging behind her after a big knockdown. Anotherwinner was George Sturgis in the Lapworth 50 Ichiban, winningclass B. The crew included Thad Jones, Frank Person, TomSkahill, and Bill Lapworth. Baldwin Baldwin sailed Escapade inthe race with Jack Baillie and Charlie Shryock; Chubasco hadArnold and Don Haskell, on Odyssey were Dick Steele, VernEdler, Morley Chase, and Grant Baldwin. Stu Babcock skipperedWhirlwind, Jim Kilroy and Burke Sawyer ran Kialoa, and Nalu wassailed by Peter Grant, Russ Nash, Bruce Blackman, and BartonBeek. No doubt more members were in the race. All wereNHYC’s best offshore sailors, who brought honor to the burgee. Ihope we can recognize the 50th anniversary of the race in someway next summer. I bring this up because one of my favoriteoffshore racing photos is of Sirius II finishing that 1961 race. Theshot shows the 1929 Starling Burgess design flying along, lit upby the late afternoon sun, with the dark outline of Diamond Headlooming beyond. Her boom is dragging fiercely, the spinnaker isready to explode, and the backstays are mighty tight. The classicphoto appeared in Sports Illustrated at the time, and also endedup in several boating books. As serendipity would have it, Idiscovered Commodore Ficker owns the negative, and we’ll seeif the House Committee will enlarge it for display in theclubhouse. Full models, restored classics, and compelling imagesfrom past glories keep us in touch with our history.

Commodore W. Bradley Avery

Spring Clean Up at the ClubSaturday, April 3 • 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Lunch Included PaintingPolish

ing

Planting

YACHTING

3

this did not end as well as planned;pretty sure I would be able to talkmy way out of (most of) it. Still in thewashing machine chop but slightlybetter as the current was blunted bythe island. Mind wandered brieflyback to the myth the guards toldthe inmates that there were sharksthere, and they caught them and cutoff one fin so they would endlesslycircle the island. Progress eventuallyup to 5-10 yards per minute.Peeled off the island aimed at FortMason, but sliding sideways heavilyin the flood towards Fisherman'sWharf. Banked on getting relief fromthe flood tide as I got closer toshore. Fog engulfing the GoldenGate and a freighter well outsidestarted to blow its foghorn, whichconcerned me as they certainlyweren't going to be turning for me.Sort of put a premium on makingsome progress across the shippinglane quickly.

Finally got most of the wayacross and picked up a little relief inthe early ebb from the flood tide.Paddling straight at shore andeventually block by block I startedto slide to the right, up the beachtowards StFYC. Intercepted shorewell below Fort Mason, just belowthe protected cove/pier where theBay swimmers go in. Two swimmerswere out and asked where I wascoming from; when I told themAlcatraz they seemed a bit surprisedand I got the feeling they werequestioning my sanity a little. Buthey, they were swimming in the bay,easy to question theirs right back!

Scooted up the shore back tothe marina at StFYC, making slowprogress against the breeze.Unfortunately, the ebb tide wasstarting to move but hugging shoreto avoid the breeze left me out of itsbenefits. Breeze was the stronger ofthe two influences.

Happily made it back to StFYCfor a shower, sauna, beer and latelunch. Total roundtrip time aboutone hour fifty. Very happy for theexperience; may be a little whilebefore it happens again but it wasexciting, a great workout, and prettyunique.

Cheers, CW

ON C E AR O U N D

T H E RO C K

by Chris Welsh

Threw the stand-up board inthe truck for the boys to bring upto San Francisco yesterday, not surewhere/when I was going to use it. Ihad wanted to go today, but thatseemed unrealistic with unloadingfor IRC measurement this morningat 9 a.m., reloading and prep fortomorrow's race, etc.

As the day turned nice, sunnyand breezy, we got our work donein good time and it looked goodfor an afternoon paddle. AndAlcatraz looked inviting.

Jumped on the board in frontof St. Francis YC and started about1:30 for Alcatraz. Strong breeze andan incoming tide gave me a goodpush towards the island, butcouldn't go crosswave enough tomake it around clockwise (andwasn't totally sure that was better orworse, given I've never done thisbefore), so settled for interceptingtowards the southeast end andletting the currents sweep mearound to the backside. For smallpatches the tidal currents ran like ariver. Pretty wild to see the cliff faceof Alcatraz at 5-20 yards and amidstmonster washing machine chop.Definitely starred in a few touristphotos and movies as the Blue &Gold and Red & White lines cameand went.

Went behind, much easiergoing to the NW end. Morecloseups of the structures anddocks on the backside. Roundingthe NW corner was brutal. 20-25knots of local breeze, insane chopfrom mixing currents (1-3 ft waves2-3 feet apart). More closeups ofrocks, cliffs, and structures.

Initially no hope of goingupwind. Tough slogging. Making 2-3 yards per minute of hardpaddling, let myself slide off to theleft across the face of the islandrather than go straight into thewind and waves. Recurringthoughts of how the conversationwith the Coast Guard would go if

Rounding the NW corner

was brutal. 20-25 knots of

local breeze, insane chop

from mixing currents

(1-3 ft waves 2-3 feet apart)…

Initially no hope of

going upwind. Tough slogging.

Making 2-3 yards per minute

of hard paddling…

After winning Key West RaceWeek two years ago, SRM IV wasshipped out to Southern Californiawhere she received a paint job andenjoyed success in both offshoreand buoy racing disciplines. Withnearly two years of successfulcampaigning on the West Coastcomplete, the J/125 Stark RavingMad IV has gone full circle. Shewas broken down and put on atruck just after the New Year, sowe could participate in the 2010version of Key West Race Week.

SRM IV arrived unharmedand was put together quickly toallow for two days of practice onthe weekend prior to theregatta. With an uncharacteristiccold spell finally moving out ofthe region, our Saturday practicewas an absolute blast. We had18 to 25 knots true blowing infrom the southwest and afavorable surfing sea state thatallowed our crew to really openup the 41-footer. A couple of ushad never sailed SRM IV inbreezy conditions and wereamazed by her ability toconsistently achieve 17 knots ofboat speed. It was alreadyshaping up to be a great event,and the first gun hadn’t evengone off.

We practiced as much as wecould on the Sunday before theevent, but were limited to only acouple of hours due to a lack ofbreeze and torrential downpours.Unfortunately, our two prep dayswere sailed in conditions that wenever saw during the regatta,but we would make due with ourprevious experience on the boat.

Our closest competitors inthe class were two Summit 35sthat were nearly brand new, anda Farr 30 that was sailed verywell over the course of the week.There were nine boats total inour fleet. The courses werecomposed of four to six legseach with the occasional five legwindward finish. We saw similarbreeze during the first three daysof racing that ranged from 9 to 12 knots. For SRM IV, this wasan ideal condition that allowed us to rack up 6 bullets in the first6 races with the help of our overlapping genoas.

On Thursday, we saw adifferent range of pressurebetween 12 and 15 knots thatallowed the other boats in ourclass to square back and sailalmost directly at the bottommark. We managed to round all of

the marks ahead of the fleet, butwere not able to correct out ona few of them. This gave us a2nd and a 4th for the day withone day of racing to go.

The final day was achallenging day for drivers andtacticians with 4 to 8 knots andsurprisingly lumpy seas. Itactually worked out well to ouradvantage because of ouroverlapping genoas that gave usan extra gear to power throughthe swell more so than the otherboats. We managed to recoverfrom our previous day andposted two more bullets tofinish up the regatta.

Overall, we finished up with14 points and took the top prizein the PHRF 1 class. The 2ndboat was one of the Summit 35swith 31 points and 3rd went tothe Farr 30 with 35 points. Itwas a great week for the SRMprogram, winning 4 out of 5 ofthe “boat of the day” awards forthe regatta.

We ended up sailing with acrew of 9 for this regatta. JimMadden was at the helm withGary Weisman calling tactics,Ben Mitchell trimming main,John Gardner trimming kite,Chris Busch trimming jib, ChuckSinks in the pit, Al Pleskus atmidbow, Peter Burton on thepoint, and myself at the mast.Unfortunately, our ViceCommodore and SRM regularJeff Gordon was not able to joinus for the event, and wasdefinitely missed. It was a greatweek at a venue that neverdisappoints, and we are alllooking forward to the nextevent on the schedule.

Key West Race Weekrepresents the first of several

upcoming Southern regattas for SRM IV. Next up are MiamiRace Week and Charleston Race Week. Many of these regattasused to comprise the SORC.

4

RACING

KE Y WE S T RA C E WE E K

AB O A R D T H E J/125STA R K RAV I N G MA D IV

by John Peschelt, Jr.

photos by Sharon Green

MI X I N G IT UP AT

T H E MI A M I OCRby Mikee Anderson-Mitterling

It was about six months ago when myteammate Dave Hughes and I decided toactively pursue another run at theOlympic Games and felt it was necessaryto kick it off at the 2010 Miami OCR.With the help and support of NewportHarbor Sailing Foundation we were ableto make it a reality.

The first days back were a bit likeriding a bike. We had great sailingconditions to get acclimated, rangingfrom 5 knots and flat water to 15 knotsand a developed sea state which madefor some fun rides downwind. It honestlyfelt as if we had never skipped a beat,and we were very excited to start racing.

The first day of racing was a primeexample of, “Hurry Up and Wait!” Wewoke up to a gorgeous 15+ Knots, 75degrees and it appeared as if we weregoing to have a great day of racing.However, once everyone was revved upfor the day the Race Committee put upthe postponement flag. Confused, all thecompetitors tried to figure out thereasoning. Needless to say, on theDoppler Radar, it become very clear whythey were going to hold us on land.Within two hours after the postponementwe had a very large storm cell pass overthe race course with more to come. TheRace Committee felt safer not launching

us. That is the reality of sailing and atthe end of the day it is always better tobe safe than sorry.

Day two presented some verychallenging conditions consisting of anorthwesterly progressing to a northerly,translating to a very shifty and puffy racecourse with a lot of position changes.The first race started with a bang. Wewon the pin end, headed out left in aright phase and waited patiently for theleft shift. Nailed it and rounded the firstweather mark in second. Not badconsidering our hiatus. We fought hardthroughout the race with placeschanging constantly and managed a 6th.Great result to start the event off. Therest of the day the breeze continued tophase right resulting in even moreunstable conditions and more positionchanges. There were times you wouldbe in the top five and easily in thebottom third the next minute. It was allabout fighting in the trenches. We cameout fighting and were able to pull somegreat results the first day back.

Day three was almost identical tothe second day of racing. Again we shotout of the gates and managed a 4th,passing a boat every leg. Unfortunately,the last two races of the day we did notfare so well. We struggled in thetrenches and were just not able to breakfree. To give you an idea, when the fleetconsists of a number of WorldChampions, Gold Medalists, SilverMedalists, Bronze Medalists, andOlympians there is truly no weak link and

when you make a mistake they makeyou pay in the worst of ways. That iswhat makes the racing so fun and sochallenging!

Going into the last day of racingbefore the medal race we had setourselves up in the driver’s seat to makea run at the top ten and compete onSaturday. The day could not have beenset up to be more challenging; a steady5-8 knot sea breeze, resulting in a oneway track and no speed advantage. Inthe first race we had a great start,worked the left side and were in the topfive on the port tack layline lookingdown at the starboard tackers. Just aswe noticed our position the breezesteadily began to shift right, resulting ina top 10 rounding, still in strikingdistance. Knowing that we were in aright phase we decided to do a gybeset with the 2X World Champion, World#1 ranked and about 10 others. Thisended up being the exact wrong callwhen everyone who continued straightsailed right around us. We wouldinevitably have our worst race and thiswould eliminate our chances to makethe medal race. We were disappointedbut decided to end on a bang with agreat last race to finish off the regatta.

In the end, what a great event andit was so much fun being in the huntand competing with the best in theworld again. Thank you for all thesupport and a big thank you to theNHSF and everyone who supports thefoundation!

RACING

5

6

RACING

PAY I N G YO U R DU E Sby Matt McKinlay

By now, most of you have heard, seen, or if you were luckyenough, have had the chance to jump in an International Moth for aquick rip! The last weekend in January, some of the best Moth sailorsin the country assembled for the Moth PCC’s down at Coronado YachtClub. An impressive 23 boat fleet showed up on Friday (some arrivinga week before) for the three day event.

Liking the idea of a challenge, I jumped at the opportunity whenmy buddy Zack Maxam offered to charter me his boat off the certifiedpre-owned lot. On the Saturday before the event, Zack and I met upwith some other Moth sailors in Long Beach for my first day out. Sailingthis boat is like doing a wheelie down the Balboa boardwalk on a busysummer day without brakes; the words “stable” and “Moth” shouldnot be used in the same sentence. After a few fumbling jibes andtacks, we took to the ocean. Foiling on a reach is pretty easy; it givesyou just the confidence you need to tackle things like going upwindand downwind. Getting the boat in “the groove” upwind for longerthan three seconds takes years of practice, and sailing the boat off thewind is a little sketchy when you’re four feet out of the water. At theend of a long and humbling practice day, it’s nice to know that youonly have to pull a 65 lb boat out of the water.

On Friday morning we arrived early at Coronado Yacht Club to rigour boats. The fleet, mostly comprised of highly decorated sailors, areall boat fiddlers. Tuning this, checking that, spending 30 minutes onthe most minute of details to get the personal edge they need. Thefirst day was marginal foiling with a lot of “low riding” (boat in thewater, off the foils). Moths are admittedly even more frustrating inthese conditions and the fleet doesn’t necessary like firing off a raceunless foiling conditions permit. Day two was completely different; acomfortable, yet sketchy 12-14 knots with boat speeds upwards of 20knots off the wind. If you think just because you are on foils you don’thave to hike, you’re wide of the mark. Hiking in the Moth is just asdemanding as a Laser or a Finn. The harder you hike the more youtrack toward a better VMG. My legs were complete butter after sixfoiling races on Saturday! The final day was all foiling again; the SouthBay filled in nicely and challenging conditions persisted as we finishedthe 16th and final race.

My goals for the regatta were to learn about the Moth class, finishevery race, and not break anything. I accomplished all those goals andmore. By the end of the regatta I was nipping at the heels of the fleet.When you’re looking at the results, what you don’t see are the finishtimes. It would blow your mind to see the time difference between thetop ten (the fleet) and the bottom ten boats. The first guys to finishcould probably bake a cake and finish half of War and Peace beforethe bottom ten boats crossed the line. Foiling through jibes and cleantacks takes dedication, accuracy, and a willingness to push the edge.It’s the first boat I have sailed where the learning curve is remarkablynoticeable.

The International Moth best exemplifies how time in the boat canpay huge dividends out on the course. You’re not going to randomlywin a race, or even finish top five your first day out because of a 20degree shift. Time in the boat is the only thing that’s going to get youto the top of this fleet. I had a blast sailing the Moth and recommendit to anyone who enjoys a worthy challenge and is willing to pay hisdues. For more information on the Moth go to: http://www.int-moth.us/

7

8

MOTHER SABOTS 2010Mother Sabots is about the women of

Newport Harbor Yacht Club experiencingthe pleasure of both sailing and racing onthe water as well as socializing off thewater. In many ways, we owe all of thatto the efforts of our founder, ToodiePerson. Toodie passed away on January26, 2010, but her legacy as the Matriarchof Mother Sabots lives on every Fridaythrough the summer when we launch ourSabots and set sail to learn newtechniques or to race down the bay. Sheis remembered for her love of sailing, herlove of life, and how she shared boththrough Mother Sabots with the manyother women Sabot sailors in our club.

Mother Sabots Social Season willbegin this year in April with our "Day atthe Salon" on April 16th and our SailingSeason will begin on April 23rd with aRigging & Practice followed on April 25thwith a race as part of the Non-Calm BowlRegatta. After Opening Day, we reallyget rolling. Come Join Us!

March 6, Saturday Balboa Yacht Club, Adult Sabot ClinicApril 16, Friday Mother Sabots "Day at the Salon"April 23, Friday Rigging & PracticeApril 25, Sunday Non-Calm Bowl RegattaMay 7, Friday Harbor 20 Afternoon CruiseMay 21, Friday Practice & InstructionMay 22, Saturday Beginning of the Season SocialJune 4, Friday Practice & InstructionJune 11, Friday Practice & InstructionJune 12, Saturday Alamitos Bay, Senior Sabot NationalsJune 18, Friday Commodore's CruiseJune 25, Friday Adrienne Dietrich MemorialJuly 9, Friday Tulip IJuly 16, Friday Tulip IIJuly 23, Friday Maggie Harvey PerpetualJuly 30, Friday Mother Sabots InvitationalAugust 6, Friday AmazonAugust 13, Friday Alice Morgridge MemorialAugust 18, Wednesday Senior Sabot Regatta at NHYCAugust 20, Friday Harbor 20 Afternoon CruiseAugust 27, Friday Nancy Klokke MemorialSept. 11, Saturday Balboa Yacht Club, Little Old Ladies RegattaSept. 17, Friday Installation & AwardsSept 25, Saturday End of the Season Social

For your viewing pleasure...Come watch ten of the country’s top yacht clubs in exciting four-on-four team race competition. Spectator friendly,

tight maneuvering, action packed, short courses, up to 40 races per day, last second comebacks and you on the deck taking it all in!

Festivities include food, music, live commentating, and some of the best sailing you’ll ever see – all taking place within cheering distance of the main dock. Racing Daily at 10:30 a.m.

Thank you in advance to all mooring lessees for helping to create one of the best team race venues in the world.

3 rd Annual

NHYC Invitational Team Racefor the Baldwin M. Baldwin Cup

April 9-11, 2010

The hospitality NHYC members offer is well known across the country. Please be a part of club tradition and host a visiting adult sailor at your home.

Host families will not be responsible for any meals or transportation during the event.

Contact George and Phyllis Drayton, Baldwin Cup Housing Co-Chairmen (949) 548-6675

HousingNeeded!

April 8- 11

SDYC JU N I O R IN V I TAT I O N A L

by Alex Wolcott

On January 9th, 18 Non-Calm Sabot sailors made the trekto San Diego to participate in San Diego Yacht Club’s JuniorInvitational Regatta. Organized and hosted by the SDYC JuniorBoard of Directors, this year’s race saw 87 competitors in fiveclasses racing in the La Playa Basin adjacent to Point Loma.After a delayed start due to a complete lack of wind, conditionspicked up on Saturday, and most divisions sailed four races infour to six knots of wind. Even if the wind didn’t entirelycooperate, the sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 70’sproved that Southern California racing is hard to beat inJanuary.

Sunday’s racing action started with . . . no action, due toanother wind-free morning. SDYC provided a great pizza lunch,which made up for the postponement, and we started racingonce the wind filled in a little. Wind conditions Sunday werefluky; one race would be filled with slowly drifting sabots, thenext would have sabots flying by in six to eight knots of wind,and then the wind would die down again.

By late Sunday afternoon, the wind had built to a steady 10knots, and the C-3s started flipping right and left. This causedsome understandable concern among the younger racers, butour Non-Calm C team members are resilient kids.(Congratulations in particular to “Tony G.” Sanchez and ReidWiley for successfully completing their first away regatta.)

In the 28 boat A fleet, NHYC sailors in the top 10 wereConnor Kelter (4th overall), Jimmy Madigan (7th), and CarolynSmith (10th). I took 5th overall in the B fleet, partiallyovercoming my usual Race 3 Fail Curse with a throw-out. In thetop 10 finishers in the C classes, there was Jake Marlow (7th),Betsy Calder (9th), and Tony Sanchez (10th) in C-2s, and BeccaWelsh (10th) in C-3s.

Thanks to the SDYC Junior Board for doing a great joborganizing a terrific event, and our coaches Emlie Barkow and

Payson Infelise for their guidance and on-water support. Thanksin particular to Mr. Calder, Mr. Madigan, Mr. Welsh, Mr. Marlo,Mr. Dahl, and Mr. Anderson for towing our Sabots and coachboats safely to San Diego and back.

MI D W I N T E R TU N E-UP AT LIYCby Katie Calder

On Sunday the 24th of January Midwinter Regatta washosted by Lido Isle Yacht Club. This is one of the first regattasof the New Year. NHYC Non-Calms were well represented inevery class with many of us bringing home nice pieces ofhardware.

In the C-3 fleet we had Finn Dobkin placing 2nd and BeccaWelsh getting her first, 1st place. In the C-2 fleet we had ReidWiley trying out his new boat, my sister Betsy getting 6th, andAmelia Newett getting 2nd place. Also our C-1 fleet was wellrepresented with Alexis Miller getting 8th and Blair Hendersongetting 7th, while Taryn Anderson took 3rd place, and AndrewPerson took 2nd. Since there was a smaller turnout of sailors inthe A and B fleets, Lido had both classes sailing together, butscored them separately. In the B fleet, Sean Dahl placed 3rd

and I took 2nd. I missed 1st by one little point. In the A fleetwe had Carter Scott, Camden Daily, and collecting somehardware was Clare Dahl with her 2nd place.

Griffin Holbrook tried out his luck in the Laser fleet. In the double-handed fleet we had Hayley Newitt and crew

placing 7th, Chandler Daily, and Jack Clement placing 6th,Austin Boyce and crew placing 4th, Jack Thompson and hiscrew placing 3rd, the Segerblom brothers Daniel and Seangetting 2nd place, and rounding out the CFJ fleet, we hadCarolyn Smith and her crew Kaitlyn Cosenza from LIYC getting1st place.

It was a really fun Sunday, and we even had a little sunfollowed by some wind in the bay. I would also like to say abig Thank You to our coaches Emlie and Payson for all theirhelp and support.

So it looks like 2010 is off to a great start for NHYC Non-Calm sailors!

NON-CALM

9

First Local FlagThe opportunistic

Bill Bennett wentdown to Ensenada onJanuary 30th to pickup the First Yellowtailflag. Bill charteredCaptain MemoGomez’s custompanga, El Dorado,and headed out toIsla Santo Tomas South. He proceeded to rapidly retrieve offthe bottom on 30lb test. After about 100 drops, in the 60degree water, he hooked up and put a 18 to 20lb Yellowtail onthe deck. Coincidentally, last year Pete Binaski caught the 1stYellowtail on the same panga, but not until April 22nd!Congratulations to Bill…mission accomplished.

Hat TrickPacky Offield’s 78’ Garlington, Kelsey Lee, fished in Costa

Rica the week of January 4th and proceeded to snatch threeAward of Merit (outside waters) flags. Chase Offield released aPacific Sailfish, Doug Miller picked up a Wahoo, and Packycompleted the “hat trick” with a Blue Marlin. Packy reports

they had a fun trip with some awesome Dorado and plenty ofgood Sailfish. Later this year, the Kelsey Lee is off to theGalapagos for some more conservation research tagging.Congratulations to Team Offield on the first fleet flags of 2010.

First Junior FishOn New Years Day,

Hula Girl tookadvantage of pool tableseas, with a day trip toCatalina. Aboard wereCaptain Robert Bentsand Robert Jr. alongwith Steve Schupak andsons Riley and Nolan.After arriving atMoonstone, the crew

noticed bait in the water just outside the “C” row. Without anylive bait aboard, the crew rigged up artificials and had lines inthe water promptly. Nolan Schupak was the first to shout, “fishon,” and proceeded to reel in a nice Greenback. Brother Rileyfollowed suit with another Mackerel. Next, Robert Jr. hookedup and to the surprise of the crew landed a Bonita. All fishwere released and the Hula Girl headed to Avalon for lunch anda glass bottom boat tour (while the dads napped). What agreat way to kick off 2010.

Calamari XLPictured above, Robert Bents, Jr. with a Humboldt Giant

Squid. Excited by the arrival of these creatures from the deep,the entire Bents family accompanied by Nate Tupman headedout past the Red Bouy and put ten of the monsters on Hula Girlwhile releasing another ten. Big fish fry at the Bents’ home.

ANGLERS FLEET

10

Check out the NHYC Anglers Fleeton Facebook

Blake and Gary’s Big FishBlake Quinn and Gary Hill display the approximately 294

pound Yellowfin caught on the Lusitania Bank (40 miles south ofMag Bay). Blake’s Nordland, Paseana, takes the Award of Merit(outside waters) 1st Yellowfin flag. Plus the Anglers Fleet isawarding Gary an Award of Merit flag for this exceptional catch.Congratulations to both Blake and Gary. For more information,see Duffy Duffield’s, most entertaining, “Fish Story” on page 12.

What The IGFA Is DoingFor The Southern California AnglerPete Binaski, Fleet member and 2010 President of BalboaAngling Club announced that he is planning “An Wvening Withthe IGFA,” on Wednesday, April 13th. Guest speakers willinclude: Rob Kramer – IGFA President, Jason Schratweiser –Director of Conservation and Michael Farrior – Trustee.Location and time TBD.

Join The FleetContact Joe Winkelmann

949-650-5081

11

2010FL E E T CA L E N D A R

For more information contact the noted Chairman.

Thursday, April 1stFishing Seminar #16:30pm/Chart Room

Bob Hoose and Jimmy Decker…Albacore, WSB tipsand more. Taco bar and cocktails. Bill Bennett

Saturday, April 10th BYC Anglers Tackle Show1pm at Balboa Yacht Club

Our friends across the bay are planning a great event.

Wednesday, May 26th Fishing Seminar #2 6:30pm/Chart Room

Hoose and Decker… Marlin, Tuna, other assortedangling tricks and lots of fish stories. Taco bar and

cocktails. Bill Bennett

Thursday, June 10th Junior Fishing Event

Meet at the Club @ 4pm. All NHYC Juniors are welcome. Drop the kids off and

join them later for Burger Bash. Rod Neighbors

Saturday, July 9th-11th Hall Pass Weekend

The destination has been changed from Ensenada toSan Diego. We are making arrangements with SDYCfor a gathering on Saturday evening. Note, perfect

moon phase. Eric Gfeller/Chris Allen

Sunday, July 18th Rafting Party

The Fleet will join up with our fun loving SkipperMembers for a lazy afternoon on the water. Fish tails,

tall tales, and beverages. Bring your sun block.Adam Cleary/Brett Reichardt

Thursday, July 22ndJunior Fishing Event

Meet at the Club @ 4pm. All NHYC Juniors are welcome. Drop the kids off and

meet them later for Burger Bash. Rod Neighbors

August 7th-8thInterclub Tournament

Competing with BYC, BCYC, and possibly SDYC.Awards include boat, team, angler, woman, juniors, and

an array of other categories. Last year 36 boatscompeted and this year 50 will probably turnout.

NHYC hosts this year with Awards Barbeque on Sunday8/8 at the Club. Rod Neighbors/Mike Manclark

12

ANGLERS FLEET

A FI S H TA L E

by Duffy Duffield

Four NHYC buddies,Blake Quinn, Bruce D’Eliscu,Gary Hill, and Duffy Duffieldleft the comfort of home andmade it down to Cabo tobegin a grueling five-dayfishing trip aboard thePaseana. Little did theyknow what was in store forthem as they worked therough, cold waters off Cabo.Rough cold waters?

Oh sure, they pulled inthe standard Dorado andtwenty five pound YellowfinTunas left and right. Really,how long can you do that,day after day?

Missing the NFL playoffswas just part of the sufferingthe four endured. After allthere wasn’t a big screen inthe cockpit, it was way up inthe main salon! Moresuffering.

Something had to give,so we headed out to sea insearch of monster tunaslurking 40 to 60 milesoffshore, requiring us to retirefor the night on our seaanchor later dubbed the“Trough-O-Matic”. Anamazing device designedperfectly to keep you in thetrough, rolling from chine tochine. Everyone enjoyed adelightful sleep that night.With their eyes open!

Sunrise at the LusitaniaBank.

Morning light brought adying wind and a perfectbluebird day as we put ourheads together trying tofigure out how to anchor in700 feet of water with 600hundred feet of cable. Withover 25 Transpacs betweenthe four of us we wouldfigure something out and wedid. With the anchoring issuesolved, it was time to getdown to business. One

macky was cast off the stern;another off the bow and it wasback to the big screen to settleinto some serious fishing. Asthe day wore on, a late lunchwas served and to our delightthe kick off of the Jets vsChargers game, however justthen, a familiar sound rang outas line peeled off the big goldreel at the speed of sound.We looked at each otherscreaming, you, no you, comeon, not me, you, until finallyGary bravely took hold of therod just as the Jets kicked off.Gary missed the game.

It was a fight we will neverforget. As hour after hourslowly went by it was lookinglike two prizefighters takingsolid hits at each other with noone giving an inch. Whenwas this going to stop? Whowould win out? “There’s color!I see it!” rang out from themen in the cockpit. Gaff’swere gathered, made ready toboard the beast. Three hoursin and the end was near, orwas it? Once that bull Tunasaw props it took off for thedeep and Gary found himselfin danger of being spooledagain. But wait! What’s thatsound? It’s the end of the rodgiving out and snapping like atwig! The crew jumps toattention and pulls off a linetransfer to a new rod throwingthe broken tip back in and thefight went on. You know youare with the best when panicdoes not set in and there’s afix. Wow. Those guys aregood! Fastest double bloodknot ever tied.

Another hour and half andthat famous line rings outagain from our masterfisherman, Lincoln Ahlo,“there’s color!” Finally thedeath circles really began andGary, tired, sweaty, and sorewas all over it with his deckmate Dely holding his pantsup (no kidding, Hills have nobutts which holds up the

13

harness) and coaching his last spins onthe big reel with the fish getting closerand closer. Four gaffs were manned asdark had settled in and there it was fourhours forty-five minutes later. The rodtip, followed closely by the hugeYellowfin Tuna. Welcome aboard! Thefight was over and everyone was cheeringwith Gary standing over the top of a 294pound fish lying in the cockpit. Wow!

Lincoln figured the tuna to be almost20 years old as he immediately began thearduous job of filleting it into a milliontuna steaks!

We made the run for shore and thenext day gathered our stuff, flew backwith a tale to tell that we will neverforget. What a trip!

Special thanks to our boat captainBrett Walker and his crew. A great bunchof guys who definitely won’t forget thetime four old NHYC buddies jumped ontheir boat to watch some football.

2009 FIRST FISH FLAGS /LOCAL WATERSSPECIES BOAT SKIPPER ANGLER

Marlin - RLSD Evening Star Kevin Kelly Bob VoorhisMarlin - Taken Disco Punk Jimmy Decker Pete Binaski

Albacore Shadow Joe Winkelmann Jr. Bob WintersYellowtail El Dorado N/A Pete Binaski

White Sea Bass Evening Star Gregg Kelly Greg KellyYellowfin Tuna Vertigo Mike Arujo Mike ManclarkBluefin Tuna Gordo John M. Curci John M. Curci

Dorado Bastante Rod Neighbors Nathan DunnumHalibut Evening Star Gregg Kelly Greg Kelly

AWARDS OF MERIT FLAGS/OUTSIDE WATERSSPECIES BOAT SKIPPER ANGLER LOCATION

Pac. Blue Marlin Doghouse Jesse Henry Tim Unger CaboPac. Sailfish Kelsey Lee Paxson Offield Greg Skau Golfito CR

Atlantic Sailfish The Natural Reese Lewis Bill Bennett Florida KeysWahoo Fresh Catch Cpt Mario Bill Bennett Palmas

Yellowfin Tuna Fresh Catch Cpt Mario Bill Bennett Palmas

JUNIOR FLAG AWARDSSPECIES BOAT SKIPPER ANGLERYellowtail Bastante Rod Neighbors Kellen NeighborsAlbacore Bastante Rod Neighbors Kellen Neighbors

14

CATALINA

The NHYC fleet is headed to Avalon and famous Casino Ballroom for a great evening of dining and dancing in support of the Catalina Conservancy.

Call or e-mail Pam Bacich, Tod White, John Cotton, or Brad Avery to find out about the event, registration, and moorings.

MO O N S T O N E UP D AT E

by Brad Dwan,Moosntone Mayor 2010

Moonstone Cove is an excellent placeto relax in the winter months (weather andstorm conditions permitting, of course) forall of us who that can’t wait until thesummer season! Lush green hills andcrystal clear water await your arrival. It istruly an exceptional experience given thatthe Cove is very quiet with an abundanceof mooring balls always available.

That doesn’t mean that the winterseason is not full of challenges! MotherNature recently dealt us some unusualtorrential rains and winds thatunfortunately interrupted our new paverproject. We will continue to diligentlycomplete the project once things dry outlater in March, but until mid April, theCove will have limited access to therestrooms and barbeque facilities due tothe removal of existing pavers and adventof excessive mud and dirt all over. Thenew paver system, when completed, willnot only enhance the aesthetics of thewalkways, but also improve safety withtheir semi-locking system, and will be less

prone to shifting and movementthroughout the future seasons of Cove use.

A special thank you for thosemembers that have volunteered to serveon this year’s Moonstone Committee. Wewill be having our first meeting onWednesday, February 24th.

Here is a brief look at the workschedule for 2010 at Moonstone:Pre-work weekend: March 27-28.Weather permitting; a few of us will do the“heavy lifting” jobs, along with some hiredhelp. A barge will arrive Saturday the 27thloaded with materials and supplies for theseason. Tree trimming will already havebeen done by this time, thanks to SteveFoster, and dumpsters will be loaded. ThePaver project is scheduled to becompleted during the following week.

Work Weekend: May 15-16 Save thesedates if you like to participate in ourannual clean up of the cove to ready it forsummer use. We will have several projectsincluding painting and planting, and theusual maintenance of the Bocce Ball court,Horseshoe Pit, and Ping Pong table, andBBQ areas. We expect many members willattending this event, as it is always a funand productive time at Moonstone. The

Club will provide food and beverageSaturday and Sunday morning. Sign upat the entrance of the Club when theposter is ready in late April.

Kudos: Special thanks (again) to JackHamilton who is heading up the paverproject, and Steve Foster who every yearvolunteers his time to coordinate the treetrimming and planting. Thanks also to allthe other hardworking members andemployees of our Club who help makeMoonstone Cove a wonderful relaxingplace for us all!

Other Important Notes: With the newseason approaching quickly, and if youhaven’t already done so, please makesure and add your name to theMoonstone Mooring waiting list. This willensure that when and if a mooringbecomes available at Moonstone, NHYCmembers on the waiting list will have agood chance to secure and lease theirown mooring. Also make note of theCatalina Conservancy Ball taking place onApril 10th in Avalon. This is a wonderfulannual event that surely should not bemissed! If you need further information,please contact frontdesk@nhyc.org.

15

FROM THE MANAGER

HOTWEditor

Anne NuttenCommittee

Chris AllenPam BacichDorothy BeekDonna BentsKristin & Robert BentsJane & Scott CalderJohn ClementJuli CookLyle DavisMichael di DonatoTim DoaneJennifer & John DraytonJayne HauseByron HendersonJeanette & Bowie HoughtonNed JonesJim JordanStephanie MartinNina A. NielsenHarriet PalletteSteve SchupakDennis ScholzDonna ScottMargie and Bill von KleinSmidChris WelshGeorge WestTod WhiteRobert Yates

ContributorsCommodore W. Bradley Avery,Thomas Gilbertson, CCM, Mikee Anderson-Mitterling,Katie Calder, Duffy Duffield, Brad Dwan, Matt McKinlay,John Peschelt, Jr., Joe Winkelmann, Alex Wolcott

Layout and DesignVince Mattera Design

Newport Harbor Yacht Club720 West Bay Avenue • Balboa 92661

673-7730 Phone • 673-3972 Fax723-6878 Boatyard

nutd@juno.comWeb site: www.nhyc.org

CommodoreW. Bradley Avery

Vice CommodoreJeffrey J. Gordon

Rear CommodoreRichard S. Robinson Jr.

DirectorsW. Bradley AveryJeffrey J. GordonRichard S. Robinson Jr.Dwight BeldenJeffery D. LittellJames C. MaddenPaul A. MarshallGale Nye PickneyKeith J. Yonkers

General ManagerThomas Gilbertson, CCM

With this writing theannual membershiproster is at the

printers. We are excited tohave it in your mailboxes soon.

This labor of love starts inearnest the previous fall as weinvite each member to updatetheir profile. All the data isproofed multiple times beforewe ultimately deliver thevolume.

Easter Sunday is April 4. Plan to joinwith family and friends to enjoy ChefPolly’s incredible buffet offerings. Againthis year the price for adults is $38.95++.New this year is a children’s value priceschedule. Children under 3 years arefree. Kids from 4-12 will be chargedbased on their age. A five year old is$5.00, an eight year old is $8.00 etc.Please provide the ages of your childrenas you make your reservations. A specialEaster e-mail will detail the day’sactivities as we approach the holiday.

Spring comes to all of us this monthas winter season officially concludes.

With that in mind our regattaseason sets in for the remainderof the year. Of course thehighlight of the racing year willagain be the Baldwin Cup TeamRace Invitational slated for April9-11. The venue, as in pastyears, is raced in the mooringfield in front of the clubhousewith prime viewing from thedeck and main dock.

It’s not too soon for the gentlemenof the club to mark their calendars forthe Stag Cruise. The first weekend ofJune, 4-6 is the time frame for fun andrelaxation. Pricing will remain the sameas last year.

The club has a very active calendarfor the balance of the year, and wewould be remiss if we did notacknowledge the positive feelings wehave sensed around the club duringthe early weeks of 2010. It has been aterrific start and we look forward toseeing you all in the coming months.

Thomas Gilbertson, CCM,General Manager

Monday March 22, 2010

INAUGURAL

SKIPPER DICK

GOLF TOURNAMENT

Newport Beach Country ClubMake up your own foursome.

Benefitting the Newport Harbor Sailing Foundation

Jack Hamilton received the Vince Healy Award for oustanding service to the club.

IN MEMORIAM

MR. KENDRICK KINNEY

January 28, 2010Member since 1956

MRS. ROBERT SHARON LYNCH

February 15, 2010Member since 1963