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Chatting With The Commodore
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Risa Scott,
WSA-OC Commodore |
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Here we go again - another month is almost in the books! July is just around the corner! As many of you know, my focus for many months has been on Transpac 2017. Stephen Ashley and I are the Mainland Co-Chairs and this year, Stephen has entered our boat,
Onde Amo
, in the Transpac race. We have talked about it for over two years and now Stephen is anxious to cross this off his 'Bucket List!' The talk is finally becoming REAL. As I write this, he is two weeks away from his departure date of July 3rd. He, his team and
Onde Amo
are ready and very excited to get going!
I, on the other hand, am anxious and somewhat nervous and I am not even sailing! I will be flying over to meet them upon their arrival! "Nothing goes to weather like a 767!" When I first heard that halfway between Long Beach and Honolulu is the 'furthest from land anywhere on the planet', I knew that this would be a race I would not be participating in. And as many of you know, I am not a fan of deliveries either (a spoiled racer...), so I will fly home and meet them in Long Beach. However, our very own Tracy Gallucci volunteered to be a part of the return delivery! Please keep all of them in your thoughts and prayers for a safe, fast race and a safe return!
We have several other WSA-OC members that are also participating in the Transpac! Charles Buckner and his team will be sailing
Cabernet Sky
and Bill McNamara will be sailing on
La Sirena
. All three of these boats will be starting on July 3rd. Come out to Gladstone's in Long Beach to see them off; try to get on a boat heading to the start line off Pt. Fermin, or watch the start from shore at Pt. Fermin Park! However you choose to watch, it will be impressive! There are a total of 55 boats in the race, with starts on July 3rd, 5th and 6th. You can follow all boats on the Yellow Brick tracker via the Transpac website.
Since we don't have a WSA-OC meeting in July, we will have to await stories of other sailing adventures on which you may have participated during June and July! Our next meeting will be at a different date and location - MARK YOUR CALENDARS! We will be at American Legion Yacht Club (ALYC) on August 10th where we will be previewing the new documentary - "Sense the Wind" about visually impaired sailors. From reports from friends that have already seen this, it is something you shouldn't miss! It also will give us some insight regarding our upcoming SVI (Sail for the Visually Impaired) event on October 7th, which we co-host with ALYC!
Until we meet up again, enjoy your summer, both on and off-the-water!
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| Celebrating Summer Sailstice ~ Sign Up NOW! |
We still have spots available for Sailstice Day 2017. As it stands now, this will be our last organized on-the-water event until September. So, don't delay, be sure to
sign up now and register by June 21st!
The WSA-OC Sailstice Day 2017 event is only a few days away, June 24th. We will be celebrating the start of summer, along with sailors worldwide, by sailing to Newport Harbor for a raft-up with our sister organization, Long Beach WSA
The available spots are on boats departing from Dana Point and Newport Beach. Departure times will depend upon port of departure. When signing up, please indicate your preferred marina. The cost of the event is $25; WSA-OC will provide sandwiches and we are asking participants to bring beverages and finger foods/snacks that can be shared.
Additional details will be emailed to each member who has signed up. Pre-registration is required and space is limited. Sign up now, for this sure-to-be-fun event!
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Avalon: "Bright Gem of the Ocean"
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Our
June
meeting began the way all meetings should ... with an ice cream buffet, including all of the necessary toppings. As we kicked off the summer
season in the most perfect possible way, we didn't let that get in the way of business.
Like all of our meetings, we took care of the
announcements
from the board of directors and committee chairs; all of their information can be found throughout this edition of
The
Whistle.
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Snacktician extraordinaire, Wanda McCargar serving up scoops!
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After club business was taken care of, our featured speaker, John Marshall, was introduced. John is the Staff Commodore of South Shore Yacht Club of Newport Beach and Vice President South of Recreational Boaters of California.
We learned of the fascinating history of Avalon on Santa Catalina Island and a snapshot of what RBOC provides to us as boaters.
Avalon was inhabited 7,000 years ago by the Gabrielino/Tongva, a Native American tribe. By the 1830's, they had either died off or moved to the mainland. An early developer of Avalon, George Shatto, bought the entire island for $200,000 in 1887. He is responsible for laying out the streets of Avalon, the same ones we use now. The oldest
structure in Avalon is the Holly Hill House. The word Avalon means "Bright Gem of the Ocean," which many of us believe can be said for the entire island.
It was in 1919 that William Wrigley, Jr. bought the Santa Catalina Island Company, which included the
island. Wrigley's vision for Avalon/Catalina was for socialization and leisure activity for all social classes, not just the wealthy. He commissioned the building of the Casino, which means "gathering place" in Italian. The acoustics of the Casino are second to none and New York City's world renowned Radio City Music Hall is based upon Avalon's Casino.
Wrigley also owned the Chicago Cubs baseball team, which held their spring training in Avalon from 1922 - 1952, except during World War II.
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J
ohn Marshall during his presentation
History of Avalon
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Catalina's most famous inhabitants, the bison, were an original herd of six when they were shipped over for use in a film. However, their scenes ended up on the cutting room floor. Their film debut may have be scrapped, but they lived on. And boy did they! The current herd is approximately 150. The Catalina Island Conservancy, the island's current owner, administers birth control to the bison in order to maintain the herd size to no more than 200.
A couple of other bits of Avalon/Catalina trivia:
Sailors were stationed there during WWII and o
ver 500 films/tv shows/commercials have been filmed there.
John ended his presentation with a discussion about RBOC and how they represent the boating communities of California. RBOC is the California equivalent of the federal program BoatUS. Some of the topics they have lobbied for in Sacramento:
- To remove/restrict ethanol additives in our fuel
- Fought against 'copper-free' bottom paints until there are viable alternatives
- Limited the payments for removal of abandoned watercraft to recreational or small watercraft
- Prevented unfair increases in registration fees
- Prevented vessel operating certification administration to be done at the DBW, not the DMV
Our final action at the meeting, was drawing the 50/50 raffle winner benefitting the WSA-OSeas. Barbara Kelley won and donated her half of $130, $65 to the OSeas. THANK YOU Barbara!
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August Meeting: Learn Not to Fear What You Cannot See
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Sense the Wind
Blind Sailors Race Across Open Water
We have a very special, not-to-be-missed, meeting planned for August, that will be held in partnership with the American Legion Yacht Club in Newport Beach. The meeting will feature a filmmaker screening of the hour-long documentary film,
Sense the Wind, followed by a
Q&A with the Producer and Director, Christine Knowlton.
 All across the globe, visually impaired sailors learn not to fear what they cannot see. They sail by feel: sensing the breeze on a cheek, the tension in the tiller, listening to the pattern of waves hitting the hull and sails luffing in the wind.
Six years in the making, Sense the Wind follows the journey of four blind sailors as they train for and compete at the US Blind Nationals, various regattas and press towards the 2013 Blind Sailing Worlds, in Japan. The film was given a Humanitarian Award at the Socially Relevant Film Festival NY and has shown internationally in Tokyo, Gdansk, Moscow, Calgary, and continues across the US.
Viewing Sense the Wind is a perfect lead-up to the joint WSA-OC/ALYC event that is held every October; the Sail for the Blind and Visually Impaired. There will be a 50/50 raffle benefiting the 2017 SVI and an opportunity to sign-up to be a volunteer.
Meeting Details
Thursday, August 10th
6:00 - 6:30 p.m. - Networking & Socializing
6:30 - 8:30 p.m. - Program & Dinner
215 E. 15th Street,
Newport Beach, CA, 92663
949.673.5002 - Yacht Club Office
949.673.5070 - Guest Dock Reservations
- The following will be available for purchase; CASH ONLY
- A dinner buffet will be offered for $9
- Full bar
- Parking can be found on the street or at the Marina Park lot
- WSA-OC members are being asked to enter through the front entrance only
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WSA-OC Earth Day Photo Contest
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Keep Those Photos of Trash Clean Up on Land & Sea Coming In!
In celebration of Earth Day 2017, we launched a summer-long contest to promote environmental awareness. Please join us as we help to restore Mother Earth and earn your chance to win a fabulous prize!
Contest Details:
- Submit photos* of yourself in "action" being stewards of our environment on land or at sea.
- Examples: picking up trash while on a hike, collecting balloons while sailing, taking e-waste to a recycle center. Get creative!
- Submit your photos via:
- Email to [email protected]
- Instagram or Facebook using the hashtag #WSAOCCelebratesEarthDay
- Each photo entry will receive one (1) raffle ticket
- You may enter multiple photos. The more you enter, the cleaner the environment becomes!
- Contest Timeframe: April 4 - August 31, 2017
- Please only submit photos you've taken during this timeframe
- One lucky winner will be chosen at random from all entries received at our Tuesday, September 5th meeting
- The prize? A Fabulous gift valued at $100!!!
Everyone can't win the prize, but It's a win-win for everyone, especially the earth! We look forward to seeing your photos and remember, everyday is Earth Day. We have a lot of submissions already with Dee Carroll in the lead. The more times you submit, the greater the chance of winning!
*By submitting photos you are granting WSA-OC permission to repost and/or use in promotional materials. If used, you will receive proper credit.
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| Mark Your Calendars Now! Upcoming 2017 WSA-OC Events* |
WSA-OC and affiliate events* have been tentatively planned for all of 2017. More events and details will be added as planning continues and as the events get closer. For more information, view our
All Events page on the website where you will be able to read more detail about each upcoming event, as well as additional events that aren't listed below. As each event gets closer, more details will also be provided via the various WSA-OC online outlets. Questions? Email us at
events@wsaoc.
July 4th ~ ~ No General Meeting - Happy Independence Day!
September 9th & 10th ~ ~ WSA-OC Regatta
September 10th ~ ~ Catalina 37 Practice
September 17th ~ ~ Charity Regatta - OSeas Racing Team
October 3rd ~ ~ No General Meeting
October 28th ~ ~ Charity Regatta
*Subject to change
Black = meeting///Pink = on-the-water///Green = OSeas
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Affiliate Organization Events
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The following are affiliate events that we have been invited to participate and attend. Please be sure to visit their websites or click on the hyperlinks to view additional information. Remember when attending affiliate events you are doing so as a representative of WSA-OC.
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All boaters are invited to decorate their vessels and participate in the "America: Where Freedom Sails" 2017 ALYC Old Glory Boat Parade taking place on Tuesday, July 4th.
We hope WSA-OC boats participate. If so, share your photos from the parade, including the WSA-OC burgee!
Read the
press release, look at the
flyer or click on the above link for additional information.
Registration is free.
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WSA-OC and LB WSA have made a reciprocal agreement to welcome members from each group to attend the others monthly meeting. There is no obligation to join the other organization. However, participation in club events is restricted to members only, unless otherwise specified.
The LB WSA group meets on the 3rd Tuesday of the month, 7:00 p.m. at Seal Beach Yacht Club, in Long Beach.
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The Oceanside YC is hosting their annual Charity Regatta benefitting Elizabeth Hospice. The regatta will be held on Saturday and Sunday August 5th & 6th. Read the
full details on their website or view the
event flyer.
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Learn to sail aboard the SYC Sailing Foundation's Cal 20 sailboats. They have classes for both beginner and advanced sailors, as well as private lessons and charters.
Register here, sessions will be held throughout the summer.
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WSA-OC is continuing to grow with new members every month! Thanks to all of you for being
WSA-OC ambassadors. Welcome to our newest members:
Julia Brown
Mary Coleman
Kelli Flanagin
Julie Hayward
Kristen Richardson
Jim Treydte
Happy Sailing!
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No July Meeting
Since the Independence Day holiday falls on our regular meeting day, we will NOT be having a general meeting during the month of July. We'll see everyone in August at the American Legion Yacht Club in Newport Beach for our joint meeting with ALYC and the screening of Sense the Wind. Celebrate safely!
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Upcoming Racing Opportunities
There's so much sailing going on this Summer. If racing is your thing, I hope you're getting out for the weekly buoy racing happening nearly every night of the week throughout Orange and LA counties.
The OSeas are going to practice on the LBSF's Catalina 37s on July 16th and September 10th. Come join us, along with the Channel Island WSA gals, as we sail on one of only 11 Catalina 37's in the world. The cost for the Catalina 37 experience is $40 per event, for WSA-OC members. Sign up for the July 16th practice now
For intermediate and advanced sailing experienced racers.
Also, get ready for some fun sailing on the SYC Sailing Foundation's Cal 20's later this summer; dates to be announced soon. If you've never sailed on a Cal 20 or are looking for more experience, the SYC Sailing Foundation has both 'Learn to Sail' and 'Advanced Sailing' classes on the Cal 20's. You know what they say ... "Small boat sailors make GREAT big boat sailors!" All experience levels welcome.
See you on the water!
~ Karen
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Save the Date
September 9th & 10th
The Regatta will be held in Long Beach Harbor on the SYCSF Cal20's. The 'Notice of Race' and the 'Sailing Instructions' will be posted in August.
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WSA-OC
Logo Merchandise
Available
Visit our Ship Store to stock up on your WSA-OC logo merchandise.
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A roll-up fleece blanket for those chilly evenings on the water or on your sofa ;)
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Don't overlook our other items or the 'Clearance Corner,' where you can score a great deal for yourself or to give as a gift to someone special!
Add a WSA-OC Logo to Your Own Items
If you have personal [fabric] items that you would like to have the WSA-OC logo placed on, we can do that too! The cost will depend upon number of items received, but will be between $10-$15 per item
, which is the cost of application.
For an additional $10, you can have your item personalized i.e. name, boat name, etc. (one line only).
We will receive and distribute your personal items at our general meetings. Your items will be sent out, for logo application, on a quarterly basis.
The schedule is as follows:
Mtg. Bring - Mtg. Receive
Aug - Sep
Nov - Dec
Lastly, we would really like your input about new items you would like to see the Ship Store carry on a regular basis. Contact
Laura McCaleb or comment on our private
Facebook Group Page with your input or questions.
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Stay Tuned for News of Something Fun!
For our September 5th general meeting, we will be back at Aventura Sailing Association in Dana Point; with Happy Half Hour beginning at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting at 7:00 p.m., but it won't be just any meeting. Rumor has it that a fun activity will be involved.
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September
Catalina Weekend
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It's never too early to begin planning, so mark your calendars now. We will be heading to Catalina Island September 22nd - 24th. Details coming soon. Here is the link to the photos from
2016's WSA-OC Catalina weekend.
Boat owners: would you be willing to provide your boat as part of the fleet? Email
Gabi Schwaiger if you can participate.
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Closed WSA-OC
Facebook Group
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Be Part of the Group
We have recently created a closed Facebook group; it is only for current WSA-OC members. This is a page in which you can easily interact with fellow members by developing a crew list, sharing information, photos, etc. Also a great place to look for racing opportunities.
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Captain Diane Berol Sailing Classes
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| Diane teaching aboard Celtic Song |
WSA-OC member, Captain Diane Berol, is once again, graciously inviting our members to take her sailing classes, at no charge, aboard her 40' Pacific Seacraft Celtic Song. Register for an
upcoming class
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About Boating Safety
WSA-OC members, Sue & Chuck Hutchings, will be conducting the
Coast Guard Auxiliary's
About Boating Safety seminar on Saturday, July 8th at the Newport Beach West Marine store. Cost $40
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This & That
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Boats Needed!
We need boats and skippers for all of our 2017 on-the-water events. Email us at
[email protected] if you would like to donate your boat for one or all of our events or if you have any questions.
if you have questions, comments, information, photos or announcements or anything else you'd like us to know about.
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2017 WSA-OC
Board of Directors
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WSA-OC
Commodore
Risa Scott
Vice Commodore
Melanie Green
Rear Commodore
Karen Pacella
Treasurer
Wayne Wallace
Secretary
Brenda Highley
Membership Director
Cheryl Case
Directors
Kathleen Brown
Gabi Schwaiger
Jr. Staff Commodore
Valerie Rhodes
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Newsletter Editor
Tracy Gallucci
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