2011 Queen’s Cup – Wind, Wind and more Wind

By Dave Wehnes, Vice Commodore

It all seemed to start about 5 PM on Thursday, June 30. A line of storms formed right along the lakeshore from Kenosha to Green Bay, and pushed southeast across the lake. As each storm moved SE, another took its place. While the storms were interesting to watch, the wind associated with them wreaked havoc at SSYC.

At SSYC we recorded a peak wind gust of 46 MPH. A gust of 43 MPH was recorded at Mitchell Field and I’ve heard reports of wind gusts in excess of 80 MPH in Racine. The wind was from the south and any boats rafted off the ends of D, E and F docks took the brunt of the waves. The boats in the “U” were tossed about and everyone was worried the wave boards wouldn’t hold. Then, the power went out.

The annual Queen’s Cup party was about to begin when the power went out briefly -- which triggered a fire alarm. While fire trucks rolling down the hill is never a good sign, it would get worse.  With two phases of the three-phase power out, some things worked and others didn’t.  The good news is that we had power for the band; the bad news was that the ovens in the kitchen wouldn’t work.

Have you ever wondered what the red light mounted on the south side of the building is there for? Well, it is one of those lights that you never want to have lit. But Thursday night, shortly after the band started up, that light came on. It is the “high sewage level” alarm. We installed new pumps a few months ago, but they don’t work very well without power. So we had to close the bathrooms and shutoff the water to the building.

The cash registers were down, the copy machine failed, the elevator stopped working and even the phones shut down for a while. Finally, about noon on Friday, we were fully operational.

The windy conditions continued. A member of Windquest’s crew (The Max Z86 owned by Doug DeVos) mentioned on Friday afternoon that they were reading 40 knots on their mast. But all of the boats were signed-in and we were ready to start the race.

The Cruising Fleet, something new for 2011 (that had been part of the race up until 1952), started first at 3 PM. Winds were around 30 knots with a nasty chop. At least one boat was damaged before the start and several others decided the conditions were too severe and returned to the club.

The winds died down a bit before the other division starts, but were still in the high 20’s. Again, several boats suffered damage but the majority of the fleet roared off the line.

The wind stayed out of the south for the entire race, making it a reach with everyone holding tight to the rhumb line. The wind dropped to about 10 knots for a while, but built back up to 20 at the finish.

Windquest won the Silvie Trophy, finishing at 11:26 PM and setting a new course record of 4 hrs 46 mins. Cheekee Monkee wasn’t far behind, finishing at 11:43 PM. Half of the fleet crossed the finish line before 3:00 AM and the entire fleet was in by 5:30.

The overall winner of the PHRF Fleet and the winner of the Queen’s Cup was Every Day, owned by Robert Rafson of Muskegon YC, with a corrected time of 5:55:42.

The Silver Jubilee Trophy was awarded to the 1st place boat in the Cruising Fleet. It went to Next Horizon, owned by Jim and Julie Allaway of SSYC.

The Fons America Trophy, awarded to the top placing SSYC boat in the fleet racing for the Queen’s Cup, went to Mezzaluna, owned by Jeff Anderson and Katie Lauritzen.

The full results are available at: http://www.ssyc.org/index.php/queens-cup/qcraceresults/doc_download/251-2011-queens-cup-race-results-by-section-and-overall

Many thanks to the members of the SSYC Board, the staff and to all of the volunteers who worked together through the storms, high winds and power outages to make this event a success, and one to remember.

The financial success of the race is due, in part, to our sponsors: Line Honors, Mount Gay Rum, Goose Island Brewery, Milwaukee Ale House, Groppi Food Market, Sprecher Brewery, Cheri Kent Realty, Ameriprise Financial, World Yachts Brokerage, West Marine, Southwind Marine and Harken.

Start planning for 2012. The race will be held on June 29th and will finish in South Haven.

 

From The Helm

Does it seem that now that summer weather has arrived the days are flying by?  The cold and wet days of May and June seemed to just drag along.  Now Queen’s Cup, LMYA and Kaszube Cup are all history.  The Corn Roast is only a few weeks away.   It’s tough to cram all our activities into our short season.
 
I, for one, want to commend our entire staff for their long hours making our SSYC signature events a success. Their hard work and tireless dedication were critical to succeeding in difficult conditions -- mainly sustained wind causing almost total power outages -- which taxed our facilities to the limit. It also goes without saying that the efforts of the SSYC volunteers were the keystone to our overall success.   

We’re all aware that membership in our Club as well as all private clubs are down.  I think we’ve ‘turned the corner’ and have begun a slow but steady turn-around adding members each month.  A treat for me was that last week I welcomed as a new member, Mary Barr-Bisagna.  Mrs. Bisagna is the great-grand daughter of SSYC’s second Commodore William Barr, who served 1914/15.  Welcome aboard Mary and all the members who’ve joined SSYC this year.

On a little bit of a more serious note, I’ve always thought there are too many rules in the world but lately we’ve become lax in following some of our more basic rules, of which parking, litter and keeping the front gates closed are the most obvious at the moment.  We want to have an inviting and welcoming look for our membership and the public.  Closed gates don’t necessarily make us look un-welcoming, but rather organized and secure.  And, we purchased additional trash containers, so please use them and the cigarette receptacles at each door.  Then, there’s parking.  Please park only in spaces designated for auto and motorcycle parking and ALL vehicles must have SSYC ‘stickers’.  The Dock Masters have begun ticketing violators and repeat offenders may be asked to visit the Board and explain their actions.

O.K., that said, let's enjoy the second half of our short summer season and the up-coming events: Wednesday night races, Power Boater Thursdays, upcoming regattas, the Corn Roast, the Fish Boil and more.  See you at the Club.  

The High Bid Wins Big at South Shore Yacht Club's LMYA Weekend

By Capt. Gene Schnagl

This year’s LMYA weekend was another success for Milwaukee’s South Shore Yacht Club. Again, one of the popular events was the Auction of a lot of great items donated for this special occasion. One of those great Auction items was a Lake Michigan fishing trip on board the M/V Farcast, donated and Captained by Capt. Steve Zajc of South Shore Yacht Club. Capt. Dave Dorner, of LMYA and South Shore Yacht Club, won the bid and invited members, Bernie Larson and Gene Schnagl to join him. This was done on the condition that we allowed Capt. Dave to catch the biggest fish. I should note that I kept my part of the bargain but Capt. Larson reneged.

The three “fishermen” met with Capt. Zajc and his crew, Norb Zajc (dad) and John (best buddy) at 4:30 AM on C dock and headed out on calm seas. It wasn’t long and the first of eight salmon caught was on board and in the box. In checking with other boats in the area it seems nobody was catching much except us although everyone was being eaten alive by the flies. I guess it was Capt. Zajc’s secret weapon that worked so well for our fishing success. Your right, I won’t be telling you what it was but it sure works. Out of the eight caught, two were lost but it was still a great morning on the water.

The morning ended with some nice fish in the cooler, a lot of sun and maybe some minor heat stroke but all in all it was a great time with some great people. If you haven’t attended a South Shore Yacht Club LMYA weekend I would suggest you not miss the next one. Besides all the fun and great activities, if you bid right, you may just get a great fishing trip on a great lake. We want to thank Capt. Zajc and his crew for their great donation to a great organization, and a big thank you to Capt. Dave Dorner for the invitation for a great time.

Teenagers Sail Short-handed Fleet in 2011 Queen’s Cup

By Sally Heuer

Whitney Kent admits she slept through her first several Queen’s Cup races. That’s understandable, considering she was just 4 years old during her first race with her parents in 1997. Her sister Alison (Gator) was 3.

This year, at ages 18 and 17, Whitney and Alison Kent launched their own campaign in the Short-handed Fleet on Rafiki, their J/30. They have probably set a record as the two youngest sailors in the 73-year history of the Queen’s Cup.

Whitney’s idea to do the Queen’s Cup with her sister was sparked in 2009 when she sailed in the Short-handed Fleet on Quicksilver with her mom, Cheri Kent Jones.

However, Whitney felt that Quicksilver, a C&C 41, was a lot of boat for two teenagers to handle. When she got Rafiki in 2010, it was the right-sized boat, but it wasn’t ready to sail until later that summer. She had another year to make plans for the 2011 Queen’s Cup with Alison.

The next step was to convince the parents this was a good idea. “They quizzed us -- what would you do in this situation, what would you do if this happened?” Whitney said.

Stepdad Eric Jones (“Inky”) was finally convinced last winter that the two sisters could safely campaign Rafiki.

Meanwhile, their dad Tim Kent would be racing against them in the Short-handed Fleet on Nemesis, a J/35.  “We had a bet going that the losing boat would have to buy dinner for the winner,” Whitney said.

The day of the race -- Friday July 1 -- winds were 25 knots and gusting higher. Whitney and Alison had some trouble on the way to the starting line. With the apparent wind indicator up to 38 knots in the harbor, the mainsail got stuck on the way up. To make matters even more “interesting,” as Whitney described it, the engine wouldn’t start. These experienced sailors did not panic. They anchored to keep from drifting into the breakwall and called for help. The SSYC tender came to their assistance, and they were able to hoist the mainsail and start the race 20 minutes late. “We made up some time,” Whitney said.

Alison said her first goal had been to beat her dad in the race, followed by the goal of finishing. After the problem at the start, she said her priorities were switched - her first goal was to finish the race!

During the night, each of them took turns at the helm for an hour. “It was a real workout,” said Alison. “I needed both hands on the tiller to steer through the waves.” Their point of sail across the lake was a beam reach. With winds mostly above 17 knots, it was a fast race.

During the night they made two headsail changes. When winds were down to about 12 knots, they shook out a reef and put up the #2 genoa. Later, they put the #3 genoa back up.

How did they feel when they crossed the finish line in the dark at 3:40 a.m.? “Pretty excited,” Whitney said. The excitement quickly turned to focus on finding a tow to the dock. This year was Whitney’s second fastest crossing, finishing in 9 hours 59 minutes. At thirty feet long, Rafiki is also the smallest boat she has sailed in the Queen’s Cup.

“We really bonded,” Alison said about the experience with her older sister. Both Whitney and Alison say they want to race in the Short-handed Fleet again. Also -- they beat their dad Tim Kent on Nemesis!

How did the blue-hulled J/30 get the name Rafiki? “When I was little, I watched The Lion King and Rafiki was my favorite character,” Whitney said.

Whitney will be a freshman at UW-Milwaukee this fall, and Alison will be a senior at Brookfield East High School.

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Entertainment Committee

I would like to begin by extending a heartfelt thank you to all of the members, volunteers, and staff of SSYC for the hard work and patience that was exhibited during this years Queen’s Cup party.  As many of you are aware we had some issues with the electricity.  Despite that, the members and staff persevered and, as SSYC is known to do, worked together and created an enjoyable evening for all.

The annual Corn Roost is right around the corner.  The event is scheduled for August 6th.  Generation’s after generation’s of SSYC families have always marked their calendars for this event and the committee would like to extend an invitation to the membership of SSYC to help carry on this tradition.  Advance sale tickets are currently available at the Club office during normal business hours.  The price of the tickets this year has been reduced from last year. This year’s pre-sale ticket price for Adults is $10.00 and $6.00 for Children ten and under.  The prices do go up $3.00 for both Adults and Children the day of the event so please call or stop down at the Club office as soon as you can.

In closing I wanted to send a special thank you to the SSYC Auxiliary and Garden Committee for their assistance with the seasons events.  More often then not every time you go through a buffet line, comment on how amazing the flowers and plants look, or take a seat on the beautiful retaining wall you have one of these groups to thank.  Next time you go through one of our event buffet lines or see someone toiling in the heat, pulling weeds and watering the flowers please let them know how much there work is appreciated.  

2011 Great Dinghy Drift

The Third Annual Great Dinghy Drift is set to launch from the front dock on Sunday, July 31.  Informational posters are up and a sign-up sheet is in the Club Office.
 
We’ve kept the (cheap) fee of only $5 per person; it’s a real bargain for fun games and a picnic lunch up the Milwaukee River near the North Avenue Dam.  Pit stops are made along the way for adult beverages at favorite establishments. Last year nearly two dozen ‘vessels’ were challenged with navigating the river through downtown and both a poker run and trivia quiz, look for ‘tougher’ contests this year.  Everyone should bring a dish pass and the committee will supply burgers, brats and beverages.  

Save the date, go out and buy a dinghy if you have to because co-chairs Tom Gale and Carolyn Nason promise a fun time.  

Auxiliary News

By Bonnie Merryfield (Filling in for Jan Weiler)

The outside temperature was 96 degrees, but Auxiliary members stayed cool and comfortable at our June picnic held, thankfully, in the clubhouse dining room. It was nice to visit with more of our returning “snowbirds”, as all of us enjoyed Chef Peter’s delicious picnic meal, supplemented with tempting appetizers, salads, and desserts provided by Auxiliary members. Chef Peter and his talented kitchen crew did their usual outstanding job, as did Karen and her more than capable dining room staff.

During the meeting, called to order by President Jan Weiler, Corresponding Secretary Susie Manske reminded us to inform her when we hear of any Auxiliary members experiencing a loss, illness, or undergoing hospitalization. We want them to know that they’re in our thoughts and prayers. We also learned that the dining room carpeting will be replaced following the club’s major summer events.  And, SSYC’s annual “Corn Roast” will be held on August 6^th which is earlier than usual. Be sure to mark your calendars for this fun-filled event.

Auxiliary members contributed pasta and tomato sauce to the Juniors for the “Kaszube Cup Regatta” July 11-13, and the Juniors wanted us to know how very much our donations are appreciated. Sue Ring-Wagner informed us that upcoming entertainment for our meetings will include bingo (We certainly do like those great prizes!), a “Shipmates Night” presentation by Ken and Sandy Dziubek on their European sailing trip, our elections in November, and our December Christmas party. Carolyn Blackwood passed around a sign-up sheet for food contributions (appetizers and desserts) for Auxiliary meetings, beginning with our August meeting. If you weren’t at the June meeting, let Carolyn know if you want your name added to the list.

Be sure to check the 2011 Auxiliary Directory to insure that all information entered is correct. Future directories will list the dates members joined the Auxiliary.

Congratulations went out to Kyle Putney for winning the “Queen’s Cup” t-shirt design contest. Kyle’s original artwork makes for another great collectible t-shirt. The sale of “Queen’s Cup” merchandise is our Auxiliary’s major fundraiser, profits of which go towards improvements at SSYC.

We look forward to meeting those interested in joining our friendly and dynamic Auxiliary. Let’s all enjoy our too-brief summer and take advantage of everything SSYC has to offer.

 SSYC Auxiliary President Jan-Marie Weiler on the reviewing stand at "Review of the Fleet"

Grounds Committee

I would like to thank all of the 73 volunteers that attended the Grounds cleanup day on May 28, 2011. We had many projects to complete that day and we were very successful in finishing all of the projects.  I would like to thank Gary Mattson and his crew for building 6 new picnic tables. Also, thank you to Peter Haase and his crew for taking care of cleaning, repairing and erecting the party tent. And,  I would like to thank Pat Rakowski, Mary Richter, Lorna Reiter, Fran Aring and their crew for the great flowers and landscaping we have this year. If you happen to see any of these members please thank them for their hard work. 

We now have two great gas grills that will be used during our events. The grills can be used by club members if they have a large gathering of 20 or more people. We also have two small gas grills that can be used for small parties. Remember to follow the rules in operating and cleaning of the grills after use. Guidelines will be posted for members.

Just a reminder when you are parking your vehicle on the club grounds. Every vehicle parked on the club grounds is required to have a parking sticker. This includes motorcycles, trucks and cars. Vehicles must be parked in a designated parking space. Lately I have noticed vehicles parked in the dry sail spaces and motorcycles are being parked in front of parking spaces. Please abide by the parking rules and regulations of the club. Notices will be placed on members vehicles that are in violation of the parking rules.

If anyone has any questions or concerns about the club grounds please feel free to contact me at gma44@aol.com.

Bay View History

By Sharon Cook

In an 1983 interview, 97 year old Fenton Cadwell reminisced about his younger days in the area.  Walking on Delaware was hard work. ”Delaware wasn’t completed at all.  It was not even cut through.  At Ellen Street there was a marsh.  Deer Creek flowed down Delaware Avenue.  When there was a heavy rain, at times you needed a boat to cross the street at Pat Power’s saloon.  That was located at Oklahoma and Delaware.”  -- Provided in cooperation with the Bay View Historical Society.

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Race Committee

What's Your Favorite Flag?

The I Flag!

The “I” or India Flag is used to in our SS/SSS starting sequence. It is flown in place of the prep flag in the SS/SSS starting sequence. It is a yellow flag with a black dot in the middle. When it is displayed and any part of the boat’s hull, crew or equipment is on the course side of the starting line or one of its extensions during the last minute before her starting sequence, she shall thereafter sail from the course side across an extension to the pre-start side before starting.

If you are over early on to the course side you can’t just dip the line and restart. You have to sail around the pin or the committee boat to the pre start side of the course and restart. See rule 30.1 in the Racing Rules of Sailing or RSS.

Short Bights

By Bruce Nason, Commodore

This month I am going to start off with a complement -- and then segue to a scolding.  Everyone should give a “well done” to our staff for their non-stop efforts during back to back Queen’s Cup and LMYA events.  General Manager Pat Nora’s entire staff had seven long days of work made tougher by the power outages caused by the high winds that Thursday and Friday.  Good job gang!  On the downside parking is beginning to be a problem.  If you choose to park on the grounds, you must park in spaces designated for auto/motorcycle parking only. Yes, motorcycles need stickers too.  Do not park in dry sail spaces even if the space appears to be un-used.  The same goes for parking in front of the dumpster gates, don’t.  The Dock Masters are ‘ticketing’ violators and repeat offenders may be required to appear before the Board.  Going cruising?  Get an extended parking form at the Club Office.  Be a good shipmate and obey the parking rules.

The Corn Roast is less than a month away, Saturday August 6.  That’s also the date of the Air and Water Show featuring the Air Force Thunderbirds.  Plan a fun day at SSYC; bring your friends and neighbors along to join in on the fun too.  Also LSS Member Emily Burrows is looking for volunteers to bake brownies for the desert table at the Corn Roast.  Contact her for details.

Work parties don’t stop just because our boating season is in full swing.  Crews have been busy raising the gas dock, tending the gardens and just the other day replacing nearly a dozen wave boards damaged during the wind storm Queen’s Cup weekend.

Here’s a reminder for owners of boats on moorings: Junior sail lessons are in full swing.  Members should not be tie their boats up to the North and South Face Docks on weekdays.  Please help out the kids by observing this request. 

House Committee

I am writing this article from South Haven, MI which means that I am on my summer cruise. It was a great crossing for a power boat with 2mph wind and at the very max 1 foot waves.
 
The Queen’s Cup went very well despite a couple power problems caused by the storm that went through. We had power problems both Thursday night and Friday morning but were back to full operation by noon on Friday. The main reason that everything kept going was our great staff. They did an outstanding job getting through the problems. Once the Club got through the power troubles things went smooth for the rest of the weekend. LMYA and the 4th was celebrated without any major incidents.

Take note that some hooks have been added in the men’s shower area and some minor changes have been made in the women’s room.

Here’s wishing Club members a great and safe summer wherever their adventures may be.

Double Hand Fleet

Has it been a month since the first race?  Now that summer has finally arrived the time seems to be flying by.  Race number two was just held on July 15th. 

June racers saw great conditions and were challenged by the full six mile course.  Fifteen of the 19 boats registered were on the starting line.  Top finishers were Sabotage, War Bird and Latis in that order.  Post race we all enjoyed sliders with all the trimmings.  Since the concept of this series is purely a fun way to spend a Friday afternoon, applications are accepted almost up to the time of the “first warning”.  Pick up NOR and SIs off the rack in the north hallway.  Last year we had 25 boats registered, our goal is to surpass that number so sign up today. 

Race number 3 will be held on Friday, August 26th.

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Boating Safety

by Gerry Hussin

Do you have a DSC VHF Radio on your boat? If so, do you have a MMSI (Maritime Mobile Service Identity) number. Now that you have both, have you entered the MMSI number on your VHF radio?

The statistics indicate that 9 out of 10 do not have position indicating (Latitude and Longitude) integrated into their VHF radio system. Fixed-mount VHF radios have been manufactured with DSC (Digital Selective Calling) built into the radios since 1999. The connection problems between GPS (Global Positioning System) and VHF radios have not been standardized. Owners manuals must be studied to determine the NEMA Outputs for each component – which wires are which, and match the correct wires between each unit. Once done, obtain a MMSI number and enter it into the respective radio. Then, test the system. MMSI numbers are available free of charge from your local West Marine dealer.

The correct installation, when activated from your DSC radio, will identify your distressed location to the Coast Guard in an emergency situation. Don’t be one of the statistics that have all of the equipment, but do not have them connected correctly -- or not connected at all.

From the Manager

Can you believe it?  July 4^th has come and gone.  To say the events centered around the Queen’s Cup and the LMYA Open House were memorable would be an understatement.

In spite of 60 MPH winds, power outages and refrigeration problems, the members, visitors and staff showed their “true grit” and persevered.

Speaking of the club staff, if you get a chance thank them for a job well done under less than ideal circumstances. They are truly dedicated to the membership of SSYC.

Watch for information on our Brewer Tailgate Promotion in the Lakeside Lounge. The promo will include 8 tickets to a Brewer’s game, food, beverages and reserved parking. It’s a package worth over $400.

Don’t forget to bring a friend and introduce them to SSYC

Pat

Helping Hands

Stir constantly. When it comes to a full boil let it boil one minute longer. Remove from heat and beat until thickened enough to spread on cake. (Beat as you do fudge.) 

A special thanks to Mary Ann for coming up with the idea of sharing recipes and starting us off with two of her cherished family recipes. If anyone else would like to share a recipe that’s special to you, please send it to nasonc@matc.edu.

As always, keep your hints coming.

Powerboat News

Tom Gale stepped up and headed up the LMYA Open House held on July 2^nd through the 4^th.  The nautical flee market, auction, breakfast buffet, steak fry and an All American Picnic were a great success.   There was also karaoke on Friday night and a band for Saturday and Sunday nights.  This was a big project and was a great undertaking on Tom’s behalf.  He would not have been able to run it so smoothly, if he didn’t have the many volunteers who helped, and the knowledge and experience of Dave and Nancy Tucholka after their many years of chairing the event.  The auction raised $2300.00. 

We had a great turn out for our Spaghetti Night dinner on June 9^th as well as “Friends and Family Night” which was a "Grill Your Own" event held on June 23^rd.   The Merryfields, Artkas and Nasons hosted on June 9th and the Graubners, Lustigs and Wagners headed up the June 23^rd evening. 

The air show is set for August 6^th and 7^th and volunteers are needed for “bird patrol”.  Please call  me if you have any questions on the assistance we will be providing for this function. 

Watch for e-blasts on details for the Great PS’R, the South Shore Dinghy Cruise, the Cruise to Racine, and August Power Boater events. 

Plan on attending the next “Friends and Family” event which is being run by the Happels and Grabowskis  on the 28^th of July.  Please feel free to contact any of these volunteers or myself if you have any questions or suggestions.  Don’t forget to invite your “friends and families.” 

 Do not hesitate to contact me if you have an interest in running an event, or if you have any suggestions for ways we can improve any of our former events.  New ideas are always welcomed, as are new boating friends. 

Hope you are enjoying the Summer.  See you at the Club.

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