From Bill Vokac....worth tuning in !

1987 America's Cup Retrospective

ESPN Classic

 Airs on ESPN Classic:

           February 4 at 2:00am et (February 3 at 11:00pm pt)

          February 4 at 12:00pm et (9:00am pt)

          February 4 at 7:00pm et (4:00pm pt)

The Coast Guard Auxiliary is presenting Boating Skills and Seamanship at HCC from March 28 - May 16th.

https://communityedregistration.heartland.edu/CommEdWebReg/description.j... Education Program&subject=RECREATN&classNumber=4770

Boating Skills & Seamanship

RECREATN 1256, Course Code: 4770

Thoroughly enjoyed several Strictly Sail seminars on Thursday (my favorite day to go...)

Got a chance to sit in the new Compact 23 Pilot House...and enjoyed to view from there...hope it catches on !

One seminar by Thom Burns was especially enjoyed because I've been on Thom's cat ketch out of Sister Bay, WI... He cruises out of there and Ephraim in the summer with passengers and also runs Northern Breezes Magazine.
I've sailed parallel to him a few years while he was out for cruises...to take some good photos of him which I sent by email for his use and enjoyment.

Several members of CLSA, including myself, are also members of Flotilla 84 of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. Flotilla 84 has been sailing out of Clinton Lake since Salt Creek was dammed up in 1977 creating it.

Since it was founded in 1939, the Auxiliary's primary mission has been to assist the Coast Guard in its non-military and non-law enforcement missions. Originally known as the Coast Guard Reserve, this non-military volunteer component of the Coast Guard started out by patrolling the waters along the coasts of the United States.

Ben and I traveled to the Privateer Yacht Club in Chattanooga last weekend to participate in their District Championships. Two boats from that club came to our districts/Glow this year and this was an opportunity to reciprocate. Plus, it's just a really friendly club and one we get to every year, though usually in the spring. Anyway, the wind was strong both days. Probably about 18 mph, but the race committee did say one gust on Saturday measured 23.5. So, it was hard work.
 

Hello !

For over 15 years, I've been towing my Flying Scot FS391 to a camp for the disabled to take them sailing on breaks from learning about Ham Radio and getting licensed -- or up-graded to a higher level...

Got a nice writeup in World Radio Magazine on the folks we work with and fellow volunteers of Handihams (www.handiham.org) - an organization to get the disabled involved in ham radio. If interested, SEE:

http://worldradiomagazine.com/​wro_issues/2011/WRO_1011_01-19​.pdf

This year's Glow Regatta held a little extra significance since it was also the Midwest District Championships. We had to be prepared for more boats participating and two sets of trophies since the Glow is open to all Scots but in order to trophy at the Districts you had to be a member of our district.

We had 20 boats participate, with sailors coming from as far away as Minneapolis (Larry Klick, a longtime supporter, and his crew James Williams, as well as Walter and Michael Barniskis) and Chattanooga (Rob Fowler and Scot Cline, as well as Bill Humphries and Linda Lind).

This Venture Newport 23 turns heads everywhere she sails !

This is a cutter rig with a forestay at the end of the bowsprit and another at the bow, giving lots of sailplan options to have the right amount of sail hoisted for the winds encountered. You can put up both jibs and the main for those light wind days... If you are crusing single-handed, the jib-boom tacks automatically -- just as easily as the main does -- when you think "helms alee."

Exelon hosted its annual Clinton Power Station Merit Badge Fair on August 13th. This event is how I found my way to Clinton Lake, the CLSA, and the Coast Guard Auxiliary. My dad and I brought my sons, Matt and Sam, down for a weekend of camping and fishing for us, and First Aid Merit Badge for them. We had our 1987 Catalina 25 "Argyle" in Peoria, which was ninety plus minute drive from our home in Ottawa, and found that driving to Clinton took almost the same amount of drive time. Average depth of the river is 4 feet. Average depth at Clinton Lake is 14 feet and no Asian Carp.

Six or seven sailors turned out for the small boat racing clinic held by race committee chair Gerry Christman. Gerry walked us through several elements of racing at the chalkboard at the pavilion, including finding the lifted tack, how to negotiate rounding the mark with other boats around and how to figure out where on the course you want to be. Then he sent us on the water where we did several tacking drills and then some short races. We sailed for more than an hour, until we all noticed some very large and dark clouds heading our way.