Hello OSYC Let me give you an up date of our trip to the Bahamas. We left Brunswick at 3:30 PM on Tuesday May 5th and sailed for the 48 hours on the outside, actually we motored because the wind was on the nose and we wanted to get as far south as we could as quick as we could. We developed motor problems, the alternator was not charging the batteries. We pulled into Sturart and we were able to locate the problem, nothing major. We left Stuart on Friday and started south, we were still motoring, then we turned due east and started sailing. We sailed through the night, or to about 12-1 AM and decided we were getting to far off course and we started the motor..We ended up at West End in the Bahamas on Saturday. We left West End on Monday and got on the Little Bahama Banks and sailed to Great Sale Cay. We arrived at about 3 and anchored out.We notice two small sailboats anchored close to the Island and it looked like John and Sherry along with Bob Horan. We took the dingy over and it was in fact the John, Sherry, Bob and Erwin, a friend of Bob’s. Their trip across was a little more exciting, they check in at Walkers Cay, the very northern most of the Bahama Islands, they sailed for about 36 hours straight trying to get to the Bahamas. John and Sherry joined us for supper on Martini, Bob had all ready started his supper and decided not to join us. The next day we ex pored Great Sale, snorkeled and fish. We left Great Sale on Wednesday and headed for Allen-Pensacola Cay, we arrived at 3 PM.. This is really a neat Island, lots of sandy beaches and pretty water. We only stayed the day and left at first light. Our next stop was Green Turtle Cay. Then we sailed to Guana Cay, the home of Nippers, a famous Bar of the Bahamas. The view is beyond words, it is really a neat Island and we are off to expore the Beaches. There are no other Islands east of Guana. So far we have sailed a little over 525 miles. We have only stayed at the marina for four nights. The other nights we have either anchor or have been sailing. We are 11 days into our 49 day trip. More to come Greg

{{{NOTICE OF RACE}}} {{{2009 Sinclair Open Regatta}}} {{Oconee Sailing and Yacht Club}} {Saturday May 16 & Sunday May 17, 2009} {{{1. General Information.}}} The Regatta will be held at Oconee Sailing and Yacht Club on Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, Ga. Directions and a map to the club can be found at www.osyc.net. Racing will be held both Saturday and Sunday with buoy courses both days. Camping and docking are available for race participants.Showers are available. {{{2.Schedule of Events.}}} {{Saturday}} – 9:30 a.m. Registration till 10:30 at club house. – 11:00a.m. Skippers meeting at OSYC clubhouse. – 12:00 p.m. Warning signal for first race. – 6:30 p.m. Social hour and pig roast dinner. {{Sunday}} – 10:30 a.m. Skippers Meeting at OSYC clubhouse – 11:30 a.m. warning signal for first race The Portsmouth rating system will be used. All races are expected to be visible from the club grounds. Cost will be $30.00 per boat (2 persons) for guests of osyc and will include dinner saturday night and a sunday continential breakfast. beverages will be included. Each additional crew will be $5.00 for food and beverages. Contact Bill lewis for additional information (615) 383-6924 or wlewis12@charter.net Motels in the area: (all are on hwy 441 N of Milledgeville) – Quality Inn 478 452-92190 – Days Inn 478 453-8471 – Holiday Inn Express 877 410-6681 – Super 8 Motel 478 453-9491

The Sinclair 7X is scheduled for April 18 and 19, 2009. Skippers meeting is at 10:30 AM on Saturday and Sunday. [Click here for the notice of regatta. ->http://osyc.net/racing/Sinclair21/Sinclair21NOR09.htm]

Well I wish you could of seen Charlotte’s expression during the race on Sunday. We had a lot of wind and Charlotte was not a happy camper. I am thinking that Ken had a mutiny on his hands as well. This weekend April 4, we have our forth Spring Series race and on April 5th we have our fifth Spring Series race, now that is good planning to have the race schedule the same as the date. Skippers meeting will be a 12 noon and racing begins at 1 PM. Winds are scheduled for 8-9 mph on both days, hopefully I can sweet talk Charlotte to come back out. We only had four boats in Sundays race, let see if we can do better this weekend. If you want to sail better there is no better place to get better, than on the race course. At least that what I have heard, I must be a slow learner. However, I am always glad I came out wind or no wind. Give it a try you just may like it. Greg

Saturday’s race has been canceled due to rain, thunder, lightening, and little wind. Sunday’s race is still on.

Saturday: From Club buoy to Erin Point and return. This was billed as a woman at the tiller race. The rules were a little loose as far as how much time a non-woman crew could touch the tiller. As it turned out every boat had a married couple. Each skipper decided how much they allowed the mate to handle the tiller and after race discussions indicated that this varied. Linda Aabrams reported that she did not let Warren touch the tiller. Charlie Dortch had trouble getting Michael to do what she told him. Charlotte Harrell allowed me to be the strategist but would not always do what I told her and I was threatened every time I reached for the tiller. Jennifer Griffin didn’t like what Ken was telling her so she crash jibbed and the boom knocked him part way down the hatch. The race started with about 8 to 10 mph wind out of the west more or less. The lead changed several times during the race and at the end 4 boats finished within abort a minute. I had reservations about this type of race, thinking that the women would not be willing to take charge of the boat. Boy was I wrong. We have some really competitive women. They really seemed to like having the tiller and reminding the men that their job was to do what they were told. Several women told me that they wanted to do this again. Jennifer was willing but said she wanted to swap husbands with someone next time. Here are the participants and times: – Jennifer Griffin, Hunter 260: 1hr 36 min – Charlie Dortch, Hunter 25: 1hr 36 min. (just a little behind Jennifer) – Charlotte Harrell, Beneteau: 1 hr 37 min. – Linda Morrow, Hunter 26.5: 1 hr 37 min (just a little behind Charlotte) – Charlotte Phillips, Catalina 25: 1 hr 40 min – Crissie Adair: Catalina 22: 2 hr 43 min – Linda Aabrams, Macgregor 25: 4 hr 20 min. In spite of a big knot on his head, Ken recovered enough to prepare a fantastic Irish meal for dinner. We had corn beef and cabbage and Dublin Coddle. Here are some photos submitted by Greg Phillips, Terry Adair, and Jimmy Harrell. http://picasaweb.google.com/jimmy.harrell.photos/2009MarchWomensRace# Sunday: No wind; race was canceled.ving a signing of his latest magazine cover.

Well, it was a lousy weekend for sailing, cold and rainy. Still, Saturday was a fun day. We had about 14 people for the cleanup Saturday morning and 57 people at the spring meeting and dinner, including 8 or 10 kids. Thanks to Ken for an excellent meal and to Donna for the table set ups and to all who cleaned up the place before and after the meeting. After all the excellent committee reports, we had only one motion to acto and that was to adjourn the meeting. The food was good and the drinks were good and the conversation was good and if you weren’t there you missed it. The Muellers took these pictures: [http://tinyurl.com/c53k8q->http://tinyurl.com/c53k8q] If anyone else has pics to share, send them to me and I will post them. Jimmy

Spring has sprung and our annual spring meeting is this coming Saturday, March 14. Make plans to attend and enjoy a meal prepared by Chef (also Vice Commodore) Ken Griffin and hear committee reports. The meal will be served at about 6:15 PM. If you have the skills and time, bring a small appetizer or dessert to share. Please send an email to Jimmy and let us know if you will attend the meeting so we can get a count for preparing the meal. Saturday morning we will have a work day to spruce up the place a bit. We do not have a lot to do so let’s start at 10 AM and be finished by noon. The traditional noon meal will be served. Then go sailing. Here are the projects for the day. – Install amplifier on TV antennae. – Blow off roof, deck and under deck. – Blow off pavilion – Blow off the barge – Clean Bath Rooms – Clean main room – Clean Kitchen – Install water cut off valve and pressure regulator – Install sink near grill

All right if you look outside you will see that the Red Buds and Bradford Pears are blooming. What does that mean? Spring has sprung and that means the Spring Racing Season is about to begin. The first race of the Spring Series is scheduled for this Sunday. Skippers meeting at 12, the race begins at 1. If you look at the extended forecast we will have plenty of wind, so all that will be missing is you, if you are not there to enjoy the fun. See you at the Work Day, then at the Spring Meeting and then at the race on Sunday. Gop

The attached photo was taken by Arlene Mueller and shows a fine group of workers on hand to almost complete the rebuild of the new dock. Seems like a couple of workers are missing from the photo. If you were there and not in the photo, please identify yourself. We still have a few items such as the rub rail, the ladder, and putting the finishing touches on the wiring and plumbing. We are waiting on materials to complete these. Thanks to Charlotte for preparing the meal. Jimmy