June 11, 2020
The best part of writing the Crow’s Nest is being able to broadcast the good news to club members every week.  We’ve all been able to get out and enjoy the lake in our way.  Now we finally get to exercise the right afforded us by the founders of the Club……

Get yourselves put together and get ready to party Corona Virus style…. The first shindig of the year is this Saturday, June 13 from 6:30 to 9:00, at the Yacht Club in downtown Clear Lake.  See your old friends, meet some new friends, but please, keep your distance… None of that lovey, dovey personal contact stuff!  During the socially distanced soiree, a presentation will be made for honors bestowed upon the Club and an individual member by the ILYA.  Recently we’ve had some generous donations made to the club which will be on display during the party, be sure and check those out while you’re socializing!  Thank you to Dave Butler and Linda Paulsen Nerdig for your generosity.

We’re allowed to party that’s the positive; we do have a set of rules we have to follow however… Since normalcy is not on the menu for this event, neither is any potluck/buffet style food! The Ritz Rings and Things food truck will be parked on the east side of the clubhouse for patrons and the public to buy food from 6:30 to 8:00.  We are still under restriction of the Governor’s Proclamation so please review the important info below:

• Due to the restrictions on self-serve and buffets for food, NO FOODshould be brought to the party to share.
• Beer, wine, soft drinks and water will be supplied, although you are welcome to BYOB if you are more comfortable doing so.  Remember, since this party will be at the clubhouse, the only adult beverages allowed are beer & wine—no hard liquor.
• The party will be outdoors only.  However, we will have a tent, and will set up several tables with chairs that are compliant with social distancing guidelines.  You will, of course, be allowed to use the restrooms inside the building as needed.
• IF you use a restroom, please follow up by using the supplied disinfecting wipes to clean the handles on the door, sink and toilet.  The restrooms will have additional cleaning done periodically throughout the evening.
• We ask that all attendees help us comply with the latest social distancing guidance for the State of Iowa, which requires that each group include no more than 10 people, and that each group or individual maintain at least six feet of separation.  So, even though it may be hard, please resist the urge to hug the folks you haven’t seen since last season.
• If you’re feeling ill or nervous about possible exposure please stay home.  We’ll have plenty more parties for everyone to partake in.  It’s best to keep yourself and others safe!

Emily Haugerud has the 2020 Yearbooks in her possession and will be distributing them on Saturday during the party.  Don’t forget to pick them up.  If you’re unable to make it Saturday, we’ll get them to you via snail mail or some other method to be determined by Emily’s ambition to drive all over town!

Hunter Callanan with the North Iowa Corridor and the Vision North Iowa committee is looking for some volunteers.  She is assisting the furtherance of their cause by having a camera crew in town on Thursday June 18 and Friday June 19 to shoot new commercials.  It would be great if we could get some E’s out there with kites up and perhaps some other boats for a varying backdrop??  If you’re willing and would like to lend a helping hand in this venture, please reach out to Hunter!  hcallanan@northiowacorridor.com

On to some racing news…  CLYC News Channel 72 witnessed a very bruising and battering weekend…  Whether it be egos, boats or even one unfortunate sailor, many situations devolved due to the windy and shifty conditions last Saturday.  Public Service Announcement:  Sail boat racing can be a risky endeavor, life jackets do actually save lives and spectators are extremely valuable assets!

The E fleet had some precarious situations.  Lots of close and fast crossings, one boat tipped over, one sailor in the water! When reached for comment, E scow crew Brandon Conway said, “I’m glad I had my life jacket on, I hate wearing them but, it probably saved my life.”  Well said buddy!  Brandon would like to thank many people for their efforts on Saturday; in particular he would like to thank Gerald Peterson for his assistance getting him out of the water and Eric Protzman for rushing him to the ER. Thank goodness the situations turned out ok; Brandon is on the mend at home with relatively minor injuries and the Charlie’s Angels team got the boat back up with no broken bodies or equipment.  For those of you who didn’t see the pandemonium I’m sure the sailors will be available to tell their harrowing stories on Saturday.  When the dust settled it was Mark Tesar winning race 1 and Emily Haugerud winning race 2.

The X fleet continues to impress!  5 races sailed…  Perfect participation in all 5 races!  Great job to all the young ladies and men of the X fleet! Sam Ludwig showed his mettle with a pair of bullets on Saturday followed closely by Leif Lundberg. Did you know all the sailors are still in the Junior Fleet?  That bodes well for our fleet in the years to come!

I can’t let the perfect participation comments go without mentioning the C fleet… The “fair weather fleet” braved some breezy conditions Saturday afternoon and completed one LONG race, an awfully impressive showing in those conditions.  That race was won by Bill Nicholas, followed by Birdsall then Swift.

The largest fleet with 18 registered boats, the MC fleet has only seen a high participation of 10 boats…  Come on ladies and gentlemen, we can do better than that!  Despite the lower turnout the MC fleet has seen some incredibly competitive racing.  Each sailor seems to have had great races and some lackluster ones.  In the end it was the Tesar brothers each taking a gun on Saturday.

If any of you Fleet Captains, sailors or spectators would like to make a report on the racing to submit for the Crow’s Nest please feel free.  I’m sure those not able to hit the water would like to hear more in-depth racecourse happenings and analysis than I’m able to provide!  Let me know if you would like to by shooting me an email at dsallen@cltel.net Those of you that can hit the water, come on out and watch some intense racing, I bet you’d love it!

I believe that’s it for now.  I hope to see everyone in good spirits on Saturday evening!

Stay in the clear air
Dan Allen
MC 2577 – Relentless
dsallen@cltel.net
www.clyciowa.com
www.clycss.com