Can you believe it, we finally got some rain and from the look of the forecast, we’re going to get more!  That’s great news for the lake level, at the time of this article the lake is 8.75 inches below the weir. Many docks and lifts are in, a few boats and many are itching to hit the water and reclaim our sea legs before the start of the season.  The fishermen have been out in droves; I’ve even seen a wakeboarder and someone sailing a Hobie Wave… I didn’t get a chance to stop and talk to that sailor, so if someone knows who that was, please let me know.

This Saturday, April 27th is the first official event of the YC season; 9am to noon is the annual Clean Up Day at Yacht Club headquarters. As usual, Margaret Oz is in charge of making the grounds around the Club pretty and ready for the various functions being held there.  Please be sure to bring your rake and be ready to tackle various tasks.  Suitable cleaning supplies will be made available for the interior of the building; plenty of muscle will be needed again this year!

Just 12 days remain to get your membership completed!  Head out to the CLYC website, https://www.clyciowa.com/membership-info/dues/ to register today! Social members, don’t forget to check mark the auto-renewal option! You don’t want to miss the deadline and not make it in our always beautiful Yearbook. Every year our Club publishes the Yearbook and each year it continues to get better!  Emily Haugerud and Meg Casey-Paine work tirelessly putting together the ads, pictures, previous years’ results and of course contact information for Club members.

Commodore Casey Callanan and his lovely bride Hunter will be holding the kickoff to the CLYC Social calendar on June 1st!  The YC building in gorgeous downtown Clear Lake will be the site of the event. Of course I’ll have more information on this as the time gets closer.  In case you’re curious and haven’t read previous Crows Nests (shame on you if you haven’t!), the social calendar looks like this:

• June 1st @ CLYC Building
• June 15th @ Callanan/Hanson Residences
• July 20th @ Zanios Residence
• August 13th and 16th – ILYA Regatta Parties at the Surf  (more info coming)
• September 2nd @ CLYC Headquarters  – Awards Banquet and Annual Membership Meeting

Only one month left on the countdown I personally started last Labor Day…Saturday, May 25th is the start of our Club racing season. The racing schedules will remain the same, with the exception of the Sunday afternoon dates and those fleets racing. The E fleet will continue racing those select Sunday afternoons, however, this year they’ll be joined by the, dare I say, growing C fleet…For our new members and more forgetful folks, the schedule is as follows:

• Saturday morning at 9:30am – MC, M15, X
• Saturday afternoon at 2:00pm – E, C, Hobie (back-to-back races)
• Sunday morning at 10:00am – MC, M15, X
• Sunday afternoon at 2:00pm – E and C (4 dates – back-to-back races)
  • 6/9, 6/30, 7/21 and 8/4

As always, be sure to have your radio on and tuned to Channel 72 about an hour before racing starts. Wind and water conditions along with the intent or lack thereof is discussed at this time; other conversation of witty variety is often contributed by our race officers which is a welcome start to every race session.

The CLYC is bucking the National trend of falling participation in sailboat racing… Our fleets continue to grow! Our junior sailors are making their presence known not only sailing X boats but branching out into the Melges 15, E’s and C’s!  Keeping these young sailors engaged and bringing more water lovers to the Club is paying dividends; let’s continue our upward trend and get as many people on the water as possible!

The growth and the dividends we’re seeing are a direct result of the work done by the Sailing Center; the job of the all volunteer board is amazing and the skills of our instructors continue to impress! They bring in a fresh crop of new sailors every year and keep them engaged year after year! This year the Center has 8 weeks of instruction for everyone!  Young to old, they can help you develop the necessary skills to enjoy the water powered only by nature for a lifetime! Check out the Sailing Center website for all the details: www.clycss.com

The largest event in Club history is happening this August.  From August 11th – 17th the CLYC will be hosting the 126th ILYA Championship Regatta.  A 7 day event, 28 scheduled races in 4 classes… For over a year the regatta planning committee has been working to create an event showcasing not only a fantastic sailing venue, but a town and Club which can entertain and host as well! The City of Clear Lake, along with the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce have been amazing to work with and helpful every step of the way! Now it’s time for the membership to show its talent and hospitality.  Every regatta takes a multitude of volunteers; this one will be no exception. All hands on deck for this one! I’m sure we can count on each and every one of you!  Please contact Julie Oltrogge via email at julieoltrogge@gmail.com to volunteer your time.  The regatta organizers aren’t asking you to volunteer all week; if you can that’s great but it’s not necessary.  They will find a spot for you!

The A boats kick off racing Sunday night; from Monday through Wednesday the A’s and MC’s both race using opposite ends of the lake. Rolling in Wednesday afternoon and beginning racing on Thursday will be the E’s and C’s.  Those fleets then race on opposite ends of the lake through Saturday, August 17th.  In case you’re wondering about the number of boats, the regatta committee has that approximate answer: 20 A’s, 50+ E’s, 40+ C’s and 50+ MC’s… This regatta is going to be EPIC! For the complete schedule and additional information please visit  https://ilya.org/2024-ilya-championship

Have you ever wondered what elite racers think about sailing, racing and winning? Many of us are good to great in our club racing; here’s a gentleman who travels the world and proves his excellence every step of the way while remaining humble and true to his roots. Terhune’s Take On A Winning Streak | Sailing World

One last reminder for this week; please go out and pay your membership if you haven’t yet! Next week will bring a more indepth preview of the events at the CLYC.  Until next time friends…

Stay in the Clear Air,

Dan Allen
MC 2811 – Relentless
dsallen@cltel.net
www.clyciowa.com
www.clycss.com