Howdy from Bob Duff Sunday August 24, 2008,Above Jim Ayer pictures our favorites for 2009 RACE COMMITTEE LEADERS! It's TRACEY & RICK for our next pick and they don't yet know it! That is the Meyers if you had not figured it out! Her IBM background should help clear up some of the EYC web site mess and they both know sailboat racing. The web's problem is one of data management. Jack Cochrane and Jeff Wargo operate alone in what appears to be a vacuum of computer effectiveness. Please join me in opposing expenditure for a new web which will be no improvement if data management continues as at present.
Below are three more of Jim's photos catching the spirit of this wonderful sport.
These are the Junior Olympics Festival in Rockport earlier this month. The bottom one should truly be titled "ARE WE HAVING FUN YET?". As noted previously, I cannot tell you names since "management" controlled scratch sheets in such a fashion to exclude DUFFSTUFF. It certainly was not an intentional act! Any questions?
The seventh PHRF NE race for Line #1 could not have been much better except for a mix up for David Hoyt and his Melges 32 #141 GOAT. Enough confusion drifted from the protest hearing about the proper windward mark in race #7 to drop GOAT into second place for Class 2 - (YELLOW) behind Cindy and Jud Smith sailing AFRICA # 50141 into first place. I believe that this was the only protest on our line for the regatta with David initiating action against the race committee. Official details are seldom laid out for us "outsiders", but the posted scores tell the story.
When I was a youngster racing boats at my old Chicago Yacht Club, anyone was welcome to sit quietly at a protests hearing to expand their racing knowledge. It is rumored that this is not the practice here in the East. It certainly is not obvious that people are welcomed to observe. I really found it rather boring after a while, but several people today expressed that sailors should be welcomed to sit in without comments! Why not ask "the boss lady" about it?
SHOUT #51918 a Farr 40 owned by Shout Racing was first in RED Class 1 followed by Tom Linkas' INDRA #522354. In Class 3 YELLOW John Downey was first with his GAMBLER #41711 followed by Bruce Dyson's 8 meter PLEIONE #38. Phil DiCarlo took first in GREEN Class 4 on HOTSPUR #40656 throwing out a second trouncing the fleet with Peter Engel's GOLDENEYE #40180 getting the second.
Joel Gardner and Cheryl Byrne served on the race committee mark boat while "Questy" Gringe and Ashley Boyle handled the pin boat. PRO Susie Schneider summoned Ashley to help on ETO with the confusion of scoring thirty-nine PHRF yachts which seem to hit the finish line simultaneously. Ashley helped Jennifer Tegfeldt and timer Brad Marvin support Susie's finish line calls. Susie directed me to help with a small task which I enjoyed doing (even though I muffed it). I was flattered to be noticed. During a brief lull, I jokingly asked how I was selected for this job. Her very serious answer was "you are the bottom of the barrel!" No smiles! Any questions?
See you next Saturday for our final sailing weekend this year. Maybe I will find some additional pictures by then! I might just scoop a shot or two from the uncommented EYC webb site since none of them are available for DUFFSTUFF directly. Any questions?
Please note that MADDIE's SAIL LOFT OF MARBLEHEAD has re-opened after being closed for several months. The POOPS recently met the new owner Loretta Lang and her very cute bar maid Ashley Valentini with her interesting tattoo. I told her I would mention her in DUFFSTUFF and try to make her famous. You know like "wanna be in the movies, honey?". Jim Ayer used that line for years between marriages. She said "I make myself famous!". Anyway, Maddie's is the building where Ted Hood operated his first sail loft. They are open daily for lunch downstairs and again at 1730 hours for dinner upstairs. Further, POOPS is a group formed by Jim Ayer and Roger Drumm for luncheon with an invited guest each week. They invited me a while back and cannot get rid of me. Prosperous Old Obnoxious People Socializing is the translation of POOPS.
With summer sailing ending, Gaele and Jim McCully suggest that DUFFSTUFF write about sailing things like "How to Time the Starts for Yacht Races". That should give Susie S. something else to think about. But of course, she does not have time to read anything I write.
