Category Archives: News

News items related to fleet activity.

News, Series Racing

Spring Series Week 2 – May 10, 2016

We had 9 boats for a first night out last week – nice!
This Tuesday, we’re looking at a 40% chance of rain at race time, with winds out of he east at 12 mph, and very chilly temps with a high of 58 degrees!  Dress warm if you will be sailing, and stayed tuned for any cancellations.  If you have yet to join and pay your dues you can do so at Brewster’s after racing.  If we are cancelled, we still will be going over there.
Thanks to all who showed up this past Saturday for boat tuning!
Events, News

Boat Tuning Event Saturday, May 7th, 2016

So we’re on! Please RSVP and let Kathy Rubino know if you are coming! If you can’t or choose to not bring your boat, you are more than welcome to come out to help or observe from the ALCA gurus.

Here are the details:

  • Meet at the Austin Lake landing at 11 am Saturday May 7th.
  • tune boats there and around the lake at houses who RSVP
  • lunch – either at landing or where ever the group is time and place TBD around 1 pm – 2 pm
  • Race Chair seminar on Dunlap/Rubino pontoon boat 3 – 4 pm – meet at landing if interested
  • A weather-related go or no-go will be decided on Saturday by 10 am. We will e-mail and also post on Facebook if cancelled
  • Possible rain date Saturday May 14th
News, Spring Series

Spring Series Begins 5/3/16

Tomorrow is our first Tuesday for the Spring Series, with sunny skies, temps in the low 60’s and 5 to 7 mph WNW winds.  First starting sequence is scheduled for 6:30 pm.  After the races, we meet at Brewster’s on Portage, for results.  If you have yet to join for 2016, remember to bring your money or checkbook to join – I will have forms.  Our new PRO, Jerry Mohney will discuss the new set up for weekly race chair and committee boating staffing sign-ups.
Remember, we are racing two fleets, Portsmouth A and Portsmouth B with one start for the 2016 Spring Series.
News, Series Racing

Spring Series 2016 Begins Tuesday, May 3!

The first scheduled racing for the Spring Series for 2016 is Tuesday, May 3rd.  Starting sequence will begin at 6:30 PM.

We will be meeting for results afterwards at Brewster’s on Portage Road once again.

Don’t forget your membership fees are due NOW!  You won’t be scored if you’re not a current member.  You can pay ALCA Treasurer Faith Akert at Brewster’s Tuesday night.

Watch here for updates on possible weather related delay or cancellation for Tuesday’s racing.

 

News, Series Racing

Important Information from the 4/2/16 Fleet Meeting

  • The new by-laws were voted on unanimously by all members who voted, representing >50% of the fleet membership.  A big thanks to all who took time to go to the meeting as well as those who voted.
  • These by-laws allowed for a PRO (Principal Race Officer) who will lead a team of weekly race chairmen.  Thank you Jerry Mohney for volunteering to be ALCA’s first PRO and coming up with this plan!  The PRO is a  newly added Fleet Officer, per the revised fleet by-laws.  Jerry will be managing three sign up sheets for the racing season:
  1. Pontoon boats used for weekly races (typically, the owner/driver will be scored Help points for their time and volunteering their boat).  This person may be the weekly Race Chairman, but not necessarily.
  2. Weekly race chairmen (who doesn’t have to be the pontoon  boat owner, who will be making the on-the-water calls for the night), who will also be scored Help points.
  3. Committee boat volunteers.   Depending on the amount of help on the boat already available, this person may not be scored Help points.  Jerry will be the arbiter of this and you should know going onto the boat whether you are eligible for Help points or not.

We are pretty much set for the first month of the Spring Series.  You can refer to your new by-laws that had been sent out a few weeks ago for more details on the different responsibilities of the PRO and weekly race chairmen.  We ask all members help keep the races running – either by assisting on committee boat or by being a weekly race chair.  With this current system, you DON’T have to live on the lake or be a pontoon boat owner.  If everyone does a stint, then no one person needs to take all the responsibility for the season.

  • Spring Series:  Tuesday May 3rd to June 21st
    Summer Series:  June 28th to Sept 6th   No racing on July 5th.  
  • For BOTH Spring and Summer, we will be racing Portsmouth A and Portsmouth B, with one start.  The start sequence for the first race each Tuesday is scheduled to start at 6:30 pm.
  • We will be going to Brewster’s on Portage Rd for the year – unless notified otherwise.  Thank you Win for taking care of this!
  • We will set the dates for the Pontoon Float Party as well as the Year – End Party during the season.  Stay tuned!
  • There may be a regatta in St. Joe in September – Cesar Santana and Jesse Ward will be forming a committee of fleet members to explore this option.
  • Lastly, the Saturday before the season starts, April 30th, is not going to work for a boat tuning day.  This has been rescheduled for May 7th, at 11 AM at the Austin Lake Public Access.   More info on this to follow.

 

Events, News

Important Fleet Meeting Sat. April 2, 2016

ALCA Fleet #519 Spring Kick-off Meeting and Hobie Stone Soup Gathering

When:  Saturday, April 2, 2016
Where:  the Akert’s—9702 East Shore Drive
Time:  5:00 Meeting; 6:30 Dinner
We are anticipating some changes to the ALCA Fleet Bylaws which will require input and voting by all fleet members, along with other important pre-season decisions (how many fleets, season start dates, how many starts, etc.).  Since no one has volunteered to be the fleet Race Chairman for the season, additional changes are being contemplated to the Fleet Bylaws.
The Party Committee will get the basic soup ingredients
(broth and meat) and fleet members need to bring the add-ins
whether it be a can of healthy veggie soup, a cup of cut up
veggies (carrots, celery, tomatoes, squash, potatoes, peas,
corn, green beans), a spice packet, can of beans or pre-
cooked pasta. We will put all into the pots and while we are
meeting, the soup will simmer and the flavors meld together!
Margaret has volunteered to make bread for this gathering so
you can bring either an appetizer, salad or a dessert. BYO
Adult Beverages.  The fleet will have some sodas and the
utensils.
RSVP to Faith at 269-327-5427 by March 29
or:   Stone Soup Party
Stone-Soup-pot-yellow-bkgd-250x214
News

2016 ALCA Fleet Meeting – Save This Date

We will be having our first fleet meeting of the 2016 season on Saturday, April 2, 2016.  The meeting will be at Faith & Ken Akert’s house.  Of HIGH importance for this meeting is to discuss and adopt the procedure that will be used to run races this year, since we had NO ONE step up and agree to be the Race Chairman for the year.  The officers had a meeting and with input from other past fleet officers have come up with some ideas for this year.  It’s important that EVERYONE be in attendance when we set the direction for the fleet for the upcoming racing seasons.

Specific details of time and what the fleet may be furnishing for the meeting will posted once the party committee has convened.

News, Series Racing, Summer Series

100+ Additional Pictures Added to 7/28/15 Photo Gallery

Going thru pictures recently, I found that I had not uploaded all the pictures taken from the 7/28/15 Tuesday night racing.  Those pictures have been added to the 7/28/15 gallery of photos.  Many are VERY similar to ones already posted, but others are new posts of pictures that have been straightened (horizon line) and color corrected.

Events, News

2015 ALCA Year End Banquet Wrapup

Thanks to the ALCA Party Committee (Julie Lenczycki, Lori Mohney, Margaret Larse, & Kathy Rubino) who organized the Year End Banquet at Fieldstone Grill. The venue was nice and relaxing and the food was great.

Thanks to Win & Margaret Larsen for hosting the Pre (and Post) Banquet Party at their house, and putting out a spread that was fabulous!

Congratulations to our Most Improved New & Experienced Skippers for 2015:
Chad VanderKlok – Most Improved New Skipper 2015
Doug Brown – Most Improved Seasoned Skipper 2015

Thanks to our outgoing 2015 ALCA fleet officers:
Win Larsen – Fleet Commodore
Dave Dunlap – Fleet Vice Commodore
Jerry Mohney – Race Chairman
Your individual contributions to the fleet this past year are much appreciated.

Thank you to the following fleet officers for their work and contributions in 2015 and for agreeing to serve another year in their continuing fleet positions:
Kathy Rubino – Fleet Secretary
Faith Akert – Fleet Treasurer
Andy Lenczycki – Fleet Statistician & Webmaster

STILL NEEDED for the 2016 sailing season, is the Fleet Race Chairman, who is responsible for setting the course each race night and determining when the races will be cancelled due to unfavorable or unsafe weather conditions.

Finally, congratulations to our two new incoming ALCA fleet officers:
Cesar Santana – Fleet Commodore
Jesse Ward – Fleet Vice-Commodore
We look forward to your stewardship and leadership in the upcoming year.

News, Spring Series, Summer Series

Final Results for 2015 Sailing Series All Posted

The Final Results of the Spring Portsmouth, Summer A Portsmouth and Summer B Portsmouth series racing is now posted on the Results page.

Based on the number of sailors in the “core fleets” (sailors that sailed at least 60% of the actual races raced in the series) for each fleet, and going at LEAST 50% deep into a core fleet, year end trophies will be awarded as follows:

Spring Portsmouth Fleet:  10 Races raced, 10 races x 60% = 6 races (sailors who raced at least 6 races in the Spring series are part of the “core fleet”), 19 Sailors in core fleet, 19 sailors x 50% = trophies awarded to 10th place.

Summer Portsmouth B Fleet:  17 Races raced, 17 races x 60% = 10 races (sailors who raced at least 10 races in the Summer series are part of the “core fleet”), 8 Sailors in core fleet, 8 sailors x 50% = trophies awarded to 4th place.

Summer Portsmouth A Fleet:  17 Races raced, 17 races x 60% = 10 races (sailors who raced at least 10 races in the Summer series are part of the “core fleet”), 12 Sailors in core fleet, 12 sailors x 50% = trophies awarded to 6th place.

Awards for the Most Improved New and Seasoned Skipper will be awarded at the year end banquet on Saturday, October 3, 2015.

Sailors that didn’t qualify for one of the above trophies are eligible for a participation brass plate to add to their trophy base, if they sailed at least 50% of the actual races for the ENTIRE YEAR.  The cost of the brass plate is $5.00.  If you are eligible for the participation brass plate and don’t yet have a trophy base, you will be provided with one free of charge.

All fleet members that are eligible for one (or more trophies) or a participation plate, will be contacted via email by Andy Lenczycki during the week of September 21, 2015 to get any specific information required for your individual brass plate.  If I haven’t gotten a response back by Friday, September 25, you may not get a plate (or it may not display the full/correct data).