If you missed the fleet meeting on Saturday April 27th – here’s what you missed:
Spring Series: May 7th – June 25th One portsmouth fleet (one start) unless there is sufficient B-Fleet attendance the first three weeks that are sailed
Summer Series: July 9th – July 10th Two portsmouth fleets (one start)
Gather at Brewster’s after racing or sooner if racing is cancelled
Committee boat sign ups will be on Google Docs as well as hard copy each Tuesday night after racing. A link will be provided in the near future. We are set for the first 6 weeks for pontoon boats and for people at least the first 2 weeks (May 7th and May 14th). Thank you in advance to Keith Mortlock and Dixie Stiemsma for their help on committee boat! If there is a week without a pontoon to use for committee boat, racing will be cancelled.
Saturday May 4th is the rescheduled date for the Tuning seminar. 10 am at the Austin Lake Public Access.
A Hobie Worlds (Captiva Island, FLA) update was given by Lori Mohney – looks like an awesome event is taking shape, however the Youth Division may not happen due to lack of registrants.
We discussed the possibility of designing rashguards (UV shirts) commemorating our 35th year of Fleet 519. Stay tuned.
CRAM update: Michigan City (3 day regatta, June 21st, 22nd, 23rd) is also a Hobie Pts Regatta (Fleet 126)
Hobie Fleet 126 also plans to host a series of 1 day sailing events: July 20th, August 17th, Sept 1st. at the same venue as MIchigan CIty regatta, stay tuned for further details. the following days after each have been saved as rain/weather dates.
With all this fun stuff going on and socializing, we did not get a change to hold our auction! We have lots of great prizes, so stay tuned for the officers plans – either a 35th Anniversary party or maybe a weekly drawing after racing.
Lastly, after the meeting was adjourned, we had a volunteer to fill the vacant Vice Commodore spot. In order to make this official (by-laws), we have to gather for a short meeting to agree as a fleet (or vote this person in, in the event there are others who are interested). This will occur Tuesday May 7th at Brewsters, either after racing or instead of racing if we are cancelled. The Dunlap/Rubino pontoon will be our RC boat for the first two weeks, launching from Jeff Daane’s. Stay tuned to e-mails and Facebook in the event of an uncooperative Mother Nature.
The Hobie boat tuning and rigging seminar scheduled to begin at 10 AM at the Austin Lake Public Boat Access on Saturday, April 27th has been postponed to the following Saturday, May 4, 2019 at the same time and location. The postponement is due to the forecasted inclement (cold and rainy) weather.
NOTE: The ALCA Spring meeting is still on the schedule for Saturday, April 27th at 5 PM at Brewster’s Pub on Portage Road.
The season-opening get together and Spring Fleet meeting with be held on Saturday, April 27th, at Brewster’s Fine Food and Spirits on Portage Road. Important dates and the exact format for racing this year will be decided by the fleet at this meeting – don’t miss it!
Schedule of events:
5:00 pm arrive, socialize, order beverages and turn in membership forms (appetizers will be served)
5:30-6:30 meeting
dinner and auction (like last year – each person turning in memberships will be given ALCA Bucks to bid on various fun prizes)
After the gathering at Brewster’s, we’ve been invited back to Julie & Andy Lenczycki’s house for a bonfire (weather permitting). BYOB and BYOC (Bring Your Own Chair). Their address is 9833 Woodlawn Dr, Portage (on Austin Lake).
Should be a fun time! A Facebook invite has also been sent.
Boat Tuning Saturday, April 27, 2019
There will also be a tune-up event the morning of that Saturday, April 27th. We have several seasoned sailors willing to share their expertise at the landing (or at your place, if your boat is on the lake). Event will begin at 10 AM at the Austin Lake Public Boat Access. A make-up date of May 4th (Otherwise known as Star Wars’ Day) is available if the weather turns ugly. Stay tuned! Please contact Dan Troup or Kathy Rubino if interested.
Watch this website or the ALCA Facebook page for the specifics, time and location for the Boat Tuning Seminar on 4/27/19.
As a reminder, 2019 will be a fun year for ALCA…it’s our 35th Year!!! Yep, some of us have been racing on Austin Lake since before others were even born!! Kathy and I have been going through old stuff and have some pretty cool things from the past!!! Does anyone know who Mr. Austin Lake is?? I saw him at the Kalamazoo airport a few weeks ago, we were on the same fog delayed flight to Detroit…or did you know that for the Austin Lake Regatta in 1998, you could rent an Airbnb before that name even existed…found my coupon for a free night’s stay!!
Given this, the new slate of officers for 2019 will be meeting in the upcoming days to start to get things rolling for the year. An upcoming FLEET meeting will be announced soon.
Good News/Bad News: Our 2019 fleet Vice Commodore, Austin Lee has graduated from WMU and taken a job in (and will be moving to) Petosky Mi. Austin is one of our fleet members who was born AFTER the fleet started in 1984. We wish him all the luck in his new job and location and look forward to seeing him at upcoming sailing events. It would be nice to have someone step up for Vice Commodore and run our education program to replace Austin.
Our 2019 Fleet Officers
Commodore: Dan Troup
Vice Commodore: need somebody to volunteer
Race Chair/PRO: Julie Lenczycki will step up to coordinate but will lean on others for advice .
Pictures that Julie Lenczycki took when on the committee boat the night of August 28, 2018 are now posted on the Photos > 8-28-18 Tuesday Night Racing menu.
Our last week of racing for the Summer Series is upon us. Where did the year go? Today’s forecast calls for highs in the middle 70s inland and at the Lake Shore. Winds variable to SSW 5-10 mph. For tonight, winds SE 5 mph.
Depending on the actual wind conditions, watch for the possibility of an A-C course with an UPWIND finish line, or possibly an A-B-C (no gates – round all marks on your port side) course.
David Dunlap is the Race Chair for this Tuesday night with Dixie and Keith and maybe Steve Brown, but could use one additional person to assist. The forecast is light winds so watch our FB page and email…it was pretty glassy flat tonight when I got home from work :(. Let’s hope the wind is in our favor….see you on the water!
As noted in the ALCA Pontoon Float Recap post, it was advanced, discussed and voted by present fleet members that we would extend the Summer series to the full amount of 10 weeks, as previously sailed in years past. This means we will be sailing past the end of August, to include September 4th and 11th.
Great time at Sunday’s Annual Pontoon Float and like usual, it was hard to get off the water!! Thanks to all who supplied the Jell-O shots, everybody sure enjoyed them!! Check out some photos posted on Facebook….if you are not a member of our closed group, friend me and I will send you an invite to join in the fun!!
NOTE: After dinner, we had some discussion about extending the summer series and those in attendance voted to do so for two more weeks!The Lenczycki’s volunteered their pontoon boat for September 4 and 11 with Austin signing up to be the Race Chair on the 4th. Andy will need help on the 11th because I will be on an adventure in Portugal with our daughter Erin, please let him know if you can assist.
Our IHCA liaison, Lori Mohney, got us excited to consider racing in the 22nd Hobie 16 Worlds in Captive Island, Florida! The last time they were held in the USA was 35 years ago!! We have several ALCA members considering to compete or maybe just go and support our fleet members who plan to sail. Mark your calendars for November 1-16, 2019 and here is the link to the event – https://hobieworlds.com/
Dave Stiemsma volunteered last Tuesday at Brewster’s to be the Committee Boat this Tuesday so races are on!!
There has been talk of extending racing to September 4th – think about it and let’s have some discussion this Tuesday at Brewster’s.
I posted on the Facebook page the party invite but some of you are not on FB so here is your official invite for the Annual Pontoon Float – please rsvp to either FB or this email by Friday, August 3.
When: Sunday, August 5th meet at the deep spot around 2:00 with your motor boat and bring ties to connect the boats. Message me if you need a ride to the party on the water.
What to bring: a snack and your own beverages for the pontoon AND a dish to pass, lawn chairs for the dinner and any adult beverages.
We will try to get off the water by 5:30 to have dinner at the Lenczycki host house – 9833 Woodlawn Drive. The fleet will provide everything for pork tacos, including some lettuce wraps and the slaw, along with lemonade. We will have yard games and maybe get the volleyball net out for some more fun!
I have included some previous members, if you want to join us it will be $5 or you can join as social members for $10 and be included on our Year End Party too…hint, hint! Same goes for significant others and kids under 18 are free.
Looking ahead, I’m traveling most of September and into October so vote for one of these possible dates for the Year End Party –
September 22,
October 6,
October 13, or
October 20.
BTW, October 6th is WMU’s Homecoming game against EMU so this would not be my first choice and I can make the other days work with travel schedule and our incredible Social Committee members!! Any suggestions as to where to have the YE party??
See you on the water Tuesday and don’t forget the sunscreen next Sunday!
