Hi!
As if you haven’t figured it out already – there is no racing tonight! Enjoy your 4th of July and see you next week for the start of Summer Series on July 9th!
– Kathy Rubino
Fleet 519 Secretary
Tag Archives: Ausitn Lake
Letter From the Commodore – 4/29/2024
Ahoy Hoy,
Dear ALCA Fleet 519 members,
As we eagerly anticipate the arrival of warmer weather and the gentle breezes that beckon us back to the water, I am thrilled to extend a warm welcome to each and every one of you as we embark on another exciting sailing season.
Since our humble beginnings in 1984 with just a dozen passionate sailors, our fleet has flourished into a vibrant community of over 30 individuals dedicated to the exhilarating sport of catamaran sailboat racing. From those who are just dipping their toes into the world of sailing to seasoned veterans who have navigated the waters of national and international competitions, our diverse membership truly reflects the breadth and depth of our shared passion.
As we prepare to hoist our sails and set course for adventure, I am reminded of the countless memories we have created together on the water. From the thrill of crossing the finish line in a closely contested race to the tranquil moments spent gliding across the lake at sunset, each experience serves as a testament to the joy and camaraderie that define our beloved sport.
Our sailing schedule for the upcoming season is brimming with excitement, with our Spring Series set to kick off on May 7th, followed by our much-anticipated Summer Series starting on July 9th. Whether you’re a seasoned competitor or a novice eager to learn, there is something for everyone to enjoy as we gather every Tuesday evening at 6:30 PM to share in the thrill of racing and the beauty of Austin Lake.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude to our dedicated officers who tirelessly work behind the scenes to ensure the smooth operation of our club. Your commitment and passion are the wind in our sails, guiding us toward success both on and off the water.
Our current officers are:
– Commodore: Walter Elsner
– Vice-Commodore: Michael Kucharski
– Secretary: Kathy Rubino
– Treasurer: Faith Akert
– Race Chairman (Not an ALCA Officer position): Floating
– Statistician/Scoring/Webmaster: Andy Lenczycki
As we prepare to embark on this new season of adventure, let us remember the values that unite us – sportsmanship, camaraderie, and a shared love for the sea. Together, we will continue to promote the sport of catamaran racing and create memories that will last a lifetime.
Fair winds and following seas, Walter Elsner Commodore
Race Committee Informational Session Sunday May 5th
Happy Spring!
The start of sailing season is quickly approaching with the first Tuesday night race scheduled for May 7th. A big thanks to John Hayward for signing up to be race chair for the first two weeks of racing! Thanks also to the others who have volunteered – I will include the link below so you can see where we are at with our sign ups. Dave and I are planning to hold an informational training session for running our races at our place on Sunday May 5th at 1PM. Dave will have the marks, flags, horns, etc available for demo, and we will go over the running of the program on the tablet for the start sequence as well as the mechanics of the stopwatches for timing the finishes. We’ll also take a look at the forms and have the committee boat binder available so future race chair persons can become familiar with it. Our address is: 5061 South Long Lake Dr. Portage.
Sign up for Race Chair can be found on the following link: Sign Up.
Any questions, please let me know. Also, once you sign up please let me know. The officers ask that you only sign up, do not move the names that are entered already.
Everything is open for discussion, in the event of someone wanting a week that is filled.
We are having it early so it won’t interfere with anyone’s dinner Cinco de Mayo plans! Hope to see you here!
Kathy
ALCA Secretary
Don’t miss the ALCA year end awards banquet!
Reminder that this Saturday, October 2, 2021 is the ALCA Year End Awards Banquet. We have reserved the patio for this event. If the weather is not suited for an outdoor event, we will move to the inside. Please wear your masks and look for more information in our weekly emails.
Where: Main Street Pub, 7509 S. Westnedge, Portage, Michigan
When: Saturday, October 2, 2021
What Time: Beginning at 5 PM – come late and miss the appetizers
Who: All registered fleet members and RSVP’s guests
RSVP To: Julie Lenczycki if you plan on being there
What’s Happening: Year end trophy presentations for A & B Fleet, Most Improved New & Seasoned Skipper Awards, vote on fleet officers for upcoming year (if you are not present, you may be nominated).
Summer Series Week #1 – July 7, 2020
Welcome sailors!
Hopefully, everyone had a nice 4th of July weekend, we saw several boats out practicing and making sure they found all of the boat parts! I have emailed the updated 2020 ALCA Directory (as of tonight) and as you can see, we have some of the ALCA “Sailing Kids” who grew up in the fleet joining us this summer as skippers with their Mom’s as crew!!
The weather forecast for Tuesday looks HOT and sticky…at 6 pm – 91° feels like 94° Sunny WNW 7 mph.
See you at the start 6:30 pm sharp for hopefully two races. Be sure to follow our FB page and look for emails if we cannot sail.
Happy 1st night of Sailing!
Julie Lenczycki, ALCA Secretary
Spring Series week #8 – June 25, 2019
Looks like we will have wind Tuesday, with sunny skies and temps in the 70s. So it’ll be a great day to get out and sail with winds WSW at 10-15 – ish. Win Larsen has graciously offered his pontoon as our committee boat and volunteered to be Race Chair, with John Koryto helping and learning from Win and the rest of the experienced crew of Keith Mortlock and Dixie Stiemsma. We have a boat signed up for the first two Tuesdays in the Summer Series, July 9th and July 16th, but after that, nada. So please consider signing up – racing will be cancelled any weeks we don’t have a boat and Race Chair.
Spring Series Week #4 – May 28, 2019
Here we are at week 4 for the 2019 Spring Series, and I have a great feeling that we will sail today! Winds are predicted to be 8 mph out of the west (SailFlow) at 6 pm, with partly cloudy skies, and temps in the low to mid 60s. Water isn’t too bad off the Austin L shore, but it’s still wetsuit weather in my book! Race Chair for the night is Andy Lenczycki, and the Committee boat is his and Julie’s, with Julie, Keith and Dixie helping to run the races. Remember, we meet at Brewster’s afterwards, and if you haven’t joined yet, tonight would be the time! If you’re not currently listed in the 2019 Series Results, you are not a current member. I will have forms so bring your checkbooks or cash.