Category: Dockside Blog

Take. The. Survey.  

I know, I know, there are too many surveys these days, but we do need your thoughts for the upcoming board meeting. Pleeeaaaasssse take a few minutes and fill it out:

1. Go to this link
2. Login (upper left corner) to your club Express account (this is the account you used to renew your membership).  If you can’t remember your username, most are first initial and last name (and if that doesn’t work, email membership@eyc.org to get your username).  If you can’t remember your password, you can opt to reset it.
3. Once logged in, on the left, there is a box that says “Surveys” .  Hit that and you’re off and running!

Thank you thank you thank you!!!

Race ’til it hurts!

Haven’t had enough racing in this summer? Stop whining, pull on your gloves and slap on the sunscreen because it’s nonstop racing for the next few days. Here is the line up this week:

Tonight (Thursday) – Opti and Flying Scot series racing. Perfect for tuning up. Get out there!

Friday – Laser and 420 series racing. The competition has been tough. Who will come out on top this year? Come watch the competition and join the after-event Potluck to close out the day. Bring something to share.

Saturday morning – Flying Scot series racing. A “must do” if you want to be ready for the Ephraim regatta.

Saturday afternoon – Rich Hall Youth Regatta. the NOR and SI are now posted! This year’s regatta is a one day event. Skippers must be at least 12 years old but must not have reached their 18th birthday.  Crew must not have reached their 18^th birthday. Please pre register now by sending your email to regatta@eyc.org

Sunday – The Laser Regatta. This regatta is open to all ages. Full rig and radials will race together but be scored separately.  We expect to have racers from other clubs so make sure to tune up between now and then. Register early and be sure to indicate if you intend to use full or radial. Please pre register now by sending your email to regatta@eyc.org

Monday – recover.  Take ibuprofen.

Favorite Junior Activity = Water Games!! Wed. July 25th 6-8pm

Do not let junior miss this one (sign up on poster at EYC). And we need some parent volunteers to sign up here.

Commodore’s Office Hours, next two Mondays, 8:30-9:30 am

Jennifer will be at the club, Monday morning on July 23 and 30th, from 8:30 – 9:30. Stop in to say hi and provide thoughts on the EYC, or thoughts on life generally (like, what is the meaning of it all anyway?).

Ephraim Regatta — Deadlines are fast approaching. 

Open Call for EYC Board of Director Nominations

And the volunteer winner is…

Speaking of volunteering… We still need more folks for a few events.

Come in to EYC anytime to pick up your directory.

Serve as a Career Mentor to EYC Staff

We want to hear from YOU!

We really do! And that’s why EYC is launching a member survey from July 20-31st (instructions are forthcoming).  Please keep and eye out for the survey and take the time to respond as this is your chance to share your thoughts, improve the club, and shape its future. Survey responses will be compiled and shared at the August 12th annual meeting. Thank you in advance!

Before we get to the races…

Ladies Potluck tonight at 6pm, Ephraim Village Hall.

Bring a dish to share, and a beverage you want to drink. The club provides plates, utensils, ice and cups, and the chance to jabber with old friends and to jabber with some new ones.

MNOD (Men’s Night on the Dock) Friday, 7:30 pm

Not to be outdone by the women, the men have their own activity with their own catchy acronym. Bring a beverage and something to grill.

Family Regatta is this Saturday July 14th, 10am

Grab your kids, uncle, or great grandma and come compete in the ultimate family challenge. Competition will be intense, so get some practice tonight during the Thursday night series and then bring it this weekend! We’ll have awards, but you know it’s all about the bragging rights.

Rich Hall Youth Regatta (420s) Next Sat. July 21, 1:00 pm

This year’s Youth Regatta will be a one afternoon event on 420s. Skipper must be aged 12-17 (not have reached 18th birthday) and crew must be under 18. Please pre register early by emailing regatta@eyc.org.

Love Lasers?  We have an all-ages Laser Regatta, Sun 7/22 11 am

This is a first, so let’s make it great. Full rig and radials will race together but scored separately.  We expect to have racers from other clubs so make sure to tune up between now and then. Register early and indicate if you intend to use full or radial by emailing regatta@eyc.org.

And… the Aug 4-5 113th Ephraim Regatta needs volunteers!

Sign up to race, or consider helping pull off this EYC signature event. Several members have already agreed to help. Contact Stacy Rieu at eycregatta@eyc.org or (781)366-2397 if you can help:

• Housing for 2 race officers Aug. 3rd & 4th (two beds in one room, or two rooms).
• Safety/Tow Boat for Aug 5th. Even better if you can also drive it, but if not, we’ll find a driver.
• Shifts on Safety/Tow Boats, Aug 4th and 5th.  No racing knowledge necessary. Spend your shift on the water near the racing action, handling anchors and lines, raising and lowering flags.
• Short dock shifts operating the crane, moving trailers (Sat/Sun 8:30-10am, Sat, 3-5pm, Sun.12-2pm).

Bratfest and Commodore’s party still need help too!

Sign up here asap.  Jeanne is starting to panic.

Junior activities continue on Wednesday evenings

Check the poster in the club for info and sign ups. Better yet, have your kiddo do it.

Memorial Service for Elizabeth “Betty” Vail

A memorial will be held for EYC member Elizabeth “Betty” Vail at Blossomberg Cemetary in Peninsula State Park on July 28th at 3:30PM.”

Saturday is the Opti Regatta.  Are you racing?

At the moment we have more racers from other clubs (!) signed up than we do from the EYC! Sign up now and save yourself $20 in late fees if you wait till Saturday. To sign up, send an email to regatta@eyc.org

And next week is the Family Regatta! July 14th.

Get your crew set now. Let’s see if anyone can topple last year’s winners: The O’Rourke’s! (er, no pressure!).

First Mates’ Coffee, Monday at 9 am

Hey Ladies, that’s us!  Stop in upstairs at the clubhouse for a morning coffee and social hour.

Volunteers needed for Bratfest and Commodore’s Party

EYC needs volunteers to help at our most popular events. Volunteering is a way to attend the event and meet other members. Please click on the links to sign up at Bratfest (Aug 4th) or the Commodore’s Party (Aug 11).

Volunteer recognition board now in clubhouse!

Ladies Potluck, Thurs. July 12th, 6 pm, Ephraim Village Hall

Bring a food and/or beverage item to share and join this lively event that is sure to have some incredible food (remember that spectacular mango salsa dish from last year?) and the possibility of a surprise serenading.

Men’s Night on the Dock, Friday the 13th, 7:30 pm.

Looking ahead to late next week, we have MNOD (that’s the latest texting abbreviation for Men’s Night On the Dock).  More details to come.

The Laser/420s Racing Class is back!  Mornings, July 23 – Aug 3.

Is your student interested in improving on the race course?  We’ve added a two week Racing Class in the mornings of Session D (July 23-August 3).  This class (not to be confused with Opti Racing) is taught on Lasers and 420s by returning instructor Derek Waleffe (and is open to students who have passed the Intermediate level).

Classes filling, sign up soon.

Beginner class in Session C (July 9-20) is full in the mornings, but there is still space in the afternoons!  Friday, July 6th, at 2:00 pm is the deadline for 2017 prices for Session D classes.  After that, prices increase by $25 fee per class. Visit www.eyc.org/lessons to register.

New Laser Boat Use Policy: Laser License Needed

The 4.7 rigs and newer Laser hulls have increased the interest of our younger sailors in Laser racing.  This is great!  At the same time, we want to be sure that they have the knowledge and ability to rig and safely sail club boats, and if racing, can get out on the race course on time.  To this end, EYC now requires a Laser Skipper’s License if using a laser outside of lessons, similar to the Skipper’s License for Flying Scots.

Obtaining a Laser License means demonstrating basic proficiency in rigging, sailing and docking a Laser safely.  This can happen in the Intro to Lasers class, or by making an appointment with Club Director, Matt Andersen, to get approved by an instructor or the Laser Fleet Captain, Geoff Werner.  Need a laser rigging demo? Let Matt know, and we will get it on the schedule.  Parents, if you have a Laser sailor, learning to rig is a great way to support your sailor!

Extra Credit!

If you read this whole email, you are awarded a prestigious A+ on blog reading.  Congrats to you!

Our deepest condolences to the Lott Family for the loss of David Stuart Lott, who passed away peacefully on July 19 at Age 74 in South Carolina. David was a longtime EYC member, a former member of the EYC’s Board of Directors, a volunteer legal advisor to the EYC (he redrafted the EYC’s bylaws back in the 1980’s, which are still largely in effect today), a donor to the EYC, and a parent and grandparent to numerous EYC students, staff and volunteers. The full obituary can be found here.

A ceremony is planned in Door County on August 12th, 2018 (details to follow). In lieu of flowers donations can be sent to University of Chicago Cancer Research Foundation, or Friends of Caroline Hospice.

I scream for the Ice Cream Social!  July 4th, 7 pm.

This delicious family event will double as the week’s junior activity. Please bring toppings to share. All ice cream generously donated by IceCreamSource and Jessica and Steve Sauter.

It’s A Page Turner: The EYC DIRECTORY!

Sat. June 23rd OPENING SOCIAL and Related Events:

5:30 p.m. Blessing of Our Fleet.  Please feel free to join us as our fleet gets its annual blessing.

5:45 p.m. Honor Those Who Have Passed. We’ll take a moment to honor and celebrate those valued EYC members we lost this year: Robert C. Davis, Frank J. Heidler III, Elizabeth (Betty) Vail and Thomas (Tom)Waskiewicz.

6:00 p.m. OPENING SOCIAL! The EYC’s Opening Social begins at 6:00 p.m. The EYC will supply wine, beer and soft drinks. Please bring an appetizer to share. The Commodore will introduce the 2018 EYC Staff. Membership directories will be available for pick up during the Social. This event is open to EYC members and guests ages 18 and up, and to all EYC staff. Please, no dogs, cats, or zebras at this event.

Fyr Bal Regatta (Take 2) is on Saturday!

Due to last week’s inclement weather, the Fyr Bal Regatta was rescheduled for this Saturday, June 23^rd.  First warning at 10:00 a.m.

Woohoo! Junior Activity at Red Putter, Wed. June 27, 6-8pm

Got a “junior”? Then you need to know about Wednesday night Junior Activities! Kids of all ages (7 and up) can view the week’s info and sign up on a poster in the EYC. For this week, drop-off and pick-up are at the Red Putter promptly 6-8pm.  We’re always looking for parent volunteers (or teens needing service hours!). Please contact Sibylle Tasker at STasker@eyc.org to help. Trust me, you don’t want junior to miss out on the fun!

More Sailing Classes Have Been Added!  Sign up ASAP, Lessons Are Filling!

We’re updating the offerings now (site will be fully updated this weekend) and adding spots to existing sessions, another Racing class in Session D, and an afternoon Beginner class in Session E.  All Powerboat Skills classes are full except for Session D.  If you ran into a closed class earlier, check back on the website as we added capacity in some areas.  Feel free to contact education@eyc.org with any questions about lessons or camps.

Early bird pricing for Session C ends Friday, June 22 at 2:00 pm.  After that, you can still register, but it will set you back an additional $25/class.

Lunch anyone? Many of our dedicated staff will be teaching both in the mornings and afternoons this summer.  In the past, some generous volunteers have brought down a much appreciated lunch for the staff.  If you would like to do this, please contact Director Matt Andersen to coordinate on a date.  Thank you!

Wanna Race?  

420s and Lasers are on Fridays 6 pm, and Sundays at 1 pm.  Optis start next week on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6 pm (boat draw at 5).  Flying Scots are on Saturday mornings at 10 am with a pre-race tip session at 9. Weekly racing is free for members (that includes anyone enrolled in lessons).

Celebrate Water

Celebrate Water is a year-long series of activities to celebrate Door County’s water, understand the threats to our water, and inspire people to act and protect our water. Learn more here: http://celebratewaterdoorcounty.org/about/

Phew! That’s it for this week.

Friday Night Laser and 420 Races Return

Join us this Friday afternoon for the kick-off to the 420 and Laser Race Series.  Boat draw at 5:00pm with the first race starting at 6:00pm.  Experienced racers, Eric and Jack will assist with pairing sailors and rigging 420s.  Parents are encouraged to watch the fun and setting sun.  Pack up your dinner and bring it to the club.  We’ll fire up the grills immediately after racing.  This is the perfect evening for racers to get to know each other and make plans for summer racing.

Pancake Breakfast Saturday 7:30-10:30!

Attention EYC members & friends: The EYC’s Pancake Breakfast is Saturday, June 16, 7:30-10:30. at the Ephraim Village Hall.  This is a fun and delicious way to kick off your Fyr Bal weekend and to catch up with summer friends.  Breakfast includes pancakes, sausage, juice and coffee for just $10 ($5 juniors aged 10 and under).  All proceeds benefit the EYC!

FYR Bal Cookout – Saturday, June 16, 6:00 pm

Renew During the Membership Grace Period

Our annual membership dues deadline is May 31^st.  If this payment has slipped off your radar, you are in luck.  The EYC by-laws state that June is the “grace period” in which non-renewed members can submit dues payments without additional costs.  Please call membership volunteer, Jodi (920) 421-1652  for assistance with this process.

Directories: Come and get ’em!

Directories will be available Saturday 9-11, Saturday at the cookout, and at the Opening Social on June 23.

Volunteer at the Opening Social June 23rd.

Finally, a heartfelt THANKS to all EYC members and merchants who supported the Aaron R. Moore Scholarship Fundraiser!

Bernard Hayman, the editor of Yachtingworld Magazine, once said; “A man can pretend to be a lot of things in this world; but he can only pretend to be a sailor for as long as it takes to clear the harbor mouth!”   

That is the reality and challenge by which sailors live.  That challenge is repeated, and truth is verified every day at EYC by young and old and by family and friends as it has been for more than 112 years.  The wind, waves and water confirm this every week end with the regattas. Every day throughout this coming season more young sailors will learn and test their skills, young men and women who will grow up understanding reality, without pretense.  Young men and women who will have the self-confidence and the skills to clear the harbor in all endeavors of life.

Sailing is truly a metaphor for life lessons and life skills.  The goal of The EYC – Aaron R. Moore Sailing Scholarship is to continue this legacy by providing sailing lesson scholarships, to the youth of Door County who otherwise could not afford the opportunity.  To date the EYC – ARM fund has provided just under 200 scholarship sessions to the youth of Door County.  That is a direct result of the help of  the EYC supporters who contribute or attend, as well as the merchants, artists, restaurateurs and donors that offer their charitable donations. Our sincere thanks to our wonderful EYC supporters as well as the following merchants for the following for their generous support:

Al Johnson Swedish Restaurant and Butik, Alexander’s of Door County, Artist Bridget Austin, Artsy Studio, Bailey’s Harbor Cornerstone Pub, Bay Shore Outdoor Store, Bea’s Ho-made Products, Bridenhagen Tree and Landscape, Inc.,   Charlies Smokehouse, Chelsea Antiques and Blue Willow, Clay Bay Pottery, Door Artisan Cheeze. Door County Nature Works, Ecology Sports, Frykman Gallery, Gage Fine Imports,  Grasse’s Grill, Hands On Art Studio,  Icecreamsource.com, Illusions In Watercolor,  J. Jeffrey Taylor, Jerry’s Flowers, Joe Jo’s Pizza & Gelato, Karsten Topelman, Hanseutic Art Gallery, Lampert Lumber,  Maxwell’s House, McKeefry & Yeomans LLP, Morning Mist Studio at Windmill Farm, Nathan Nichols & Co, NorDoor Sport and Cyclery,  O’Meara’s Irish House, On Deck Clothing Company, Peninsula State Park Golf Course, Ron Litterst, Artist, Rusty Rabbit Shop, Scrimshander’s,  Sister Bay Bowl, Sister Golden, Tea Thyme in Door County, The Cook Book Kitchen Store, The Fireside Restaurant, The Hillside Inn of Ephraim, The Lodgings at Pioneer Lane, The Main Course, The Oilerie of Fish Creek, Top Shelf Café and Gourmet, Turtle Ridge Gallery, Twisted Tree at the Pharm, Viking Grill and Lounge, Vintique Resale, LLC, Waterfront Restaurant, Yacht Works.

Thank you for believing in this mission as we do!

Races start this Saturday!

The 2018 sailing season is starting!  Officially we begin on June 9^th at 10 AM with the skippers meeting at 9:30.  We will also have our first fleet meeting at 8:45 prior to races.  See you there!

Calling all First Mates to a “Wine and Sign” Monday at 5:30 pm

Our first meeting of the summer is Monday, June 11 at 5:30. We are calling it Wine and Sign, so bring your calendars and be ready to join your friends in planning all our fun events. This is for all women of the club, whether or not you sail, or have kids, or are coming for the first time. It is a great way to meet new people and enjoy your old people, too! We will provide the wine, and if you wish, you can bring an appetizer to share. Please join us as we kick off another wonderful summer in Door County!

EYC Bunco, Monday nights

Our first Bunco of the season will be Monday, June 11. Weekly Bunco meets at 6:30 with play starting at 7:00. This week we follow the First Mates Wine & Sign and all are invited to stay for Bunco. Bring $10. This will be a fabulous opportunity to catch up with old friends and meet some new ones!

Bridge at EYC begins June 11.

Mondays:  Open play, no partner needed, from 1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Tuesdays:  Couples bridge, bring a partner, begin 4:15 p.m., with dinner out option after bridge.  (Note, the Tuesday schedule will begin at 4:30 p.m. instead of 4:15 p.m. during the 4  weeks  of session C and D sailing lessons). Thursdays:  Peer-led lesson reviews, begin 9:30 – Noon. Please confirm with Suzanne Lisle (suzanne@sjlisle.com ) if you plan on attending the Thursday review sessions.  The Thursday review time period becomes open play on August 2.

June 16 Pancake Breakfast Needs Volunteers

This year’s pancake breakfast is June 16th 7:30-10:30 at the Village Hall.  Jane Ford is chairing and once again we need another 20 volunteers (teens are welcome!). A variety of volunteer duties are available including cooks, servers, host or hostess, and door.  Each shift goes pretty quickly and it’s a cheery group.  If you can help out send an email to janer1975@gmail.com and indicate your preference for the first shift (6 AM – 9 AM) or second shift (8:30 AM – 11:30 AM) and preferred duties: door, cook, server, or host/hostess. We will do our best to accommodate everyone’s preference. Thanks in advance for helping with this important EYC fundraiser. Last year we netted almost $1100 for the EYC.

Directory Pick-Up

EYC directories are here and available Monday June 11 @ 5:00 before Firstmates Wine & Sign (with additional pickup times below). Each membership includes one directory (not applicable for student memberships).  If you pre-ordered an additional one, we will have it ready for you. There are a limited number of directories to purchase on site for $10.  Additionally, you can purchase car decals for $5.  New EYC members have a special packet to pick up. Membership cards are now available to download online and print anytime through Club Express.  Access your CE account and Click on “Download My Membership Card” and print as often as needed. Directories can also be picked up on June 16th 9-11 AM or 6-8 PM.  After June 16th, directories will be in the EYC office and staff can check them out.

June 16 Pancake Breakfast Needs Volunteers

This year’s pancake breakfast is June 16th 7:30-10:30 at the Village Hall.  Jane Ford is chairing and once again we need another 20 volunteers (teens are welcome!). A variety of volunteer duties are available including cooks, servers, host or hostess, and door.  Each shift goes pretty quickly and it’s a cheery group.  If you can help out send an email to janer1975@gmail.com and indicate your preference for the first shift (6 AM – 9 AM) or second shift (8:30 AM – 11:30 AM) and preferred duties: door, cook, server, or host/hostess. We will do our best to accommodate everyone’s preference. Thanks in advance for helping with this important EYC fundraiser. Last year we netted almost $1100 for the EYC.