Time flies when you are having fun .... here it is March already... and we are having fun!
Looking back on February, for being the shortest month of the Year, it certainly out-did itself for this OSC season.
The weekend following our bustling gathering for Buccaneer's Night at Little Joey's was honored with a visit from our Jamaican friend, Ian Gibson. He was in this country for a seminar in Orlando and was able to arrange his weekend to spend some R & R with his sailing friends from afar, which would be us at OSC. John Hult was hospitable and provided a room for him and we had a good time out at Ed & Lynn Sims' porch engaging in some Beer Can Racing, bending the rules to include some imported rum. The highlight was on Saturday Night when we progressed to Gator Joe's for dinner. Andy Forest from Lake Monroe Sailing Association met us there and awarded Ed Sims and crew their belated 1st Place Kettle Cup Trophy (see photo in this newsletter). It was great to see Ian again and we look forward to seeing him and perhaps some other sailors from Jamaica for our April Annual Harpoon Nationals Regatta.
Speaking of our April Regatta, February was the month where the planning pieces all finally came together for that event. The plans as outlined in our last newsletter for the center of operations to be at Carney Island are still as planned. However, Bob Cole announced at our member's dinner meeting that the location for the Thursday night regatta social kick-off will be at Skip and Lou Archibald's home and that the regatta Saturday night dinner will be held at the Loch Harbor Condominium Club House. So, it is a relief to have those details resolved as there were many scheduling complications due to Easter weekend and conflicts in the schedule at the Kiwanis Club and Lake Weir Yacht Club locations.
February 5th, I had the pleasure of attending a remote control sailing event at Lake Vista in Del Webb. Tom Barrett had invited me to attend one of these on any Wednesday or Saturday morning when he engages in this sport with a group of other miniature sailing enthusiasts. The racing class is the RC Soling Sailboats which are 1 meter in length. I even had a turn at sailing one of them. Believe me, it was quite a challenge. I felt quite accomplished and relieved to make it around the course just once. There are some photos of the event in this newsletter. It may inspire some of you to go have a look see at this fascinating hobby. If you do, be sure to talk to Tom.
The Lake Harris adventure armada on Saturday the 15th to the Hideaway Restaurant was really fantastic!. After thinking in the early hours that it might be a blow out, by the appointed hour of 9 AM, the bad weather passed on and a beautiful day emerged. The wind was swift and steady, blowing us easterly directly to our destination. We actually got there a half hour early. The prior 2 years there was so little wind that most of our fleet had to be towed to get there on time. Lunch was great with 16 of our members and guests joining in. The return sail to Venetian Cove ramps had our sails full of wind and it was quite a pleasurable day. The sailboats participating were: Ed Sims' Hunter 23' "Point Blank”, Ross Martin's San Juan 21' “Pivot”, and my Catalina 22' "Wyndrifter". I've heard some of our sailors say that we should plan to do another one of these sails on Crescent Lake. Sounds like a winner to me. What do you think?
The spring intra-lake races are starting the first Saturday of March at Sanford with the 26th Annual Trans-Monroe Regatta. OSC will have 2 boats racing this season:"Point Blank" with Ed Sims, Paul Straub and John Hult; and "Pivot" with Ross Martin and Art Twitchell. Soon to follow on March 15th will be the Shamrock Regatta at Palatka on the St John's River. We are both registered for that too. Wish us luck!
I'd like to close by saying that Mai & I had a wonderful time hosting the February Member's Meeting Pot Luck Dinner. It sure was lots of fun and you folks are the greatest!
Your Commodore,
Art Twitchell
Looking back on February, for being the shortest month of the Year, it certainly out-did itself for this OSC season.
The weekend following our bustling gathering for Buccaneer's Night at Little Joey's was honored with a visit from our Jamaican friend, Ian Gibson. He was in this country for a seminar in Orlando and was able to arrange his weekend to spend some R & R with his sailing friends from afar, which would be us at OSC. John Hult was hospitable and provided a room for him and we had a good time out at Ed & Lynn Sims' porch engaging in some Beer Can Racing, bending the rules to include some imported rum. The highlight was on Saturday Night when we progressed to Gator Joe's for dinner. Andy Forest from Lake Monroe Sailing Association met us there and awarded Ed Sims and crew their belated 1st Place Kettle Cup Trophy (see photo in this newsletter). It was great to see Ian again and we look forward to seeing him and perhaps some other sailors from Jamaica for our April Annual Harpoon Nationals Regatta.
Speaking of our April Regatta, February was the month where the planning pieces all finally came together for that event. The plans as outlined in our last newsletter for the center of operations to be at Carney Island are still as planned. However, Bob Cole announced at our member's dinner meeting that the location for the Thursday night regatta social kick-off will be at Skip and Lou Archibald's home and that the regatta Saturday night dinner will be held at the Loch Harbor Condominium Club House. So, it is a relief to have those details resolved as there were many scheduling complications due to Easter weekend and conflicts in the schedule at the Kiwanis Club and Lake Weir Yacht Club locations.
February 5th, I had the pleasure of attending a remote control sailing event at Lake Vista in Del Webb. Tom Barrett had invited me to attend one of these on any Wednesday or Saturday morning when he engages in this sport with a group of other miniature sailing enthusiasts. The racing class is the RC Soling Sailboats which are 1 meter in length. I even had a turn at sailing one of them. Believe me, it was quite a challenge. I felt quite accomplished and relieved to make it around the course just once. There are some photos of the event in this newsletter. It may inspire some of you to go have a look see at this fascinating hobby. If you do, be sure to talk to Tom.
The Lake Harris adventure armada on Saturday the 15th to the Hideaway Restaurant was really fantastic!. After thinking in the early hours that it might be a blow out, by the appointed hour of 9 AM, the bad weather passed on and a beautiful day emerged. The wind was swift and steady, blowing us easterly directly to our destination. We actually got there a half hour early. The prior 2 years there was so little wind that most of our fleet had to be towed to get there on time. Lunch was great with 16 of our members and guests joining in. The return sail to Venetian Cove ramps had our sails full of wind and it was quite a pleasurable day. The sailboats participating were: Ed Sims' Hunter 23' "Point Blank”, Ross Martin's San Juan 21' “Pivot”, and my Catalina 22' "Wyndrifter". I've heard some of our sailors say that we should plan to do another one of these sails on Crescent Lake. Sounds like a winner to me. What do you think?
The spring intra-lake races are starting the first Saturday of March at Sanford with the 26th Annual Trans-Monroe Regatta. OSC will have 2 boats racing this season:"Point Blank" with Ed Sims, Paul Straub and John Hult; and "Pivot" with Ross Martin and Art Twitchell. Soon to follow on March 15th will be the Shamrock Regatta at Palatka on the St John's River. We are both registered for that too. Wish us luck!
I'd like to close by saying that Mai & I had a wonderful time hosting the February Member's Meeting Pot Luck Dinner. It sure was lots of fun and you folks are the greatest!
Your Commodore,
Art Twitchell
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