March 2018- April 2018
Ahoy WYC! The sun has finally made an appearance and bringing favorable winds and water back to our channel. The boaters are returning and the sounds of work in progress can be heard throughout the marina.
WYC has a busy spring calendar guaranteed to get everyone out on the Bay and looking to points beyond the Ship Channel.
See below for the WYC March news and the details on upcoming events- mark your calendars for the Race to Freeport happening March 30th- April-1st.
Commodore’s Message
A standing ovation to the 2017 WYC board for continuing to enhance the overall quality of our yacht club during the past year. Fortunately, many board members have volunteered to stay on in different roles to further this excellence. Their time and commitment to the club is greatly appreciated! Within the first month, many activities have been outlined and scheduled for the upcoming year.
- Peanut Regatta Series
- Ongoing Educational Seminars
- New Membership Wine & Cheese Social
- Sailing Angels Charity Participation
- Freeport Charity Regatta
- Monthly Happy Hour Social Activities
- WYC Gumbo Cookoff
- Redfish Raft-up
- Pine Wood Boat Races
- WYC International Night
- WYC Birthday Bash
- Annual Chili Cookoff
- Holiday Dessert Party & Boat Light Judging
The recent Havana Nights Themed Commodore’s Ball was a huge success and a great start to a marvelous 2018. Again, this year, we acknowledged our former Commodore, Larry Wiper’s birthday during the Ball.
I challenge you to increase participation, recruit fellow boat neighbors, and make YOURWaterford Yacht Club even better in 2018! Remember to check the on-line calendar on a regular basis for newly added activities during the month. And lastly, hold on to the handrails, because it’s going to be exciting year!
Mike Pantoja – WYC 2018 Commodore
On The Horizon: The Month Ahead
Upcoming events: Watch for and respond to evites. .
- Freeport Regatta: Friday,March 30th- Sunday, April 1st
- April Happy Hour: Friday, April 6th 6:30-9:00 PM Pavillion B
- April WYC Board Meeting: Saturday, April 14th 9:00-10:00 AM
- Sailing Angel Presentation: Saturday April 14th 10:00 AM (immediately following the Board Meeting)
- Bling and Baseball Party: Saturday, April 14th 6:00-9:00 PM Pavillion B
- USCG Auxiliary Boat Safety Check: Saturday, April 21st 9:00 AM-12:00 PM
- Peanut Race Schedule for March : March 4th, March 17th and March 24th. Start time around 1:00 PM between Clear Lake Channel Markers #1 and # 2.
- Peanut Race Schedule for April: April 8th, April 15th, April 22nd, and April 29th. Start time around 1:00 PM between Clear Lake Channel Markers #1 and # 2.
Remember to check the calendar on the web site for more information on all scheduled events! https://www.waterfordyc.com/event-calendar/.
Freeport Regatta:
Waterford Yacht Club is conducting a sailboat regatta from the Houston Ship Channel to Freeport on March 30th- April 1st. The sailboat racers will start the long weekend with a run offshore from Galveston to Freeport, while the powerboats can cruise the ICW and meet up with the racers for an overnight stay in Bridge Harbor. Friday night at Bridge Harbor will be Taco Bar night. The club will provide chicken and beef tacos with all the fixings so please bring a side dish or desert to share with your fellow mariners. From there, we plan to spend a leisurely morning / afternoon running the ICW back to Pelican’s Rest for another overnight stay before closing out the weekend with the final run back to Waterford Harbor on Sunday. Saturday night will be burger/beef night so please bring a side dish or desert to share.
The regatta will be governed by the rules as defined in the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) for 2016-19. The sailing instructions are available on the Regatta Network. This regatta has two classes; PHRF Spinnaker and PHRF Non-Spinnaker. Registration is now open and all race documents are available online via Regatta Network:
http://www.regattanetwork.com/event/16175#_docs
The link can also be found on the Waterford Yacht Club page under the Regatta Info tab.
Participants in the Freeport Regatta will also be able to utilize Race Q. Registration is free and available at www.raceq.com. You will be able to record and replay the entire race in 3D and all you need is a GPS or smart phone.The link will also be available on the WYC website.
Racers Registration Fee: $50, payable by credit card through the Regatta Network.
WYC Power Boats and Sailing Non-racers: Open the Regatta Network site above and download the over night reservations and wavier documents. There is no charge for anyone who is not racing.
WYC will have a block of slips set aside in both Bridge Harbor Marina in Freeport and Pelican’s Rest Marina in Galveston. Everyone using a slip in Freeport at Bridge Harbor must make a reservation with the Harbor Master at 979-233-2101. Each boat owner will need to contact the WYC marina reservation coordinator, Doug Catenaci, at 713-517-4184 to reserve your slip at Pelican Rest Marina. Contact information for each marina can be found in the race documents posted with the regatta network. Each boat will be responsible for the cost of the slip for both Bridge Harbor and Pelican Rest Marinas.
WYC Registration Deadline: Register by March 24 by filling out the forms or by contacting: fleetcaptain@waterfordyc.com
Skippers Meeting: March 23 at 7:30 PM at the Waterford Marina (Ice House). Hand in any forms now.
Additional details can be found at www.waterfordyc.com.
Welcome Aboard
Please be on the lookout for the following new members and welcome them to the club!
Name Boat Name Boat Location
Michael and Simone Gordon Navarre Pearl Pier 9/Slip 36
Visit the website URL: http://www.waterfordyc.com for information on joining or renewing your membership.
Lost and Found
A light grey hoodie was left at Sundance Grill after the WYC annual meeting. Please contact Daven Voorhies at davensport@sbcglobal.net to claim the hoodie.
Under the Keel: Scuttlebutt and Rumor
New Member Wine and Cheese Party
The new Member Wine and Cheese Party was held on a beautiful Saturday night in Pavillion B. The evening was hosted by our Commodore, Mike Pantoja, and his wife,Tina. Tina created a beautiful charcuterie board and artisanal cheese offering that covered two tables. Every cheese was accompanied with the perfect meat, fruit, condiment, nut, olive, pickle,bread, cracker, etc. to showcase it’s flavor. It was perfectly done and a wonderful way to show off our club to new and prospective members.
The evening entertainment was provided by the fine wine and great company. Captain Dave, from the Sailing Angels organization, attended the party and gave a brief presentation on the Sailing Angels and their mission in the community. More information on how to get involved with the Sailing Angels Organization will be presented to WYC members by Captain Dave on April 14th, immediately following the Board Meeting. Mike presented Captain Dave with a check from the Waterford Yacht Club to the Sailing Angels representing the funds collected for the charity by the WYC 2017 Charity Regatta.
On the lighter side, the Rain Gutter Regatta was held after a bit of wine was consumed. Our illustrious Commodore (and event co-host) ran a very competitive and efficient regatta that kept the vessels in motion and the sailors out of breath. The victorious couple, Nancy and John Welch, was awarded a basket filled with rum, a fitting trophy for a mariner. A magnum of Hess wine was presented as a door prize to Steve Barry. All attendees whose 2018 dues were paid in full were entered into the drawing for the magnum .So, be current and be there next year for your chance to win. Awards were also given to the members that brought the most popular wines of the evening.
First Aid on the Water
An informative and entertaining educational seminar was presented for Waterford Yacht Club Members on Saturday ,the 17th. Dr. Greg 
Kusten presented a very informative session on how to treat, and survive, some common injuries and illnesses that might be encountered when cruising. He began by suggesting steps that we can take before embarking on a journey that may help to to prevent emergencies while on board . He covered ways to determine if the illness or injury was cruise ending or could be handled and the trip continue. Treatments for the most common emergencies were discussed as well as what supplies and medications should be a part of any boats First Aid Kit. Plans are underway to make the presentation available on the WYC website for all members to review.