FBYC member Jerry will entertain and enlighten us with his discussion of the physics of sailing as well as the beauty of a well-set sail. This is also a great opportunity for you to invite a friend to join us online and share your love for FBYC and sailing.
The YAMs are hosting a Virtual Game Night on Thursday, April 215th.
Bring your best trivia game face! The overall winner will be awarded a $25.00 gift card to West Marine!
We will start off the night at 750 pm with a Zoom call to gather into teams. At 8:00 pm we will log into the Let’s Roam link to play 5 rounds of fun games and trivia! Video chat and live scoring is embedded in the game so that we can interact with other players and view the scoreboard.
If you are interested in attending please reach out to Mary Catherine McAllister at: Mceb4989@me.com before the event!
Tonight's the night to introduce your family and friends to our "Welcome to Fishing Bay Yacht Club" webinar.
It's also the last time you, yourself, can participate to really learn about all the programs our club has to offer. Did you know about our Adult Sailing School? How about the Women's Sailing Clinic?
Until we're all together, in person, let's gather together online and prepare for a great sailing season in 2021!
They're your friends and family and work colleagues. They're the people you know from a sports team, your neighbors or the friends of friends you've met once or twice. And among the thousands of those collective people, we bet there are a few who would love to learn more about FBYC.
So here's your opportunity as an FBYC member to invite them to our online, 3-part webinar series, "Welcome to Fishing Bay Yacht Club" beginning next week, Wednesday, March 24 at 7 PM. Here's what they'll learn:
Wednesday, March 24: Commodore Elizabeth Staas will offer a tour of the club followed by a panel of club leaders, each describing their program. (This would be a great …
SPRING CLEAN UP; April 3rd with the 10th as a rain date. Help FBYC open up for spring with some Grounds projects. 9 am-1 pm. Lunch boxes will be provided for those who sign up at with Club website. Questions to Steve Montgomery 757-561-7289
Join FBYC members Carol Vaughn and Dave Tabor Wednesday, February 24 from 7-8 PM, online, as they describe how they sailed to exotic lands and foreign waters on other people's boats. Two years ago, they joined the Oyster World Rally as crew aboard a 54-foot luxury sailboat. In their presentation, they'll describe how they found crew positions, where they traveled and what the duties and expectations of crew (and the owners!) were during the rally.
When they're not sailing overseas, Carol and Dave race their Canadian Sailcraft Merlin, Dianthus, in club, bay and offshore races and plan to race in this year's Bermuda 1-2.
This is a great opportunity to invite a friend who might be interested in FBYC to …
The boat we have all sailed and loved has changed little in the past nearly 50 years. The racing has remained the same yet the sails have gotten more durable, the lines and rigging easier to adjust, and now the name we’ve all been used to is changing as well. The boat is going to start being referred to as the ILCA Dinghy as part of the ILCA Class. Any boat that was sold as a Laser before 2020 can race as an ILCA Dinghy and new ILCA Dinghies are now becoming available from multiple builders. There will still be standard, radial, and 4.7 rigs.
What does that mean for us? Very little in terms of the racing …
"I vividly remember my first Down The Bay race, delivering the boat to Annapolis," says Katie Yudkin our Membership Engagement Chair. "It was a grueling 14 hours. The rain was coming down sideways, the boat was crashing through four-foot seas and it was COLD. But I came to realize a few things after that long night: Boy do I love to sail."
Tasked with helping FBYC members to "get involved," Katie is actively working to increase participation across YAMS, Offshore and One-Design racers, Juniors and Cruisers. "There's something special about sailing and some of the kindest people I've ever met have been on the Fishing Bay dock."
Don't delay. Space is limited in many of our programs and people are ready to get on the water. We are thrilled with the programs we are planning including Opti Kids, Junior Week, Sailing School and our Development and Race Teams. Registration has been significantly improved through CampDocs which will make registration, and health form collection much easier.
Join FBYC members Carol Vaughn and Dave Tabor Wednesday, February 24 from 7-8 PM, online, as they describe how they sailed to exotic lands and foreign waters on other people's boats.
In 2018, Dave (right) and his wife, Carol (left), joined the Oyster World Rally as crew aboard a 54-foot Oyster sailboat. Although Dave has decades of offshore cruising and racing experience, Carol was a "relative" newbie. She became tremendously skilled at helming in 40 knot winds and ten foot seas and also became an expert at filleting fish. (She even helped with a 60-pound tuna!)
In their webinar, you'll learn:
How they found crew positions onboard these luxury sailboats
This pandemic has brought much tragedy, disruption and pain. But it has offered some opportunities that many of us would have never considered--such as attending multiple boat shows, simultaneously, online. So while we hope and plan for a beautiful sailing season, check out either of these two shows to lift your spirits and enhance your sailing skills:
The Toronto Show is going on now through this Sunday and is free. There are many sessions ranging from sail choice to cruising locations to electrical improvements to VHF communications. Your can see are the seminars at: https://virtual.torontoboatshow.com/seminars/
Another option is the Seattle Boat Show beginning Thursday, January 28-31. This show also has multiple sessions including Navionics usage, anchoring …
FBYC's future is very much determined by retaining and attracting new young adult members (YAMs) and there is no one better to lead that effort than Mary Catherine Buhl McAllister. (Or "Cappy" as she will always be known to many.)
Mary Catherine's sailing career began during 1998 during Junior Week when she was seven years old. "That year, the Junior Week shirts were yellow and my oversized shirt fit me like a dress," she says. "I've grown a bit since then, but that yellow shirt has survived the years and I still proudly wear it.
"After growing up in the Junior Program, in Optis and Lasers, I transitioned to college racing at Christopher Newport University. My CNU sailing days …
Jim is currently FBYC's Long Range Planning Committee Chair. He's as colorful off the water as his boat is on. Here's his story:
"It all began in 1983 when a group of us at Virginia Tech decided to charter a sailboat for spring break. One of us had some experience so our band of misfits sailed a Morgan 44 OI to Bimini in the Bahamas. (Can anyone ID Jim in this photo?) It was my first sailing experience of any kind. It's amazing how much beer fit under the settees in that boat, Some years later, I bought my first boat in 1990, a 27' Jeanneau Fantasia with the intent of family sailing and didn't think about racing until Brooks …
From our much loved Chaplain and FBYC Honorary Member Doug Anderson:
During this holiday season of both tremendous stress and great hope, I am mindful of the gifts that don't go under the tree. These gifts are often priceless and just as often, cost very little. They seldom have to be wrapped, but most often are. You and I are the gift givers, as well as the recipient of many of these gifts. We, you, are the wrapping, and it is your time, talents and your service that is the substance of your gifts to us all.
As members of FBYC we are in a community of gift givers and gift receivers. Whether you know it or not, you are …
We are planning to dispose of all remaining abandoned boats in the Laser racks next to the Junior Shed. The old racks will be disposed of as well, and new storage for the club’s 420s will be installed. While the “Laser Graveyard” has a certain rustic appeal, we will end up with a much neater and useful space.
Unclaimed Lasers are available for club members to take, but must be removed from property by December 13th. Please note that these boats are going to need a lot of work and most have hull integrity issues.
We have winterized Mr. Roberts, closed the Bathhouse, and shut off the water to the docks, ramp and yards. Jackson Creek Docks' power will remain on.
The Clubhouse will be closed down by Friday, December 11. Unfortunately, the Clubhouse will be closed until ceiling work is complete.
Fannie's will remain open all winter. The front door will remain locked for security purposes. But you can access the building through the key-coded porch door on the Jackson Creek side of the building.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions and stay warm.
Even though "real sailors" are still out on the Chesapeake's waters, many of us spend the winter to regroup, work on boats and plan for the next sailing season. So now's a good time to share some stories about your board of directors, especially for new members.
We start with our club historian, George Burke.
George, wisely, embraced his wife Lyon's, childhood love of sailing. Lyons had sailed at the Hampton Yacht Club as a junior, but George didn't step aboard a sailboat until he was 40 years old. Long-term FBYC member Tony Sakowski, invited him to crew on a one design boat and taught him the fundamentals of sailing. They soon became members, initially to teach their two children …
While some were eating turkey or putting boats to bed, other members were keeping our club looking beautiful. Especially during the winter months, there's always work to be done. Whether it's clubhouse cleaning, dock repair or lawn clean-up, there's always something to be done. Thanks to Susan Roberts and Margaret Montgomery for ushering in fall at FBYC.
This year we had great participation in the Laser Series with 55 total sailors taking part in either Standard or Radial racing. The standards sailed 19 races over 4 days while the radials sailed 14 races over 3 days. The 5 day series consists of one spring, 2 summer, one fall and one frostbite race days. Only the first summer race was canceled for lack of wind. To qualify for series scoring, a sailor needed to participate in 50% of the races in the series.
George, wisely, embraced his wife Lyon's, childhood love of sailing. Lyons had sailed at the Hampton Yacht Club as a junior, but George didn't step aboard a sailboat until he was 40 years old. Long-term FBYC member Tony Sakowski, invited him to crew on a one design boat and taught him the fundamentals of sailing. They soon became members, initially to teach their two children …