October 2021

Commodore Comments

I Can't Believe it's Almost HERE!!

It’s been a long time coming and I’m sure you all are as excited as I am that the 34th Endless Summer Sailboard Classic is almost here!!!

First, thank you to everyone who has helped me throughout the planning process and volunteered to be on all the various committees needed in order to make our biggest event of the year happen. Thank you also to everyone who has registered to attend the 34th Annual Endless Summer Sailboard Classic. We are happy you are coming and thank you!

For all our newest members I hope you are able to attend your first Endless Summer Sailboard Classic and continue to come to as many Shell Point Sailboard Club events as you are able to attend so we can get to know you better. I wish everyone a wonderful Endless Summer weekend and best of luck to all our racers!

Warmest Regards,

Rose McCaffrey

SPSC 2021 Commodore

PayPal. No extra service fees will be added when registering online. You do not need a PayPal account.

Online registration will close at 12 Noon on Thursday, October 14th. However, you can register at the event beginning Friday night at 4pm.

.Registration for windsurfers or guests is now open! For every person attending the event, please complete either a windsurfer or guest registration form.

Read more about Notice of Race, Charter Boards, registration fees and . . .

Why Sail C-Fleet?

- Tina, C-Fleet Race Captain

…..Because it’s AWESOME!! Our NOVICE Fleet (aka C-Fleet) is a clinic for beginners designed for them to have a great time, learn a bit about racing and improve their windsurfing skills.

If you have taken a lesson with us, you already have the skill set to race in C-Fleet. Uphaul that sail, windsurf, swim or walk around a mark and come back: that‘s it! It’s not as intimidating as it might sound, promise.

I spoke with a couple of past C-Fleeters who told me they had a great time and learned a good deal. What they really liked was the fact that before each race we talked about basic strategy and afterwards talked about the successes each experienced. I’ve also had more than one racer in the other fleets ask to come back to C-Fleet ‘cause it was so much fun.

So, join us for some fun and frolic at the Endless Summer Sailboard Classic. It’s safe, and you can’t beat the comradery of C-Fleet!

Turtle Terrors! - Bob Graves

This story is about the turtle menace that you have no doubt been reading about in the National Enquirer, from snapping turtles menacing the Japanese (https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-28658569) to giant tortoises crushing baby heads (https://www.businessinsider.com/giant-tortoise-hunts-eats-baby-bird-video-2021-8).

Perry and I ride a lot of the trails south of Tallahassee, namely Twilight and South and North Goldmine in the Apalachicola National Forest (ANF). We usually see fox squirrels, regular squirrels, an occasional snake, spiders in their webs if we go early, and other various critters including a black bear once, however, the meanest and most obnoxious of all these is the surly gopher tortoise. As some of you know, when riding single track trails in Tallahassee, bicyclists yield to everything else on the trail. It is my humble opinion that these tortoises know that!

On several occasions we have had to make quick turns or come to crunching stops because one was in the middle of the trail. You would think they would at least step aside for us, but no, they just sit there and stare, waiting for you to make the wrong move. Even the black bear had the decency to get off the trail. The tortoises surliness was evident when I rounded a corner, coming face to face with the meanest, nastiest, and ugliest tortoise you have ever seen. He didn’t just sit there and stare at me, but got up high on his four legs, in attack position, thinking he could take me on. Thankfully, Perry came around the corner about then and the little thug took off running, knowing damn well the odds were now evened up.

The turtle menace has not been restricted to gopher tortoises on the trail, but to the sea turtles swimming in the water that everyone is saving for some reason. In late August, on a Tuesday with heavy wind, I was sailing west in the channel, parallel to the beach, when I saw one right in front of me in the water. I immediately let my sail out, but still hit him and tumbled into the water. The first thing I did was check to make sure my fin was there because both Richard Hill and Chris Graves have lost fins to these sinister creatures of the deep. What are the odds that you ‘accidently’ run into a sea turtle? Damn small I would say, but the odds go up significantly when these menaces deliberately put themselves in your path.

Don’t be like Aesop’s hare and think turtles are harmless because they move slow. This story was hard for me to tell, and I lose sleep due to the nightmares, but I did it to protect YOU! You’re welcome.

SPSC Club Meeting –Tuesday, September 14th, 2021

Called to order at 7:38, the beginning of a great and fun club meeting.

Place: District 850. The food and beer, just like last time, were great, and Rose and Chris got some ax throwing in. Some of us are hoping to get some bowling in before the next meeting.

Attendance: 16 members showed up to this new great meeting venue that they are graciously letting us use for free, an increase of 3 people from last month.

Commodore: Rose told everyone she did some ax throwing prior to the meeting getting started. Not sure if she mentioned that to indicate she had fun or if it was a warning. Minutes approved and the scribe was asked to strike the word “wonderful” from his wonderful minutes. Rose asked folks to renew their membership! She then presented Deb with a T-shirt that said “You’re Awesome, keep the S@#t up” for all her work on the web and presented socks to all those who did training. She then gave Bob G. a bottle of scotch in recognizing his efforts in having practice days.

Vice Commodore: I Got Nothing sayeth Jack

Scribe: Thanked Sylvia for the wonderful Rum and Root Beer article and Rose for the one on how she became a club member in the know.

Purser: We have money in the bank! Enough, at least, to pay expenses of $878 for insurance, $134 for a post office box and $86 for Rum ‘n’ Root Beer expenses. Deb discussed the breakdown of our web services with WIX. Paying $26 a month for web hosting and then some extra coin to get features like forms and events. Endless Summer will be an upcoming expense. We topped out at 81 memberships for fiscal year 2020-2021. So far this year only about 18 people have re-upped. In the words of Perry Morris “I’ve upped mine now up yours!”

Endless Summer: 20 people registered so far. Bob mentioned charters are available, both Windsurfer LT for $100 and Kona for $125. Dave said there was a good crew for lunch. Rick and Judy said they are set for wings. Perry mentioned there would be a coastal cleanup starting at 8:30 on September 18th.

Events for 2021:

September: Election of Board: September 14
October: Endless Summer: October 15-17
November: Atlanta Fall Classic: November 6-7 and Presnell’s: November 18-22
December: Christmas Party: December 11 and Festivus: December 19

Old Business: Commodore Rose read the constitutional changes which were unanimously approved. The changes dealt with meetings during a pandemic when you can’t physically gather.

Elections: Jack May received 15 votes to be our next Commodore. Mark Powell received 15 votes to be our next Vice Commodore. Bob Graves received 15 votes to be scribe. Wright Finney received 14 votes to be Purser and Bernie Madoff received 1 write in vote. Since Bernie is dead, he was declared ineligible, and Wright Finney will be our Purser, though he has some scores to settle with those who didn’t vote for him. Deb Berlinger, Kristin Korinko, and Joe Sisson received 15 votes each and were elected as at large board members. In the hotly contested at large board member for the 2nd district, Dave Denmark received 11 votes, Perry Morris received 3, and Kellyanne Conway 1. Dave Denmark grudgingly accepted the results of the election and is our 4th at large board member.

Next meeting is October 12th at District 850. Come early and bowl! Adjourned at 8:11:59. See, these meeting take less than an hour! Come out and have some fun beforehand or afterwards!