September 2026
Club Meeting - Tuesday - September 8th
Come early to meet and greet your SPSC members. Meetings starts at 7:00pm. We are in a meeting room at District 850, 2662 Fleischman Way, Tallahassee, FL. Agenda
Rick Upson
2026 SPSC Commodore
2026 Lessons Wrap-up ~ Bob G.
This year the weather really cooperated. We did not have to get students off the water at all because of a storm. It did rain one time for about 15 minutes, but due to the heat, the rain felt wonderful. We did have a day when the wind didn’t pick up until 2, but when it did, the students that stayed had a blast.
We taught 56 students this summer and we have a class coming up on September 27th comprised of a scout troop from Eastpoint headed up by scout master Michael Ganey who is opening it up to scouts from Wakulla as well. We hope to have about 12 or so young people. Michael’s impact as a scout leader in Eastpoint brought 1 family to lessons who later joined and has come to practice days. We hope to work with Michael in the future to bring the scouts back here and to provide them with a board and rig or two that they can use out there.
As always, the trainers are why this all works. Perry, Tina, Joe, Baab, Bill, Ryne, Laura and a guest appearance by our Commodore Rick and Chris Graves.
We are thankful that the club approved monies for new gear which was used for the “last” lesson of the season. Everything worked out well and kids were able to uphaul the slightly bigger yet newer sails without much issue.
2026 Summer Series Comes to an End ~ by Bob G
Season is over after 22 races (4 throw outs) and we had a total of 30 participants, meaning 30 individuals participated in at least one race. Back in the day when they used to have a Southeast summer series, it was usually the person who could compete in most of the races who came out ahead, and the same goes for our series on the beach. Trophies will be handed out at the Endless Summer and the total purse for this year’s event has gone from $3 last year to $7 this year. First place for each fleet gets $1, second place $.50, and third place $.25. Welcome to the pros.
A special shoutout goes to Julie Williams, Vaughan Williams, and the Sandoval boys, Shaddi and Messi, who made it to every race and were ready to go even on the two days we had to cancel.
There have also been some incredible starts with several mulligans given out, meaning if you were over early, the race committee let that single infraction pass, but if you did it again, fuggedaboutit! The talk of the season was about the incredible collision between Laura and Vaughan at the finish line. Thankfully, we had multiple video shots of that finish which we examined at one of the club meetings to truly determine who was at fault.
Sadly, some of us could not participate as much as we would have liked due to travel (it is my understanding some people still work and, surprisingly, have other interests!) as well as ailments. It was great to see so many spectators on the beach. A big thank you to Perry for setting courses in all kinds of conditions, including north winds, no committee boat, rapidly falling tide, etc. and for Tina who did a great job scoring, for John Stacklyn and Stan Derzypolski for using their boats for committee and dropping marks.
The Shell Point Club is great to be a part of!
Retraction of what I wrote last month. Since Tina was very meticulous on keeping score and who started but didn’t finish, I scored DNFs as all finishers plus 1 and DNSs as all finishers plus 2.
Spearo
I don’t really know how it all started. All I can be sure of is that it took place while I was convalescing following a recent orthopedic surgical procedure. Perhaps it began as a quasi-pipedream from the lingering residual opiates floating around my brain following general anesthesia and heightened by the repeated ingestion of oxycodone tablets. As I lay in an opium daze, past memories of hunting, swimming, shooting, snorkeling, and fishing swirled together in my mind, a panoply of unbound, uncompartmentalized thoughts and images gently stirred around by the diaphanous hand of Morpheus as my mind’s eye wandered about in the dreamy mists.
THE MARINER’S DICTIONARY
Anchor Light - A small light used to discharge the battery.
Backstay - The last thing to grab as you’re falling overboard.
Bilge - A storage area in the bottom of the boat for all the things you cannot find. Also a mixing area for water, fuel and head output.
Bilge Pump - An electrical device designed to remove the charge from your batteries. These devices only operate when the vessel is not taking on water.
Bow - Best part of the boat to ram another with.
Carbon Fibre - Colour: Black. Cost: Absolutely outrageous. Life expectancy: 2/3 days.
Caulk - Any one of a number of substances introduced into the spaces between planks in the hull and decking of a boat that give a smooth, finished appearance while still permitting the passage of a significant amount of seawater.
Centreboard - Vantage point for the helmsman to occupy whilst blaming the crew for capsizing the boat.
Chart - A type of map which tells you where you are aground or what you just hit.Circuit Breaker - Electro-mechanical switch designed to electrify all conductive metal fittings throughout the boat and flatten batteries. Available at most chandlers.
Companionway - A hole to fall into. (See "Hatch")
Crew - People working on your vessel, usually friends who dont find out about the "work" part of the trip until you are away from the dock. Crews have a high turnover rate, and normally will never want to see you again, let alone set foot on your boat again.
Cruising - Fixing your boat in distant locations. Leaving boat, returning home by train for several weeks and then collecting boat when unforecast storms finally ease.
Deck Fitting - Device for letting water into the cabin.
Engine - Sailboats are equipped with a variety of engines, but all of them work on the internal destruction principle, in which highly machined parts are rapidly converted into low-grade scrap, producing in the process energy in the form of heat, which is used to boil bilge water; vibration, which improves the muscle tone of the crew; and a small amount of rotational force, which drives the average size sailboat at speeds approaching a furlong per fortnight.
Flashlight - Tubular metal container used for storing dead batteries prior to disposal.
GPS - An electronic device that allows you to navigate out of sight of landmarks just before the batteries die.
Gybe - A great way to end up on Port Tack right in front of the whole fleet that's approaching the mark on Starboard. Also a quick way to wash out your racing dinghy.
Hatch - 1. Another name for a hole to fall into. 2. An opening for admitting water into the vessel.
Hazard - Any boat or any body of water. Any body of land near any body of water.
Helmsman - The nut attached to the rudder through a steering mechanism. The only Crew member who might enjoy a gybe.
Keel - A very heavy depth gauge.
Ketch - Sailboat with good wine in the cabin.
Motor Sailer - A boat that alternates between sail/rigging problems and engine problems with beer in the cabin.
Personal Floatation Device - A multifunction device normally used as a cushion, packing material or sponge. Coastguards require one for each person on board to ensure they have something soft to sit on in case seating is limited.
Porthole - Glass-covered opening in the hull cleverly designed to let in water when closed.
Propeller - Underwater winch designed to wind up any lines or sheets left hanging over the side.
Racing Rules of Sailing - A handy book of jokes published by the RYA.
Sailing - The most expensive and complicated way of going slowly, getting wet and becoming ill known to man.
Schooner - A boat with a fully stocked drinks cabinet in the cabin.
Sheet- A line made to rip gloves or hands part. Has the ability to tangle on anything.
Sloop - A boat with beer and wine in the cabin.
Spinnaker - 1. Large sail used in dead calm to keep the sun off the crew. 2. An extremely large, lightweight piece of cloth trailed in the water to slow the boat down.
Spinnaker Pole - A tubular device, the outer end designed to sever any connection it may have with the spinnaker while the inner end clamps itself to rigging, clothing, etc.
Stem Fitting - The hole made in a competitors boat when your helmsman misjudges a Port / Starboard crossing.
Stern - The flat, back end of your boat, included so you have a place to paint the name on.
Through Deck / Hull Fittings - A leak.
Yacht Race - Several boats going in different directions.
Bailey Howard, Esq.
Formal Apology
Date: 8/17/2026
Bobby G,
I let you down immensely with three simple letters: BCC.
I didn't mean for this to rhyme, but here we are, punishment for my crime.
You may ask yourself "How can this be? A millennial who can't email properly?" It's crazy, I know. I should know better. Yet somehow I exposed everyone's email together.
So now I'll spread BCC awareness far and wide, to the small, narrow population still living on the other side.
With my tail between my legs, I admit defeat, the computer has once again knocked me off my feet.
So please forgive me for this email flub, and please don't kick me out of the sailboard club.
— Laura Least