Commodore’s Update - May 2023
First and foremost, I want to thank all Pettipaug volunteers who have been working very hard to get the club in shape for the upcoming season. From clubhouse maintenance to website
updates, from collecting the membership fees to having a Race Committee workshop. An unbelievable amount of work has been done already, so that we all can continue to enjoy our beautiful spot at the Connecticut River.
Furthermore, I am extremely delighted to let you all know that Steve Haines has been unanimously accepted as a Governor of Pettipaug Yacht Club. Please join me by thanking
Steve for stepping up and by welcoming him to the Board of Pettipaug Yacht Club.
We are thankful for the knowledge and experience that Steve will bring into the Commodore Room!
As you can see on the
club calendar on our website, numerous activities have been planned already. The first events are the traditional season opening Commodore Race and the Club Commissioning on May 20. Please continue reading
this update for more details.
I am looking forward to seeing everyone on the race course or during the Commissioning of the club.
Mischa van Berkel
Commodore
Commissioning
The Commissioning ceremony is the official and traditional opening of the Pettipaug season.
This year’s Commissioning will be held on Saturday May 20th, starting at 5pm. We will celebrate our volunteers, the winners of the Commodore Race and obviously the traditions of our club.
Members are invited to bring food and snacks for the potluck. Pettipaug will facilitate an
open bar. Costs are $5 per person; please bring cash or a check.
Commodore Race
Another good Pettipaug tradition is that our seasoning opening Commodore Handicap Race
will be held on the day of our club’s commissioning. This means that we will set sail on
Saturday, May 20th. The
Skippers meeting will be at noon at the PYC Clubhouse and the first start will be at 1pm.
This is the first race of the season. All types of sailboats are encouraged and welcome
to participate. This is a distance race scored using the Portsmouth handicap. The course is typically 3 - 4 miles long. Depending on the conditions, boats will normally sail around a buoy north of Essex Harbor, north of the club and back to the club. The definite
course will be confirmed during the skippers meeting. The race can take anywhere between 1 - 3 hours based on your boat type and skill. There
will be a separate start for the MC Scows, but the entire fleet will be scored as one.
The Notice Of Race is attached and the Sailing Instructions will be published in the week prior to the race.
All participants are kindly requested to register by May 17th, by means of an email to Brian Donohue
bpdonohue@gmail.com.
Any questions can be directed to Race Committee Chairs, Brian Donohue bpdonohue@gmail.com and
Dick Hutchinson hutchria@rcn.com. Hope to see you on the water in a good racing spirit.
Pettipaug Sailing Academy (PSA)
Although, for some of the classes we had to start a waiting list, Pettipaug Sailing Academy
is still accepting registrations for the summer. Our Academy is the perfect opportunity for beginning and experienced sailors! We sail in Optimists, O’pen Skiff’s and 420s. This year, the Laser Radial - nowadays called “ILCA 6” - is back in the program. Be
quick before it is too late! Information about the program and the link to the online registration page can be found on the
Pettipaug website.
Pettipaug Safe Powerboating Course
This course is the perfect opportunity to get certified and to acquire the necessary skills
to safely operate powerboats. Also, if your feel your boating skills are a bit rusty, then the Pettipaug Safe Powerboating course is a great choice. There are still open spots for the course in June. More information about the course and registration can be
found on the
Pettipaug website.
Pettipaug Yearbook
Thanks to the help of so many people, all members will soon receive the 2023/2024 version
of the Pettipaug Yearbook by mail. Special thanks go to Past Commodore Cameron Taylor and Vice Commodore Priscilla Robinson for all of their hard work that they put into writing, editing and publishing of the book.