C Koch

While I will always continue to respect those who enter the playing field each weekend I think that we all need to look long and hard at the sport that we are participatiing in. If we want to return to large fleets and good times we should probably start trying to figure out a solution.

bowtostern is spot on here. To that end, the GMORA Board of Directors sends out a survey to its membership each year, asking for ideas on how to improve the sport, the circuit, the regattas, everything. Now GMORA does not run regattas -- yacht clubs/race organizers run regattas. GMORA's primary purpose is season scoring and promotion. We pass along the input we receive on the survey to member clubs and race organizers.

So here is your chance. The survey typically goes out via e-mail to all members of record during the off season. I know it has been discussed at recent board meerings, so it will probably go out in the next couple of months. Members who receive their survey should take the time to respond with some thoughtful input on what can be done to make things more fun and get more people to come out and play with us. Don't just check off an answer; please fill in the comments section with some constructive input.

If you are not a GMORA member, but want to help figure out a solution, then become one. For those without a boat/PHRF cert, an individual membership is $10. That is less than what you'd spend on a couple rum drinks at your favorite Old Port establishment.

I also submitted a nomination this year, and I believe my nominee's name has been offered up in the past (and not by me, so I'm not the only one who considers this person to be deserving). I can also think of several other people within our ranks that fit the criteria that bowtostern listed.

Points East has generally done a great job covering our sport in the magazine, and choosing past YOY winners via its committee of prior winners. I too was surprised by the announcement. But it's not my call.

My first date with my wife involved pushing her Nash Metropolitan out of the barn at the stable and hotwiring it because the squirrels stole the keys...no comment.

First date stories of spouses meeting are the best.

Hole in the wall dive pub near downtown Portland, ME. My sister lured me down there to watch a bunch of guys from her husband's office play darts. "Darts? Seriously?" sez I. "There are lots of men here," she sez.

Apparently sis and BIL were scheming to fix me up with some other guy, but then BIL broke from the program and mentioned to stickboy that I liked to ski.

I actually wasn't much of a skier back then... loved it, just didn't have that many miles under the boards. That changed in a hurry.

Okay, this is going to sound harsh: after skimming that blog and looking at that boat (who thought to paint it THAT color?) it's not a mystery as to why the captain of that vessel is without a woman.

I was scratching my head on the colors as well. Then I got to the bit about the flags, including the Sigma Chi Fraternity flag, and finally put two and two together. The boat color scheme matches Sigma Chi official colors of "blue and old gold." (Only reason I know this is we had a chapter where I went to school and I dated one of them for a while.) Good God, the guy has not emotionally matured past college. Probably has the freaking sweetheart song blaring from those four speakers he brags about.

Another great MS regatta - thankfully the wind filled in nicely. It was a beautiful weekend and Sunday's events drew a huge crowd on the water! It was a lot of fun to watch.

Glad you all got some breeze. The chilluns and I watched the boat parade from the Prom and it looked grim.

G

Well I can say for certain that we were questioning our sanity at 8:30 a.m. dinghying out to the boat in the rain. It stopped raining (yay!) and then got reeeaaalllly calm. Like NJ said, Spuds the RC chairman called it perfectly, sending the big go-fast boats off as soon as it filled in. Our class was next-to-last to start, and by then the wind was perfect.

I must say this was one of the more memorable MS Regattas for us in terms of the racing itself. Jay H's Pearson 10-meter spanked us a bit on the way to the windward mark, but on the run, we had three boats -- two Pearsons and a Cal -- right side by each the rest of the way. The rounding of the RG south of Clapboard was... interesting.