Embark on a Lifetime of Sailing Enjoyment...

This year Fishing Bay Yacht Club will offer superior sailing instruction that will allow participants get started on the right course. Whether you're traveling abroad, or just down to the club, this program help get someone you know started.  All of us know someone who has said "I would love to learn to sail" now they can at FBYC.  We are proud to offer a US Sailing Keelboat Certification class through Premier Sailing and US Sailing.  As the national governing association for sailing US Sailing only accredit only the top schools in the country. US Sailing has been serving sailors since 1897, and has certified more than 44,000 members. The mission …

Congrats to Nanuq on their 3rd place finish at Quantum Key West Race Week in PHRF-2.

The end of winter is just around the corner...

Time to don your Bermuda shorts and sundresses and come party!

Saturday March 22, 6:00 p.m.

Julie Ann and Paul Wash's home
4106 Park Avenue
Richmond, Va 23221

$15 members, $20 non-members

Registration Here.

There are three special seminars coming to the southern Bay area  this coming Spring.

These seminars will be of interest to your members who are involved in, or want to become involved in, race committee duties, protest hearings and rules interpretations, and/or who sail the Bay in a cruising fashion (Near Shore Safety at Sea).

 ***Sunday, February 16, 2014   US SAILING ONE-DAY RACE MANAGEMENT SEMINAR – at Hampton Yacht Club, Hampton Virginia.  This is for US Sailing Race Officer certification, re-certification, brushing up on race committee skills, and/or developing race committee knowledge.  The course will be led by John McCarthy, US Sailing National Judge, Regional Race Officer, and certified course instructor.  Cost …

SOUTHERN BAY RACE WEEK 2014 @ HAMPTON YACHT CLUB REMINDER! 

You may go ON LINE to enter and/or pay your entry fee and you can get additional regatta info at www.yachtscoring.com .  Also, the preliminary NOR is posted already for racers’ convenience. If you prefer to use a PAPER ENTRY FORM  for SBRW 2014, go to  www.yachtscoring.com, click on Additional Event Documents, print the form, fill it in, and mail it to the address shown.  If you have any difficulties entering, please DO CONTACT Lin McCarthy at (757) 850-4225 or email mcbear@earthlink.net   At SBRW the  racers are the top priority.

Notice to FBYC Boat Operators

Event: Virginia Boater Card Course
Location: Fishing Bay Yacht Club, Main Clubhouse, Second Floor
Time: 8:30 am until completion of examination
Date: Saturday, March 22, 2014
Registration: www.fbyc.net or click here.

This year’s course will again be held at the clubhouse and will be conducted by Flotilla 66 of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary.  As of  July 31st of 2014, the Commonwealth of Virginia will mandate that in order to operate a vessel powered by a motor of 10 HP or greater, all operators 45 years of age and younger will be required to have taken and passed this course, or similar boating safety training. Registration will be limited …

What do you do with 45 Laser Masters sailors while waiting for the wind to fill?

PADDLE BOARD RACES!!!!!

Two teams of sailors competed in relay races to round the bouy and come back to the beach.  Each trip required a different technique of boarding - stand up, sit down, two person, do a trick, etc.

Lucky for us the wind filled a short time later we were able to sail.

Check it out:

Regatta Results

 75TH ANNIVERSARY
SPECIAL MEMBERSHIP INITIATIVES
LIMITED TIME OFFERS

In celebration of Fishing Bay Yacht Club’s 75th anniversary the Board of Trustees approved a set of limited-time-offer special membership initiatives, valid in 2014 only.   We are taking these steps to promote the sport of sailing, which is our mission, and to increase membership. Our ten year decline in membership and participation parallels the alarming trends outlined in a report from US Sailing.  Also, we want to recruit members less than 40 years of age.  Reaching a younger demographic is our most challenging objective and the one most critical to our future.

The essence of this year-long membership campaign is a significant reduction in the initiation fee for a …

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All Families with Junior Sailors:

Fishing Bay Yacht Club welcomes you to 2014!  

We are looking forward to another wonderful year of junior sailing, racing and family fun on the water!  

 Please save the following dates on your 2014 calendars:

 Spring Race Team                  March, April & May (specific dates TBD)

 Summer Race Teams             June 7 through August 10 (dates approximate)

 Opti Kids                             Saturday & Sunday, June 7-8

                                          Saturday & Sunday, June 14-15

 Junior Week                          Monday, June 16 through Friday, June 20

 Commonwealth of Virginia        Saturday, June 21 through Sunday, June 22 

 Private Lessons                     May through August (Includes adults & juniors)

 Junior Fun Sail                       Saturday, July 26

 Annual One …

Last summer as a result of fatalities during a race in San Francisco, the USCG banned all sailboat racing on the West Coast. After intervention by US Sailing represented by Gary Jobson and the local Yacht Clubs, racing was allowed to resume pending US sailing adapting new safety regulations based upon this and other events around the country. The first of these regulations goes into effect Jan. 1 2014 and will be enforced through the Racing Rules of Sailing, US Sailing Yacht Club insurance, Protest Committees, and USCG boating safety regulations and Regatta Permits.

Offshore Racing will now fall into three categories of requirements for Nearshore, Coastal and Offshore races. In general terms, “Coastal” refers to races in the ocean …

Ellen McAllister, mom to Opti Development Team member Reed McAllister, put together this photo album of the team's 2013 regattas.  All the kid's contributed their own pages.  What FUN!

The National Weather Service and NOAA have issued a gale watch for the Chesapeake Bay starting Tuesday afternoon or evening and lasting into Wednesday.  Winds are expected to be predominantly SE initially with clockwise rotation through the evening.  Wind velocity is expected to be in the 25-40 knot range.

All slip holders and members with boats stored on trailers or racks are advised to secure their boats with double lines or proper tie downs ASAP.

George Burke, Commodore

THANKSGIVING is this coming Thursday, November 28th.  Gobble! Gobble!
 
36th Annual GABOON RACE – Sunday, December 1st.   GABOON FOR THE SPITTOON!  Entry fee is $30 ($25 for US Sailing members) and must be submitted by 1230 on race day.  This is a pursuit race (slower rated boats start first) and the course is pre-set in the Harbor.  The start/finish line is in front of Hampton Yacht Club.  Staggered starting times begin at 1300. Participants must have a current valid PHRF certificate. Safety and Equipment Category 5P is allowed.  PHRF crew number limitations are waived.  There is a 1630 time limit.  The GABOON SPITTOON goes to the first boat to …

The hoist that services the Dry Sail Area is out of order.

The hoist will not be repaired until the middle of next week at the earliest, depending on what is wrong and part(s) availability.

Apologies to all for any inconvenience.

Thank you - David Clark, Docks Chair

Fishing Bay Yacht Club held its Annual Meeting and Awards Party on Saturday at the Country Club of Virginia in Richmond, VA. The following is a list of all of the 2013 recipients of the club's perpetual trophies.

HENRY E. HUTCHESON, JR. MEMORIAL TROPHY – awarded to the Optimist skipper with the highest standing in Sanctioned Regattas and intra-club races. Benton Amthor

ROBERTS BOWL – awarded to the Junior sailor who has shown the most interest in sailing as evidenced by enthusiasm, improvement in sailing techniques, awareness of the rules of water safety and cooperation with the members of the Junior program. Eric Roos

REID A. DUNN TROPHY – awarded to the member of the Junior Program between the …

Junior Division Families:

Final Practice - Fall Race Team

The 2013 FBYC junior sailing season finally comes to a close this weekend with the last Fall Race Team practice before the winter break. It has been a fantastic and wonderfully successful year!

Matthew Fontaine Maury Bowl - Allison and David Lennarz

We owe much of that success to Allison and David Lennarz. For those of you who have not yet heard, they were awarded the 2014 Matthew Fontaine Maury Bowl at the Commodore’s Ball. This prestigious award recognizes outstanding contributions to sailing at Fishing Bay Yacht Club. Allison and David have been instrumental in the success and growth of the Junior Division over the past 10 years. They have been a critical …

A quick reminder that Fall Clean-Up Day is scheduled for Saturday, November 23rd!

Volunteers will gather at the Main Clubhouse around 8:30 a.m. for coffee and task assignments.

All ages are welcome!  A complimentary lunch will be served around Noon.

To sign up, email Ken Odell directly at odellken@aol.com or by calling his cell 804.241.6080. Registrations can also be made by clicking the link to the left.

Thank you!

A wonderful time was had with a meeting, dinner, awards, and dancing!  Thanks for photos by Karren Huddle.

The 2014 sailing events committee, led by rear commodore Matt Braun, has been meeting over the past couple of weeks to set the schedule for 2014. That schedule is now available on the website. The cruising events will be added once they are available. While we don't anticipate needing to make any changes, the schedule won't be certified final until the December Board meeting.

A couple new events for this year:

• Open House Regatta - Saturday of Memorial Day weekend 5/24 - this will be Portsmouth racing for one design and offshore boats with a goal of creating sailing opportunities for members/non-members interested in trying out racing. There will be a social following the racing.
• One Design Open …