Just a reminder, the Sequoia Yacht Club 2013 Summer Series begins this Saturday, April 6 with Race #1.

This is a five-race series with one throw-out race. The start line for the Summer Series is at 3 - 4 and the start time is 12:30. All skippers should attend the skipper's meeting at 10:30 on the day of the race. Non-Sequoia members, unless you signed up & paid for the entire year, you should get their entry forms and fees to the club before the first race. For those boats coming down from CPYC, you can call me at 650-576-3990 after 10:45 for race instructions and then check-in at the start area. Plan on racing rain or shine.

If you haven't yet filled out a Skipper's Entry Form for 2013, please download it and fill it out before the race. Members of the crew are also required to fill out a 2013 Crew Registration Form. If you or your crew completed these forms for the Winter Series new forms are not required. There are blank forms at the Club if you aren't able to download copies before Saturday.

Regards,
Richard Butts
Large Sailboat Fleet Captain
Sequoia Yacht Club
http://www.sequoiayc.org/racing

Picture by Leslie Fish

Come join Jim and Leslie Fish at 5pm this Saturday as Commodore Peter Blackmore performs a boat renaming ceremony of their boat.

A Champagne toast will be provided.

Stay after the race and the renaming ceremony and celebrate the beginning of the summer racing season. Come and join master paella chef Tom Wikman for a meal not to be missed. There will be both a Seafood / Valenciana Paella and a Vegetarian Paella served with salad, and don't forget Sangria to wash it all down. Add in dessert afterwards and you have a Mediterranean feast. - Tom

17:30 Cocktails
18:30 Dinner
$17 Per Person

Picture by Robin Weber

Rain, sunshine, high tides and low waters saw our Sequoia YC Cruisers make their way to Ballena Bay Yacht Club this past Easter week-end. Led by the fearless Nick Weber and his well-organized wife, Robin, we had a fantastic two days. Docktails were followed by an ‘all adult’ (?) Easter Egg Hunt—great fun—and then followed by a spate of rain, as we dashed to the Ballena Bay Yacht Club for a ham dinner. But, spirits were not to be dampened; only improved due to our friendly hosts at BBYC and their excellent bar service. If that wasn’t enough, the evening got even livelier as the music selections turned to the Bunny Hop and The Hokey Pokey.

The following morning brought bright, warm sunshine through brunch, but then, as our boats inched away through low tide, the winds began to blow and the heavens opened up. Great job Nick and Robin Weber for a fantastic cruise out! And, yes, you staved off the rains as long as you could.

Picture by Winston Bumpus

Sequoia, along with many yacht clubs, is a member of the Pacific Inter-Club Yacht Association (PICYA). This is the Northern California association of yacht clubs.

They do good work and lobby on our behalf for boaters rights and in keeping the waterways right for boaters, sponsor youth sailing and in being our ambassador with the State of California.

They have regular meetings and every couple of years we are asked to host their delegate gathering.

We did that on Monday April 1st and I wanted everyone to know that we did ourselves proud. The food was outstanding and would be worthy of a top class restaurant all prepared by Steve Higgs and team; we decorated the club led by Kate Humphreys and team, waited tables, had a bar service a 5 star hotel would be proud of with Petra and team, and managed the logistics of 120 people with grace thanks to Joanne Wright.

Team Sequoia is impressive and PICYA certainly thinks so.

Just a tremendous job - my thanks to all below:

Petra and Rick Gilmore
Robin and Nick Weber
Leslie and Jim Fish
Larry and Robin Mayne
Kate, Dan and Chris Humphreys
Joanne Wright
David Payne
Rick Dalton
Jennifer Thompson
Patricia Cocoran
Peter Nardini
Tod Klingler

A great thank you to Larry Mayne and Dan Doud for stepping in and doing some much needed work on the ladies rest rooms before the event.

Peter - your Commodore

Every year the club needs a good spring cleaning. This year we need your help to make the club look terrific. Please sign up by clicking here and indicate your williness to help and also indicate an area you would be willing to help clean. We will be starting at 9am and will finish in the afternoon. Pizza will be provided for lunch.

This is great way to work with fellow club members and spruce up the club.

Thank you for your help and support,
Winston Bumpus
Vice Commodore

Need guest dockage? Want to sail a Santana? Need to remind me to add some gas to the shore boats? The Port Captain has a new e-mail address for these and all other inquiries: portcaptain@sequoiayc.org. If we offer it at the club and it doesn't involve the house, the Port Captain is your point of contact.

Mark your calendars for this year's South Bay Opening Day. If you are interested in helping or putting your boat in the parade and blessing of the fleet, contact our Rear Commodore Dan Lockwood. For more information please visit www.southbayopeningday.org.