EAGLE’S CRY January 2002 Dear Members: In thinking back to my journey as becoming Commodore at the Ephraim Yacht Club, I’m still amazed as it is certainly an honor that I never expected. I had been on the board for several years eventually serving as Secretary but by the end of the summer of 2000, I was preparing to step down in order to allow “new blood” to contribute. When Guy Bush, Chairman of the Nominating Committee, a former Commodore and individual who I respect a great deal asked me to stay on and become Vice Commodore, I said, “Wait a minute. Doesn’t the Vice Commodore usually become Commodore?” When he confirmed that fact, my immediate reaction was that he must have been in the sun too long and had become dehydrated! I told him that I was absolutely unqualified to occupy such an important position at the club. After some considerable discussion and in a moment of my own weakness, I agreed to the post until he could find someone perhaps with a last name like Davis, Anderson or Vail who would be more experienced and worthy of the honor. Since that day, despite the fact that I’ve been a life long member of the club, I’ve learned even more about the fact that the Ephraim Yacht Club doesn’t function because of one person, but because of many. We have a top-notch Board of Directors and some of the most active members of any organization that I have ever been a part of. The club functions well with only some gentle guidance and coordination. In summary, your club is in very good hands! And speaking of being in good hands, we extend our gratitude to Suzanne Lisle who served as Commodore for the past two seasons and the board for many years before that. She spent many long hours making sure that every detail of the club ran smoothly and I’m especially grateful that her leadership will be accessible for at least another two years as Rear Commodore. A special thanks also go out to retiring board members Arv Munson, Lal Burridge and Steve Sauter who have collectively spent many years in service to the EYC.
At the Annual Meeting in August, David Sauter, Debby Heidler and Paul Pillat were elected by the membership to serve three-year terms as members of the board. George Carey was elected Vice-Commodore. There is currently one open position due to the resignation of Holly Hanselman from the board. It is our intention to fill this position at the Annual Meeting next summer. On the following pages, you will find highlights of our 96th season. Best wishes for a peaceful and prosperous new year! John Peterson Commodore
FROM THE REAR COMMODORE Dear Members, I would like to take this opportunity to thank each of you for the beautiful Ephraim pottery bowl that was presented to me at the Commodore’s cocktail party. It is a lovely piece in its own right, but for me its beauty is enhanced by the memories it evokes of the times working (and playing) together in the name of the Ephraim Yacht Club. The spirited enthusiasm and willingness of all to help in the name of what EYC stands for was and continues to be a pleasure. I thank you all for the privilege you extended to me by having me serve as your Commodore the past two years. I am grateful to John Peterson for his leadership and know he will be as appreciative for all the work of the volunteers as I am. Fondly, Suzanne
BUILDING RENOVATION As was announced in last years Eagle’s Cry, the Yacht Club was the benefactor of numerous memorials given to the Club in the name of Ruth McCoy, who was a long time Treasurer and a mainstay for many years at the EYC. Through these gifts made on her behalf, we are pleased to announce that we have begun making substantial and much needed improvements to the clubhouse. These improvements include the replacement of the rot damaged structural members, siding and fascia as well as new windows, carpeting and lighting. When finished, it will certainly be a fine and fitting tribute to Ruth. Great Northern Construction is performing the renovations under the watchful eye of the Building Restoration Committee led by Bill Calkins and Arv Munson. Stop by and see what is being done!
FIRST MATES The First Mates did a magnificent job of providing the leadership for most of the social activities of the season. Each committee quietly went about their duties and with seeming effortless (we know better) efficiency each event unfolded without a glitch and provided the warmth of socialization and hospitality that has become an EYC hallmark. The First Mates meet twice for coffee and planning during the summer. The gatherings are open to all, and it is not a formal “structure”. Special note to newcomers —please come!! It is a great way to get to know your fellow Club members. The Beadell’s and Di Taillion planned the opening social and welcomed a large number of members ready to enjoy all our special spot in Ephraim has to offer. It is especially fun to greet our newest members and introduce them to other club members. Special thanks to the angel donors for the champagne. Cheryl Chase set the tone for our Ice Cream Social with a very patriotic red-white-and blue theme. Beautifully presented, and again we had an angel donor —our own Jay Blossom and his IceCreamSource.com donated the delicious ice cream. Our lesson students sure always appreciate having a bit left over for cones on a hot day!! Over the course of Regatta weekend Catherine Sturgis and Di Taillion kept us all well fed and spared us from thirst. It is a big job to coordinate the planning, shopping, and serving over the course of two days. Our sailors appreciate it, from the early morning coffee being ready to knowing that at the end of races hunger will be satisfied. Also during that weekend we had a well-staffed table for t-shirts and other EYC clothing. The Ladies Potluck dinner was again a big success. Joan Balistreri, Debby Heidler, Barbara Kahn and Sue Christenson created a beautiful setting on our own porch and organized the dinner contributions. Always delicious, fun to be together, and people leave knowing how fortunate we are to enjoy each others’ company to say nothing of gazing at the always gorgeous sunset. One family has even made it a tradition to be sure the mother/daughters are in town for this. All too quickly the season came to an end, but Judy Harmon and Mary Skatrud made sure we ended on a celebratory note with the annual Commodore’s Cocktail Party. It is always fun to have a large percentage of the membership at this event, and this year was no exception. The use of our own members as the culinary contributors and bartenders makes it a real family affair. The floral arrangers added elegant contributions and in all, it was a special evening.
BRIDGE The EYC ladies had a full season of bridge beginning on the opening day of the Club and ending long after our sails were put away for the season. Arv Munson took care of opening for the ladies in the extended season. Mary Lee Weaver and Joan Shannon organized a new series of lessons this year …such a popular activity that a waiting list had to be established. Regular bridge sessions were held on Mondays at 12:00 p.m., chaired by Priscilla Apfelbach and Jay Hellyer. Bridge was also offered on Tuesdays at 9:00 a.m., chaired by Eloise Hanselman and Romayne Neumann. There was interest being shown at the end of the season for a lesson series designed for true beginners. If more instruction can be arranged it could possibly be offered next summer.
STAFF Our Staff this past summer once again did an outstanding job giving lessons, running races, making repairs and performing all of the many duties that they do. Sarah Lisle led the staff this year with the assistance of Larry Lewis, Barrett Bridenhagen and Katie Edwards. Part time instructors were Steve Sauter, Mike Koenig and Dave Sauter. Jay Lott and Mike Koening assisted part time with boat maintenance and repair. The staff presented the board with many useful suggestions for next year. Many of these are in the process of being formalized for implementation next year.
LESSONS EYC once again had a very busy year with regard to lessons. Instructions were given to 90 different students during the summer. Session A had 12 students, B had 41, C had 37 and D with 38. With this kind of student volume, we were particularly fortunate to have three part time instructors in addition to the full time staff. Steve Sauter taught for sessions B, C and D. Mike Koening taught during sessions B, C and the first part of D. Dave Sauter taught for sessions B and C. Having these veteran instructors definitely made it possible to give a high level of instruction with such a large volume of students. Larry Lewis introduced an especially exciting program of adult instruction to the EYC. While the junior instruction is an important part of our program, the work that Larry is doing in getting adults to sail (and we hope to eventually buy boats) is paramount for the future of our sailing program!
RACING Competitive yacht racing has always been an important part of our activities and this year was no exception. The results of each series is as follows: Sunfish Tuesday/Friday Series A 1st J.P. Pillat 11 pts 2nd Christian Pillat 27.5 pts 3rd Catherine Hambleton 43 pts Sunfish Tuesday/Friday Series B 1st Erik Hanselman 26 pts 2nd Jeff Groos 42.75 pts 3rd Allison Chase 46.5 pts Sunfish Sunday Series 1st Fritz Hanselma n3 pts 2nd Skip Heidler 11 pts 3rd Holly Hanselman 11 pts JY-15 Monday/Thursday Series A 1st Christian Pillat 7 pts 2nd J. P. Pillat 8.25 pts 3rd Allison Chase 17 pts JY-15 Monday/Thursday Series B 1st Jason Brown1 7.5 pts 2nd Tom Soblewski 18.5 pts 3rd Christian Pillat 23.5 pts Flying Scot Monday/Thursday Series A 1st Mike Koenig 14.5 pts 2nd George Carey 18.5 pts 3rd Larry Lewis 20.5 pts
Flying Scot Monday/Thursday Series B 1st Mike Koenig 18.75 pts 2nd George Carey 55 pts 3rd Larry Lewis 63 pts Flying Scot Saturday Series 1st Mike Koenig 36.75 pts 2nd George Carey 44.5 pts 3rd John Peterson 45.75 pts
SUNFISH REGATTA The Sunfish regatta was held on Sunday, July 22nd under light and variable winds. A total of 10 boats participated in this event. Results of the top 5 places are as follows: PlaceSkipper 1 Erik Hanselman 2 Christian Pillat 3 Tom Soblewski 4 JP Pillat 5 Allison Chase
FSSA MIDWEST DISTRICT REGATTA June 15-17, 2001 By George Carey For an early June weekend in northern Wisconsin, it could not have been more perfect. Great wind and sunshine greeted 24 sailors from all parts of the Midwest. Friday evening saw Tim Devries, of Madison, WI emerge as the best single-handed skipper. The Championship races held Saturday and Sunday saw a good range of wind and a great test of skills. A huge thank you goes out to all the 34 EYC volunteers that made this Regatta a success. This translates into 1.4 volunteers to each boat entry. This includes those on the water with Jay Lott’s gang, and those on shore manning the dock and food activities. On Saturday evening, just as the Ephraim Fyr Bal Festival Chieftain was being crowned, a great squall came racing through Eagle Harbor, knocking one of our visiting Scots off its trailer. Moral: Tie your boat down before leaving the dock! After some interesting words by the owner on Sunday morning, the Regatta continued. Good fun and camaraderie was had by all. Results of the top 5 places are as follows:
PlaceSkipperCrew 1 Paul Newton Mike Faugust 2 Frank Gerry Marianne Gerry 3 Steve Sauter Andrew Sargeant 4 Tim DeVries Sabin Peterson 5 Tom Pinkel Dana Patton
96th EPHRAIM REGATTA EYC’s own Ryan Malmgren skippering with wife and crew Kimber took top honors at the 96th Ephraim Regatta finishing first in four out of five races. Twenty Flying Scots competed during the two-day event under sunny skies and moderate southeast to southwest breezes. Besides taking first place overall, Ryan won the Vail Cup as winner of the first race, the Wisconsin Cup for winning the first three races, the Chuck Sauter Memorial Trophy for winning the first race on Sunday and the Pedar E. Knudson for being the highest placing wife/husband team. When asked to what they attribute their success, the Malmgrens spoke of the many regional and national Flying Scot regattas that they have sailed prior to this event. J.P. Pillat with Barrett Bridenhagen as crew won the Sturgis Trophy for the best skipper who is 18 or younger. In all, 8 out of the top 10 finishes were EYC members! Almost a dozen loyal EYC members come forward each year to make the regatta run smoothly under the experienced leadership of Frank and Sally Heidler who have been contributing their time and effort to make this event a success year after year for over 25 years! Members of their committee this year included Arv Munson, Lal Burridge, Guy Bush, George and Jean Reynolds, Mary Johnson, Don Polzin, Weed Vail and Max Robinette. Overall Standings: 1)Ryan Malmgren (EYC) 2) Jay Lott (EYC) 3)Steve Sauter (EYC) 4)Larry Klick (Minneapolis) 5)John Peterson (EYC)
BRATFEST This was EYC’s 25th Bratfest and the attendance was 331. EYC staff and firstmates helped to set up while Sturgeon Bay Yacht Harbor donated the beer. Thank you to the entire Klein and Claypool families for another huge success. After expenses, $650.00 was donated to EYC. A gift was presented to the Kleins from the club as a token of our appreciation for hosting the Bratfest.
JUNIOR ACTIVITIES The Wednesday night junior social season was once again a success under the organization of Bud Weaver. The season opened with barbecue and Golf at Red Putter chaired by Jo Ellen Stollenwerk followed by a treasure hunt the following week chaired by Marsella Fults, a beach picnic chaired by Nancy Pillat, a sailing picnic (held at the club due to bad weather) chaired by Theresa Weborg and finally a progressive dinner chaired by Betsy Aarsvold to round out the summer.
EYC EXPLORERS SAILED ALONG IN ITS SECOND YEAR! Submitted by Debby Heidler Having fun and enthusiasm are the two requirements for “joining” the EYC EXPLORERS! This group was created to provide opportunities for kids who are not yet old enough to take sailing lessons, but want to join in the EYC fun. Activities included an orientation of the club given by Sarah Lisle, sand castle building at Sand Bay Beach, romping with the animals at “The Farm” and swimming at Fitzgerald Park in Ellison Bay. I encourage all of you who have children and/or grand children under the age of nine, to come to any of the EXPLORER gatherings! A schedule of the EYC EXPLORERS activities will be included in the next Eagle’s Cry. Please feel free to contact me with any questions, or suggestions of possible activities-----(630) 655-2548.
BOATS & MOTORS REPORT By George Carey Your excellent EYC staff, headed up by Sarah Lisle, will have a great fleet of boats to work with in 2002. Your fleet now consists of twelve Sunfish, seven JY fifteen’s, five Flying Scots, and three power boats. A nice Boston Whaler contributed by the Hoag family has replaced our
elderly aluminum rowboat, Henry. The whereabouts of Henry, as promised by Steve Sauter, will remain a secret forever. Other generous contributions to the Scot fleet were made by the Wahl family and the John Green family. Good news: Uffda, the great red inflatable machine, will have a new Mercury 50hp four-stroke engine and new flotation tubes. The gray junior inflatable, yet to be named (any suggestions?), will sport a new 15 hp four-stroke Yamaha engine. The year 2002 looks to be a fun year for us at EYC. Come and ENJOY!
EYC History Begins to Unfold Linda Carey As you may recall, the EYC Board of Directors has decided to have the history of the Ephraim Yacht Club brought up to date, planning to have it ready by our centennial year, 2006. To that end, George and I have conducted numerous interviews of our members, and what we have learned thus far shows us that we must know much more before the task is finished. It has been such a joy, so informative, and so entertaining, and our appetites have certainly been whetted for even more information. We want to invite all of you to search your scrapbooks this winter, and hope you will be willing to share your treasures with us. Looking at your old pictures will get your own “memory machine” reloaded! Let us know the stories you may have recalled, which we could not possibly know about. DON’T ASSUME THAT SOMEONE ELSE HAS TOLD US ANYTHING. George is scanning all the materials to a disk, so we will treat your items like they were our own, and get them back to you as soon as possible. In no case, will your originals be submitted to the publisher…you will not lose your precious memorabilia. Call us or write us with your thoughts. If you want to chat, our phone number is 941-498-6547. Anything you feel comfortable mailing may be sent to us at our Florida address until the end of March: 20821 Torrey Pines Way, Estero, FL 33928