2012 Delta Daze 5 August - Encinal Yacht Club

Racing Photos... 

SOUNDINGS 

“Jack Frost and Small 

Boat” 

Photo by Rod Kidd 

Picture from Penny McCullagh 

ENCINAL YACHT CLUB 

From the Bridge... 

“sailing conditions in 

February were sub- 

lime.” 

From the General 

Manager... 

“January financial 

results were better” 

ENCINAL YACHT CLUB · 1251 PACIFIC MARINA · ALAMEDA · CA · 94501 · 510.522.3272 

From the House... 

“...cruisers to the 

Tonga Room” 

Page 6-7 Page 4-5 

Page 8-9 

Page 15 

MARCH 2012

March 2012 

2011 Board of Directors 

President Tony Shaffer 

Sr. Vice President Kevin Clark 

Vice President Sam Benson 

Treasurer Thom Kay 

Commodore Victor Early 

Vice Commodore Michael Andrews 

Rear Commodore Susan Jacquelin 

Director Peter Aschwanden 

Director Niels Glaser 

Director Dan Hayes 

Director Anita Mahoney 

Committee Chairpersons 

Membership Peggy Kidd & Ray Thomas 

Finance Charley Eddy 

Boat Yard Peter Aschwanden 

Building & Grounds Dan Hayes 

House Anita Mahoney 

Youth Niels Glaser 

Cruise Captains Jim & Jen Vickers 

Information Technology Darrell Powell-Ford 

Long Range Planning Carol Blackburn 

Nominating Michael Scheck 

Appointed Officers 

Port Captain Michael Byroads 

Small Boat Captain Chris Golian 

Power Boat Fleet Captain Christopher Hanson 

Committee Boat Chuck Wetteroth 

Member Liaison Vern Bendsen 

Club Counsel Christopher Hanson 

Soundings Editor Nicki Powell-Ford 

Web Master Don Ahrens 

Club Historians Debra Early 

Heidi Benson 

NCPCA Delegate Marguerite Lawry 

PICYA Delegates Linda Bendsen 

Fred Rutledge 

Tony Shaffer 

Staff Commodore Charles Hodgkins 

Junior Staff Commodore Tom Wondolleck 

Secretary John Becket 

Staff 

General Manager Rene de Vos 

Office Administrator Jessica Matamoros 

Bar Manager Mireille von Trapp-Hall 

Assistant Administrator Lisa Schoenfeld 

Bookkeeper Virginia Hamilton 

Caterer Manny Rodriquez 

Junior Sailing Director Andrew Nelson 

SOUNDINGS 

Policies 

SOUNDINGS will be published monthly. Submissions 

will be handled with reasonable care, but no liability is 

assumed for them. All articles are subject to editing for 

content and space consideration. 

PERMISSIONS: Material in this publication may not be 

reproduced in any form without written permission di- 

rected to the Editor. 

Encinal Yacht Club 

Established 1890 

1251 Pacific Marina 

Alameda, CA 94501 

Office (510) 522-3272 

Bar (510) 865-1303 

Fax (510) 865-8630 

www.encinal.org 

DEADLINE: Articles and photographs are due by the 

20h of the month prior to publication. Late submissions 

cannot be assured of publication. Articles may be 

dropped off or faxed to the Club, or emailed to 

the Editor at both soundingsedi- 

tor@encinal.org and mrsnicki@hotmail.com 

Office Hours 

Tuesday—Sunday .................................................................. 9:00am – 5:00 pm 

Dining Room 

Thursday - Sunday ..................................... Lunch Service 11:30am – 2:00pm 

Thursday - Sunday ..................................................Dinner 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm 

First Thursday (Buffet) ..........................................Dinner 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm 

Bar Hours 

Thursday – Saturday ......................................................... 11:30am – 10:00 pm 

Sunday ................................................................................ 11:30 am – 9:00 pm 

ENCINAL YACHT CLUB · 1251 PACIFIC MARINA · ALAMEDA · CA · 94501 · 510.522.3272


FROM THE 

VICE PRESIDENT... 

Sam Benson 

SOUNDINGS 

Our Club has changed dramatically over the past five years. New members are getting 

involved with racing, cruising and generally taking advantage of our events and 

club. 

My wife and I joined Encinal in 2006 and have made friends with great people and enjoy 

the social events and sharing the one thing we all have in common at EYC. The 

love of being on the water. Our membership is made up of sailors, large boats and 

small as well as power boats, kayaks and dinghies. Many of our members do not own 

boats; they love the Club for what it is. A great place to share and be proud of. 

One of my responsibilities this year is Summer Sailstice. Sailors from around the 

world are making plans to celebrate the sailing lifestyle by getting out on the water for 

Summer Sailstice on Saturday, June 23, 2012, the weekend closest to the summer 

solstice. This incredible event was started in the Bay Area by John Arndt and Latitude 

38; this marks its 12 th anniversary. It now includes people in all 50 states and 47 

countries participating in ocean racing regattas to social sails on lakes. 

EYC hosted this event last year for the first time, previous to that it was on Treasure 

Island. Our venue and events were received very well last year and this year’s preliminary 

plans are even more exciting. We want to fill up the Estuary with boats of all 

kinds. We are engaging all the Yacht Clubs, Marinas and boat owners to get their 

boats out of their slips, off the hard or out of the side yard. That sounds like chaos, 

but actually this will all be planned and organized down to the smallest detail. 

The underwriting, sponsorship of this event comes from generous donations and involvement 

by companies like West Marine, the local maritime industry and other companies 

big and small that want to be part of this event. 

Everyone pulls together for this event and all of the other tremendous activities at 

EYC. It’s my pleasure to be part of the Encinal Yacht Club Board this year. 



FROM THE BRIDGE... 

SOUNDINGS 

Victor Early 

Like most of you I have been enjoying this unusual warm winter on the water. The sailing conditions 

in February were sublime; 

with warm stiff northerly 

breezes and plenty of 

sunshine it was a joy to go 

sailing. 

From the race deck Vice 

Commodore Michael Andrews, 

Rear Commodore 

Susan Jacquelin, and 

Small Boat Fleet Captain 

Chris Golian have been 

busy planning and conducting 

regattas including the 

small boats on the estuary 

and the Jack Frost Mid- 

Winter series on San Francisco 

Bay. This months 

Jack Frost was the third 

raceday in the series and so 

far 6 races have been com- 

Photo by Margaret Fago 


pleted. Early on race day the wind was howling 

at 15-20 kts from the north, and we thought we 

might have another day of rocking and rolling 

like we had in January. As it turned out the 

wind moderated to about 10 knots under a clear 

blue sky and with a flood tide, the bay was pretty 

calm. Our race committee on Carol Louise 

and in the whalers sure appreciated the gentle 

conditions. There is close competition within the 

fleets; in Fleet A, three EYC yachts are in the 

the top five positions with Red Cloud, Vitesse 

Too, and Perigrine Falcon battling it out with 


Twisted and Jetstream. The remaining fleets are well represented by EYC yachts including 

Heart of Gold, Life is Good, Crinan II, Osituki, Samba, Bonito, Pariah, and Kitten. After the 

races Susan continued our new tradition back at the bar serving Manny’s clam chowder, watching 

race day video, and giving out prizes to the daily winners. We had about 80 racers come back 

to the bar for the festivities. March 24 will be the final Jack Frost Midwinter race day with the 

overall winners awarded in the bar after the races. 

Photos by Darrell Powell-Ford 



SOUNDINGS 

Michael Andrews reported that the Finn and Millimeter 

Fleets enjoyed good conditions during the first two of 

their winter Small Boat Race Days on Saturday, January 

28 and Saturday, February 25. In the Finns Vladimir 

Butenko took the first day and Peter Aschwanden 

the second. In the Millis Pax Davis proved very tough to 

beat, turning in winning performances both days. 

Upcoming EYC regattas this spring include the Centennial 

Cup on April 21, which is a one-design invitational 

regatta for west coast yacht clubs that are at least 100 

years old. We get to pick the boat and this year the 

event will be raced on Melges 24s. Also in April will be 

the Estuary Cup and the beginning of the Spring Twilight 

Series on alternating Friday evenings. 

Last Month’s US Sailing Race Officer Seminar was sold 

out and I am proud to announce that we have 4 additional 

members that have passed the exam for Club 

Race Officer, Michael Andrews, Michelle Leonard, 

Chris Golian, and Bill Mohr. Once they get a few regattas 

under their belts and register US Sailing will certify 

them. 

Photo by Darrell Powell-Ford 

Lastly with all the excitement around the America’s Cup, we are trying to provide interesting 

presentations at the club. Last month the Coast Guard gave an informative presentation on how 

the regatta will be conducted and managed from the Coast Guard point of view. They stressed 

that the Bay is for all to use and they will 

balance the needs of all who use the Bay 

during the event by minimizing the areas 

A Special Thanks to 

that are to be closed for the races. In March 

we will be hosting a “Cup Chat” on March 16 Dominic Marchal 

in the upstairs dining room. Cup Chat will 

Of 

be a "Talk Show" style venue with Staff 

Commodore of Golden Gate Y.C., Marcus 

Young, hosting and interviewing prestigious 

players associated with the Oracle Racing 

team and other racing names around the 

Bay. Sign up today! 

Who generously donated the repair of the 

Cheers, 

Photo by Michael Andrews 

Race Committee boat Carol Louise's Bimini 

Which was damaged during the 

January Jack Frost 



SOUNDINGS 


Photos 

by 

Margaret Fago


SOUNDINGS 


Photos 

by 

Photo by 

Photo by 

Michael Andrews


FROM THE 

GENERAL MANAGER... 

SOUNDINGS 

Rene de Vos 

All Clubs operate like ours does: the Board of Directors sets the Vision and Standing Policies (Club Rules) 

for the club. The Manager is charged with implementing and enforcing their vision and rules. For the past 

four months I have been observing the Club rules to determine which rules work, which rules the members 

abide by and also those rules that either don’t work, don’t make sense or are constantly violated. 

At the February Board meeting the Board adopted some revised rules that I would like to share with you. 

Without rules the Club would be in constant state of chaos. It is our duty and my hope that you help me by 

adhering to the current and new rules. 

REVISED ENCINAL YACHT CLUB STANDING POLICIES 

GENERAL CONDUCT # 4 

It is expected that all members will choose to dress in a fashion befitting the surroundings and 

atmosphere provided in the setting of our Club. All clothing must be in good repair. It is also expected 

that Members will advise their guests of our dress requirements. 

The dress code in the Club until 1730 Hours is a minimum of shoes, shorts and shirt. After 

1730 Hours in the Bar & Dining Room the appropriate dress for gentlemen is pants or dress 

shorts and sleeved shirts. Sport coats or jackets may be required for more formal events. Women 

are requested to dress in a fashion compatible with the dress required of men, which may 

include dresses, skirts, slacks, pantsuits and appropriate top. Gentlemen are requested to remove 

their caps while in the Dining Room. Bare feet and swimsuits without cover are not allowed 

in the Bar and Dining Room. 

What changed? 

The club always had two dress codes, one before, and one after 1800 hours. Since dinner service 

starts at 1730 hours we adjusted the dress code to reflect the start of dinner service. The old 

evening code called for a minimum attire of dress slacks and sport dress shirt for men. The new 

code allows for less formal pants like khaki, denim or dress shorts. (Please no athletic shorts) 

The requirement for sport dress shirts was amended to sleeved shirts, and both long & short 

sleeved shirts as well tee-shirts are allowed. We also added that all clothing must be in good repair. 

(Please no ripped, torn, cut or soiled apparel) Additionally we added that clothing with offensive 

language or images is not permitted. 

GENERAL CONDUCT # 5 

Members are requested and encouraged to wear their nametag while ordering food or beverages 

in the dining room and bar. 



What changed? 

SOUNDINGS 

The old rule stated that members were requested to wear their nametag at all times when on 

Club premises. This could be interpreted as members were requested to wear their name tags in 

the shower, sauna at the pool as well as in the bar and dining room. Although the Board struggled 

with “requested” versus “required” they settled on “requested and encouraged”. Since our 

liquor license is a Club License we can only serve alcoholic beverages to our members and their 

guests (members from reciprocating clubs are considered guests). Without a nametag the bartender 

might ask you for your membership card before they will be able to serve you. 

GROUNDS AND PARKING AREA # 2 

What changed? 

Washing sails on the lawn area is prohibited at all times. 

The old rule prohibited the drying of sails on the lawn. Since this has been accepted behavior 

and drying does not damage the lawn like washing does, this rule was amended. 

GROUNDS AND PARKING AREA # 3 

What changed? 

UPDATES 

Pets must be leashed at all times while on Club grounds and are not allowed inside the clubhouse 

or fenced pool area. Pets may never be left unattended while on Club grounds. For 

sanitary reasons pets must be “walked” outside the Club premises to relieve themselves. 

Owners must clean up after their pets. 

Just remember that pets are not allowed at the pool or in the clubhouse, please clean up 

and yes, pets on leashes are allowed on the deck and on the grounds! 

I am happy to report that the January financial results were better than budgeted and generated a 

small operating profit versus a budgeted loss. This is a significant improvement over January 2011 and 

I thank you for using and supporting the Club! Despite these positive results, our cash position remains 

very tight the first quarter of the year. Please help us avoid using our line of credit and please pay your 

balance in full and on time. Please note that the 3% convenience fee for those members who choose to 

pay their monthly bill by Credit Card remains. 

If you or your spouse are currently not receiving our monthly newsletter “Soundings” or our weekly 

email updates, please contact Lisa Schoenfeld at 510 522 3272 or adminassistant@encinal.org and she 

will be happy to add you to the mailing list. 

I look forward to seeing you at the Club! 



FROM THE 

HOUSE DIRECTOR... 

Anita Mahoney 

It is time to March into spring and join us for all the 

upcoming activities that are coming alive at the 

club.. Our chairmen for each event are working hard 

to make these events fun for everyone. 

I would first like to thank John Becket and Hal 

Lyman for a great Super Bowl Party. The attendance 

and fun were incredible. 

Mark and Irm Bernhard were responsible for again 

another terrific Mardi Gras Party. How authentic 

can we get???!!!! It was such a crowd pleaser and 

we need to do it again next year. Thank you both 

and all the volunteers who helped make it such a 

success. 

SOUNDINGS 

The Junior Sailing Crab Feed was a sell out as always. Great job to all 

of you. There are so many parent volunteers that it is difficult to name 

you all. Keep up the good work. This is what we are all about. 

Now to our upcoming events…… 

On Friday night March 16 th is Cup Chat. This will be a sold out event 

so we encourage everyone to get their reservations in early. Don’t miss 

the opportunity to hear some of the America’s Cup Team and Committee 

live on our own Encinal stage talk about what is going on behind 

the scenes and the planning that is taking place for the great race in 

our own San Francisco Bay. It will also be your chance to ask questions. 

Make your reservations early. 

Super Bowl Sunday Photos by Lisa Schoenfeld 

Following on Saturday, March 17 th is our St. Patrick’s Day Party. Our Irish Dancers, traditional 

Corn Beef and Cabbage and more, Irish jokes and can’t forget those famous Irish drinks!!!! Ask 

Bill Emberely from last year…….if he can still remember!!!! 

Easter Sunday Brunch, Sunday, April 8 th. More details to follow. Of course, there is always the 

Easter Bunny and Easter Egg hunt along with entertainment. Please bring your family and 

friends. 

Saturday, Photos by April Aaron 21Lee st. will be our 50’s Party. This is going to be a “Fonzi” evening. Our chairman, 



Mardi Gras Photos by Penny McCullagh 

SOUNDINGS 

Andrew Slakely is cooking up some cool surprises. 

Start thinking of dressing up like your favorite idol 

of the 50’s He is also asking that anyone who has a 

classic car to bring it to display in front of the club 

under the “Rotunda”. It will be a great place for 

pictures too!!! 

Lastly, Sunday, April 29 th is Opening Day. Remember 

to end up at your club!!! 

I hope you all have had the opportunity and are enjoying the sailing videos that our Commodore, 

Victor Early has been producing and sharing on our tv’s in the bar/lounge area. It truly has 

made our lounge a more interesting place to hang. Also come by the club on Sunday night to see 

a great sailing adventure movie at the club!!!! This past weekend featured. “Morning Light” and 

“Popeye the Sailorman” It was fun to enjoy a small crowd, drinks and conversation with friends 

at the bar and a beautiful fire. Better then your own family room!!!!! 

As you can see there is always something happening at EYC. If you are new to the club and have 

some interesting ideas for events or entertainment please let myself or the office know. 

NOTE: I encourage members to please make your reservations EARLY for all events. This would 

be helpful to our staff and those planning the event to get an early count. A lot of preparation 

goes into every event and we want to make every event a great experience for all. 

See you in March at the club……………….. 

Anita 



Pictures by Penny McCullagh 

SOUNDINGS 


Mardi Gras


WELCOME NEW MEMBERS 

MEMBERSHIP NEWS... 

SOUNDINGS 

Peggy Kidd & Ray Thomas 

Michael & Necia Borgh and their two sons, Jack, age 6; and Nate, age 3: They are 

residents of Alameda and sail a Hunter 33, named “Is A Bella”. They are relatively new at 

sailing and are looking forward to networking with their fellow members. 

Einer and Nancy Elbeck: Einer and Nancy live in Alameda and have been members of 

several clubs on the island. Their love for boats has put them in the more than two category 

of boat ownership, a his and a her’s, and more! They keep their boats at Gate 9 in 

Marina Village and promised to be a viable asset to our membership. 

Stephanie Turner: Stephanie owns an Island Packet 38, named Cutler Sanas and lives 

along the estuary. Stephanie, meet Michael & Necia (practically water neighbors). Stephanie 

loves the sailing community and enjoys racing and social events. Stephanie is also a 

long time friend of Debra and Victor Early, our Commodore. 

Nicole Wolbersen: Nicole lives in Orinda and she, too, enjoys sailing. She’s a previous 

member of Waikiki Y.C. and a current member a Hawaii Y.C. Nicole is good friends of our 

Rear Commodore, Susan Jacqueline, and promises to be a major contributor with our 

House and Social committees. 

Zac Schoenrock: Zac is a Corinthian member and recently graduated from our Jr. Sailing 

Program. Zac lives in Lafayette but currently attends Northwest University. We are 

pleased that Zac has chosen to continue his relationship with Encinal Y.C. and we look 

forward to hearing from him and seeing him around the club in between his college years. 

If you see any of these new members around the club, please welcome them, invite 

them to your table, or, buy them a cocktail. All of our new members are excited to 

be part of the Encinal Y.C. team, and we are very happy they have chosen EYC to 

be their yacht club of choice. 

Peggy Kidd & Ray Thomas 



Cup Chat 

SOUNDINGS 

A Revolution in Sailing 

By Ray Thomas 

Friday March 16 th will be an exciting evening at the EYC. Cup Chat will be hosted outside 

of the Golden Gate Yacht Club for the first time. For the East Bay sailing community 

hungry for information regarding the up coming 34 th America’s Cup this is a must 

attend event. 

Cup Chat promises to be insightful, informative, and possibly a bit controversial. 

Guests will include professional sailors from, at least, two teams competing in the 

AC/45 series and (if they win) hopefully the 34 th America’s Cup. No less than one from 

Team Oracle and Loïck Peyron from France’s Team Energy. There will be high level representation 

from the America’s Cup Event Authority, Rosie Spaulding, Head of Venue 

and Partner Integration. Writer C. W. Nevius of the San Francisco Chronicle will add his 

insight as to the impact of the 34 th America’s Cup on the Bay Area. 

The format for Cup Chat is a talk show style presentation. It will be streamed live and 

captured for YouTube. It is produced by Ellen Hoke, PR Director of the Golden Gate 

Yacht Club and hosted by Marcus Young, Staff Commodore of the Golden Gate Yacht 

Club. Marcus was the Commodore when the GGYC won the thirty third America’s Cup. 

This will be a great opportunity to showcase the EYC and all we have to offer. 

Note: on Friday March 16 there will be no dinner service. Lunch will be served in the 

bar in preparation for the Cup Chat event; the bar will open at 11:30am for regular service. 

After 6:30pm the bar will be open only for paying attendees of Cup Chat for nohost 

cocktails and appetizers. The Cup Chat show will commence at 7:30 PM. This 

event will be open to the public and will sell out. Please do not miss the chance to attend. 

RSVP early to Lisa at adminassistant@encinal.org. The cost is $35.00 per person. 



CRUISING NEWS... 

SOUNDINGS 

Jim and Jen Vickers 

January was a slow month for cruising, but with Spring tempting us, our activities are rapidly 

shifting into high gear! 

February brought this season's first cruise into the club. On the weekend of February 18th, 

four cruisers and several Singlehanded TransPac Sailers cruised into our club docks. The cruisers 

-- Jeff and Sandy Leonard aboard Catman, Victor and Debra Early aboard Surtsey, Mike and 

Cindy Meloy on Even Keel, and Chuck Herro and Edie Walker aboard Lynda Gail -- showed up 

to enjoy the warm weather, and to attend our club's annual Mardi Gras Party. Over on our 

guest dock, EYC invited the Singlehanded Sailing Society's TransPac sailers to cruise into our 

club to hold an informational session on what it takes to race from San Francisco to Hawaii by 

yourself. It was an excellent opportunity for anyone considering such a feat to meet with the 

TransPac sailors and learn how they rig their boats for the long singlehanded passage. 

Our next cruising event is our annual Spring Equinox cruise into South 

Beach Harbor, which begins Friday, March 23. Edie Walker and Chuck 

Herro are leading this event, and judging from its wild popularity, I would say 

they are doing an excellent job. Plans for Friday night take cruisers to the 

Tonga Room, which is a Tiki Bar located in the basement of the Fairmont Hotel. 

The bar sports grass huts, a pool in the middle of the bar with a floating 

boat that holds a live band, and squalls that come through delivering lightning 

and actual rain; island garb may be required! And on Saturday night 

the South Beach Yacht Club will host us for an always-great meal overlooking 

San Francisco Bay. This event has been so popular that we are overbooked, with extra 

boats (five of us so far) spilling over to Pier 39. If you are on a waiting list holding out for a slip 

at South Beach Harbor, I'd say your prospects are grim, but there's plenty of room to join us at 

Pier 39. So if you would like to join us, email Edie soon (walker.edie@gmail.com) to see how we 

can squeeze you into this event. 

Quick on the heels of the South Beach cruise out is our annual Easter-weekend cruise out to 

Treasure Island, which comes only two weekends after our South Beach Cruise. Jenn & I will 

be hosting this event, and we welcome you all to sign up. Clipper Cove is an excellent location 

to anchor out, if you would like some solitude, or we'll be happy to arrange space for you at the 

guest docks as well. There is plenty to see on the island, including wineries, Burning Man art, 

and hikes up scenic Yerba Buena Island, and the friendly TI Yacht Club will host us for dinner 

on Saturday night, April 8th. 

If you are new to the club, or to cruising with our club, please consider signing up for one of our 

cruises. It is an excellent way to meet other members, and what better way to do so than inviting 

them to your boat, at a remote location, for a drink? Thinking back, have you ever been invited 

aboard another boat for a drink, and not found it a memorable event? So come on out and 

give it a try. Send Jenn & I email (CruiseCaptain@encinal.org) and we'll get you going! 

Jim and Jen Vickers 



FROM 

JUNIOR SAILING DIRECTOR... 

SOUNDINGS 

Andrew Nelson 

It’s been a busy month here at the EYC Jr. Sailing Program. Right now we are already 

looking ahead and gearing up for summer. Brochures are printed, classes will be online 

soon, and instructors are being hired on. We’re also in full fundraising mode right now. 

We hosted our annual Crab Feed this year and raked in over $3,500 in tips alone! The 

food was great, the sailors did a stellar job waiting tables, and everyone enjoyed themselves 

thoroughly. Enough thanks can’t be given to all the parent volunteers that helped 

get this year’s production off the ground. Flor Delle Cese and Barb Grove deserve an extra 

big thank you for orchestrating the event and feeding 200 people. Andrea Quinn also 

deserves recognition for baking all of the cupcakes that gave our young waiters the sugar 

induced burst of energy they needed before serving tables. Our next big fundraising production 

will be the Jr. Sailing Auction, back by popular demand this year, happening 

Saturday, July 21. We are also underway with our T-shirt sponsorship drive, so if anyone 

would like their company’s logo on the back of our 2012 T-shirts please let me know. 

The high school season is slowly winding down, and already our older sailors are getting 

the itch to be back in the Laser or 420. Our NorCal season concluded in late January 

with the Oyster Point Regatta, but in two days of racing only 2 races were completed due 

to a lack of wind. We still have a two PCISA Regattas left and the end of the season 

championships to contend for. We’ll be pushing hard until April and then start shifting 

our focus ahead to the Summer BAYS Series and other regional youth events. 

Our winter Opti program is 

Photo by Tony Shaffer 

in full swing right now. We 

have nearly twice the number 

of Opti sailors participating 

now compared to the fall. 

We have some new faces and 

plenty of returners actively 

sailing the Opti this winter, 

which bodes well for the future 

of our program. Just 

last weekend we hosted the 

BAYS #3 Opti Regatta. We 

had 11 Encinal sailors competing 

in the 30+ boat fleet. 

For several of them it was 



Photo by Grace Glenn 

SOUNDINGS 



their first ever regatta. Big kudos 

to Madison Grey, Skylar 

and Tucker Javelli, Mark Early, 

Wyatt Byroads, and Dax Druillet 

for finishing their first regatta! 

We had great wind and sun 

all weekend. We fired off 9 races 

with the help of Steve Grove 

as PRO and an all-star cast of 

on the water volunteers. Barb 

Grove and the shore team kept 

things running smoothly, and 

several EYC alumni came back 

to volunteer their coaching ser- 


vices for our home regatta. Everyone 

had a great time and 

there were plenty of smiles all around. Big thanks to everyone who made it happen. I 

couldn't be more proud as a coach to watch our young sailors launch their sailing careers 

at their home club in front of friends and family. You all did great! I hope this is 

only the beginning of many more great Opti regattas to come. 

Andrew


Coach’s Corner 

SOUNDINGS 

Conditioning and fitness are a huge component of dinghy sailing, and big boat sailing too. 

Dinghy sailors are athletes, and just like any other athlete training and conditioning are critical 

to success at the top level. Sailing is unique because it is both an aerobic and anaerobic exercise. 

Being in a sustained hike for a prolonged period of time is a true endurance test, in which 

breathing and heart rate are well elevated while the body is undergoing aerobic and anaerobic 

respiration. Spending time doing cardiovascular (cardio) training will help transform your body 

into an efficient heart and lungs hiking machine. There are also times when you use short 

bursts of strength and energy. Roll tacking is a perfect example of this, so is rounding a leeward 

mark and taking in many feet of mainsheet. Spending time in the weight room will help build 

strength and give you greater fitness. Agility and balance should also not be neglected. The ability 

to be in control of your body and remain light on your feet is critical to good boat handling. If 

you can’t control your power and strength then it’s worthless. 

What is also unique about sailing is that it truly is a full body sport. Core, leg, arm, back, 

and mental strength are all equally important. When planning a sailing conditioning routine you 

have to take a full body approach and work your way around most parts of the weight room to 

be truly effective. Below is a sample of my A and B workout days. It’s important to alternate 

days, to give muscle groups a break once and a while, and also to break down a workout into 

manageable goals. 

The numbers following the exercise indicate the number of sets and how many repetitions 

are in each set. Don’t try to do too much weight, especially when you are young or just beginning. 

It’s more important to do the full number of reps and use good form, rather than trying to 

pile on the iron quickly. I also usually try to intersperse short cardio sessions in between sets to 

keep my heart rate elevated (150+ bpm). Recently I added yoga once a week as my “C” day to improve 

flexibility, agility, and balance (we’ll see how that goes…). It’s important to have a “C” in 

which you enjoy a fun way to stay active. Golf, basketball, cycling, swimming etc. are all good 

“C” day activities that break up the monotony of a workout regimen. It should also be noted 

that you should taper your workout leading up to a big regatta. Do shortened workouts or focus 

primarily on cardio leading up to an event. The last thing you want is to be worn out from a 

hard week at the gym before the regatta even starts. It’s not an excuse to lounge around the 

house all week, just don’t push too hard. 

Not everyone’s workout should look the same either. Everyone needs to tailor their own 

workout to their specific goals and the boat they are sailing. In college my workout looked completely 

different, because I was trying to fit my 6’3” frame into an FJ. Most of my training then 

was cardio and my main goal was to be stay as close to 190lbs. (my minimum weight) as possible. 

In an FJ the magic number for combined crew weight is about 250lbs., so I was always try- 



SOUNDINGS 

ing to stay as slender as possible and even then we were always a heavy boat. Now with the 

prospect of doing more Finn sailing my target weight is around 210lbs. Not only does that mean 

I can eat a cheese burger once and a while, it also means I can focus more on strength training, 

which will add weight since muscle is heavier than other tissue including fat. The Finn also requires 

more upper body strength, so my current training routine includes more arm, chest, and 

shoulder exercises than what I was used to in college. 

You can do most of the exercises listed above at your local YMCA or perhaps even your 

school gym, but it does take time and you may have to improvise here and there depending on 

what equipment is available to you. If you don’t own a hiking bench they are easy and cheap to 

make. Getting creative helps too, if you are looking to simulate hiking at the gym, try facing upwards 

on the bench typically used for back extensions. It’s not a perfect solution but it targets 

the same muscle groups. If you alternate A and B days twice a week, with a C day in between 

and 2 days of rest, you will quickly find yourself spending 10 or more hours a week in the gym. 

That’s a tough time commitment to make, so doing other activities, like riding your bike to work 

or school is a good way to kill two birds with one stone. Also, and it may seem obvious, but sailing 

really is the best way to get in better sailing shape. That means practicing seriously, going 

through every tack like it is important and pushing yourself on those windy-day tack on the 

whistle drills. Joe Duplin, former Star class champion and Tufts sailing coach, sums it up nicely, 

“You’re sailing upwind and your legs are burning. Think of how the poor guy who hasn’t 

been working out must feel.” Keep that in mind next time you’re at the gym and then think 

about how many windy races are won or lost by inches at the finish line. 

When you consider that top sailors possess outstanding endurance, full body physical 

fitness, and the grace of a ballerina it is easy to shoot down ignorant statements like, “Sailors 

aren’t real athletes.” In fact sailors, especially in hiking boats, burn nearly as many calories a 

day as Olympic cyclists during the course of competition. Eating like an athlete is just as important 

as training like one. You are what you eat, so stay away from sugar and processed 

foods. Eat plenty of complex carbs, veggies, and protein. John Vandemoer has a saying that 

“the fewer legs it has the better it is for you.” Fish, eggs, and chicken are great protein sources 

and low in fat. On regatta days eat plenty of carbs the day before, get a good sleep, and then eat 

lots of small snacks during the course of racing. Apples, whole grain bagels, cliff bars, and peanut 

butter are great fuel for your body. Keeping up your electrolytes and staying hydrated is also 

important to proper muscle function. I usually put diluted Gatorade (about 50/50 Gatorade 

to water ratio) in my water bottles, and force myself to drink a little (not too much) in between 

races, even if I don’t feel thirsty. 

Fitness doesn’t happen overnight, so take advantage of the “off season” and winter 

months to get in shape for summer when it really starts blowing. Not only will you look and feel 

better, but you’ll also notice a big improvement in your sailing. 



OUT OF THE ARCHIVES 

Compiled by Debra Early 

The First Decade: 1890 – 1900 

To capture and create a good 

timeline, I’m summarizing 

chronological articles by decade. 

I’ve also been busy continuing 

to capture member profiles, 

accomplishments and 

club stories, past and present 

where offered. These chronological 

articles, mixed with the 

other stories will form the basis 

of continued communications 

to give a varied history recollection 

that I hope is of interest to 

you. I’m always looking for 

good ideas, stories and more 

pictures, so just let me know 

anything you would like to 

share. 

Here goes with our first decade: 

This first decade of Encinal Boat Club (the 

“Club”) represented a very busy time with dramatic 

changes for the membership and the 

economy. The turbulent economy had an 

enormous impact on the fortunes of the club 

as well as the Bay Area. The early 1890s included 

many industrious changes and forward 

economic propulsion that seemed non-stop. 

In dramatic contrast, the decade ended on a 

significant low point. 

Early in the 1880s, the economy was buzzing. 

The rail and ferry systems were excellent and 

allowed Alameda’s population and industry to 

grow, thus allowing several Alameda residents 

SOUNDINGS 

Early member card. Edwin Anthony was paymaster for the Southern 

Pacific Co 

Alameda Tennis Club 1890. Many members were 

ultimate charter members of the club. 



SOUNDINGS 

to create the Encinal Boat Club in 1890. Other important Alameda clubs included the 

Tennis Club and Bicycle Club. Yachting was flourishing on the bay, with three yacht/ 

boat clubs in Marin and one in the East Bay (Alameda Boat Club). 

The Club was founded with shares of stock at $25 each. The bylaws were formed in early 

1891 with 34 signatories. The average age was 37; the members lived in the Gold 

Coast and most had business ties to San Francisco. The initial funding allowed for 

building the first clubhouse in early 1891 at a cost of $6,000. 

There are tremendous parallels with the primary activities of our current club, including 

racing, social activities and cruising. Large races included the Perpetual Challenge 

Race, the prize being a silver cup endowed by the bay’s five clubs, for which Encinal won 

the first race in 1895 and second in 1896. Social events included smoker parties, elegant 

events and holiday get-togethers. The first cruise outs were to Redwood City and 

Sausalito. This period of racing wins and active club life formed the pinnacle for the 

decade, with membership peaking at 125 mid-decade. 

Shortly after the second Perpetual Challenge win, the Club entered an extended era of 

decline. The economy was in a recession, and the Club was unable to capture a third 

Perpetual win. These and other events would have an impact on the Club at the turn of 

the century. Interest in yachting was waning as interest in finding gold and silver fortunes 

took front stage. To add more challenges, there was a fire in the Club annex in 

1899. The Club ended the decade with only 70 members in 1900, the lowest since the 

spring of 1891. 

View from front of Grand street 


Perpetual Challenge 

Trophy


P.I.C.Y.A MEMBER LIASON... 

SOUNDINGS 

Vern Bendsen 

What will be 95 years old and can only be seen on its birthday? It happens on the last 

Sunday in April. If you are a real boater, you should know the answer. 

The answer is; The PICYA Opening Day on the Bay! That is the official beginning of the 

boating season on the Bay. The date is Sunday, April 29 th. 

This year’s Opening Day on the Bay, has a special meaning for Encinal Yacht Club. Our 

own, Fred Rutledge, as Vice Commodore of PICYA (Pacific Inter-Club Yacht Association), 

is in charge of this year’s Opening Day. The theme is ‘The American Spirit’. 

There will be approximately 100 boats in the parade that will transverse the San Francisco 

waterfront with their decorations. 

We need to help and support Fred any way we can. Here are a few ways to do that. 

Enter you boat into the parade 

Sign up to go on the PICYA Committee Boat to see the parade 

Volunteer to be on an Opening Day Committee 

Be a Sponsor. There are different levels of sponsorships 

To do any of the above, there will be information forth coming in the Signal Flag. 

If you have any questions, contact Fred 

Rutledge – frutl68894@aol.com, or Vern 

Bendsen – vbendsen@pacbell.net. 



RBOC NEWS 

by Linda Bendsen 

EYC PICYA Delegate 

RBOC Past President / Director 

picture of Jerry Desmond, Jr. delivering the Call 

-To-Arms letters to the governor's office 

SOUNDINGS 

Opposition to the elimination of 

the Department o Boating and 

Waterways: Many EYC members 

resounded to the RBOC Call-To- 

Arms to oppose the elimination of 

the Department of Boating and Waterways 

with its merger into the Department 

of Parks and Recreation as 

proposed by Governor Brown in his 

recent proposal for governmental reorganization. 

As of this writing 

1,227 Call-To-Arms letters were received 

and delivered to the governor's 

office as well as to the Democratic 

and Republican leaders of the 

Senate and Assembly. This is a very 

significant display of the feelings of 

California's recreational boaters. 

Budget hearings will be held later 

this month in the Assembly ad Senate. 

RBOC will be present and will 

testify. 

The Call-To-Arms is still in effect. 

To obtain a copy of the letter to 

sign and forward to the Desmonds' 

office in Sacramento, see rboc.org. 

Please contact me if you have questions 

or comments: Lbendsen@pacbell.net; 707-422-3510. 



WHERE 

IS THE 

BURGEE?! 

SOUNDINGS 

Photos from Anneke and David Dury: Bahia de Santiago Mexico 



A Special Request 

SOUNDINGS 

As many of you know our club has connections with a number of Universities around the 

bay and much farther afield. This letter was forwarded to me by our Buildings and 

Grounds Chair Dan Hayes. His daughter Meagan is not only a member of the Cal Sailing 

team, but she is a part time coach here at Encinal and grew up in our program. If you 

can help them out contact them directly as this is not an official club fund raiser. 

Nicki Powell-Ford 

Soundings Editor 

Dear Alumni, Friends and Family of Cal Sailing, 

The Cal Sailing Team suffered a devastating loss over winter break. Our coach boat, motor, 

marks, and trailer were stolen from Treasure Island's boat yard. The boat is a 16' center 

console Boston Whaler with a 5 year old Mercury 60 HP 4 stoke engine. It was perfect 

for our use in the cove, and safe out on the bay. This loss sets back our spring practice 

schedule and creates a serious safety concern. Our volunteer coach has no working platform, 

and we lack rescue capabilities. While we're currently exploring interim solutions so 

we can start practices, the team must own its own coach boat. 

We are asking you, our supporters, for help. Ideally, we're looking for a donated boat, motor 

and trailer. Alternatively, cash donations would help us purchase one. As a club sport 

we receive no funding from the university so we must raise money in order to purchase a 

boat. 

Please help us by sharing this request with your friends. Be on the lookout for our stolen 

boat. And please consider donating a boat or cash. You can make a tax deductible donation 

through calsailing.org. 

Thank you for all your support! 

Lauren Amery, 2012, Cal Sailing Team Captain 



St. Patrick's Day 

March 17, 2012 

� Corn Beef and Cabbage Buffett 

� Irish Dancers 

� Irish Drink Specials 

Look for more details in the Signal 

Flag 

SOUNDINGS 


They say it takes a 

village… 

Or in this case an entire 

Yacht Club……. 

Summer 

Sailstice 

Save the date 

June 23, 2011 

Coastal Cup 

June 13-14, 2012


SOUNDINGS 

2012 Delta Daze 5 August - 11 August 

It’s not too soon to mark your Cruise Calendars for this year’s Delta Daze, August 5, 2012 through August 

11th. The Scheck Brothers are hosting this year’s family friendly event at Potato Slough. The event has 

been moved up from prior years to allow you run up to the Delta with Latitude 38’s Delta Doo Da and return 

in time for the America’s Cup World Series on the bay, the week of August 12 th. So no excuses! 

Event planning has already begun, including the following: 

Dinghy Daze, Tower Park Marina ice cream social 

Derby Daze fishing contest 

Margarita Daze social hosted by Hal and Laurie Lynam 

Willow Berm Marina Tour and Barbeque 

Band Daze – Live band and open mic night on the 65’ houseboat “Dreamweaver”. 

Evening event aboard Paramour, with hosts Dave and Anneke Dury 

So mark your calendar and plan on coming up for the week, a day or by car. If you would like to host an 

event or have a suggestion for an activity let the Scheck brothers know at tcscheck@sbcglobal.net and/or 

michaelscheck1@gmail.com. Stay tuned for updates in the months ahead. 

Hula Hoop Your Way to the EYC 

1950s Party! 

Saturday, April 21, 2012 

6:30pm Cocktails and Hors d’oeuvres 

7:30pm Dinner 

9:00pm Dessert and Dancing to the Oldies 

DJ Peter Fletcher 

**We’re looking for EYC Members 

who would like to display their 1950s Classic Car 

for this event. Please call the office (510) 522-3272. 



In Memory of Jon Simpson Clendenin 

Easter Sunday 

Brunch 

April 8 

Save 

the 

Date 

SOUNDINGS 


Juniors Auction 

July 21

2012 Delta Daze 5 August - Encinal Yacht Club

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