Fall 2011.indd - Annapolis Yacht Club

THE ANNAPOLIS
YACHT CLUB
BEACON
VOLUME 3, NO. 2
38°58'25.831N
76°29'08.325W
Understanding our Junior
Associate Members
AYC's Connection to the
Yachting World: ICOYC
Up Close and Personal with
V/C Kevin McNeil

38°58’25 N
76°29’08 W
WORLD CLASS RACING HISTORY FINE DINING JUNIOR SAILING CRUISING FLEET
COMMUNITY SUPPORT EDUCATION ENTERTAINMENT CHAMPIONS AYC FOUNDATION
More than a Club. A Community.

Contents
RACING
CRUISING
JUNIORS
11 14 17
6 Introducing Our Newest One Design Fleet | Peter Trogdon
Built by W. D. Schock Corporation, the Harbor 20 is our Club's newest One Design
fleet. Take some time to get to know this little day sailor - you won't be disappointed.
8 Camaraderie: Alive and Well at AYC | Bob Baker
Regardless of how you spell it, camaraderie is an important attribute and the degree
to which it is evident is a valuable indicator of a great yacht club.
10 The 1979 Fastnet Race: A Personal Account | Gary Jobson
Read Gary Jobson's personal account of the toughest ocean race on record.
13 Expanding Horizons: The BVIs | Scott Parker
Scott Parker went on a week-long cruise with his friends to the British Virgin
Islands in 2007. For these sailors, the annual trip quickly became a tradition.
16 Update: America's Cup 2013 | Kristin Leutwyler Ozelli
This is not your father's Cup Challenge! Modern design and engineering is
constantly changing the race for the oldest active trophy in international sport.
20 The Second Deck Race Crew | Julie Phillips-Turner
For as long as the Wednesday Night Races have ran, there have been dedicated
individuals there to oversee it all. Learn about the Special Events Race Committee.
22 Team AYC at the NYYC Invitational Cup | Nathan Adamus
Following two years of anticipation, Team AYC delivered at this international event.
24 Raising the Bar: Sportsmanship at AYC | Arthur Libby
Our Juniors are making a name for themselves on and off the Bay. They are playing
by the rules competitively and graciously. Here are some of their accomplishments.
25 Understanding our JAMs | Lauren Koppelman
DEPARTMENTS
4 From the Commodore
5 Celebrating AYC |Bill
and Maria Museler
The Muselers share their
journey and connection to the
Annapolis Yacht Club.
15 Connection to
the Community:
AYCF|James Praley
See which activities on the
Bay the AYC Foundation has
supported in the past year.
19 Connection to the
Yachting World:
ICOYC|Bill Torgerson
Get up to speed on
our membership in the
International Council of
Yacht Clubs.
26 Up Close and Personal:
V/C Kevin McNeil
In an interview with Gary
Jobson, our Vice Commodore
shares what makes Annapolis
a special place for him.
The newest and youngest membership class is causing quite a stir. If you feel you are
in the dark about the JAMs, allow us to shine a little light on the subject.
VOLUME 3, NO. 2
AYC BEACON
3

From the Commodore
Dear Fellow Members:
In this edition, the
Beacon's editors have
touched on a wide
array of clubmember
interests. I count
two articles from our
cruisers, two arising
from junior sailing,
others relating to race
management and one
design keelboat sailing,
and a historical piece
on the legendary 1979
Fastnet Race. Following up on their plan to provide
occasional articles of more general interest in relation
to our sport, they have also included a fascinating peek
at the technical innards of current-day America's Cup
activities.
Happy reading!
Bill Torgerson
Cover Photograph Courtesy of Peter Thornton. The Chickahominy River,
Virginia from the stern of Seaclude, owned by Tom & Carol Farcosky
Latitude and longitude on the cover refers to
the exact location of the AYC entrance.
FLAG OFFICERS
Commodore William T. Torgerson
Vice Commodore Kevin S. McNeil
Rear Commodore Rodrick S. Jabin
COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
Amy Bauer
Jana Brenning
Joe DeCarlo
Gary Jobson, Chair
Tom Marquardt
Dan Phelps
Julie Phillips-Turner, Co-Chair
Kristin Schwitzer
EDITORIAL OFFICE
Annapolis Yacht Club
2 Compromise Street
Annapolis, Maryland 21401 USA
410.263.9147
www.annapolisyc.org
communications@annapolisyc.org
Vol. 3, No. 2. AYC Beacon (ISSN 1949-2995) is published by the
Annapolis Yacht Club. All rights reserved. Reproduction without
permission is prohibited.
4 AYC BEACON VOLUME 3, NO. 2

Celebrating Annapolis Yacht Club | Bill and Maria Museler
Bill and Maria Museler in their Herreshoff 12 1/2, Raven.
Bill and I spent considerable time in Annapolis
prior to moving here in 2005. Our daughter
graduated from the Naval Academy in 1997 and
we have been coming to the US Sailboat Show for over
20 years. In 1982, we first cruised from Long Island to
the Chesapeake Bay in our West Indies 36, Marica, for
5 weeks and fell in love with it as the best cruising area
we have ever experienced. So, it was an easy decision
to retire to Annapolis where we bought our home in
Eastport. Fortunately for us, on the morning after we
closed on our home in January 2001, we decided to have
breakfast at Chick and Ruth's Delly where we met Bob
and Sheila Wohlfarth, long time AYC members. One
thing led to another and Bob offered to sponsor us for
membership and Bill applied later that year. We found
another connection to the Club through our son Chris
whose college classmate was John Torgerson, son of
Commodore Bill and Maureen Torgerson.
At that time, there was a waiting list and when we
were accepted, the initiation fee had gone up another
$2,000 but AYC membership is well worth it. Our first
great benefit was when our daughter Erica was able to
hold her wedding reception in the Skipjack in 2003. The
Club's event planners worked with us to make Erica’s
wedding truly memorable and flawless. Guests from
California and the Northwest marveled at the boats in
Spa Creek and the amenities of our club – and that was
in February!
When we finally moved to Annapolis permanently
in 2005, we discovered the Cruising Fleet and it has
been central in cementing our connection to the
Club. On their cruises, we met members who are now
counted as some of our closest friends. Never before
had we experienced such well organized cruises to really
outstanding venues. The Newcomers’ Cruises have been
particularly outstanding. Last year, we had the pleasure
of leading part of the New England cruise; we were
Cruise Leaders for the 4th of July events in Bristol, RI.
After 2 years of cruising in our J/120, we went over
to the “dark side” and now cruise in an Albin Trawler.
However, we are still sailors at heart and we compete in
the Wednesday Night Races in our Herreshoff 12 1/2,
Raven. Bill joined the Race Committee and especially
enjoys helping with the frequent National and World
Sailing Championships AYC conducts, and I volunteer
at the National Sailing Hall of Fame.
We are at the Club almost every Friday night for
happy hour and most Tuesday nights we make sure to
come in for the Blue Plate Special. We equate the Club
staff as family and stand firmly in our belief that AYC
is the best restaurant in town (just don’t EVER take
Cream of Crab soup off the menu!).
VOLUME 3, NO. 2
AYC BEACON
5

Herreshoffs and Harbor 20s play in the creek during AYC's 125th Anniversary weekend.
Our newest one design fleet is a perfect match for our oldest. Photo courtesy of Don Dement.
6 AYC BEACON VOLUME 3, NO. 2

Introducing our Newest One
Design Fleet:
The Harbor 20
Peter Trogdon
AYC’s newest fleet of sailboats is the unique Harbor 20 built near
Newport Beach, California by W.D. Schock Corporation. This 20
foot day sailor provides an easy, comfortable way to enjoy being on
the water. This versatile boat is perfect for a relaxing sail on the bay or for
Wednesday Night Racing. AYC would like to invite everyone from veteran to
beginner sailors to step into this family friendly class of sailboats.
The Harbor 20 class started racing Wednesday nights this year, and as
more people step into ownership of these economical and easy to maintain
boats, additional racing and social events will be organized. The social events
will be planned by the owners and could include Friday night raft-ups,
Saturday sailing up the Severn to a member’s house for lunch and a swim,
or a 4th of July patriotic parade.
The Harbor 20 design was the creation of six seasoned sailors from
Newport Beach, California who put together a wish list for an easy day sailor
with a high level of performance. They developed design specifications and
submitted them to the W. D. Schock Corp. for further discussions. Schock
blended the classic beauty of a traditional day sailor with state-of-the-art
marine technology. The first Harbor 20 was built 14 years ago and there
are now over 330 boats. While the Harbor 20 presents a graceful shearline
counter, its thoroughly modern underbody and rig make for a fast and easilyhandled
contemporary day sailor. The result is a competitive, cost effective,
and easy-to-use boat that will always be in style.
The Harbor 20 has been a successful addition to a number of other Yacht
Clubs' fleets across the nation. AYC's is fleet 5 in the National Harbor Class
Association. This boat has many unique features that appeal to cruisers and
racers alike. She is very comfortable and hiking is not necessary. The cockpit
has thick, padded seats and room for up to six people to sit comfortably. The
boat typically has running lights and a rolling furling jib attached to a Hyatt
boom. Her 900 pound keel is half the boat’s weight so she is stiff and her draft
is 3’ 6 inches. Most Harbor 20s have the optional electric motor making it
easy to get in and out of the marina.
Team racing is the hottest trend in sailing today and a great spectator
sport, too. AYC's Waterfront Director, Jay Kehoe, is planning to have
Harbor 20 team racing in the future. You won't be disappointed with our
newest one design fleet.
VOLUME 3, NO. 2
AYC BEACON
7

Cruising the Chesapeake
Camaraderie: Alive and Well at AYC
Bob Baker
A group of cruisers enjoy cocktails at the Tides Inn.
Photos courtesy of Lynn Hendershot, Hank Spector, & Bill Parlatore.
CAMARADERIE: ca•ma•ra•der•ie, n. Goodwill,
mutual trust, lighthearted rapport, and friendship
among people who share an experience.
Also, comradery.
Regardless of how you spell it – camaraderie or
comradery – is an important attribute and the degree to
which it is evident is a valuable indicator of a great yacht
club. It is a word often used to describe the friendships,
interaction, and light hearted fun among our members.
It is considered by most to be an outcome to the team
building developed by our highly competitive racers.
But, it is not limited to racers - we are fortunate to have
a continually expanding list of opportunities for our
members to develop camaraderie through competitive
and non-competitive activities.
Within the cruising fleet, camaraderie is evident at
Club events and off-the-water cruising fleet activities,
but never more than at the large number of on-thewater
cruises and rendezvous orchestrated by the cruise
committee and accomplished by experienced cruise
leaders. Past Commodore Jeff Scholz says, “While I was
Commodore, Cyndee and I supported as many activities
of the Club that we had time for. I was a racer first and
a cruiser when we had our lobster boat. We both fondly
recall the cruises to The Tides Inn, the Baltimore Inner
Harbor, the Newcomers’ Cruise, and the year-end dinner
at the Club – memories of finely organized events where
it was obvious everyone enjoyed each other’s company
with good natured fun and camaraderie.”
One of the best cruises with a wide range of
activities is the annual Labor Day Week cruise to
a major Chesapeake Resort – usually The Tides Inn
or Bay Creek. These destinations in the southern
Bay lend themselves to a voyage with nights on the
hook in lovely anchorages and sitting in the cockpit
sharing experiences. Either destination may test rusty
seamanship skills and make for lively, tall stories of
survival and informal match racing between sailors.
Alan Herdershot says, “The trips are always interesting,
if not frightening! I remember leaving the good old
Potomac in high winds and seas, hearing others
slogging along and finding out, after the fact, that
some folks actually were tossed about so much that
they commissioned a crew member to sit in front of
the refrigerator to keep it closed and the “stuff ” inside!”
Peter Thornton adds, “The 2009 Southern Bay Cruise
ended with the Tides Inn Cruise. We turned into
Carters Creek and pulled into our slip in the pouring
rain after a strenuous fight up the Bay in very stormy
weather. Unlike most marinas, the Tides provides
towels in its dockside bathrooms - unlimited, big, fluffy
towels. You can imagine our delight.”
8 AYC BEACON VOLUME 3, NO. 2

The Tides Inn and Bay Creek resorts have landside
accommodations for those who arrive via land yacht;
group dining and pool/bar side hijinks; antiquing and
fine dining; and other sports - golf, kayaking, croquet,
bocce, biking, and hiking. In the words of Jack Hildner,
co-leader of the first cruise to The Tides Inn, “We always
considered the annual trip to The Tides Inn to be the
premier cruise for the year. Golf on the par three ninehole
course was always lots of fun because we purposely
organized teams with experienced players with those
who were new to the game, played best ball, and
encouraged coaching. Partying at the pool was great for
camaraderie as was the introduction of croquet which
is now a standard activity. Good friends, good times,
and good memories make trips to The Tides Inn very
special.” Fran Spector adds that “After our first annual
kayaking event, Pat Henry was awarded the prize for
the 'Most Miles Traveled' because she couldn't get her
boat under control and kept wandering farther away
from the group. She must have paddled twice as far as
the rest of us.”
All events on these cruises are open to all and the
events are tailored to a wide range of skill levels. Events
recently added are croquet and bocce. These competitions
are fierce and the awards are highly sought after and
coveted for years. In the words of Frank Wagner, “You
never know what might happen. There is a formal
croquet field at the Tides. After discovering that proper
equipment was available, Karen Kimberly organized a
great match which has continued over the years at many
different locations. Some of the teams of two consisted
of experienced golfers who thought they had an edge in
croquet, but this turned out not to be the case. In our
first match, Karen led her team to a victory so lopsided
that all the rest of us just looked on in envy.”
Expansion of the Cruising Fleet has resulted in
more and diverse cruises. Added this year was the K-9
Cruise – a local rendezvous where the unusual admission
fee was to be in the company of a canine. It was well
attended and a great success for all best friends and their
captains. The competition was spirited and showed that
some elements of camaraderie are evident in the spirited
behavior of these nautical canines. In the words of coleader
Pat Brooks and Scuffy, “We have talked about this
type of event for years; it is a great addition to the events
held by the cruising fleet. Woof, woof!”
So, is camaraderie alive and well? You bet it is
and it is cruising under the AYC burgee.
Kayaking on Carters Creek.
Cruisers enjoy a friendly game of golf at the Tides Inn.
Our four-legged friends loved the first annual Canine Cruise.
VOLUME 3, NO. 2
AYC BEACON
9

1979 Fastnet Race
The Toughest Ocean Race on Record
Gary Jobson
“Looking back these many years
later, it was a heady time. Today, I
am happy to sail my Etchells here on
the bay a few times each year.”
The author at the helm of Tenacious during the infamous
1979 Fastnet Race.
I
almost missed the infamous 1979 Fastnet Race.
At the time, my calendar of racing and giving
sailing clinics around the country was mighty full.
Heading to England for Cowes Week and the Fastnet
Race seemed like one trip too many. The phone rang one
evening and Ted Turner was on the line, “I really want to
win this race, but I need your help.” One month earlier
we had finished first overall aboard Ted's boat Tenacious
in the Annapolis to Newport Race. “Okay,” I replied,
“let's do it.”
When I arrived in Cowes, England by ferry,
there were hundreds of boats sailing on the Solent. It
was blowing hard. I had never witnessed such a scene.
The current was ripping, boats were spinning out under
spinnaker, and cannons were booming from the seawall
of the Royal Yacht Squadron. I was ready to race, and so
was Ted. The first day of Cowes Week was a race across
the English Channel to France and back, and then a
series of day races. Tenacious had a good handicap rating.
We were at the front of the fleet in almost every race.
The biggest contest was the Queen's Cup. We ended up
first overall. The RYS invited Ted, Jim Mattingly, our
navigator Peter Bowker, and I to the prize giving. It was
scheduled to be held at the Club's Castle, which was
built in the 1500s. It sounded exciting. Ted sent back
a message that there were 16 on the crew and all of us
would be attending, or he would not be able to attend.
The race committee agreed. It was an impressive, formal
occasion for an American boat to win this coveted
British Trophy. AYC member Jack King also won this
prestigious trophy with his Merrythought in 1991.
By the time the Fastnet Race started, our crew
aboard Tenacious was ready. Ted announced that winning
this race was more important to him than the America's
Cup. We had defended the Cup two years earlier aboard
Courageous in Newport. I was the only member of the
Courageous crew to sail with Ted in the America’s Cup
and the Fastnet. While we were in England, Richie
Boyd from Courageous was preparing Ted's 6 meter for
the upcoming World Championship. I sailed in that,
too. Looking back these many years later, it was a heady
time. Today, I am happy to sail my Etchells here on the
bay a few times each year.
The Fastnet Race was started in 1925 and is
sailed every other year. The course is 605 miles long,
starting on the Royal Yacht Squadron line, heading
10 AYC BEACON VOLUME 3, NO. 2

Tenacious racing in the AYC Fall Series two months after the Fastnet storm.
west out the Solent, along the south coast of England,
past Lands' End, across the Irish Sea to Fastnet Rock,
about 8 miles south of Cork, Ireland, passing south of
the Scilly Islands and finishing in Plymouth. As we
approached the rock, the wind was blowing about 25
knots. Our spinnaker was up. This was in the days before
race trackers, so we guessed that we were in good shape
against our competitors. And, there were a lot of good
ones. Peter Blake was racing Condor, Dennis Conner
was racing Williwaw, and Steve Colgate had his boat,
Sleuth, there. In fact, 303 boats started the race.
The weather forecast was late as we approached
Fastnet Rock. When the broadcast finally came over the
VHS radio Peter Bowker wrote down every word. His
report to the crew on deck was ominous. “The winds are
forecasted to build to Force 8 or 9, and possibly up to
Force 10!” Ted's comment was frightening, “Oh my God,
20 people are going to die tonight!” We had just finished
a roast dinner cooked by Jane Potts. We rounded the
Rock and hoisted a No. 2 headsail. At 2000 hours I was
on deck as watch captain. At 51 degrees North, the sky
was still light. The wind built and I called for a change to
the No. 3. One hour later we changed down to the No. 4
working jib. At one point, Ted yelled from below for me
to take my hat off so I could feel the wind better. It was
blowing over 40 knots! I could feel the wind through my
foul weather gear. After dark, Courtney Jenkins used a
flashlight to read the compass. The waves were gigantic.
I had never seen anything like this. I wondered how I
would describe the race when I returned to Annapolis.
By Midnight the wind was howling. Ted took
over the wheel. I had steered four hours straight. About
an hour later, Ted called for the mainsail to come all
the way down. The crew was heroic wrestling the heavy
Dacron sail below decks. The wind was well over 50
and still building. The waves were 35 feet tall. All of
us were seasick. Tenacious was a sturdy 61-foot boat
designed by Olin Stephens, who also designed the 12
meter Courageous. We had great faith in Olin and his
engineering.
At 0400 it was my time to go back on deck. I spent
four more hours steering. We only had the No. 4 headsail
set. I would see a green light on the bow and then a red
light. It was tough changing course. When dawn started
to brighten the sky, we set the storm trysail. That made
steering easier. By 0600 the wind was back down to 50
knots and shifting to the west. Tenacious was now reaching.
When we crossed the finish line later that night, the wind
was down to 15 knots. On shore, it was bedlam.
Little did we know that CBS news anchor,
Walter Cronkite, had reported Tenacious as “missing.”
There were hundreds of news reporters on the docks. We
VOLUME 3, NO. 2
AYC BEACON
11

were sad to learn that several boats sank, and a number
of sailors were missing. In the end, only 87 of the 303
boat fleet finished; 5 boats sank and 15 people perished.
For Tenacious, we survived and ended up the overall
winner. But it was a somber victory.
After that Fastnet Race, ocean race regulations
were dramatically improved. The Safety at Sea Seminars
held at the Naval Academy and around the country are
a result of the Fastnet. In 1998 another violent storm
AYC'S INTERNATIONAL RECIPROCAL CLUBS
Are you planning to travel outside of the country? Let your
membership take you home away from home. Here is a list of
Clubs with which we share reciprocity agreements. For more
information, check out www.annapolisyc.org/reciprocity.
Barbados Yacht Club
Britannia Yacht Club
Buffalo Canoe Club
Dubai Offshore Sailing Club
Norddeutscher Regatta Verein
Royal Bermuda Yacht Club
Bridgetown, Barbados
Ottawa, Ontario
Ridgeway, Ontario
Jumeirah, Dubai
Hamburg, Germany
Hamilton, Bermuda
Fastnet Rock is a foreboding place off the southern coast of Ireland.
pounded the Sydney to Hobart fleet. Five people were
lost in that race. Only one person is known to have sailed
in both the 1979 Fastnet and the 1998 Hobart Race. His
name is Syd Fischer of Sydney, Australia. Fischer raced
a series of boats named Ragamuffin. Last summer I did
an interview with him and he compared the two races,
“I think the clap we got in the (1979) Fastnet was the
biggest wave I’ve ever seen.”
Helpful lessons are learned after calamities.
During the summer of 2011 we witnessed several
tragedies including the sad death of junior sailor Olivia
Constants, the capsize and drowning of two sailors
in the Chicago to Mackinac Race, and the capsize of
Rambler 100 in the Fastnet Race. Thankfully, the entire
crew of Rambler 100 survived.
I would not like to repeat the experience of the
1979 Fastnet Race. I was 29 years old at the time. It
would be tougher today. But the lessons from that race
have made racing safer.
Royal Canadian Yacht Club
Royal Cape Yacht Club
Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club
Toronto, Ontario
Cape Town, South Africa
Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron Herne Bay, Auckland
Royal St. George Yacht Club
Royal Thames Yacht Club
Royal Vancouver Yacht Club
Royal Victoria Yacht Club
St. Croix Yacht Club
Dublin, Ireland
London, England
Vancouver, British Columbia
Victoria, British Columbia
Christiansted, Virgin Islands
If you are visiting or have visited any of these places, please send
pictures and stories to communications@annapolisyc.org. You
may be featured as our next traveling yachtsman!
12 AYC BEACON VOLUME 3, NO. 2

Expanding Horizons
Cruising the British Virgin Islands
Scott Parker
The crew ashore at Saba Rock, Virgin Gorda (left to right, Bret Hovell, Charlie Bauer, Cam Bowdren, Scott Parker, and Greg Bauer).
It all starts in October, when
the leaves start to change and the
crisp air carries their scent to
downtown Annapolis.
My friends and I are at the United States
Sailboat show and we begin talking about
“the trip.” As we spend the day walking
around the different boat displays, we’ve already started
to rehash past years sailing in the British Virgin Islands,
and talk about what will be different this coming year.
As with most things that come with friends you have
had since high school, there is a great deal of regularity,
and our yearly sailing trip is no exception.
We took our first cruise around the BVIs a couple
of years after college, with a crew of friends all from the
Annapolis area. The idea of a week bareboat cruising
around the islands was too good for us to pass up, even
if it wasn’t the cheapest idea. Everyone had sailing
experience, but only one of us had ever bareboat chartered
before so this was somewhat of a thrilling idea. Pieces
of the plan began falling in place, and soon enough the
airfare was purchased and the boat was booked.
When I look back on that first cruise in 2007, I can
still remember how exciting every day was for us. Over
the course of that week, we noticed our roles transition
from those which we play in our careers to our positions
on the boat. Our float plan was a list of places I’d only
heard in passing from sailors in Annapolis; from the
Baths at Virgin Gorda, to Foxy’s on Jost Van Dyke, we
were on a vacation like no other. Every day was a new
mooring with a new place to snorkel, and a new bar
that would inevitably keep us out way too late. Calling
a 47 foot yacht home for a week was unlike anything
that I had experienced before, and something I knew I
had to have again. While cruising, daily life is obviously
very different from on shore. One great example of that
difference happened during our first trip, and became a
night we all still talk about years later.
The BVI’s are closely grouped island chain, with
the exception of Anegada, which can only loosely
be considered an island at all. It is stretched about 12
nautical miles from the Sir Francis Drake Channel, and
is only visible when you finally approach its one main
harbor. Anegada is the furthest island to the east, and
boasts a view straight out into the vast Atlantic Ocean.
VOLUME 3, NO. 2
AYC BEACON
13

The crew en route to Anegada.
It is known for the third largest barrier reef in the world,
and was a stop we were bound not to pass up. After a
great sail, we missed the last mooring ball and instead
had to drop a hook for the night. After partaking in a
little night life on shore, we returned to our boat and
dove into our liquid provisions.
About an hour after everyone had
crawled into their bunks, we were
woken up by our friend shouting
that were dragging anchor. After
shaking off the rum, we all took
to solving the potential issue of
colliding with a fellow cruiser. The
final part of our solution involved
sending a swimmer out to check
our now re-set anchor, and around
the clock watch for the rest of the
night. We selected our most accomplished swimmer,
watched him don his “fast fins;” then disappear into the
jet black water. After welcoming our friend safely back
on board, we all settled into teams of two to remain
vigilant for any further potential catastrophes. To this
day, it is still hotly debated that we were even in fact
dragging at all, but regardless we still all have a night
14 AYC BEACON VOLUME 3, NO. 2
We selected our most
accomplished swimmer,
watched him don his “fast
fins;” then disappear into
the jet black water.
(and a sunrise) we will never forget.
With every year we cruise the BVIs, we gain
something new. Our crew has changed year to year, and
some trips have even introduced friends to sailing itself.
We’ve chartered yachts of all sizes, ranging from 39-foot
Jeanneaus to a 53-foot Beneteau,
each with features we found we
liked or could hardly stand to deal
with. I have always been passionate
about sailing, and cruising like this
every year with friends gave me
another way to experience it.
Between our third and fourth
trip, I became a member of AYC,
which has further enriched my
cruising experience in ways I never
expected. Fellow sailors from all
over the globe come to the BVIs, and I was surprised by
how many had a tie to Annapolis in one way or another.
When I wore my AYC hat on shore, I was guaranteed to
get approached by someone striking up a conversation.
We couldn’t be further from Spa Creek on Wednesday
nights, but the feeling of being part of the sailing
community was just as strong.

Connection to the Community
The Annapolis Yacht Club Foundation
James Praley
The Annapolis Yacht Club Foundation was
founded in 1999 with the goals of providing
support and encouragement to amateur
sailors hailing from the mid-Chesapeake Bay region,
supporting sailing instruction for deserving youths who
would otherwise be unable to obtain such instruction,
and supporting other non-profit organizations’
maritime-related charitable and educational activities.
Although the Foundation acts independently from
AYC, it can be viewed as the charitable arm of the
Annapolis Yacht Club.
The Foundation is organized as a public foundation
and managed by a Board of a dozen volunteers,
currently all members of the Annapolis Yacht Club.
AYC's Commodore and Vice-Commodore also serve
as ex officio members of the Board and another 20 or
so members of the Annapolis Yacht Club community
serve on the Foundation’s Grant Advisory, Marketing,
and Fund Raising Committees, which are critical to the
efforts of AYCF.
The Foundation holds IRS Code Section 501(c)(3)
status and as a result, contributions to the Foundation are
tax deductible. Since its formation, the Foundation has
raised and distributed nearly $400,000 to support amateur
sailors, deserving juniors, and non-profit organizations.
The Foundation’s activities are funded both by
annual donations by generous AYC members and
others, and, more recently, through a fundraising auction
held in conjunction with the AYC Annual Membership
Meeting. Last year, over $50,000 was raised by the
auction of a number of items generously provided by
AYC families.
In its short history, the Annapolis Yacht Club has
done a great deal to support sailors and worthwhile
charitable organizations in the mid-Chesapeake area. Its
activities, like those of a number of similar foundations
affiliated with other yacht clubs throughout the country,
enables sailors to pursue their dreams and provide an
opportunity for others to have an introduction to the
Chesapeake Bay and sailing. It is the Foundation’s hope
that it will continue to benefit from the generous support
of AYC members to pursue its mission.
An Annapolis Police Officer assists a child in freeing a fish from a hook in
this 2007 event funded by the Annapolis Yacht Club Foundation.
OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS
THE FOUNDATION HAS MADE GRANTS TO:
• The Annapolis High and Broadneck High Sailing teams,
assisting them in attending National Championship
regattas.
• Olympic hopefuls Andrew Campbell and Ian Coleman
(Star), Farah Hall (Board Sailing), Katy Stork and
Lindsay Gibbon-Neff (470), permitting them to compete
and pursue training opportunities internationally.
• Carol Cronin and Annapolitan Kim Couranz, assisting in
attending the Snipe World Championships in Denmark.
• Members of the team representing Annapolis Yacht Club
in the prestigious New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup
regatta.
• Junior Sailors who attended the Easter Regatta (Holland),
U.S. Youth Championships, CISA Youth Clinic, and other
national and international competitions.
• Scholarships to young sailors attending the AYC Junior
and High School sailing programs.
• Box of Rain, which provides opportunities to
disadvantaged Annapolis youth.
• Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating (CRAB),
which provides sailing opportunities for persons with
disabilities.
• Annapolis Community Boating, conducting introductory
sailing programs and youth summer camps.
• The Brendan Corporation, which conducts youth sailing
programs in both Annapolis and at St. Mary’s College.
VOLUME 3, NO. 2
AYC BEACON
15

Update: America’s Cup 2013
Kristin Leutwyler Ozelli
This is not your father’s Cup Challenge…
When the America’s Cup roars into San Fransisco Bay in 2013,
it will look nothing like the last stateside challenge 18 years
ago. Indeed, defenders ORACLE Racing, led by owner Larry
Ellison and CEO Randy Coutts, are radically redefining the event—
from the boats and teams in play to the venues and viewing options for
spectators. We want to attract “the Facebook generation, not the Flinstones
generation,” Coutts says.
So far, they are on course to do so. The America’s Cup World Series began
this past August in Cascais, Portugal. Tight fleet and match racing in ultrafast
boats got pulses racing on the water and also on land—thanks, in part, to
an unprecedented number of onboard cameras and sensors. The circuit will
include two more regattas this year, up to nine in 2012, and another four in
2013 before the teams decamp in San Fran for the Louis Vuitton Cup and
the America’s Cup itself. Here we highlight just some of the ways in which
this latest test aims to bring new blood to the oldest international sporting
event in history.
MULTIHULLS
AC multihulls—Stars&Stripes H3, Alinghi 5, BMW ORACLE Racing
90—have famously had their detractors. But old-school old salts will just
have to get over it because lighter, faster multihulls are here to stay. ORACLE
Racing’s design and engineering team have introduced two new classes
of wing-sailed catamarans for the next two years of racing. The teams are
currently honing their skills on the AC45, a scaled-down one-design version
of the 72-footers they will debut in the Louis Vuitton Cup. Even on the
bigger AC72s, many of the parameters—length, beam, displacement, sail
area—are fixed, so boat-handling and tactical skill, as well as engineering, will
be key to winning the competition.
The carbon fiber hulls are less than a millimeter thick to keep the boats
as light as possible. The fronts of the hulls curve like upturned knives to slice
their way through the chop and back out of the water should a bow get buried.
16 AYC BEACON VOLUME 3, NO. 2

The much coveted America's Cup has been awarded since 1851. It is
currently in stewardship of BMW Oracle Racing.
©2011 ACEA/Gilles Martin-Raget
In the 22 feet between the hulls runs a web of cross
support and netting. The result looks less like a boat than
an enormous, floating climbing frame, over which crew
members in crash helmets scramble from one flying hull
to another. Indeed, the AC45 can tack so quickly—with
both hulls in the water for just a blink of an eye as they
pass through the wind—that crews need to be extremely
nimble and fit.
An image of the AC45 in action at the 2011 AC World Series in
Auckland, New Zealand.
©2011 ACEA/Gilles Martin-Raget
WING SAILS
For maximum muscle, the AC45 sports a rigid wing
sail, towering 70 feet above its would-be, woven deck.
Transparent plastic covers its antenna-like frame, made
from ultrastrong carbon fiber and Nomex, related to
Kevlar. Each boat also carries a soft-sail jib for sailing
upwind and a gennaker for downwind legs. The total
package delivers enough juice to lift one hull out of
the drink in only five to six knots of true wind. No
surprise, then, that the AC45 really takes off in heavier
air, reaching top speeds of around 35 knots. The AC72,
carrying a 131-foot high wing, is expected to sail upwind
at 1.2 times the speed of the true wind and 1.6 times
that downwind even in light air. Crew can depower the
wing sail, if need be, via removable flaps on the upper
leech or a removable mast tip. And as with a traditional
sail, they can also adjust its angle, camber and twist.
Despite their 2010 Cup win, ORACLE Racing faced
a few minor difficulties with their previous wing-sailed
multihull, one of them being the time it took to rig.
VOLUME 3, NO. 2
AYC BEACON
17

Swedish team, Artemis Racing is the official Challenger of Record for the 2013 race to be held in San Francisco, California.
AYC Member Terry Hutchinson will serve as Artemis Racing's skipper in the 2013 America's Cup.
©2011 ACEA/Gilles Martin-Raget
This time, they have the process seemingly perfected:
Like a giant erector set, the various components of
the AC45 pop out of a 40-foot container—a design
requirement that makes for easy transport around the
globe—and can be assembled in 30 minutes. A sky hook
raises the wing to vertical and the ground crew wheels
the hulls underneath. The wing then sets down into a
ball-and-socket joint, affording it maximum freedom of
movement. The stays are carefully aligned and tightened
to balance it in place. The sky hook then lifts the entire
apparatus into the water.
TRACKING SYSTEMS
Each boat carries an elaborate array of electronics,
created by veteran America’s Cup racer Mark Sheffield.
Data feeds offer real-time boat speeds and distances
between the contenders, thanks to onboard tracking
sensors that pinpoint each yacht’s location to within
two centimeters. All the information not only helps the
sailors and the race committee, but makes for thrilling
watching too. A network of high-resolution cameras
put armchair racers right on the rail. You can watch the
coverage live or catch up on replays at youtube.com/
americascup. All that’s missing is the bow spray.
TEAMS
To attract challengers, ORACLE Racing has tried
to keep the costs down in several ways. The teams are
restricted in terms of how many boats, sails, and extra
equipment they can use. They are limited to a maximum
crew of 11 on the AC72s. And there are scheduled nosail
periods, when no one is allowed to train on the water.
ORACLE Racing has two boats, one skippered by
James Spithill, the youngest skipper to win the Cup, and
the other by Coutts, a four-time Cup winner. The official
Challenger of Record, Artemis Racing, hails from Sweden
and boasts AYC member Terry Hutchinson as skipper.
Other teams include Emirates Team New Zealand; China
Team; GreenCOMM Racing from Spain, Team Korea;
Aleph, Equipe de France, and Energy Team, also from France.
The speed of the boats and the courses themselves,
which will be set near to shore, should challenge all the
teams, despite their collective wealth of experience and
talent. The conditions will demand fast decisions and
even faster reaction times. To enlist young talent, cup
organizers are also launching a Youth America’s Cup to
start in 2012. The younger teams will race the AC45s,
giving them opportunity to become familiar with the
class before graduating to AC72s.
18 AYC BEACON VOLUME 3, NO. 2

Connection to the Yachting World
The International Council of Yacht Clubs
Commodore William T. Torgerson
In 2011, the Annapolis Yacht Club received and
accepted an invitation to become a member
of the International Council of Yacht Clubs
(ICOYC). We were sponsored by two other leading
North American clubs – Seattle Yacht Club and Royal
Vancouver Yacht Club.
ICOYC is an organization which came into being in
the mid-2000s as an outgrowth of informal gatherings
between the leaders of prominent yacht clubs in Europe,
North America, and Asia. The ICOYC’s mission is
to foster communication, closer relationships, and
information exchange between leading yacht clubs from
around the world. There are currently about 28 member
clubs, representing 15 countries. Its current President is
John Stork of the Royal Thames YC.
The principal gatherings of the Council are its
Commodores’ Forums, held every 12-18 months and
attended by leaders and other members of member clubs.
Forums so far have been held in Vancouver, Marseilles,
Durban, Perth, and Seattle. The 2012 Forum will be
hosted by the Royal Southern Yacht Club in England.
The forums are packed with topical presentations and
in-depth discussions of issues faced by the member
clubs. In addition, they are a great opportunity to meet
and mingle with counterparts from fellow clubs around
the world.
One very interesting development is that after each
forum the host Club arranges a cruise that is open to all
members of member clubs. These cruises have become
a great hit with member clubs as there is no better way
to get to see the highlights of an area than to have the
cruise organized and run by the most prominent and
knowledgeable local club. For example, the 2011 postforum
cruise in the Pacific Northwest featured stops at
the outstations of the Seattle and Royal Vancouver YCs,
facilities which are normally reserved for use only by
their members.
If you would like to know more about the ICOYC check out their website
www.icoyc.org.
Current Members
Annapolis Yacht Club, Annapolis, MD
Bruxelles Royal Yacht Club, Brussels
Eastern Yacht Club, Marblehead, MA
Newport Harbor Yacht Club, Balboa, CA
Norddeutscher Regatta Verein, Hamburg
Nylanska Jaktklubben, Helsinki
Royal Danish Yacht Club, Copenhagen
Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club, Perth
Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club
Royal Natal Yacht Club, Durban
Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, Auckland
Royal Norwegian Yacht Club, Oslo
Royal Perth Yacht Club, Australia
Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club, Newport, Australia
Royal Southern Yacht Club, Hamble, UK
Royal Swedish Yacht Club, Stockholm
Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron
Royal Thames Yacht Club, London
Royal Vancouver Yacht Club
Sandrigham Yacht Club, Melbourne
Seattle Yacht Club, Seattle, WA
Societe Nautique de Marseille
Southern Yacht Club, New Orleans, LA
St. Francis Yacht Club, San Francisco, CA
Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee, Berlin
Yacht Club Italiano, Genoa
VOLUME 3, NO. 2
AYC BEACON
19

Second Deck Race Crew
The Wednesday Night Race Committee
Julie Phillips-Turner
Recorders and timers for the Wednesday Night Race watch from the second deck - and can be found there each Wednesday during the season, rain or shine.
(Right to left: Debbie Crow, Joyce Fenwick, Mary Lynn Wilhere; Back Row: Reggie Genola)
On the Second Deck, two rows of chairs are set
before the long banquet table containing a
red megaphone, three air horns, two pairs of
binoculars, a few pencils, and clip boards with the sail
numbers of the Wednesday Night Race (WNR) fleets
at Annapolis Yacht Club.
Around 5:30pm, Reggie Genola, a 20-year veteran
of the Special Events Race Committee (SERC), sets up
the flag pole that will serve as the official finish line for
the evening, as George Moose readies his seat behind
the line with his eagle eyes calling the number of each
boat as they cross.
It’s a mid-August evening – warm, with a nice 10-
15 kt. breeze – the crews on the AYC dock below are
preparing the boats and loading crew before setting out to
the starting line out on the Bay for the 6 p.m. start time.
Every Wednesday night during the spring/summer
race season, 12 very committed members of the SERC
committee gather on the Second Deck to watch, call,
and record the races.
“You’ve got to be very dedicated to doing this job
each week,” states Jim Stoops, the official horn blower
20 AYC BEACON VOLUME 3, NO. 2
for the race. Mary Lynn Wilhere works in DC and
leaves work early to get to AYC on time each week to
participate in the committee.
“Rain, wind, or no wind, we’re here every Wednesday,”
says Mary Lynn, who has been on the committee for five
years. “Sometimes we have to run inside and press our
faces against the window to watch the finish – although
George is the one who braves the weather outside to call
the races.”
Each committee member has their own reason for
joining the group – while many have a race background,
others wanted a fun way to be involved with AYC,
such as Debra Crow, a middle school science teacher in
Queen Anne’s County. Her husband is out on the race
course (My Wife is the Best) and considers this her way of
participating in the race.
“This committee is really about meeting people and
being around people. It’s a great way to be involved. The
committee is like a family. We like to keep up to date on each
other’s lives,” states Debra. “If it wasn’t for this committee I
wouldn’t have met some of these great friends.”
At the beginning of the WNR season, starting

“This committee is really about meeting people and being around
people. It’s a great way to be involved. The committee is like a family.
We like to keep up to date on each other’s lives,”
late April and running through early September, each
committee member gets assigned a job based on what
they prefer to do. Many of the Race Committee members
including those on the Race Committee boats have
race experience – several are professional race officers.
But whether or not the member has a professional
background in racing, or is just good with numbers,
each member is placed where they are most comfortable.
Bobby Frey, the SERC Chair is responsible for placing
and scheduling all members of the committee for every
race.
“I wanted to be on the committee because I wanted
to shoot the cannon,” says George. “After they did away
with that a few years ago, they re-assigned me on the
committee, and now I call over.” You could say now,
George IS the cannon, and has been so for 7 years.
“It can be confusing calling all the boats when they
are so close together – especially during a light downwind
finish with spinnakers luffing over the sail numbers, says
George, “but on those days, we put people at all corners
of the deck to watch the boat numbers as they cross.”
At 6:55 p.m. George stands with the binoculars
looking out towards the mooring field to check the
progress on the Harbor 20s, Hereshoffs, and a few fast
Farr 40s that are headed in towards the finish line.
About 100 spectators are seated on the Second
Deck waiting, enjoying dinner and cocktails, for the
spectacular finish during the perfect summer evening.
The Race Committee sits and enjoys their iced tea
and conversation. “This is the calm before the storm,” one
member comments, as they all speculate whether one of
the Hereshoffs or Harbor 20s will finish first tonight.
Settling into their chairs, grabbing their pencils,
clipboards, and watches to record each boat as they finish,
the committee becomes silent and attentive, taking their
positions as the first boat (a Herreshoff ) crosses the line
around 7:15 p.m. followed by Jim’s first loud air horn of
the evening and “Over,” projected by George through the
megaphone, as he gazes steadily across the finish line.
Nearly 90 boats race each week, some finishing sideby-side,
as the “over” announcements and a dozen more
horns announce the finishing sailboats in the race during
The second deck SERC team double checks recorded times for each boat
finishing that evening after the race.
the evening. The beautiful scenery of the sailboats and
the activity of the committee keep the second deck a
lively place on a Wednesday night.
Soon after the last boat is confirmed over, the
committee members reconcile their recorded times for
the race. Then, they finally leave their chairs to enjoy
the post-race party and continue the conversation they
enjoyed with each other while waiting for the boats to
approach the finish.
This is the first article of a series that will follow the SERC and the events
they lead over the next few seasons – providing a small glimpse of the
member volunteers and behind the scenes of the events.
VOLUME 3, NO. 2
AYC BEACON
21

One for the Record Books
Team AYC Takes 3rd in 2011 New York
Yacht Club Invitational Cup
Nathan Adamus
Team AYC: Peter McChesney, Skipper; John Torgerson, Tactician; Shane Zwingelberg, Main Trimmer; Stan Welle, Bow; Vann Walke, Mast; Scott Carr,
Spin Trimmer; Scott Snyder, Trimmer; Dave Askew, Pit; Margret McChesney, Mid Bow; Rodrick Jabin, Strategist; Jay Kehoe, Coach.
On August 25, 2008, New York Yacht Club
Commodore Charles H. Townsend announced the
inaugural New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup,
an invitational fleet-racing regatta, scheduled to take
place September 15-19, 2009. The concept behind the
Invitational Cup was to bring together amateur yacht club
teams to compete against teams from around the world.
Invitations were sent to premiere yacht clubs around
the world in order to revitalize the spirit of international
competition between Corinthian sailors. Commodore
Townsend remarked, “This event will once again bring
the Corinthian spirit to the forefront of the sport and
enable us to share the excitement of sailing on the waters
of Rhode Island Sound.” The committee also decided
that the race would be held biennially at Harbour Court,
the NYYC's on-the-water clubhouse in Newport, R.I.
Prizes would be awarded to the top-three teams,
with the winning team receiving star treatment via
22 AYC BEACON VOLUME 3, NO. 2
engraving on the NYYC Invitational Cup, donated
by former-Commodore Robert L. James and former
NYYC Trustee Charles A. Robertson. The trophy is
permanently displayed at New York Yacht Club’s 44th
Street Clubhouse in Manhattan.
In the first biennial Invitational Cup in 2009, host
club NYYC overpowered 19 amateur teams from 14
nations in NYYC Swan 42s to hoist the trophy. The only
two U.S. teams to compete in that race were NYYC and
Saint Francis Yacht Club.
After other U.S. clubs expressed an interest in
joining the heralded international competition, NYYC
decided to open the doors to additional U.S. yacht clubs.
The U.S. Qualifying Series was eventually announced,
allowing carefully selected U.S. teams to compete for
one of three slots in the 2011 NYYC Invitational Cup.
It was in this U.S. Qualifying Series on September
7-11, 2010 that Team AYC took their first step to

eventually becoming a force at the NYYC Invitational
Cup in 2011. During the first two days of racing on
Narragansett Bay, 24 of the nation’s finest yacht clubs
were split equally into fleets designated Red or Blue.
Competing teams sailed half of each day’s races in either
NYYC’s Sonars or Sail Newport’s J/22s.
After 14 races were completed, the top six teams
from each fleet were combined into the Gold fleet. The
final two days of the Qualifying Series were sailed in
Sonars. The bounty for a top-three finish in the Gold
fleet was a spot in the 2011 NYYC Invitational Cup.
Annapolis Yacht Club battled all week to solidify a
second overall in the Gold fleet standings with 50 points.
Skipper Peter McChesney credited the conditions for
being a significant factor in their impressive finish. “The
current was good for us when it
was strong at the starting line
because we had good starts. On the
Chesapeake we’re used to current
and some of the lake people
[competing here] are not. We were
up on the line, and other people
were getting pushed back. It was
helpful for us.”
Perhaps foreshadowing Team
AYC's third place finish in the
2011 Invitational, McChesney
also noted in Qualifying Series
interviews that “Our mantra is
‘first is third and third is first’ for
this regatta.” By finishing second, Team AYC joined
Eastern Yacht Club and Newport Harbor Yacht Club in
qualifying for the 2011 regatta in Newport.
After qualifying, Team AYC began prepping for the
2011 Invitational Cup. However, it was the support of
AYC members that provided the biggest inspiration and
motivation for the team. The “Get on the Boat” campaign
invited members to contribute to Team AYC's NYYC
Invitational Cup journey in exchange for getting their
name on the Swan 42 Mustang. The number of donors
was overwhelming and Mustang was emblazoned with
the names of many generous sponsors before its practice
run in the Swan Nationals.
Team AYC headed into Newport in the wake of their
fourth place finish in the Swan 42 U.S. Nationals, but Day
1 was far from kind as AYC finished 11, 10, and 12. It was
especially disheartening considering there were no throw
“Without the donations and
continuous encouragement
from our members...we
probably would not have
seen the same degree of
success at this year's NYYC
Invitational Cup.”
outs. On Day 2, Coach Jay Kehoe celebrated his birthday in
style as Mustang vaulted up the leaderboard with a 6, 1, 3 to
move to third place overall.
Things were looking great on Day 3 when a costly
penalty caused the team to slip back into fourth overall
after a disastrous sixteenth place finish in Race 8. Never
one to shy away from adversity, McChesney rallied the
troops on Day 4 to finish 2 and 4. A light breeze on Day 5
only allowed for one final race, and AYC took advantage
with a third to land an overall third place podium finish
behind first place Royal Canadian Yacht Club and the
second place finishers from host club NYYC.
McChesney summed up what many competitors
were thinking all week. “It was certainly, arguably, the
most unique, special, exciting regatta. The professional
circuits, Olympic campaigns, and
a lot of great one-design classes
[beg attention], but certainly
this is a new unbelievable regatta
with worldwide excitement.”
Commodore Torgerson also
extended his congratulations to the
team for their outstanding effort
and excellent results.
Although their podium finish
was monumental, especially for a
team that had to navigate past an
extended list of exceptional U.S.
amateur clubs to qualify, it was the
support from the Club and Team
AYC's positive attitude that was the real story at this year's
regatta. “Without the commitment of the AYCF, the
generosity of Gary Jobson for the use of Mustang, and all of
the members who ‘Got on the Boat,’ I can honestly say that
we probably would not have seen the same degree of success
at this year's NYYC Invitational Cup,” said Jay Kehoe. “It's
unbelievable how the positive energy that the membership
and staff provided via email, phone, and text messages
transplanted to the team and provided us the momentum
we needed to achieve a podium finish.”
As General Manager Brian Asch reminds us every
month in the Smoking Lamp, AYC is more than a Club,
it's a community. As such, we can all celebrate Team AYC's
historic finish and treasure the camaraderie and support
from members and staff. To quote Team AYC Skipper
Peter McChesney, a third place finish is sometimes just
as good as a first place trophy. Congratulations Team
AYC, third place is as good first in our books!
VOLUME 3, NO. 2
AYC BEACON
23

Junior Sailing
Raising the Bar: Sportsmanship at AYC
Arthur Libby
Our junior sailors have sailed the Chesapeake
Bay and beyond winning countless trophies in
the last few years. The truest form of victory
lies in gaining the respect of your competitors. These are
tough words to live by when you are trying to beat them,
but it seems that our junior sailors get the point. Here
are some of the awards they have won.
2009 Balboa Yacht Club’s Inaugural Youth Match
Racing Regatta.
Mike Carr, Brady Stagg, and Jack Ortel finished
fifth in this competition and were recognized with the
Nick Scandone Sportsmanship/Leadership Memorial
for their generous, cooperative, Corinthian attitude
throughout the event. Named in honor of the late 2008
Paralympic Gold Medalist Nick Scandone, the award
was presented by his wife, Mary Kate, who proudly
congratulated each of the young men not just once but
twice when Mike Carr, Jack Ortel, and Austin Ortel
won again in 2010. No one else has won this trophy
more than once.
2009 USODA Team Trials – Houston Yacht Club.
Kyle Comerford was picked out of 211 competitors
for the prestigious Sportsmanship Award. “Kyle always
said thank you after every race,” reports the PRO.
2011 California International Sailing Association
Advanced Racing Clinic.
In April of this year, Patrick Floyd and Harrison
Hawk were given the Sportsmanship Award as voted on
by 110 of their peers. Their good nature and attention to
detail won the respect of the other competitors.
2011 Mallory Cup.
In May of 2011, the AYC-coached Annapolis High
School won the Sportsmanship Award at the High
School Nationals (Mallory Cup) held at Austin Yacht
Club in Austin, TX. During the practice day, there was a
collision between an AHS boat and another boat. Seeing
that there was significant damage, the AHS skipper and
crew reported to the PRO the extent of the damage and
offered to pay to fix it. The PRO was impressed with the
team's honesty and awarded them the Sportsmanship
award at the end of the regatta. Sailing for AHS were
Jack Ortel, Lilli Salvesen, Haines Whitaker, Charlie
Lomax, Harrison Hawk, and Austin Ortel.
24 AYC BEACON VOLUME 3, NO. 2
Boo Devanny and Amanda Wagner graciously accept their award at the
2011 Ida Lewis Junior Women's Doublehanded Championship.
2011 Richmond Yacht Club Point.
This June at Richmond Yacht Club Point in
Richmond, CA, the Sportsmanship Award, chosen by
ballots cast by the girls themselves was a close call, but
Kaylee Schwitzer of AYC won it. Frank Ustach described
her as “a great sailor, not having the best regatta. She
cares about being a leader and befriending all the girls.”
2011 Ida Lewis Junior Women’s Doublehanded
Championship.
This July, Boo Devanny and Amanda Wagner won
the C. Thomas Clagett Sportsmanship award for helping
another team right their capsized boat in jellyfish-infested
waters. “Amanda dove in the water to assist two younger
girls who couldn’t right their boat by themselves.” At the
same regatta, Elena VandenBerg and Lilli Salvesen won
the Ida Lewis Trophy for Most Improved.
2011 US Optimist Dinghy Association’s Team Race
Nationals.
This July, Emma White and her team were
recognized by Robin Kuebel, USODA Class President
during the awards ceremony. Specifically, Emma and 4
fellow sailors are the first time “team recipients” of the
USODA Sportsmanship award, a New York Yacht Club
perpetual trophy awarded since 1993.
That’s quite a list. Our juniors are certainly making an
impression on the sailing community at home and abroad.
We should all be proud to see them waving our burgee, I
sure am. We hope to see more in coming events.

Membership Development
Understanding the Junior Associate Members
Lauren Koppelman
Joined at the hip off the water, two of our Opti Race team sailors Aidan
Morgan and Nick Salvesen enjoy each other's company at the end of
summer race team banquet.
Photo courtesy of Larry Martin, Martin Image Photography
During the Annual Membership Meeting held
in November of 2010, the membership voted
to create the Junior Associate Membership: a
new membership class that includes “any person between
the ages of seven and twenty-one of good character and
reputation who has expressed interest in participating
in AYC's Junior Fleet Program.” Following the first
summer program serving this new class, we received
a lot of valuable feedback and from it, one common
question resounded: why JAM? The answer lays in
two key benefits of Junior Associate Membership: the
opportunity to officially represent the Annapolis Yacht
Club by flying our burgee in regattas, and the chance
to contribute to their initiation fee should they decide
to join the Club. This year, for relatives of members, the
JAM fee was $75. For children not related to a member,
their fee was $175. In both JAM fees' cases, $75 will be
invested towards an initiation fee.
It is the Membership Development Committee's
focus to attract a greater amount of younger members to
the Club. By offering a valuable investment plan to young
individuals who show an interest in sailing and pride
in our community, it will increase the chance that they
will continue their relationship with our Club. AYC's
membership includes 501 members who joined between
the age of 16 and 35. Essentially, one in four of our
members were previously Junior/Intermediate members.
Ten years ago, there were 156 Junior/Intermediate
members of our Club. Today, there are just 53. Happily,
AYC saw 284 Junior Associate Members ( JAM) last
summer of which 53% were related to an AYC member.
These children are used to casually boating under their
parents' or grandparents' burgees; however, they and the
other 47% of JAMs who aren't related to a member now
have the opportunity to fly one of their own. The best
way to build allegiance to our community is to make our
Junior Sailors officially a part of it.
As members of the Annapolis Yacht Club, our new
JAMs have similar benefits as full-fledged members:
they receive their own copy of our monthly newsletter
so they can stay connected and read coverage that might
include their own accomplishments; they can store their
racing boats at the Club; they can host their families
on a limited basis for dinner in the Clubhouse; they
have access to the auxiliary parking lots when they are
using the Clubhouse and its facilities. Our Junior Sailors
have never before had this level of exposure to the
Club. Suddenly, these sailors transition from attending
a two-week sailing instruction course or a month-long
race team to being incorporated into an elite sailing
community. Many of our JAMs took a taste of AYC life
by using dining facilities, and one family was so charmed
by our community that a membership application is in
process for them to join.
We continue to work together with our members
to answer any questions and concerns and to fine tune
the JAM program to eliminate confusion. Before the
summer started, Waterfront Director Jay Kehoe wrote,
“In the short term, we hope to see more juniors and their
families involved at AYC. In the long term, we would
like to see more members earning their 40 year pin!”
The potential to retain some of these talented and wellrounded
sailors is promising.
VOLUME 3, NO. 2
AYC BEACON
25

Up Close and Personal
Vice Commodore Kevin McNeil
Jobson
You seem very committed to this area. What
is special about Annapolis for you?
McNeil I’ve grown up here and it's my home. The
Chesapeake Bay is very special. It’s a beautiful
piece of water. I never get tired of going to
Oxford. I’ve never grown tired of the regattas.
It’s very well located, north and south. We can
get to either Florida or New England to go
sailing in a short period of time. It’s a very
well located place on a beautiful body of water.
Jobson So if you were talking to a young person, 20,
just got out of college, why would you suggest
to them that they should come to the area and
join the Annapolis Yacht Club?
McNeil This Club offers a great community. The job
markets in Washington and Baltimore are
good and Annapolis is a beautiful, centralized
place to live. The Club offers them a community
where they could raise their family. It’s a good,
safe haven; a preferred community.
Jobson
When you were a young person sailing in Spa
Creek did you ever envision you would be
running up the flags at Annapolis Yacht Club?
McNeil I can tell you it was definitely not on my bucket
list. I got involved about seven years ago when I
was asked to be on the Board. Then they asked
me to move up and come into the flag chain.
I felt like I could contribute something to the
operation and that’s why I did it. I think I can
help and I think it is going well. We have a
great facility. We have a great membership. I
think the diversity of the Club is its strength.
It's important to recognize that we’re stronger
as one than we are as the pieces. It's possible
for everyone to get what they want out of the
Club. We’re here for everybody, it’s just not for
one group’s focus.
Jobson
It seems to serve lots of different constituents
well. The cruising crowd, the racing crowd, the
dinner crowd, the card playing crowd, the kids.
McNeil Exactly. You have to give Bill Patterson
a great pat on the back, along with a lot of
other people but I know early in the going,
Bill Patterson was very active in that cruising
group and has grown now to be a tremendous
group of people who share common interests.
They play a large role at our Club.
Jobson
If you were to look into a crystal ball where
would you like to see Annapolis Yacht Club
10 or 15 years from now?
McNeil I think the Club has tremendous potential to
continue its growth. I was a child here and I see
the family program moving ahead. I like the
concept of a multi generational membership
dynamic where our kids can enjoy what we’ve
enjoyed. I’ve gotten tremendous satisfaction
out of sailing. It has helped me both personally
and within my business. A strong support
structure and family structure is one of the
best things we can offer our community.
26 AYC BEACON VOLUME 3, NO. 2

I was asked to be on the Board so I began to get involved in the Club.
Then they asked me to move up and come into the flag chain. I felt like I could
contribute something to the operation and that’s why I did it. I think I can help.
Jobson
So to help provide a support structure, what
specific things would you like to see happen?
Jobson
You raced quite a bit with Jack King. Tell me
a little bit about Jack.
McNeil I think we should continue to emphasize a
family friendly environment and include
more activities that are family oriented. We
need to strive to encourage kids to grow up
here and come back here. The little ones can
learn from the older ones who learn from
those older still and so on.
Jobson
How has Annapolis changed over the years?
McNeil When we were growing up they still had the
Navy yawls moored off the Naval Academy
seawall so a lot has changed. It’s just more
boats. More people. We lost the boatyards.
It’s gotten a lot more commercial. It seems to
be more marinas and a lot more plastic boats
around where when we were growing up there
was more flavor to the waterfront. McNasby’s
was there. O’Leary’s used to have a real rail
yard that would pull boats. Sarles was busy
with workboats. You had Trumpy building
boats. It just seemed a lot more maritime.
Now it appears to be more commercial with
marinas and dockage with plastic boats.
Jobson
I’m thinking about some of the great sailors
here at the Annapolis Yacht Club. You grew
up here. What was it like sailing with Al Van
Metre and Running Tide for example?
McNeil At that point in time I was still in high school
so it was a real treat. We got to travel up and
down the East coast. At the time that we were
sailing with him, that was one of the biggest
boats out there. That was before Kialoa came
on the scene and the maxi boats. Running
Tide was the big-name yacht and it was such a
thrill to be involved in that. It was wonderful.
McNeil I’ve known Jack my whole life. He bought
Merrythought, the Frers 62, which I think you
and I sailed a couple of races on together. I
sailed with him for 4 or 5 years. He traveled.
He was one of the members that went on an
international circuit. We went to the Fastnet.
We went to the Med and did the Nioulargue
Races. It was just a thrill to travel on a nice,
big boat. Jack was a great guy who took good
care of everybody. It was a lot of fun.
Jobson
You’ve done a lot of Star racing too.
McNeil I started racing the Star boat around 1989.
I had a big boat for a while, an IOR boat, and
IOR was kind of dying out. So I thought I’d
go try something different and get in a smaller
boat with fewer crew. I came to love that class.
The people in it are wonderful. The talent is
outstanding. I’ve been sailing them now for
over 20 years. It’s just been fabulous. Good
venues. Great people. Great competition.
You’ve got to be paying attention to do well in
that group. I’ve had my ups and downs.
Jobson
How was it having the Star Worlds here at
Annapolis Yacht Club?
McNeil That was a lot of fun. It was a great event. We
had 98 boats. I didn’t do very well. I was a
little disappointed with that but we put on a
great event. It was nice having all your friends.
I’d been to all their clubs and been on the west
coast and the north and the east coast, north
and south. To have all your friends come to
your home club and have a big event like that
it was nice.
VOLUME 3, NO. 2
AYC BEACON
27

Annapolis Yacht Club
2 Compromise Street
Annapolis, Maryland 21401 USA
We brought it home!
Congratulations to our sailors who brought the Corinthian Cup home
in the second annual SFYC/AYC Corinthian Cup.
We look forward to defending the Cup in foreign waters in 2012!