Beacon - Annapolis Yacht Club

THE ANNAPOLIS
YACHT CLUB
BEACON
VOLUME 1, NO. 2
38°58'N
76°29'W
Wednesday Night
Madness
Under the Big Top
with the Cruising Fleet
National Sailing
Hall of Fame
Coming to Annapolis
Spending Time
with Sunny Smith

November 2009
Wednesday 11 Veterans’ Day Luncheon and Lecture | 11:30 a.m. | Third Deck | $15.95++
Friday 13 Fashion Show | 11 a.m. | Boutique in Skipjack and Luncheon and Show Third Deck | $29.95++
Saturday 21 Y-A-C-H-T and Family Night | 6 p.m. | Skipjack | $13.95++ Adults | $7.95++ Children (ages 3 to 11) | $5++ for five games
Thursday 26 Thanksgiving Buffet | 11 a.m. | Clubhouse | $31.95++ Adults | $16.95++ Children (ages 3 to 11)
Saturday 28 Father/Daughter Luncheon | 11:30 a.m. | Clubhouse | $28.95++ Adults | $15.95++ Children (ages 3 to 11)
calendar of events
December
Tuesday 1 Holiday Extravaganza—Shopping and Dining | 5 p.m. | Clubhouse | $30++
Wednesday 9 Annual Eggnog Party | 6 p.m. | Clubhouse | $65++
Saturday 12 Lights Parade 2009 | 5:30 p.m. | Clubhouse | $45++ Adults | $30++ Children (ages 3 to 11)
Friday 18 Father/Son Luncheon | 11:30 a.m. | Main Bar and Third Deck | $28.95++ Adults | $15.95 Children (ages 3 to 11)
Saturday 19 Breakfast with Santa 9:30 a.m. | Skipjack | $13.95++ Adults | $19.95++ Children (ages 3 to 11) |
$9.95++ Children (ages 1 and 2)
Thursday 31 New Year’s Eve Celebration | 7 p.m. | Second and Third Decks | $85++
January 2010
Friday 15 Children’s Pizza and Movie Night | 6 p.m. | Skipjack | $8.95++ (ages 5 to 10)
Wednesday 20 Lecture Series: Donald Trumpy | 6:30 p.m. | Lecture: Third Deck | Buffet Dinner: Skipjack | $27.50++
Saturday 23 Burns Night Supper | 6 p.m. | Skipjack | $40++
Thursday 28 In the Galley with Chef Brian | 7 p.m. | Clubhouse | $55++
Friday 29
February
Y-A-C-H-T and Family Night | 6 p.m. | Skipjack | $13.95++ Adults | $7.95++ Children (ages 3 to 11) | $5++ for five games
Friday 5 Children’s Pizza and Movie Night | 6 p.m. | Skipjack | $8.95++ (ages 5 to 10)
Tuesday 16 Cooking Luncheon: Chili and Hot Soups | 12 noon | Skipjack | $30++
Wednesday 17 Patrick Shaughnessy, President of Farr Yacht Design | 6:30 p.m. | Lecture: Third Deck | Buffet Dinner: Skipjack | $27.50++
Friday 19
March
Friday 5
Y-A-C-H-T and Family Night | 6 p.m. | Skipjack | $13.95++ Adults | $7.95++ Children (ages 3 to 11) | $5++ for five games
Capitol Steps Dinner and a Show | Save the Date
Wednesday 17 Captain Bill Band, Maryland Pilot | 6:30 p.m. | Lecture: Third Deck | Buffet Dinner: Skipjack | $27.50++
Friday 19
Y-A-C-H-T and Family Night | 6 p.m. | Skipjack | $13.95++ Adults | $7.95++ Children (ages 3 to 11) | $5++ for five games
Tuesday 23 AYC Remembers | 6 p.m. | Cocktails in Skipjack and Dinner on Third Deck | $18.86++
April
Saturday 3 Children’s Easter Party | 10 a.m. | Clubhouse | $16.95++ Adults | $19.95++ Children (ages 3 to 11) |
$9.95++ Children (ages 1 and 2)
Sunday 4 Easter Brunch | 10 a.m. | Clubhouse | $29.95++ Adults | $15.95 Children (ages 3 to 11)
Saturday 10 Commodore’s Reception | 6:30 p.m. | Clubhouse | $65++
The AYC calendar is posted in its entirety on the website at www.annapolisyc.org. Login and go to Members > Club Calendar. Reservations for most
events can be made online up to three days in advance. Or call the Front Desk at (410) 263-9279 for assistance.

contents
RACING
CRUISING
juniors
11 10 14 16 17 18
7 The Annapolis Yacht Club Story Sanford Morse
Club historian Sandy Morse takes us on a voyage of the Annapolis Yacht
Club through the years set against the backdrop of what was happening
in Annapolis and the country. In this issue, he describes the Growth Years
(1937–1960) and the Modern Era (1960–today).
10 Wednesday Night Madness Bobby Frey, Chairman
Special Events Race Committee
Of course, it’s exciting on the water but you won’t believe how hectic it is
behind the scenes.
14 National Sailing Hall of Fame Coming to Annapolis Gary
Jobson
What better place for a National Sailing Hall of Fame than right here in
Annapolis?
16 Under the Big Top with the Cruising Fleet Tom Corboy,
Chairman, Cruising Fleet
DEPARTMENTS
4 From the Commodore
5 Celebrating Annapolis
Yacht Club Terry Hutchinson
6 Happenings
20 Up Close and Personal:
Spending Time with
Sunny Smith, Commodore
1972–73
Cover photo courtesy of Don Dement:
Elf, the 1888 Boston Lawley Cutter, at
our annual Keels and Wheels show
Our Cruising Fleet puts on two “big tent” affairs each year—the Newcomers’
Cruise in June and the Fall Rendezvous in September.
17 Chesapeake Destinations: Solomons Island on the Way to Points
South Tom Corboy, Chairman Cruising Fleet
Getting to Solomons is all part of a marvelous journey.
18 AYC Juniors on the International 420 Fast Track Jay Kehoe
Waterfront Director Jay Kehoe discusses the evolution of the I420 and how
AYC’s junior sailing program is embracing the craft.
19 Junior Sailing Essay: What Sailing Means to Me Harrison
Hawk
A junior sailor talks about sailing, friends, and life lessons.
Visit www.annapolisyc.org for videos, photographs, news articles, and more on sailing in
Annapolis. Log in to the members’ area for the club calendar, roster, and online statements and
payments.
Correction: Our apology for the misspelling of
Past Commodore William H. Labrot’s name in
the last issue of the Beacon.
VOLUME 1, NO. 2
AYC BEACON
3

from the Commodore
The fall yachting season, with
brisk breezes and the changing
of colors is quickly drawing to
an end and the weather has
provided excellent racing and
cruising conditions throughout
the Chesapeake Bay. Now,
we may look forward to our
holiday events, cruise corners,
frostbite racing, and lecture series.
Please take a look at the
calendar since there are many
activities to bring you to the
Club.
I am always heartened to see the Burgee being flown or
worn by our members. Our cruisers often comment on the
number of Club burgees they see in distant ports. Our racing
sailors will carry the burgee to Florida this winter and our professional
sailors have been active in the Mediterranean all summer
and into the fall. We will have cruising and racing members
as far away as New Zealand and Australia this winter.
The Club has weathered the very difficult economic environment
and will break even this year. My thanks to all of you
for coming to the Club and increasing our food and beverage
sales, and to management for strict cost controls. We will enter
2010 with a balanced budget and significant reserves.
We have come a long way from a small club on Spa Creek
that periodically struggled financially to one that is financially
sound and recognized internationally.
Peter J. D. Gordon
Commodore
Flag Officers
Commodore Peter J. D. Gordon
Vice Commodore William T. Torgerson
Rear Commodore Kevin S. McNeil
Communications Committee
Joe DeCarlo
Gary Jobson
Tom Marquardt
Dan Phelps
Julie Phillips-Turner
Kristin Schwitzer
MANAGING EDITOR
Sandy Sloan
DESIGN & PRODUCTION
Colburnhouse
© 2009 by Annapolis Yacht Club
Printed in the United States of America
Editorial Office
Annapolis Yacht Club
2 Compromise Street
Annapolis, Maryland 21401 USA
410.263.9279
www.annapolisyc.org
Vol. 1, 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 1, NO. 2

Celebrating Annapolis Yacht Club
Terry Hutchinson
As I read Gary’s inaugural article in the Beacon, I
could not help but think my AYC story is not
nearly as good. I do not have a great story of a
prominent member of our sailing community encouraging
me to join AYC. Unlike Gary, when I joined, I was
not triumphantly coming back to town having just won
the America’s Cup. Unfortunately, my endeavors in that
arena left me three races shy.
My story is one of simplicity. My wife Shelley and I
had just moved back to Annapolis in the fall of 1996. I
had taken a sales position working for Larry Leonard and
was really looking forward to living back at “home.” For
several months, Shell and I would go to Friday night happy
hours with the then dating Chris Scanlon and Dave
Gendell. It became somewhat of a routine those Fridays
and, after some encouragement from Dave and then
Commodore Libby, I applied for a junior membership.
I can remember my interview with John White as
if it was yesterday. John asked me, “Why do you want
to join AYC?” I jokingly said, “I don’t but all my friends
are getting tired of buying us drinks at happy hour and
so I figured if I was going to hang out here at the club,
it would be best to be a member.” That was the spring
of 1997 and I guess my honesty with the Membership
Committee saw me fit to be a member.
The story, however, from here gets a little better. Being
a member of the Annapolis Yacht Club has been a
privilege. I have been so fortunate as a professional sailor
to see and experience sailing and racing on an international
level. But I know when I enter an event and put
“Annapolis Yacht Club” on that I am representing more
than myself. The community of AYC is something that
until you are removed from it, you don’t realize how much
you miss it. Having spent the better part of a decade out
of the Chesapeake, I have two stories that always make
me smile when I think about the people of AYC.
The 2002 Governor’s Cup with Commodore Gordon,
son Ian, and the team aboard Gaucho is the first.
The usual suspects were in attendance: Matt Beck, Bill
Cook, Andrew Scott, and Tom Weaver, to name a few.
The night was shaping up to be a lot of fun. On top of
the team that Peter put together, we had a wager going
with an incredibly cocky Ramrod crew who had chartered
a 1D 48. Convinced they were going to beat us
to St. Mary’s, I am not sure what was better—the filet
mignon and twice baked potatoes Peter had served us or
crossing tacks with Roddy going up the St. Mary’s River
Terry Hutchinson accepting the 2008 Rolex Yachtsman of the
Year award at the New York Yacht Club in Manhattan.
Photo courtesy of Dan Nerney/Rolex
knowing they owed us the better part of an hour on time!
Needless to say, the rivalry among teams is something
you see be it a Wednesday night race or a Governor’s
Cup.
The second (of a lot of moments) came in 2007 when
Commodore Chambers wrote me an email after we lost
to Alinghi in the 32nd America’s Cup. I knew that people
at home were watching mostly through email and
phone calls. But I was very moved at the personal note
Commodore Chambers wrote to me recognizing what
we had accomplished and the manner in which our team
had gone about business. When I talked with Bill upon
returning to race Wednesday nights with the Mirage
team, he reiterated the points of his note. My only response
was that I had been raised right and taught well
by the sailing fraternity in Annapolis. For me, AYC is
the heart of that fraternity.
As my children begin to understand sailing and
what it means for them, it is great to have the Annapolis
Yacht Club as home. In the last two years, I have witnessed
the transformation of the junior program and I
know how fortunate Elias, Katherine, and Aden are to
have the support of Jay Kehoe and the club. It is great to
see that fraternity is growing and the heart of sailing in
Annapolis is strong.
VOLUME 1, NO. 2
AYC BEACON
5

happenings
Racing News
Congratulations to AYC members Peter McChesney
and Shane Zwingelberg who sailed to a very respectable
fourth place at the Star North Americans hosted by
Cedar Point Yacht Club in Westport, Conn. On an impressive
note, going into the last two races, McChesney
and Zwingelberg were tied with the 2009 Star World
Champions, George Szabo and Rick Peters. Well done
Pete and Shane!
CRUISING NEWS
The Cruising Fleet is wrapping up a spectacular cruising
season. There were two “big tent” events (see Tom
Corboy’s article in this issue of the Beacon), two cruises
to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, the annual voyage to the
Southern Bay and the Tides Inn along with many other
successful events.
It seems like only yesterday that AYC hosted the Icebreaker
Weekend and the End of Season Dinner has officially
closed the 2009 season. Cruise Corners and Land
Cruises will help the fleet weather the winter months
until spring again brings a new season of cruising.
JUNIOR SAILING NEWS
Have we got a great team of junior sailing coaches or
what?
Adrienne Patterson, our Opti coach, recently graduated
from St. Mary’s College of Maryland with a master’s
in Education. While at St. Mary’s, she sailed in four
different national championships and won the ICSA
Women’s Nationals in 2007. She is a four-time Woman’s
All-American Skipper, as well as the 2007 Women’s
College Sailor of the Year.
Our Green Fleet coach, Jennifer Chamberlin,
graduated from St. Mary’s College with a bachelor’s
in Economics. During her time at St. Mary’s, she won
three different national championships, the 2007 ICSA
Women’s Nationals, the 2007 Team Race Nationals, and
the 2009 ICSA Fleet Race Nationals, and is a Crew All-
American.
Liz Hall, our high school coach, recently graduated
from American University with an MBA. Liz sailed for
Connecticut College during her undergraduate years
and is a one-time Crew All-American. After college, she
started team racing with the team Silver Panda, and has
won two Team Racing World Championships, as well as
many other events.
CLUBHOUSE NEWS
November and December are busy times at the clubhouse
with the holidays. Just before Thanksgiving, we
again host our annual fashion show. Nordstrom’s is planning
to add a new twist to this event and you won’t want
to miss it. Then our Thanksgiving buffet kicks off a string
of holiday events including the Father/Son and Father
/Daughter Luncheons, our gala Annual Eggnog Party,
the open format Lights Parade bash, Breakfast with
Santa for the children, and our terrific New Year’s Eve
celebration.
Amid this whirlwind of activity, we also offer two
shopping opportunities. On Tuesday, Dec. 1, our Women’s
Subcommittee has planned a Holiday Extravaganza
for your shopping and gourmet pleasure. Visit the Skipjack
and the Third Deck to shop in our mall and eat in
our food court extraordinaire. Over 25 local merchants
will have their wares available for purchase. And “food
court” doesn’t do justice to the selection of tasty treats
that Chef Brian will prepare for your enjoyment. It’s just
$30++ for entrance to this event. Our semi-annual Art
Show on Friday, Dec. 4 is another chance for you to find
special gifts for your loved ones.
The clubhouse at night with activity on all three decks. Photo courtesy of
Don Dement.
6 AYC BEACON VOLUME 1, NO. 2

Photos from AYC Archives
The Annapolis Yacht Club Story
An Overview
Sanford Morse, Club Historian
Part II in a series of two articles
The Growth Years, 1937–1960
The Nation. On the world stage, a trio of dictators had
Europe in turmoil: Franco was done in Spain, at a cost of
one million dead; Mussolini grabbed Albania; and Hitler
had marched into Prague unopposed. The Blitzkrieg
and Poland came next, followed by Denmark, Norway,
Holland, Dunkirk, France, and the London blitz.
America tried not to notice. The World’s Fair in
Flushing Meadows offered a glimpse of the future
1960s: everyone fit and tan after two-month vacations,
driving cars fueled by liquid air, and living in collapsible
houses. Gone with the Wind, the most anticipated event
in Hollywood history, came to the big screen. A teenaged
Mickey Rooney, as Andy Hardy, was the country’s
box office champion.
The City. Annapolis was still a small town: barely 10,000
folks, excluding the Naval Academy. The Navy and miles
of shoreline had saved Annapolis from the full fury of
the Great Depression. The Academy’s staggering Bancroft
Hall expansion project, for example, provided many
jobs for locals.
By war’s end, Annapolis was set for growth. In 1947,
the 1907 bridge across Spa Creek was replaced with
today’s structure. In 1949, the city celebrated its 300th
year. And in 1951, the annexation of West Annapolis,
Wardour, Cedar Park, Germantown, Homewood,
Eastport, Tyler Avenue, Forest Hills, Fairfax, Truxton
Heights, and Parole made Annapolis the fourth largest
city in Maryland with a population of 25,000. The next
year, 1952, the Chesapeake Bay bridge opened, and ferry
service to the eastern shore ended. In 1957, the John
Hanson Highway was dedicated, which by 1962, as U.S.
50, linked Annapolis with Washington, D.C.
The Annapolis Yacht Club. In 1937, the Severn Boat Club,
in an effort to rejuvenate its members, reorganized and
incorporated as the Annapolis Yacht Club, and held the
first AYC Annual Regatta Aug. 28 and 29, 1937, open
to “any Corinthian yachtsman.” Around the same time,
January of 1938, a group of Annapolis businessmen, all
AYC members, incorporated the Annapolis Yacht Basin
Company, with the goal of making Annapolis the yachting
capital of the inland waterways system.
In 1939, AYC sponsored its first ocean race, from
New London to Annapolis, and “all the skippers declared
that it was the best arranged and best conducted
race they had ever sailed.” In October of 1940, the first
Fall Series took place, with five boats competing. Then
World War II interrupted organized racing.
continued on page 8
VOLUME 1, NO. 2
AYC BEACON
7

In 1946, the Spring Series was started with three
classes—30 Square Meters, Stars, and Chesapeake 20s.
By 1948, Moths, Comets, and Hamptons were also taking
part. The Annapolis to Newport Race (Newport
to Annapolis back then) started in 1947 and has been
run every two years since. A dining room was added to
the club in the late 1940s and, in 1948, the first Smoking
Lamp newsletter appeared as a single page mimeographed
sheet.
The junior fleet started in 1948, and the first junior
trophy was presented in 1953. The first junior boat, Dolphins,
was replaced by Penguins, which were next followed
by the 420s that the junior fleet still races.
Wednesday Night Races were the brainchild of P/C
Gaither Scott. After seeing the Wednesday Night Races
at East Greenwich Yacht Club in Rhode Island in 1958,
Scott inaugurated midweek racing at AYC in 1959. No
race committee, no prizes, and no scoring, but there was
a picnic supper after sailing. “S” boats, H-23s, 5.5 meters,
Bermuda One Design and Rainbows raced.
By 1959, membership had risen to 1000 and a new
club building was badly needed.
The Modern Era, 1960–Today
“We stand today on the edge of a new frontier—the
frontier of the 1960s, a frontier of unknown opportunities
and perils, a frontier of unfulfilled hopes and
threats.” —John F. Kennedy, July 1960.
The Nation. In the 60s, John F. Kennedy, after the closest
presidential election in decades, set the nation off on an
ambitious course. The perils were many: the Cold War
with the U-2, the Berlin Wall, Castro, the Bay of Pigs
and the Missile Crisis; racial tensions, riots, and assassinations;
and the beginnings of Vietnam and anti-war
protests. But there were also opportunities: the Peace
Corps, the Civil Rights Act, The Great Society legislation,
Medicare, voting rights, low income housing,
cleaner air and water, a man on the moon, and nuclear
nonproliferation treaties.
The 70s gave us the Pentagon Papers, Watergate,
Roe v. Wade, the Nixon tapes, Nixon’s Saturday Night
Massacre, the Agnew resignation, Nixon’s impeachment
and resignation, and Ford’s subsequent pardon, Jimmy
Carter and the start of 444 days of the Iranian hostage
crisis. We also had a run at the gasoline pumps and runaway
inflation.
The 1980s brought the country Ronald Reagan, the
largest tax cuts in history, the first woman Supreme Court
Justice and the first woman astronaut, along with CNN,
USA Today, the MacIntosh and the mouse. In 1987, Reagan
and Gorbachev signed the first ever agreement to
destroy nuclear missiles, and by the end of the decade,
Eastern European communist governments collapsed,
the Berlin Wall fell, and the Soviet Union disintegrated.
The City. So far as the waterfront is concerned, Annapolis
has gone through dramatic changes from the
1960s to today. One has to look very hard to see any
evidence of what was primarily a working waterman’s
town. As any local knows full well, especially as the
spring brings the first of sunny days, downtown is now a
full-fledged tourist town. The Club may have decided to
remain downtown, but much of downtown left for the
new malls. What the Yacht Basin began in the 30s for
the big boats of the East Coast, Jerry Wood’s Annapolis
Sailing School continued for the rest of the sailing
community by starting the country’s first adult sailing
classes. In 1968, the Tecumseh project stirred up controversy
as it replaced an old marina and provided new
residences for weekending Washingtonians. In the same
year, Marmaduke’s Pub opened and became a legendary
sailor’s refuge. The U.S. Sailboat and Power Boat Shows,
begun in 1970, solidified Annapolis’s new claim as the
sailing capital of the country.
The Club. The same time frame saw the Annapolis Yacht
Club mature into the nationally and internationally respected
yacht club of today. Just as the city changed from
primarily a working class, water-oriented community to
a tourist attraction and a recreational boater’s Mecca, the
club expanded beyond its small boat, local race orientation
into national and international one design and big
boat racing and world champions and championships.
The 60s laid the strong physical and personnel
foundations vital to today’s constant and varied yachting
activities. After some discussion and consideration of
various Back Creek and Severn River sites, the club decided
to remain in its downtown location, and in 1962,
the old clubhouse was demolished and new construction
began. In order to obtain financing, the club was
required to raise membership maximums significantly.
The new clubhouse opened in 1963, although the first
deck remained unfinished for lack of funds. By 1969,
8 AYC BEACON VOLUME 1, NO. 2

the reinvigorated Wednesday Night Races and the new
Frostbite series required more social facilities and the
Skipjack Lounge was completed. Finally, in 1969, the
Club acquired the land where the Annex is now and the
docks and bulkhead were added.
The Club’s Race Committee went through a similar
transformation, as the old committee and its approach
were “demolished” and the foundations were laid for today’s
highly respected committee and race management
style. Then Commodore Charlie Dell “fired” the 1964
committee, which had a somewhat “social” approach to
race committee work, and asked Ron Ward to take over
from scratch. Ron, and then Gaither Scott, who served
two nine-year terms, studied the ways of the New York
Yacht Club and changed the personality and attitude of
the committee to the professional levels of today. Gaither
later went on to chair the New York Yacht Club’s 1980
America’s Cup Race Committee.
And our Race Committee soon was selected to run
many world and national championships, beginning
with the One Ton Worlds in the 80s, the Mumm 30 and
36 Worlds in the 90s, the Star Worlds in 2000, three
Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championships,
and two J/22 World Championships. Today’s committee,
under Chip Thayer’s 17-year leadership, has 90 dedicated
volunteers. In 2008, the Chesapeake Bay Yacht
Racing Association’s Board awarded the Clyde Winters
Award for Race Committee of the Year to the Annapolis
Yacht Club for the eighth time.
AYC sailors of the 50s were primarily small boat
racers, such as the most notable Hampton One Design
national champions Jack Martin and Sunny Smith (see
Gary Jobson’s interview with Sunny Smith in this issue
of the Beacon). In the 60s, everyone graduated to bigger
cruiser-racers like the Lapworth 24 Gadiators, the
28-foot Pearson Triton, and the Alberg 30. The 1970s
were the heyday of the really big boats and the AYC Fall
Series began the major event for East Coast big boat
programs. AYC was well represented by its members’
boats such as American Eagle, Tenacious, Running Tide,
and Merrythought.
The 1980s saw some further property improvements
of major significance. Although there was still some
thought of property outside of downtown, ongoing negotiations
with the Yacht Basin finally resulted in a trade
of AYC’s 25% stock ownership in the Basin for our present
parking lot and cash. At the same time, the White
Rocks Marina property (Harborside) directly across the
creek was purchased, laying the groundwork for today’s
One Design Sailing Center.
The 90s brought two significant fleet developments.
J-Boats approached the club with an offer for a fleet discount
on its then out of production J/22. Eight members
put up $1,000 deposit each and production was renewed.
Shortly, the club’s fleet, together with J/22s bought by
other club members, made the Annapolis J/22 fleet the
country’s most important. At the same time, the Club’s
dormant Cruising Fleet was resurrected by the hard
work of Bill Patterson. It is today one of the club’s largest,
and most active, fleets.
Finally, in the first years of the new century, after
Bill Chambers and Sandy Morse dragged two well used
Etchells into town from Texas, AYC quickly became the
largest Etchells Fleet in the country. Harborside was
changed from a working boatyard to the first class One
Design Sailing Center we have today.
These major property and fleet developments did
not detract from the Club’s total commitment to its Junior
Fleet. That fleet, first begun in 1948, went from operations
out of the shed attached to the old clubhouse to
the Annex facilities of today. In the 70s, it evolved from
a volunteer program to its first paid staff. By the 90s, the
program had expanded to encompass area high schools,
and we now have year-round staff and programs. The
program now has close to 400 participants and our junior
sailors are competing both on a national and international
level.
AYC Remembers...
Did you enjoy reading this article? If so, you won’t want to
miss AYC Remembers—an evening of oral history shared by
long-time members who can tell you all about the old days.
Perhaps you have a yarn or two yourself? If you have artifacts
to lend for the event, please contact Maureen Torgerson
at (410) 268 8956.
Tuesday, March 23
6 p.m.
Cocktails in the Skipjack
Dinner in the Third Deck
$18.86++
VOLUME 1, NO. 2
AYC BEACON
9

Photo courtesy of Dan Phelps / Spinsheet.
10 AYC BEACON VOLUME 1, NO. 2

Wednesday Night Madness
Bobby Frey, Chairman
Special Events Race Committee
It is the end of March. The last Frostbite race has just finished. The buds
are starting to appear on the trees and my nose and eyes are driving me
nuts. It must be time for Wednesday Night Racing!
The month “off ” between Frostbite and WNR is a welcome break for the
Special Events Race Committee (SERC) and the racers. The racers will use
the time to pull their boats, do their bottoms, and fix all the stuff they broke
during Frostbites. For most of the SERC, it’s four of the 18 weeks they have
off during the entire year. A chance for them to get their boats ready for the
summer, spend time with their families, or go away for vacation. For me, my
back is against the wall.
During this time, we have the Frostbite Awards Party for 200 people.
Final standings and perpetual awards need to be figured out and engraved.
For WNR, the Notice of Race needs to be written and posted. I also need to
write the Sailing Instructions and get them to my judges for review. A copy
of both needs to be sent to the Coast Guard for the permit to run the series.
This will be the basis for the Notice to Mariners that is generated from April
through November warning everyone that there will be, on average, 130 boats
racing out the Severn River and back into Annapolis harbor every Wednesday
night.
To write the Notice of Race (NOR) and Sailing Instructions (SI), I use
the previous year’s as a model and change the dates. I also keep a “notice to
me” file with suggestions that I receive during the year. I discuss these ideas
with my judges and some sailors and incorporate what makes sense. I also add
updated language to areas where judges’ decisions or AYC policy has changed
since the previous year. This all gets reviewed by our judges and negotiated
out. The NOR is usually posted by the end of the first week in April and race
entry is open to competitors. The SIs are posted by the third week of April.
We also publish an Attachment “A” that has the courses and class splits.
This is made available on a preliminary basis with the SIs, and a final version
at the skippers’ meeting before the first race. We try to split the classes so we
don’t have too many boats start at the same time, and those that start will not
“sail through” the class in front. Since we don’t know who will sign up for the
race until a few days before the first race, we can’t make a final determination
until just before the series starts. This always makes for some hectic days before
the first race.
I also look at the courses that were run the previous year to see if we need
to add or tweak them. For example, there is a fixed starting point for the race,
and the wind gets to choose where it will be coming from. This makes the
starting line for WNR a real challenge. We instituted a movable first mark
two years ago which enabled us to square the starting line to the wind over a
much wider wind direction. This added a whole new dimension to WNR.
continued on page 12
VOLUME 1, NO. 2
AYC BEACON
11

This is the type of change that we make to constantly
improve WNR. We describe it in Attachment “A” and
tell the competitors about these changes at the skippers’
meeting just before the first race. The team that misses
that meeting or fails to get the final Attachment “A” is at
a decided disadvantage on the first race.
With the instructions to the sailors in hand, I also
need to get the committee signed up. We have about 50
people on the committee. We have a group that goes
out on the signal boat that fires the gun, hoists the flags,
records the last minute before the start and other duties
necessary to start the race. We also have a volunteer boat
with several people who set the other end of the starting
line. Another group of people sets the marks out in the
Bay with direction from the signal boat. We also have
another group of volunteers that mans the second deck
and records the order and time of finishes. All told, we
usually have a committee of 24 people to run each race.
I generate a schedule for the committee members
to fill out during April and develop a weekly duty roster
from that. I try to send out the duty roster for the following
week by the Friday before each race. I generally
go out again around the 4th of July for the committee to
update their schedules for the second half of the year.
I also work with the Club to make sure we have the
right prices on drinks and food for the after race party
and reserve the date for the awards party in September.
Although we run the race, we still compete with the rest
of Annapolis for the sailors’ food and drink business. To
do this, we run a video of the evening’s races and offer
special drink prices. Our club management continues to
be very supportive of our efforts and I think our servers
truly enjoy the party after WNR.
By the time the first race day hits, everything always
seems to come together. This is largely due to the SERC.
Many have been on the committee longer than I have,
and it has become a part of their lives. I suppose it is part
of mine, as well. But race day is when the fun begins.
We leave the dock at 5:30 p.m. and proceed to a
point just off Horn Point (shoal pole) and anchor. Once
settled, we decide on the courses based on wind direction,
pressure, anticipated pressure, weather, and sunset.
We vector Mark 1 into place to set the first (movable)
mark. We then send them off to set the other marks we
will use that night.
We then set the other end of the starting line. This
is the hardest part. The trick is to get the fleet to use the
whole line. The sailors need to believe that they have the
same opportunity to win no matter where they start on
the line. If we get it right, they use the whole line and we
get clean starts. If we don’t, the boats bunch up at one
end or the other and force each other over early. This
causes blowing of horns, calling out of sail numbers and
terms of endearment, and some scuffing of gel coat. But
it gets sorted out and the racers start sailing their race.
It is all good!
On average, we put 125 boats over the line in six
starts starting 40 minutes after we leave the dock. The
boats finish in front of the Club starting around 7:30
p.m. to the enjoyment of many spectators at the clubhouse,
on the bridge, anchored in the harbor, and in
many of the other waterfront businesses. By the time I
am off the water, the deck crew is usually starting to finish
boats. If we get the courses right, the boats will come
in at a steady pace so recording is peaceful.
When they do come in bunched together, things can
get tense. We have back-up timers and set one recorder
off to the side to make sure we get all the numbers. The
large boats moored next door also block our vision until
the last minute. But the crew is great and we rarely miss
a number.
After the finish, we score the race on the computer
in the Race Committee office. We use notes from the
starting line to reconcile the finishes, then I review the results
to see if anything is amiss. If there are protests from
the week before, we need to wait for them to be resolved.
Then, we print the results and post them on the web and
the official notice board. By now, it is usually 10 p.m.
After everything is scored and posted, I like to go
down and talk to the sailors to see what they thought
of the race. I find their feedback very useful and I think
they appreciate that I ask. I think it adds to the competitors’
overall WNR experience which keeps participation
up. In fact, WNR has held its own during the economic
downturn while other events have suffered. That is pretty
special for the Annapolis Yacht Club. It is also pretty
special for the City of Annapolis and local businesses
that prosper from our efforts.
The end of the WNR is the Wednesday following
Labor Day. That has become the unofficial end of summer
and the beginning of the fall sailing season. Our
regular Race Committee gets busy running the Fall Series
and many of our other annual races. I get a little
more time to write the Frostbite NOR and SIs, but
November will be here in no time, and we will do it all
over again.
12 AYC BEACON VOLUME 1, NO. 2

Photo courtesy of Dan Phelps / Spinsheet.
Congratulations to the Winners of the 2009 Wednesday Night Race Series
Charles Dell Trophy
Best Performance in Fleet
Inigo
J. Konigsberg
Club Trophies
Geiger Memorial Perpetual Trophy
PHRF Overall
Spaceman Spiff
M. Lahowin
First Place Winners
Fleet Series I Series II Series III
Alberg 30 LinGin, V. Nurco LinGin, V. Nurco LinGin, V. Nurco
Catalina 27 Four Little Ducks, T. Walsh Four Little Ducks, T. Walsh Four Little Ducks, T. Walsh
Etchells Special Ed, E. Holt 1153, B&T Syndicate Caramba, J. Fuentes
Herreshoff Dottie K, Cochran/Housely Dottie K, G. Cochran/Housely Raven, B. Museler
J/105 Mystery Machine, P. McChesney Mirage, L. Salvesen Inigo, J. Konigsberg
J/30 No Respect, R. Harrison Valhalla, S. & K. Bardelman Cannonball, B. Wallop
J/35 Maggie, P. Scheidt Bad Company, B. Moss Bad Company, B. Moss
Melges 24 Wild Child, H. Filter Wild Child, H. Filter Wild Child, H. Filter
PHRF A0 Ramrod, R. Jabin Ramrod, R. Jabin Nightshift, K. McNeil
PHRF A1 Mummbles, B. Kauffman Pamlico, K. Muller Kahuna, S & A. Richardson
PHRF A2 Saykadoo, S. McManus Saykadoo, S. McManus Mountain Lion Eater, G. Prout
PHRF A3 QA2, J. Tihansky Bzing, K. Karsten Contraire, S. Schaub
PHRF B Dragonfly, J. Adams Dragonfly, J. Adams Stingray, B. Muller
PHRF C/D Spaceman Spiff, M. Lahowin Swag, T. & B. Mowry Climate Change, B. Urban
First, second, and third place winners were published in the October Smoking Lamp.
Harvey Clapp Memorial Trophy
Best Performance in Etchells Fleet
Rededicated in 2005
Caramba
J. Fuentes
VOLUME 1, NO. 2
AYC BEACON
13

National Sailing Hall of Fame Coming
to Annapolis
Gary Jobson
The list of celebrated sailor stories is long. Here
are a few examples of heroics on the water
worthy of honor.
In 1972, Buddy Melges started the Soling Olympic
Trials with a broken mast. He went on to win in
very heavy winds. And then, there was a surprise at the
Olympics in Kiel, Germany when the expected heavy air
disappeared. Melges shifted gears and went on to earn
a gold medal.
How about the disappointing loss in race seven of
the 1983 America’s Cup? Skipper Dennis Conner rewrote
history 40 months later by reclaiming the Cup. It
was one of the biggest moments in sailing over the past
50 years.
More recently, Anna Tunnicliffe was in ninth place
in the medal race at the Beijing Games on the third of
four legs out of 10 boats. Somehow, she found some private
wind on that leg to pass six boats and win a gold
medal.
These are just a few of many great stories by American
sailors. Now, for the first time, a National Sailing
Hall of Fame (NSHOF) is planning to honor these sailors
and many more.
There have been many lists of great sailing feats
recounted in year books, on plaques, on trophies, on
websites, and in magazines. But sailing has never had
its own Hall of Fame. About 10 years ago, I came up
with the idea to find a place to honor America’s sailing
heroes. There are many lists including Olympic medalists,
US Sailing’s Rolex Yachtsman/Yachtswomen of the
Year, Sailing World’s own Hall of Fame list, and dozens
of other lists of champions. The goal was to find a home
that trumpets sailing achievements and inspires future
generations to both excel on the water and serve the
sport of sailing.
There are many cities that would be a worthy home of
such a site. After six years of working on the concept, the
NSHOF Board received good news from former Maryland
Governor Robert Ehrlich who offered to provide a
waterfront location on historic Annapolis’s City Dock.
The property is located next to the U.S. Naval Academy,
and adjacent to the site of the annual U.S. Sailboat Show.
Over the past 40 years, the property has been used by the
Department of Natural Resources. The police are relocating
from the City Dock site and are moving to a new
location near the Bay Bridge on the Chesapeake Bay.
14 AYC BEACON VOLUME 1, NO. 2

Rendition courtesy of National Sailing Hall of Fame.
A repository for lists is just part of the plan. The vision
has expanded to include a museum that will be a
center for environmental expositions, and an educational
center for sailing. Partners are US Sailing, the America’s
Cup Hall of Fame at the Herreshoff Marine Museum,
and other strategic relationships including the U.S. Naval
Academy, the Congressional Cup, Sailing World, the
Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and the Department of
Natural Resources (DNR).
The road to reach this point has not been easy. There
were legitimate concerns by preservationists regarding
the use of the land. There is a building on the site that
has been used by the police. Originally, the building was
the working home of a waterman named William Burtis.
The NSHOF spent about two years attending hearings,
learning what the concerns were, and explaining
the mission. Once this process was complete, bids were
received from 26 architects from around the country.
Joseph Boggs was selected. The firm’s recent projects
have included the American History Museum in Washington,
D.C. (part of the Smithsonian Institute) and the
Jewish Chapel at the Naval Academy.
The DNR/Burtis House property covers about
5,000 square feet of area. In January 2009, the NSHOF
acquired an adjacent piece of property from the Phillips
Seafood Company for $2,850,000. The City of Annapolis
is providing a portion of Prince George Street,
through a long-term lease. In 2008, the City of Annapolis
completed a $9 million reconstruction of the City
Dock area. This includes 572 feet of dock space owned
by the NSHOF. The entire facility will be a two-way
gateway for sailors looking to head out to the bay, or
arrive at Annapolis by water. Ultimately, the plan calls
for construction of a $12 million building and outdoor
display area. Certainly, this is a challenging time to raise
funds. The NSHOF is working on opening a temporary
exhibit in the existing facilities.
Recent boats that have been on display have included
President John F. Kennedy’s Manitou, When and If
originally built by General George S. Patton, and the
Pride of Baltimore II. In fact, there are many historic figures
who were active sailors like John Kennedy. Others
include Albert Einstein, Harold Vanderbilt, and the late
Olin Stephens. In addition to honoring these and many
other sailors, the facility will host regattas and ceremonies,
and showcase sailing to the public.
Sailing has a long and storied history. The early explorers,
naval expeditions, commerce, and racing are all
linked through maritime history. The NSHOF plans to
make these connections. An important part of the facility
will focus on broadband access, interactive displays,
and the archiving of information. A library is planned in
memory of Maine boat builder Tom Morris.
Other sports have their Halls of Fame, think Cooperstown
for baseball and Canton, Ohio for football.
Annapolis is a logical place for a sailing Hall of Fame.
Many yacht clubs across the United States are supporting
the NSHOF. Until his death in July, Walter Cronkite
was the Honorary Chairman. Ted Turner, Dawn Riley,
Paul Cayard, and Morgan Freeman are just a few of the
sailors on the Advisory Board.
It will take broad support from sailors across America
to help make this vision a reality as we inaugurate our
capital campaign. In the meantime, the National Sailing
Hall of Fame has a terrific piece of property in an historic
sailing town.
VOLUME 1, NO. 2
AYC BEACON
15

Under the Big Top with the Cruising Fleet
Tom Corboy, Chairman, Cruising Fleet Committee
Each cruising season for the past several years has
been punctuated in June and September with a
“Big Tent Event.” June’s Newcomers’ Cruise and
September’s Fall Rendezvous are held at the waterfront
homes of AYC members within the Chesapeake watershed
and attract anywhere from 30 to 60 boats for a
weekend rendezvous and multiple events ashore.
A typical event will feature shared hors d’oeuvres
and cocktails ashore on Friday evening, pot-luck shared
breakfasts on both Saturday and Sunday mornings, either
a catered or cook-your-own lunch on the grill on
Saturday, then a Saturday afternoon activity—perhaps a
lecture with nautical theme, or flower arranging or another
craft—finally a fine catered dinner under the tent
complete with live music and dancing.
Planning begins several months in advance as, typically,
two or three couples act as cruise leaders for the
event. Careful and thorough coordination with the cruise
hosts, selection of tent location, and arranging for all of
the required infrastructure—tents, tables, chairs, selecting
a party theme, arranging for a caterer, musicians, etc.
—consume the energy one would expect in putting on a
party for a crowd of from 125 to 200 folks.
AYC Secretary Jim Rogers, his wife Ellen, and
daughters Allison and Emily have hosted the Newcomers’
Cruise in 2006 and 2009. Their home in Galesville
was temporarily annexed as a province of Italy for the
2006 “Carnevale in Venice” and the 2009 “Return to Italy
and the Blue Grotto.” Costumed and masked revelers
celebrated Carnevale, fine Italian wine, cuisine, music,
and dancing. Then in 2009, the tent was illuminated in
blue to replicate Capri’s Blue Grotto.
Several Newcomers’ Cruises have been held at
Presqu’ile, the home of Dick and Karen Kimberly on the
Wye River. Their generous hospitality, expansive yard,
swimming pool, and ample anchorage make it a favored
location, drawing capacity crowds whenever we rendezvous
there. We will be returning to Presqu’ile for the
2010 Newcomers’ and the sun will shine (we will break
the rain curse that has been visited upon earlier years).
16 AYC BEACON VOLUME 1, NO. 2

Chesapeake Destinations
Solomons Island on the
Way to Points South
Tom Corboy, Chairman
Cruising Fleet Committee
Solomons Island is a tendril of land two miles long
and half a mile wide that curls with a strangely languid
and voluptuous look of tension, like a finger arched
in ecstasy or death into the estuary of the Patuxent River.
—J. R. SalamancaSouthern Light 1986
Photos courtesy of Peter Thornton.
One of the most memorable themed events was Pirates
of the Chesapeake, the Fall Rendezvous in 2007.
Held on Quarter Creek at the home of Jay and Kai
Marchant, the weekend featured a lecture and book signing
by the author of “Rumrunners of the Chesapeake,”
activities of power-walking, knot-tying, and purse-making,
and then a costumed extravaganza under the tent.
A Cajun band and “low country boil” were the
themes of the 2008 Fall Rendezvous at the home of Raymond
and Susan Williams on the bluff overlooking the
confluence of Luce Creek and the Severn River. Friday’s
“starter party” featured Cajun dance instruction in preparation
for the Saturday event. Folks gorged themselves
on the crawfish and other seafood and vegetables were
prepared in big steaming pots and then poured onto the
tables for finger-picking consumption. Then it was an
evening of dancing the two-step to a Cajun band from
Atlanta. Spicy food and sore feet—it doesn’t get better.
Solomons, some 45 nautical miles south of AYC, is
a natural stopover for Annapolis cruisers and sailors
venturing to or from the southern Chesapeake.
Its robust maritime industry provides several options for
those requiring marina accommodations as well as quiet
anchorages on its many creeks. Its boatyards are capable
of any and all types of repair should the need arise.
Chandleries, grocery stores, and an emergency medical
center are all within walking distance from the majority
of the marinas.
Heading south past the Horn Point shoal pole, one
steers a few degrees to the east of Thomas Point Light,
then parallel to the shoreline, passing the South and
West Rivers. Past Shady Side and Deale, the next point
of reference along the shore is the Chesapeake/North
Beach area with its resort buildings and a bit farther the
old Navy installation with its antennae farm. Soon the
massive fuel storage tanks at Cove Point come into view,
long before passing Calvert Cliffs and its nuclear power
facility. After rounding Cove Point, its picturesque Coast
Guard Station and massive fuel dock, one begins entering
the confluence of the Patuxent River and the Bay,
heading northwest toward Solomons.
When entering the Solomons harbor area, one has
the option of making a slight left turn toward Back Creek
and its many marinas, or a slight right turn to the quiet
anchorages of Mill Creek. Favorite marinas are Zahnheisers
(great facilities and restaurant) and Spring Cove
Marina (wooded picnic area and ample cooking grills).
Although a 45 mile day tests the limits of comfortable
sailboat cruising, Solomons and its many options make it
the perfect jumping off destination for points south and a
welcome respite before pushing on home to Annapolis.
VOLUME 1, NO. 2
AYC BEACON
17

AYC Juniors on the
International 420 Fast Track
Jay Kehoe, Waterfront Director
Remember the days of showing up at a regatta,
no coach, an old boat, no support and trying to
keep your lunch dry?
I do! And I remember cutting my neighbor’s grass
for the entire summer to get my hands on his circa 1975
Laser (I think it was hull number 11949). Like many of
my sailing friends, my parents never sailed. But growing
up on the Jersey shore gave me plenty of opportunities
to go sailing on boats big and small. In fact, many folks I
grew up sailing against are legendary names in sailing today.
None of us had any formal training. We learned sailing
by osmosis, as apprentices of our elders. Sail makers
were the only “pros.” There were a few junior programs,
but they were largely disconnected, only attending local
events, and many of us showed up and raced—no coach
or support. It was a great time for growing up and learning
from each other.
Fast forward 15 years; in the early 90s, I was head
coach at St. Petersburg Yacht Club in Florida. We were
a powerhouse of junior sailing. We had three coaches,
whalers, and a fully club-supported junior program.
We regularly earned medals at the U.S. Youth Championships,
and sent kids to the Youth or Opti Worlds
Photo courtesy of Fletcher Sims
every year during my tenure. We were bringing up great
younger kids, too. It was a bad year when we only sent
a handful of sailors to the Opti Worlds or Europeans.
I was one of a handful of full-time, year-round junior
sailing directors. My colleagues were running programs
at San Diego Yacht Club, St. Francis Yacht Club, Coral
Reef Yacht Club (Miami), and Southern Yacht Club
(New Orleans).
By the early 90s, it had become the norm for our
summer sailing instructors to take US SAILING’s instructor
certification to learn how to better teach sailing.
The overall level of instruction and regional organization
of junior sailing was rising. This phenomenon came late
to sailing; it had already happened to soccer and baseball,
with the proliferation of travel teams.
By the mid-90s, we saw a few sailors from Annapolis
and New Jersey at the big, southern-dominated Opti
Regattas. By 1998, Opti Sailing took off, with teams
from Annapolis, New England, New York, and even
Chicago! Within a few years, those kids who had travelled
so extensively as Opti sailors expected the same of
their Laser and 420 years, developing a real youth circuit
that supported regional championships and US SAIL-
ING’s new circuit of Junior Olympic regattas.
Fast forward another 15 years and I’ve landed at
the Annapolis Yacht Club, with amazing infrastructure
and potential to become a powerhouse beyond the Bay.
Gone are the days of sailing around two crab buoys with
a friend. We now have sailors going out with a structured
program of drills and lessons. All practices have
a plan—from having fun and messing around in boats
(with a purpose) to tacking and gibing on the whistle.
This summer, during practice, the average junior sailor
may go through 500 starts and 1000 tacks and gibes.
At AYC, we do this with technical boats and top-notch
coaches facilitated by maneuverable support craft. AYC’s
junior program has use of a state-of-the-art classroom
capable of whiteboard lectures, online and on-demand
computer simulations, and video editing for in-depth
18 AYC BEACON VOLUME 1, NO. 2

debriefs. AYC is keeping up with those year-round
warm-weather programs and setting the standard for
junior sailing support nationwide.
Coaching, the foundation of the programs, comes
in all forms, from older junior sailors to college sailors
on summer break. It’s the norm today for juniors to be
exposed to Olympic coaches and sailors. Lessons and
practices are organized and follow a curriculum and lesson
plans. This structure is overseen by a sailing professional.
Most larger programs have at least one full-time,
year round person. At Annapolis, we have one full-time
coach and a Waterfront Director, who steer the program
in the right direction for the more than 300 sailors participating
in our program each year.
With all major programs aiming at the national
level, the only place left to go is overseas. Ten years ago,
there were only three, but now there are numerous opportunities
to travel internationally as an Opti sailor. The
Club 420 and Laser/Radial provide a great foundation,
but many top programs in the U.S. are embracing the
International 420 and Laser for their sailors. Generally,
sailors are flocking to the boats that are teaching and challenging
them day in and day out. The “fun factor” is a high
priority and must be there for the program to succeed.
Like the CBYRA schedule, the national youth regatta
circuit has become an institution with the same
events coinciding with the same weekends and holidays,
Opti Mid-winters in the fall, the Orange Bowl in Miami
over Christmas break with Optis, Lasers and 420s,
Martin Luther King Day in Florida or California for
Youth World Qualifier, President’s Day weekend in
February on both coasts of Florida (Opti’s in St. Pete,
420s and Lasers in Stuart). These days, it is not uncommon
to see a bunch of juniors in Miami for the
Olympic classes’ regatta. In 30 years, junior sailing has
come a long way!
junior sailing essay
What Sailing Means to Me
Harrison Hawk
Junior sailor Harrison Hawk is a 13 year-old eighth grader at the
Key School in Annapolis. In 2008, Harrison had a breakthrough
sailing year when he qualified for the U.S. National Optimist
Team at the USODA Team Trials hosted by AYC. From there, Harrison
went on to represent the U.S. in his first international regatta
in Wales in August 2008, finishing in the top 20. Sailing again at
the USODA Midwinter Championships in New Orleans, Harrison
earned a spot on the U.S. Team competing in the 24th International
Easter Regatta in Braassemermeer, Netherlands.
Harrison has competed successfully throughout the summer of
2009 on the Chesapeake and, as a result, earned the opportunity
to represent CBYRA and AYC at the Middle Atlantic Midget
Championships held on Long Island Sound out of Indian Harbor
Yacht Club in Greenwich, Conn. Harrison won the single handed
division (Optimist) class and brought home the perpetual trophy
to AYC.
Harrison is the son of Wynee Hawk (AYC member) of Eastport
and Andrew Wigglesworth of Philadelphia.
I
play many different sports, but sailing is my favorite. It isn’t
one of those sports where you just throw a ball around (of
which I play several); sailing actually has meaning and
gives me a feeling that I don’t have in other sports.
When I thought about “What Sailing Means to Me,” I realized
it is an escape. I don’t need to worry about homework
or my social life, just where the wind is, and keeping my boat
flat. If ever I am angry or upset, being on the water in my boat
helps me to forget my troubles and just have a good time.
Harrison racing in no wind. Photo courtesy of Wynee Hawk
On the other hand, there is the social aspect of this great
sport. When sailing, I have strengthened bonds with old
friends and made new ones. I have been privileged to be a
part of the United States National Optimist Team. Through this
opportunity, I have met and made so many new friends. That’s
not even including the friends I’ve made overseas on two
international sailing trips.
Another aspect is how what you learn from sailing sticks
with you and grows with you your whole life. My first regatta
was the 2005 Halloween Howl at AYC. There were 11 boats
in green fleet. Since then, I’ve sailed in a fleet of 462 boats,
with 100 boats on the line at the start, as it was at the 2007
New England Championships.
There are many lessons to be learned from sailing. It is helping
me to become self-sufficient and independent. What is so
great, to me at least, is that how you sail is all in your own
hands. You don’t need to rely on any person (in single-handed
boats)—you just pray that it blows. If you mess up, you can’t
blame it on anyone but yourself. You just need to learn from
your mistakes and move on.
My sailing career has just started and I know that as I grow
older, I’ll keep sailing and I’ll keep learning.
VOLUME 1, NO. 2
AYC BEACON
19

up close and personal
Spending Time
with Sunny Smith,
Commodore 1972–73
Photos courtesy of the Smith Family.

Gary Jobson Interviews AYC’s Past Commodore
In addition to his tremendous service to AYC, P/C Charles R.
(Sunny) Smith, Jr. has also served as Commodore, Sailing Club of
the Chesapeake; Fleet Captain, Chesapeake Station, Storm Trysail
Club, and member, Board of Governors, Storm Trysail Club; Rear
Commodore, Chesapeake Station, Cruising Club of America; former
volunteer coach of offshore varsity sailing team, USNA; and
continues to be a long-time member of the AYC Race Committee.
He is a member of the Annapolis Maritime Hall of Fame and
currently serves on the Board of Directors, Annapolis Maritime
Museum.
Sailing his various Uh Oh’s, he has been an overall winner
twice of CBYRA Race Week and of the AYC Disharoon trophy for
overall AYC performance; an overall winner of the Annapolis to
Hampton Race; an overall winner of Atlantic City Race Week;
and overall IOR winner, Cowes Cup, Block Island Race Week.
Jobson: How does it feel to be a past commodore of the
Annapolis Yacht Club?
Smith: I’m very proud. The club has come a long way
and has done an excellent job of putting our image out
through our race committee and we’re a very well respected
club in the country. The thing I was proudest of
at the end of my two-year term is that American Boating
magazine selected AYC as one of the ten top yacht clubs
in the country.
During my tenure as Commodore, we had a lot of
things to do and we tried to accomplish a number of
things. We tried to have fun in the club. And that’s what
we did. We had nice parties. We had events that were
well attended. Everyone liked everyone. Between races,
we used to come in and socialize in the club and then
go back out and do another race. It’s not like bang, bang,
bang as it is now.
Jobson: You’ve been a member here for how long?
Smith: Since ’44. I get my 65-year pin this year.
Jobson: Wow. Did you have any inkling in 1944 that
you would be a member this long?
Smith: Never. Because we were getting ready to go overseas
at that time, too.
Jobson: What was it that inspired everybody to say,
“Okay we need a new clubhouse” in 1961–62?
Smith: Well, the old clubhouse, it was falling down. We
would dance in the ballroom and everyone invariably
wound up in one corner by the bar because the ballroom
floor had such a slant to it. We were growing and we
needed a larger space.
One of the things that sold us on it was dancing on
the third floor where the bar was located. We were able
to move around a little bit better and it was better laid
out. The dining room in the old club was on the lower
deck and that’s where they had shuffleboard and a television.
We had dance classes there. Up on the second
deck, that’s where the slanted ballroom was.
Jobson: I was looking at some past films that we found
here in the club. Everyone is wearing a uniform. Has
there been a long association between the Annapolis
Yacht Club and the U.S. Naval Academy?
Smith: Yes. Several of our commodores were officers
and one was a Commodore of the Navy. My uniform goes
back to ’66 and amazingly enough, it still fits. This was a
very formal club at that time. It required coat and tie to
come in. The dining rooms were formal with coat and tie.
Jobson: So you’ve done lots of racing here, ocean racing,
round the buoys, big boats, small boats. How has racing
changed during your tenure here at AYC?
Smith: We were a small boat club. Then, we went to the
larger boats and now we’re an ocean racing club as well
as small boats.
Jobson: How did frostbite racing get going?
Smith: Six of us started. I was in a syndicate with Arnie
Gay and Ollie Grahn. We chartered Rainbows from
Jerry Wood who had Annapolis Sailing School. We
raced six races in an afternoon. If we sailed out past
Severn Sailing, we really thought we were doing something.
So we used to sail in the harbor here. Start at the
club, finish at the club. In between races, we’d come up
and have something warm and then go back out and do
it again. It was a lot of fun.
continued on page 22
VOLUME 1, NO. 2
AYC BEACON
21

Jobson: What kind of sailor was Arnie Gay?
Smith: Arnie was fun to be with. Arnie was an entirely
different person on the boat than he was ashore. Great
cook. I said many times I’ll eat behind Arnie anytime.
We had a good time on the boat and I sailed a lot of
races with Arnie.
Jobson: So how was he different on shore than he was
on the boat? Was he cantankerous?
Smith: Well, yes. He was a lot tougher on shore than he
was on the boat. He was really generous to a fault when
he was on the boat. There was nothing that he couldn’t
do for you. I was racing with Arnie down the Bay and
someone stuck their head up and said how many scoops
do you want? One or two scoops of ice cream. It was
one of the hot summer days. Lo and behold, we had ice
cream on the boat. He stocked the boat well.
Jobson: He’s the guy that has been missed most, I
think.
Smith: He was great to sail with.
Jobson: Were you in the 1967 Annapolis to Newport
race when it blew so hard?
Smith: Absolutely. I was with Arnie. We lost the rig at
sea. Of course, when we lost our mast, our antenna went.
That was before you had to have the antenna down on
deck, too. Sonny Neff and some of the boats came over.
They radioed. We had fired flares. We put drag out. I
guess we had 25-foot seas out there and blowing 55 or
60. That’s what the Coast Guard estimated.
We went to Cape May and they radioed that a Coast
Guard boat would be out at 6 p.m. to pick up us. Lo and
behold, at 6 p.m. the boat was out there. They put a line
all the way around the cabin top, bent it back on, tied the
knot up front, and towed us.
We got into Cape May. Had something to eat. Got
fuel. Then, came on up the Delaware, down the Bay and
home. There was a story then that we didn’t have enough
fuel to get from where we lost our rig into Cape May.
But that’s not true. The last thing we did before we left
Annapolis was fill our fuel tank.
Jobson: I think all of us have kind of mentors that we
look up to when we’re young people. You’re an elder
statesman here at Annapolis Yacht Club but when you
were a younger person here at the club, who were some
of the people that you admired and looked up to and
what inspired you?
Smith: Charlie Dell was one. Arnie was one. Ted Hoster
was good on the boat. He had his own yachts. We had
a number of folks that we thought were our mentors
that really helped us. Arnie helped me immensely when
I went from small boats to big boats.
Jack Martin. He was commodore when they built
the club. He taught me a lot about sailing. My crew
on Uh Oh had people like Peter Cerelis, Bill McMann,
Corey Penwell, any number of people that were with me
for 30 years sailing on different Uh Ohs. Wayne Bretsch
was with me for 20 some years. We had good sailors.
Everyone had a good time on the boat. No professionals
on the boat. I guess we won our share of awards.
Jobson: If you were talking to a young person out of
college, young family, why would you encourage them to
become a member of the Annapolis Yacht Club?
Smith: Well, sailing for one thing. We have a great sailing
program here. I think the sailing people, you notice
I dwell on sailing people, they’re great people. We’ve got
a great chairman. We have committees that they can
get indoctrinated with. We just have a nice time. Good
group of people.
Jobson: How would you describe Annapolis Harbor
right after World War II for people today?
Smith: I learned to sail on Spa Creek. I really just learned
to sail with lee boards and a rudder I used as an oar; an
oar was my rudder. Annapolis Harbor is not anything
like it used to be. We had no moorings out in the harbor.
We didn’t have a lot of the big boats that we have here
now. We could go sailing. We could sail at night, use just
a flashlight. Nobody was going to come out and give us
a ticket because we didn’t have running lights and all on
the boat.
Jobson: Were there a couple of years there where you
could say this was the big change period?
22 AYC BEACON VOLUME 1, NO. 2

Smith: I guess it was late 60s, early 70s. When I was
commodore, I had so many people say the pressure was
too much. So I tried scoring each race individually and
we would present flags at the bar after each race for first,
second, and third. A lot of the boats would fly their flags
at different regattas just as part of the decorations for
the boat. But, they wanted the high pressure stuff. So we
went back to scoring it as a fleet.
Jobson: The harbor. I’m just thinking about how has the
harbor changed?
Smith: Well, of course, most of them were there. There
was Trumpy and Masons, who, by the way, built the first
boats for the junior fleet. And Sarles was there. Tommy
Langon’s boat yard... it was Tommy Langon’s boat yard
before it was Arnie’s boat yard.
Jobson: So if you were to look into the crystal ball, how
would you see AYC 30, 40 or 50 years from today?
Smith: We’re growing. We certainly have the facility
here now. It may mean another yacht club between now
and then. We looked at property early on. We had a couple
of promises that didn’t pan out. Maybe we’ll build a
yacht club sometime at the annex.
Jobson: In more recent years, you’ve been racing in
Etchells.
Smith: Our sails are old but we go out and we have a
good time. That’s the name of the game as far as I’m
concerned.
Jobson: I see you out there. You look like you’re doing
okay to me.
Smith: We get the starts but then they grind us down.
Our sails are old, we’re old. The boat’s old. But we have
a good time.
Jobson: So is it fair to say that the Annapolis Yacht Club
is a lifetime experience?
Smith: Absolutely. I’ve enjoyed my time at the yacht
club. There were times when we didn’t see eye to eye with
what was going on but time passes.
Jobson: Anything else
you’d like to say?
Smith: Our junior
fleet, I think, is second
to none. I started my
first position as chairman
of the junior fleet
here back in the 50s,—
I guess it was 60s. We
had Penguins and we
had Dolphins. Later
on, we got 420s. The
junior fleet has always
been a pet of mine.
Jobson: I look at pictures.
I’ve seen pictures
of our junior fleet in
1955, 56. Are the kids
any different today than
they were 50 years ago?
Photos courtesy of the Smith Family.
Smith: No. I think that once we got them into the boats
and got them to like sailing that they carried on with it.
Jobson: It’s kind of fun. I saw some pictures of racing
Hamptons out here and the Penguins was a big fleet.
Smith: You know the Hamptons were really the first
small-boat, one-design fleet that we had here. And we
used to race 35 Hamptons out here. We had people from
all over racing them and we took our Hampton from
Florida on up north. We sailed it all over.
Jobson: You’ve done a lot of sailing, Sunny.
Smith: We’ve enjoyed it. My whole family has been
involved in it. Anne, she’s been crewing with me since
before we were married. That’s since the early 50s. Great
crew. If you twitched your nose, she would know. She
kept me apprised of everything that was happening
around us. We knew what the competitors were doing.
We knew where they were. Then on the Farr boat, it got a
little powerful for her. Wednesday nights, she would run
the backstays for us and do the runners and what not.
She’s a great sailor. She helped me win many a race.
VOLUME 1, NO. 2
AYC BEACON
23

Annapolis Yacht Club
2 Compromise Street
Annapolis, Maryland 21401 USA
Annual Eggnog Party
Photo courtesy of Don Dement.
Left to right: Maureen Torgerson, Vice Commodore William T. Torgerson, Connie Gordon, and Commodore Peter J. D. Gordon at the 2008 Annual Eggnog Party.
Wednesday, Dec. 9
6 p.m.
Clubhouse
$65++
Music by Doug Segree
Come join the fun of the Annual Eggnog Party for another outstanding evening of
culinary delights, music and dancing all in the good company of your fellow yacht
club members. This black tie optional affair is one of the outstanding events of the
year at AYC. Please make your reservations early for this special event by calling
the Front Desk at (410) 263-9279 or going online.