Smoke Signals - Metedeconk River Yacht Club

METEDECOK RIVER YACHT CLUB 

Smoke Signals 

Volume 28, Issue 5 

Commodore’s Log 

Well, the 2008 season is off and 

running! Flag Raising was a memorable, 

if not slightly damp event. During the 

ceremony, your Executive Committee, 

Board of Trustees, Junior Officers and the 

Mayor of Brick braved the elements on 

the front lawn, Jim kept his powder dry, 

and Olivia Bonevento sang beautifully. 

This was followed by outstanding food 

and entertainment arranged by Kathie 

Fazio. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, 

Bud McArthur kept the dredged material 

from our lagoon off our driveway, so our 

passage to the club house was 

“unspoiled”. My personal thanks go to 

all who contributed to the success of the 

www.metedeconkriveryc.org 

event, and to the members 

who turned out to 

open the season. Our 

next social event is the 

Commodore’s Cocktail 

Party on June 14. I hope you will all 

join me as we welcome our new members 

to the club and honor our past Commodores 

for their efforts in support of 

our club. 

Right about now the club begins 

to get quite busy, with members and 

their children bringing their boats to the 

wet and dry slips. With a growing Sandpiper 

and Sunfish fleet, we expect the 

dry slip area to be full, so please be patient 

and understanding as our Fleet Captain, 

Janice Baier, sorts it all out. If you 

are not sure where to put your boat, 

please give Janice a call. 

If you are reading this on your 

computer, there is a good chance your e- 

mail address is being maintained by our 

web master on the club web-site. This 

allows me to broadcast important messages 

to our members, including Friday 

Night Dinner announcements, notice of 

club events, and arrival of new issues of 

Smoke Signals on the web. Noteworthy 

items are copied to the Web-site as articles, 

so be sure to check the site if you 

think you missed something. If you are 

aware of fellow members who are not 

receiving these notices, please have them 

drop me a line and I will add their e-mail 

address to the list. 

See you on the water, 

Eric Wagner 

Commodore 

JUE 2008 

METEDECONK RIVER YACHT CLUB 

Commodore’s Cocktail Party 

June 14, 2008 - 1930 hours 

Come to the club for a fabulous evening honoring our past 

Commodores’ and welcoming our new members. 

There will be hors d’oeuvres and dancing 

$22.00 per person 

R.S.V.P. by June 11 th 

Kathleen Fazio 201.841.6480—Kafazio1@aol.com

Page 2 Smoke Signals Volume 28, Issue 5 

Vice Commodore Report 

Flag Raising was a great success 

thanks to Kathy Fazio and her committee. 

Great job everyone! Our next event is the 

Commodore’s Cocktail party on June 14. 

This is when we honor past Commodores 

and meet our new members. Make an 

effort to attend. It is one of the nicest 

events we have. 

The bar is doing great thanks to 

the many innovations Rick Haupt and his 

committee have put into play. Adele 

Blewitt, our head bartender, is doing a 

fine job in her expanded role. Don’t forget 

to tip our junior servers and of course 

your bartender. I for one really enjoy the 

Friday night dinners sponsored by the bar. 

Daile Stapienski, Anne 

Ruggiero, and George Francis have put 

together a great and expanded Junior Sailing 

Program. Anne and George are very 

enthusiastic about all instructors hired. 

Our Traveling Sailing Team is taking 

shape. Our younger sailors should be 

able to look at the Traveling Team as a 

goal for them to strive for. The advanced 

program run by Mitch Hnatt has also 

taken some innovative approaches to keep 

our teenagers active in sailing. Anyone 

who has teenagers knows there are a lot 

of things out there that compete for their 

time. Sailing is something they can do for 

the rest of their lives, and this program is 

designed to keep them active, and still 

allow them to pursue their other activities. 

There will be two Junior Parents 

Meetings. One of them is on June 6, before 

Friday night dinner, at 6:00 pm. 

The bar will be open early, grab a drink, 

go to the meeting, and then enjoy dinner 

at the club. For those who can’t make it, 

a second meeting is scheduled on Saturday, 

June 7 at 10:00 am. It is very important 

that parents of juniors attend. 

Odette Kardek and her committee 

have put together a jam-packed program. 

There are plans in place to have 

guest instructors, and as usual compete 

in the Shore Summer Swim League. 

Come to one of our meets this year, enjoy 

the Poolside Café and watch the spirited 

competition. It’s great to watch the 

little ones. 

Friday night dinners are coming 

in slowly. I wish more of you would pick 

up the phone, call Terri Gelenitis and 

pick a date. We need cooks. It will be 

fun, I promise. Remember, having been 

born and raised in Essex County, I have 

been schooled in the gentle art of persuasion. 

Colettte Commisso has been 

her usual efficient self. If you plan on 

having a party at the club over the summer 

months, I suggest contacting her 

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS RECEIVED 

The following applications have been received. In accordance with Club 

policy, these names are published for information to current members only. PLEASE 

REFRAIN FROM TELLING YOUR FRIENDS that you saw these names in SMOKE 

SIGALS. If no written objections are received within twenty (20) days following 

publication, these applicants will be considered for membership. Comments should 

be addressed to: 

Tom Dunn, Chairperson 

33 Lenape Trail 

Brick, NJ 08724 

(732) 899-8029 

DOROTHY (DOTCY) & DAVE BROW 

Point Pleasant,NJ 

KELLY & JOSEPH( JP) DALIK 

Point Pleasant,NJ 

DEISE & THOMAS O' GRADY 

Bay Head, NJ 

now, as available dates are disappearing. 

The club will be open for rentals through 

the fall too. 

Sorry for the lack of humor this 

month. It’s crunch time for all of our 

committees, and I can assure you everyone 

is working diligently. In spite of the 

last minute stress in putting it together, 

we won’t lose sight of the fact that this is 

for fun. A good laugh goes a long way. 

What makes the Metedeconk River Yacht 

Club a great place are its members, not 

the officers. 

I realize you know this, but I 

need to recognize the passing of a great 

friend and fellow member, Greg Collins. 

I never met a more positive individual. 

He was a sailor, a fisherman, a family 

man and a good friend. Greg enjoyed 

whatever he was doing, and threw himself 

into it 100%. He was always one to savor 

the moment, as if he was filing it away for 

use another time. He would be totally 

immersed in whatever he was doing, 

whether it be fishing, reading, enjoying 

the stars, or lying about the fish he almost 

caught. We shared many Caribbean evenings 

having our cocktails, making fun of 

each other without mercy, and embellishing 

our fishing stories (they get bigger 

with time you know). As things settled 

down towards the end of the evening, 

invariably the topic turned to our kids. 

Greg’s eyes just gleamed with pride as he 

spoke about Ryan and Heather, his children. 

He never got tired of telling the 

story of the first time he met Joyce and 

told everyone he was going to marry that 

woman. I can remember fishing with him 

and not having a very productive day 

(actually most days I fish are not productive). 

He would look around at the flats 

we were fishing and say something like 

“isn’t it beautiful, we are really lucky to 

even be here.” The lesson learned from 

Greg’s life is to look for the good in the 

moment and enjoy it. It’s all about having 

fun isn’t it? Let us not lose sight of 

that. As I said before, I will always have 

a smile on my face when remembering 

Greg. 

Now, let’s have fun this season. 

A lot of people worked very hard to get to 

this point. Let us know when things are 

going well. We need a pat on the back 

too. 

Rick Eytel 

Vice Commodore



Page 3 

Rear Commodore’s Comments 

The 2008 season is now officially 

on. Flag Raising is over and sailing 

has started. I’m sorry I could not attend 

the flag raising ceremony but heard that in 

spite of the weather all went off as 

planned. Special thanks goes to my son 

Jason for filling in for me at the ceremony 

and doing a fine job by all accounts. As 

the weather warms, it can only mean increased 

activity at the club. We continue 

to try and stay one step ahead of the maintenance 

and up keep at the club. It’s a 

continual cycle of standard routine work 

along with more extensive upgrades 

needed as the club ages. For example, 

one of the major projects being worked 

on right now is the complete re-glassing 

of the outside stairway that faces the 

northeast. 

Another project that has been 

started within the club is recycling. The 

Town of Brick has an ordinance in place 

that requires all commercial entities 

(which is what we are considered) to 

recycle. I have spoken to the town and 

also our private waste pickup company 

and we are now in compliance. I ask all 

club members to help us in our efforts to 

do what is not just right by the ordinance 

but right for the environment and recycle. 

This will be a progressive project with the 

initial focus being on the bar and upstairs 

area. You will see specific recycling bins 

in and around the club and I ask for your 

help. As this initiative grows, I will keep 

you up to date on the progress. Thanks to 

all in advance for your cooperation. 

Jody Lutz 

Rear Commodore 

FROM THE TOP OF THE MAST 

A NOTE FROM THE FLEET CAPTAIN : 

School is winding down and 

soon MRYC will be at full tilt! As Fleet 

Captain, I have very special members to 

thank. Mark Beaton repaired the curtain 

on the “Conk”, compliments of Beaton 

Sails. Ted Borowicki volunteered his time 

to hook up a battery on the Kellogg Inflatable. 

May 10, Mitch Wernoch volunteered 

to replace a steering cable on 

(Whaler) Rescue 3. John Cutting has figured 

out how to fit all of the Sandpipers 

on the property, a job that needs to be 

implemented. If you see these members, 

please thank them. I have been emailing 

members to patrol. Please check the sailing 

calendar, your schedule, and volunteer 

to patrol. Finding patrols has not been a 

positive experience for me. It has been 

taking all week to find two volunteers for 

our Sunday races each week, when we 

need four volunteers each week. MRYC 

is a yacht club that supports the sport of 

sailing. MRYC is patrolling to keep its 

sailors safe! An MRYC patrol person 

can consist of the member and an adult, 

or a friend and/or a teenager. MRYC 

needs four members each week to patrol. 

Please consider patrolling. 

If you stored your boat at the 

club over the winter, make sure that the 

blocks have been cleared from our property. 

Fill out the Slip Agreements 

and place your MRYC member ID on 

the port transom of all of your boats. Slip 

Agreements can be downloaded from 

www.metedeconkriveryc.org and mailed 

to MRYC, Box 281, Brick, NJ 08723 

Att. Treasurer Mark Connell. For MRYC 

sticker ID’s, you just need to contact me, 

cjanbaier@msn.com 732-892-5524 . 

MANDATORY, Junior boats need to 

have MRYC ID’s or they will not be 

participating in the MRYC Junior Program. 

Aiming for 100 % compliance. 

Needed: 

Patrols for Sunday Races 

June 8, 2008 BBYRA Champion of 

Champions 

June 21, 2008 BBYRA Race Day 

Tuesday Night PHRF Series 

Wednesday WWW 

Thursday Night Sandpiper/Sanderling 

Catboat Series 

Please email me with a date to Patrol at 

cjanbaier@msn.com or call 732-892-5524 

Many thanks to those who have volunteered 

to patrol. It has been an enjoyable 

experience working with all of you! 

If you have any concerns regarding 

the MRYC Fleet, or your Wet Slip/ 

Dry Slip please email me. 

Yours in Service, 

Janice Baier 

Fleet Captain 

MICHAEL TUFARIELLO 

PILOT HOUSE 

AT FORGE LANDING MARINA 

TELEPHONE: 

799 ROUTE 70 732-920-8900 

BRICK TOWNSHIP, 

FACSIMILE: 

NJ 08723 www.pilothouseresteraunt.com 732-920-0867 

Child Care – Nursery – Pre-Kindergarten – Kindergarten 

OCEA EARLY CHILDHOOD CETER 

Shore Summer Camp 

58 Princeton Avenue 

Brick, New Jersey 08724 

Vivian K. Dooren 

Director 

732-840-0422 Open 7:00 AM to 6:00


SAILING NEWS 

SAILIG CALEDAR 

Sunday, June 1......................... 1300............ One-Design Spring Series Day #5, Lightning (Paul F. Newman Award), 

................................................. ....................................................................................................Sanderling, Sandpiper 

Tuesday, June 3 ....................... 1815....................................................PHRF Spring & Championship Series Race # 6 

Thursday, June 5...................... 1815..........................................................................Catboat Evening Series, Race #1 

Sunday, June 8......................... 0830*............................................... BBYRA Championship of Champions at MCYC 

Tuesday, June 10 ..................... 1815...........................................................................PHRF Make-Up or Special Race 

Thursday, June 12.................... 1815...........................................................................Catboat Evening Series, Race #2 

Saturday, June 14 .................... TBD*..............................................Bay Head-Metedeconk Spring Tune-Up at BHYC 

Tuesday, June 17 ..................... 1815.............................................................................PHRF Summer Series Race # 1 


Friday, June 20 ........................ 1900*................................................................BBYRA Contestant’s Meeting at LYC 

Saturday, June 21 .................... 0920................................ BBYRA Championship Regatta, BHYC & MCYC at MYC 

Sunday, June 22....................... TBD*...................................................MRYC/MCYC Auxiliary Challenge at MRYC 

................................................. 1100.....One-Design Summer Series Day #1, Sanderling (1 race), Sandpiper (2 races) 

Tuesday, June 24 ..................... 1815.............................................................................PHRF Summer Series Race # 2 


Saturday, June 28 .................... 0920..............................................................BBYRA Championship Regatta at IHYC 

Sunday, June 29....................... 1015*............................................ One-Design Summer Series Day #2 & River Race, 

................................................. ....................................................................................................Sanderling, Sandpiper 

Tuesday, July 1........................ 1816.............................................................................PHRF Summer Series Race # 3 

Saturday, July 5 ....................... 0920.................................. BBYRA Championship Regatta, MRYC & MYC at MYC 

Sunday, July 6 ......................... 1100................................. One Design Summer Series Day #3. Sanderling, Sandpiper 

Unless otherwise indicated all times are First Warning. 

Times indicated * are time of Contestant’s Meeting. 

Registration closes 45 minutes prior to First Warning 

Check the Official otice Board for Details and Changes 

BBYRA - The Barnegat Bay 

Yacht Racing Association’s 2008 Championship 

Series kicks off Saturday, June 

21 with Bay Head and Metedeconk cohosting 

the first week of one design sailing 

at Mantoloking Yacht Club. In the 

morning races the Sandpipers and Sneakboxes 

will compete for the Piper Mug and 

Orchard Trophy. The M Scows will sail 

for Metedeconk’s Senior M Scow Trophy 

and the Laser Radials will compete for the 

Dimon Trophy. The perpetual trophies 

awarded to the afternoon classes include 

the Hartranft Trophy for A Cats, the Barnegat 

Cup and Kalning Trophy for 

Lightnings and the Van Horn Trophy for 

Sanderlings. The BBYRA moves down 

bay to Island Heights on June 28 and 

back up bay July 5 when Mantoloking 

and Manasquan River Yacht Clubs cohost. 

Lavallette Yacht Club will 

again host the 2008 BBYRA Contestants 

Meeting Friday, June 20 at 7 pm. Those 

interested can register for the ten-week 

series, pick up course sheets and attend 

the skippers meeting. 

Tune Up Regatta – Bay Head 

Yacht Club will host this year’s Tune Up 

Regatta on Saturday, June 14 . The threerace 

regatta on the Metedeconk River will 

be open to Sandpipers, Sanderlings and 

Surf and Offshore 

Honda 

Marine 

CRAIG McLEAN 

CMCLEANSOS@AOL.COM 

Sailboat 

Rigging 

1-800-442-6754 732-892-8303 Fax: 732-892-8367 

WWW.SOSWAKEBOARD.COM 

520 Main Avenue 

Bay Head, NJ 08742 

Bus: 732-295-9799 

Fax: 732-295-1723 

Toll Free: 888-295-9799 

Cell: 908-278-0118 

JODY K. 

SOWELL 

1008 Richmond Ave. Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey 08742


SAILIG EWS 

(Continued from page 4) 

Lightnings. Registration will be at Bay 

Head YC’s south porch from 8:30 to 9:30 

am followed by a skippers meeting. The 

Warning Signal will be at 10:30 am. Registration 

will be $20 and lunches can be 

ordered at registration at a cost of $7 per 

lunch. Trophies will be awarded at the 

host club after the final races. 

BBYRA Championship of 

Champions – Thirteen sailors from six 

Barnegat Bay yacht clubs will compete 

for the title of Champion of Champions in 

Sandpipers at MRYC on Sunday, June 9. 

Mitch Hnatt, 2007 BBYRA Lightning 


Champion, and John Schwind, 2007 

BBYRA Sandpiper Champion, will represent 

Metedeconk in the event. Lavallette 

YC will send the largest contingent 

that includes James Maida (AM E- 

Scows), John Applegate (M-Scows), 

Dave Magno (PM E-Scows) and Mark 

Schleckser (Sanderlings). Island Heights 

will send three participants, Had Brick 

(Lasers), co-skippers Roy Wilkins and 

Gary Stewart (A Cats) and Thomas 

Healy (Ensigns). Bay Head will be 

sending Bill O’Brien (Sneakboxes) and 

Scott Callahan (Sunfish). Seaside Park’s 

sole representative will be Peter Sayia 

(Flying Scotts) and Matthew Carmody 

(Club 420s) will sail for Beachwood. 

Racing begins at 9:30 am with five races 

scheduled. Boat assignments will be 

Page 5 

drawn by lot before the first race and once 

again during the lunch break. 

Club PHRF – Nineteen boats 

have registered and participated in the 

PHRF Spring Series. At the mid way 

point, Jack Woods’ Spry leads the eight 

boats of B Fleet with 5 points, seven 

points ahead of Dave Alldian’s Cymothoe 

and Jon Ballis’ Stardust. In the five boat 

A Fleet, Jarrett Lynn’s J/24 leads with 4 

points. Mike Nickens’ S29.2 is in second 

with 10 points, narrowly ahead of Mike 

Tufariello’s J/24 in third. Mitch Hnatt’s 

Melges 24 is undefeated in the Sport Boat 

Class and Mark Connell’s Empty Sea also 

has three first place finishes in C Fleet. 

The six race series wraps up May 27 

weather permitting. The PHRF Summer 

Series will start on June 17. 

Metedeconk and Bay Head will co-host 

the opening races of the 

2008 BBYRA Championship Series 

on June 21. 

Among the perpetual trophies awarded will be 

Metedeconk's Senior M-Scow Trophy. 

Tom Solas photo. 

The 2008 BBYRA Championship of Champions 

will be hosted by MRYC on June 8. 

John Schwind and Mitch Hnatt, 

seen here competing in the 2007 event, 

will be representing Metedeconk River YC. 

Tom Solas photo. 

Mitchell Hnatt 

Agent 

An Independent Agent Representing Aflac 

616 Washington St. 

Toms River, New Jersey 08753 

732-557-5375 x 16 office 

732-822-9184 cell 

732-557-5094 fax 

Mitch_Hnatt@us.aflac.com 

Aflac.com 

Family and Cosmetic Dentistry 

ROBERT A. WOJCIAK, D.M.D., P.A. 

842 Arnold Avenue 

Point Pleasant, NJ 08742 

Telephone: (732) 295-8899


2008 ITERCLUB ATIOALS 

Thirty-five boats competed in 

the 2008 Interclub National Championships 

hosted by Metedeconk River Yacht 

Club in Brick, New Jersey on April 19- 

20. Sailors were welcomed with excellent 

conditions, where many opted to race in 

shorts for the mostly sunny days with 

breeze ranging from 5-15 knots. 

The race committee ran 12 exciting 

races and competition was tight since 

the breeze was shifty. Sunday’s races 

were exceptionally tight with many boats 

vying for position at each mark rounding. 

Due to consistent finishes, Larchmont 

YC’s John and Molly Baxter won the 

event, the only team to have one score out 

of the top ten. In second place was Steve 

Benjamin and Charlie McHugh from 

Larchmont YC, third place was Jim Bowers 

and Sarah Hitchcock from Winthrop, 

fourth place was Danny Pletsch and 

Heather Switlik from Stamford and fifth 

place was Pedro Lorson and Mimi Berry 

from Manhasset Bay. 

Competing from Metedeconk 

River Yacht Club was Owen Carolan, 

Stuart Challoner, 

Bill Bogard us, 

Jarrett Lynn and 

Keith Taboada, with 

Challoner being the 

top finisher among 

the club members. 

The regatta 

was a resounding 

success. Comments 

from competitors 

included: 

“Thanks so 

much for hosting the 

2008 IC Nationals. 

Both Christina and 

myself had a great 

time. The facilities 

at the club are first rate. The racing 

wore us out (a good problem). And I 

definitely gained some weight eating all 

the good food and drinks you provided. 

The RC did a great job, the IC fleet is 

not an easy fleet to please. Courses were 

square, boats over early were called and 

the races were the right length. I look 

forward to future IC 

events at Metedeconk 

River YC.” - Ian Mutnick 

- IC 705 

“Thank you for 

hosting such a fun regatta 

this past weekend!! 

John and I had a 

blast and really appreciate 

everything that you 

and your club volunteers 

did to welcome all of 

us. Everything from the 

DELICIOUS food to the 

awesome raffle prizes to 

the beers and hospitality. We really can’t 

thank you enough. Larchmont YC has 

entered into the mix of those who would 

love to host IC Nationals next year and if 

so, we hope we can follow in your lead.” 

– Molly Baxter – IC 66. 

“We really enjoyed sailing the 

Nationals at your club, what a great 

event! “ Will Welles – IC 11 

The Metedeconk River IC fleet 

would like thank the many club members 

who graciously volunteered their time to 

make this regatta such a success. With 

apologies to all persons inadvertently 

omitted, special thanks to Bill Bogardus 

(PRO), Fran Lynn, Jim Carson, Janice 

Baier, Fritz Baier, Stu Challoner, Billy 

Bogardus, Patti Taboada, Colleen Van 

Pell, Jarrett Lynn, Ryan Dunn, Dave Heacock, 

Dave Hanrahan, Mike Buczkowski, 

Bud MacArthur, Pat Boland, and Jody 

Lutz. 

Jarrett Lynn 

William Hnatt 

Exclusive Agent 

Allstate New Jersey 

Insurance Company 

Town & Country Shopping Center 

1900 Rt. 70, 

Suite 224 

Lakewood, NJ 08701-7324 

24 Hour 

Customer Service 

Phone 732-477-6900 

Fax 732-477-6957 

Auto, Home, Business and Life



Page 7 

LIGHTNING FLEET NEWS 

For the uninitiated, Lightning 

Fleet # 34 consists of Metedeconk River 

Yacht Club members with Lightnings 

plus several Lightning owners that are not 

affiliated with a yacht club or belong to a 

yacht club with no Lightning Fleet. All 

are members of the International Lightning 

Class Association and US Sailing 

and generally have some “Metedeconk 

connection”. 

Lightning Fleet # 34 sailors were 

indeed itching to get afloat and despite 

poor weather conditions showed up in 

force for the 47 th Annual Long John Regatta 

at the Monmouth Boat Club. Seven 

Fleet # 34 boats made up almost one-third 

of the 24-boat fleet. With temperatures in 

the low 50’s and a damp, occasionally 

drizzly, wind off the ocean conditions 

were, to say the least, uncomfortable. Of 

course one has to add the typically crazy 

Navasink winds that averaged 10 – 15 

knots yet provided blind-side puffs in the 

20’s. Major hiking was “out” unless you 

wanted to swim the backstroke. Races 

were held in pairs with two before lunch 

and two after lunch Saturday with the 

final two Sunday morning giving sailors 

much needed breaks. PRO Dennis Farley 

(former Lightning sailor) varied course 

locations using parts of the river that have 

not seen for Long John activity in thirty 

years. Fleet # 34 dominated taking four of 

the first 5 places with Mitch Hnatt the 

winner. Brian Taboada was second, Bill 

Bogardus fourth and Keith Taboada fifth. 

Complete results are on the Lightning 

Class website www.lightningclass.org. 

Metedeconk’s Spring and Championship 

series got underway day after 

Flag Raising with 

seven boats on the starting line for each 

of the three races. Mitch Hnatt was top 

point getter with Matt Reiser (Lavallette) 

and Jim Carson rounding out the top 

three. Kyle Beebe made his Lightning 

debut and admits he “has a lot to learn”. 

The series winds up with six additional 

races concluding on June 1 with the Paul 

F. Newman Trophy. Complete results 

are on the MCYC website. 

June brings a recess in the 

Lightning schedule with only the Bay- 

Head-Metedeconk Tune-Up on June 14, 

the first BBYRA Championship race 

sailed out of Mantoloking on June 21 

and a double header at Island Heights on 

June 28. The June 21 race will be for the 

Barnegat Cup (BHYC) and the Kalning 

Cup (MCYC) while IHYC will put up 

the Jack Wright Trophy, in retirement 

since 2002 because Lightnings were not 

scheduled at Island Heights. 

Several Metedeconk boats will 

be traveling to Skaneateles for the 70 th 

Anniversary Regatta over the Independence 

Day weekend. The 50 th and 60 th Anniversary 

Regattas, also held at Skaneateles 

drew a record 200+ boats in several 

fleets. It’s a big party! 

Fleet member Brian Taboada is 

stepping into the political world, running 

for Council in the Borough of Island 

Heights. 

Jody and Jay Lutz have purchased 

Dick Hallagan’s 14855 with plans 

for Taylor Lutz and Matty Schon to practice 

on the Metedeconk for their 2008 

summer program that includes the Lightning 

Youth Worlds in Montreal. Welcome 

Taylor who will call Fleet # 34 

home. 

Fleet # 34 administers the 

MCYC Advanced Sailing Class through 

volunteer efforts of a committee headed 

by Mitch Hnatt. Six sessions are planned 

on Wednesday evenings commencing 

June 25 . 

Jim Carson 

Wendy’s Wind Surfing and Sailing 

Private and small group lessons 

Start sailing at age 4, prior to Yacht Club program 

Lessons available on Optimist and Sunfish 

Wendy Thrower 732-793-1676 

Over 20 years in this business 

Masters degrees in Elementary Ed. and Rec. 

Certified Sailing and Windsurfing Instructor


I would like to thank Lynn Stulz, 

John Heacock, Dave Ruiter and Frank 

Dockery for doing such a fine job with 

our ’08 Club Directory. A special thanks 

goes to Al Sagarese for submitting all the 

great Auxiliary, Labor Day and Down 

Bay Pictures. 

Mark your calendars for the following: 

Auxiliary Picnic Aug. 2, rain 

date Aug. 3, on the south lawn; The Auxiliary 

Down Bay Race Sept. 13. Check 

your email for current Auxiliary news and 

events. 

Sal Maraziti 

Auxiliary Fleet Captain 

Friday ight Dinners 

Schedule to date: 

AUXILIARY FLEET 

NEWS 

June 6 Brennan & Lynn 

June 20 Volunteers needed 

June 27 Dambrowski 

July 18 Volunteers needed 

July 25 Volunteers needed 

August 1 Glowacki Pork Loin 

August 22 Volunteers needed 

August 29 Volunteers needed 

PLEASE CONTACT 

TERRI GELENITIS 

at 732-892-7900 or 

GELEN505@aol.com 

to sign up to host a dinner. 

WOME’S WET WEDESDAYS 

The start of Women’s Wet 

Wednesdays is just a few weeks away! 

The first session will begin at 6:00 on 

June 25 and will run each Wednesday 

evening through August. Bring yourself, 

your Sunfish, a life jacket, water shoes, a 

bailer, a bow line about 26’ long and be 

prepared to have fun while learning about 

sailing. Remember, no experience is 

needed! And, no matter what your sailing 

level or experience you are sure to learn 

some new things while enjoying a night 

on the river. 

Each evening in July will include 

classroom instruction/discussion as well 

as time on the water. The speakers and 

topics scheduled so far are: 

- July 9 — John Cutting will 

speak about barrel roundings. 

- July 16 — Jared Lynn will 

speak about downwind racing 

SWIMMING POOL TO OPEN 

The MRYC Pool is scheduled to 

open the Weekend of June 14-15 

from 10:30am—8pm. 

It will the be open daily beginning 

June 21 till Labor Day from 

10:30am—8pm. 

- July 23 — Jim Carson will 

speak about starts 

The Powder Puff Championship 

race series will be held on July 30, August 

6 and August 13 (August 20 is the 

make-up date). 

Please also be sure to contact 

the Fleet Captain, Janice Baier, to arrange 

for a storage spot for your Sunfish 

on the beach or in the yard. You should 

also put your MRYC sticker with your 

number on it on the stern of the boat (the 

sticker should be in your member packet 

distributed at Flag Raising or available 

whenever the office is open such as 

Tuesday evenings or for Sunday races.) 

We look forward to seeing you. 

If you have any questions, call Nancy 

Kelly at 732-920-3162 or Ellen Reago at 

732-920-0737. 

Debbie Wernoch 

HE'S BACK... 

Comedian Gary 

DeLena returns to 

MRYC this summer 

on July 12th. 

Look for details 

in the next issue of 


and around the club. 

MRYC CLUB RETALS 

Are you interested in renting the Clubhouse for your next function? 

Call/e-mail—Colette Commisso for availability and information 

732-920-2865 - Sail.family@verizon.net 

Rentals are for members only. Please do not give the rental chairperson's phone number or email to 

non-members.



Page 9 

Mermate 

News 

The 2008 season is off to a great 

start, Flag Raising was a great party and 

sailing has begun. As we look at the club 

calendar, we can see it will be a fun season, 

and the Mermates will be very busy. 

Our annual Father’s Day Breakfast will 

be June 15 and promises to be terrific. 

We have a full menu planned and the 

cooks lined up. Fran Lynn, Lisa and Don 

Brennan, Chris Hudson, and Frank and I 

will be manning the galley. Please see the 

ad in Smoke Signals for details. Reservations 

must be made by June 11. The 

Ship’s Store will be open for last minute 

gifts and new items for the summer. 

Saturday, July 12 the Mermates 

will host a “Summer Social”. It will be a 

fun evening with comedian Gary DeLena. 

Gary, who has traveled and entertained 

internationally, was at the club a few 

years ago and was very enjoyable. The 

Mermates will be serving hors d’ouevres 

and of course, the bar will be open. 

Watch the club and e-mails for more details. 

The Mermates 

will have 

only one luncheon 

this summer. It 

will be held at the 

club on Monday, 

August 11. It will 

be a very special 

day,. Please save the date and invite your 

friends for a very enjoyable afternoon. 

I hope you have marked your 

calendar for August 23 for the Junior 

Program Alumni Reunion. This will be 

a first ever event, with all former Junior 

Program participants and instructors, 

over the age of 21 are invited. Parents of 

former juniors who are interested in attending, 

will not be turned away. This 

will be a great party as well as a fundraiser 

for the Junior Sailing Center. Details 

will follow in future Smoke Signals. 

I hope no one will be bored this 

summer! If anyone is interested in helping 

with any of these activities you 

would be most welcome. Please contact 

me at frandockery@comcast.net. 

Fran Dockery 

Mermate President 

BOOK 

CLUB 

JUNE SELECTION 

BEL CATO 

By Ann Patchett 

Monday, June 23, 7:00 P.M. 

at the club 

 

JULY SELECTION 

THREE CUPS OF TEA 

By Greg Mortenson 

Monday, July 21, 7:00 

at the club 

If you plan to attend the discussion, 

please RSVP to: 

Kathleen O’Neill 

732-282-1021 

bokokeryn@aol.com 

MRYC Father’s Day Brunch 

Home-cooked by the Mermates 

S unday June 15th 9 am-12pm 

Come one, come all! Let’s celebrate our favorite MRYC Dads on their special day! 

The menu will include: scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, french toast, potatoes, fresh fruit 

salad, assorted breads, juice, coffee and tea. 

We will also have a cereal option for kids. 

Reservations Required 

Contact: 

Fran Lynn at 732-206-1386, 

FranLynn33@comcast.net 

OR 

Fran Dockery at 732-295-9772, 

FranDockery@comcast.net 

$12 for adults, 

$6 for children 4-10, 

under 3 is free.


THE WHITMA’S I CHIA: SCOTT AD JULIA WI SILVER MEDAL 

It was Monday, May 5 when the 

Whitman’s arrived in China. Or maybe 

not – with a 12-hour time difference and 

crossing the International Date Line, it 

was hard to know for sure. Jack and Joan 

cheered on their son Scott and his crew 

Julia Dorsett as they sailed a week-long 

series of races that would bring them 

closer to their goal of competing in the 

Para-Olympics to be sailed in China in 

August. 

Jack used his computer to share 

this adventure with us, sending back daily 

reports and lots of beautiful pictures. 

The boats arrived on Tuesday, 

but tight security prevented Jack and Joan 

from entering the Olympic Village to help 

with unpacking the boat. Instead, they 

enjoyed a few days of sightseeing in Beijing. 

They found China a country of contrasts, 

from the 2000-year-old Taoist 

monastery to the modern buildings in the 

cities. 

Sunday, May 11 was the first 

day of racing. Joan and Jack entered the 

viewing area as Scott and Julia emerged 

from the Olympic Marina in their SCUD 

sailboat. Two percussion bands of drums 

and cymbals played a wild war chant 

which set the tone for the competition to 

come. 

There were 18 countries represented 

(9 in the SCUD class). In the first 

race, Scott did well on the first leg to 

windward, but later jibed and ran over 

one of his spin sheets, which forced him 

to sail without the spinnaker for most of 

the downwind leg, finishing eighth. But 

the second race was all Scott’s and he 

took a commanding bullet. Watching 

these first two races, Jack was amazed at 

the tremendous advancements Scott and 

all his competitors had made in this past 

year. 

Jack wrote, “Joan and I feel like 

celebrities. People were constantly taking 

our pictures, trying to talk to us, having 

their children pose with us, and just 

going out of their way to be helpful. We 

were truly moved by the experience. It 

was an exhilarating day.” 

The second day of racing, Monday, 

May 12 was cool, cloudy, and 

windy. Three percussion bands played 

and a troupe of dancers performed to set 

the mood. Two of the bands befriended 

Joan and Jack, asking them to join in 

their group photo. Photos were taken of 

them all day long and they were interviewed 

by a local newspaper, with the 

story written in Chinese, of course! 

Scott sailed very well, capturing 

two seconds; the British boat took both 

firsts. It would be a tough week for 

Scott, but after the fifth race, Scott 

would be able to drop his eighth place 

finish in the first race. 

On Tuesday, the weather turned 

cold, wet and very windy, but seemed to 

suit Scott and Julia just fine. They gained 

first place overall with two firsts and three 

seconds. The people continued to be very 

hospitable, asking Joan and Jack to join 

them in the sheltered area, offering rain 

jackets and later, hot tea. 

On Wednesday, Scott had a great 

seventh race, finishing first. But in the 

eighth race, his sixth-place finish put him 

into a dead-tie with the British boat. In 

the last race, sailed on Thursday, Scott 

was unaware that he was over the line 

early and was asked to withdraw for not 

restarting. However, it was a great series 

and Scott sailed well – 8, 1, 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 

6, OCR – bringing home a silver medal. 

There were two Sonars and two 2.4 Meters 

competing from the US, but Scott and 

Julia were the only USA team to win a 

medal. 

Jack writes, “The experience 

and memories will last a lifetime.” 

Jack, Joan, Scott, Julia, and Scott's aide pose 

in front of a 2000 year old temple


FOR SALE 

TARTA 27 

“Sea Falcon” 

Excellent Condition 

New Harken furler, 

Harken traveler, 

Eggers Main & 150 genoa. 

Includes 110% working jib 

and spinnaker, 

Lewmar 42 self tailing winches 

and much, much more. 

Excellent Atomic 4 

with electric ignition. 

Survey available. 

Great race record. 

Perfect bay & coastal cruiser 

$8,500 

Call Don Brennan 

SMOKE SIGALS 

The newsletter for the members of 

the Metedeconk River Yacht Club 

EDITOR…. 

LISA FORTUNATO 

STAFF Anne Ruggiero, Daile Stapienski 

George Francis, Odette Kardek (Juniors) 

Kathy Fazio, Laurie Boyan (Social) 

Frank Dockery (Photography) 

Fran Dockery (Mermates) 

Sal Maraziti (Auxiliary) 

Jim Gelenitis (Regatta) 

Vivian K. Dooren, John Cutting (Sanderling) 

Jim Carson (Lightning) 

DEADLIE 

The deadline for the next issue of 

SMOKE SIGALS is 

JUE 10 

Send all information, articles, 

and classified ads via e-mail 

To: rfeidt1@optonline.net 

Only e-mail submissions 

will be accepted 


CLASSIFIED ADS 

FOR SALEe 

2004 Sunfish Sailboat 

Boat is in great condition. Includes an 

expensive and easy to use cleat for the 

mainsheet. This block and cleat will 

help in strong winds. I will deliver, set 

up boat, and provide 2 free lessons if 

you want. 

$ 1,579.00 

Wendy Thrower 732-793-1676 or 

732-597-6090 

Clubhouse Lockers 

for rent 

SMOKE SIGALS ADVERTISIG 

ADVERTISIG RATES 

Business Card Ads - 1 Year (10 issues) 

Classified Ads 

Set-up fee for picture/logo $15.00 

MRYC Members $75.00 

Non-Members $100.00 

MRYC Members 

FOR SALE 

NEW FULL SUNFISH 

STORAGE/TRAILING 

COVER 

Free 

$ 125. 

Jim Carson 

732-892-1924 or email 

jgcfuzzy@comcast.net. 

Non-Members $10.00 

1/2 Page - 1 issue $50.00 

Page 11

M ETEDECOK RIVER YACHT CLUB 

P. O. BOX 281 

TILTO ROAD 

BRICK, J 08723 

2008 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 

COMMODORE................................................................................ ERIC WAGER 

VICE COMMODORE ...........................................................................RICK EYTEL 

REAR COMMODORE............................................................................ JODY LUTZ 

FLEET CAPTAI.............................................................................. JAICE BAIER 

SECRETARY ........................................................................................ LY STULZ 

TREASURER.................................................................................MARC COELL 

MERMATE PRESIDET............................................................... FRA DOCKERY 

MEMBERS-AT-LARGE..........................................................ATHOY D’ALTRUI 

KEITH BAIAS 

RUSSELL SCHO 

2008 BOARD OF TRUSTEES 

CHAIRPERSO .............................................................................. DAVE ALLDIA 

VICE CHAIRMA.......................................................................... PETE ZAOWIC 

SECRETARY .......................................................................................MIMI DIMO 

TREASURER .................................................................................. DO BREA 

GEERAL MEMBERS ...............................................................JERRY COMMISSO 

FRED UDERWOOD 

ERIC WAGER 

June 2008 

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 

ONE DESIGN 

PHRF 

CATBOAT 

1 Spring Series 2 3 4 5 6 7 

SPRING 

Evening Series 

FRIDAY NIGHT 

DINNER 

PAUL F. NEWMAN AWARD 

BBYRA 

PHRF 

8 Champion of 9 10 11 12 13 14 

SPRING 

CATBOAT 


Champions 

Regatta 

MERMATES 

PHRF 

CATBOAT 

15 FATHER’S 16 17 Summer 18 19 20 21 


DAY 

BRUNCH 

ONE DESIGN 

JUNIOR 

PHRF 

WOMEN’S 

CATBOAT 

22 23 24 25 26 27 28 

Summer Series 

WET 


Race #1 

MRYC/MCYC 

CHALLENGE CUP 

ONE DESIGN 

29 30 

Summer Series 

Race #2 

RIVER RACE 

PROGRAM 

BEGINS 

SERIES 

Race #6 

SERIES 

Make-up 

Series 

Race #1 

Summer 

Series 

Race #2 

WEDNESDAY 

Race #1 

Race #2 

Race #3 

Race #4 

Junior Parent Meeting 

BBYRA 

Commodore’s Ball 

@ TRYC 

JUNIOR PARENTS MEETING 

COMMODORE’S 

COCKTAIL 

PARTY 

Tune-up Regatta @ BHYC 

BBYRA @MYC 

Hosted by BHYC 

& MCYC 

BBYRA 

@ IHYC

Smoke Signals - Metedeconk River Yacht Club

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