Notice to OPO Mariners, March 1, 2007
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Hank Schmitt, P.O. Box 2032, Halesite, NY 11743
631-423-4988, 1-800-4PASSAGe, Fax 631-423-9009
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Editorial
We are just back from the Heineken Regatta. The racing was the best in three years with winds in the 20 plus range and we raced with the Heavy # 2 jib and the 1.5 once spinnaker the entire regatta. The boat that won our division last year was fourth and we were in 6th, not too many points behind. The competition was very good this year. Traditionally the BVI is less competitive so we hope to podium finish this month.
Accommodations wise we continue to out do ourselves staying in a 5 bedroom, two story luxury apartment overlooking Marigot on the French side for the week. A private keyed elevator delivered the crew home every night. The 1800 sq ft deck had a Jacuzzi for 8 people that came in handy after a hard day on the race course.
I had a 15' long x 3' tall banner, made up in Heineken Green with white lettering, saying "Show us your Hienies" that we displayed for the crowds at the St. Martin Yacht Club as we passed the bridge everyday in and out of Simpson Bay Lagoon. We will get a picture up on the web site soon.
This Sunday I fly to Nashville Tennessee for the Annual YBAA (Yacht Brokers Assoc of America) Convention where OPO has a "Vendors Fair Table" to stay in touch with and meet with our Yacht Broker friends who are so instrumental in getting deliveries and creating opportunities for our members.
Famous OPO Photographers - Over the last few months we have asked OPO members to send pictures to various publications and several of you have responded and gotten your pictures printed with credit. Carla and Bill Miners of Chesapeake City MD publish the Annual Almanac called the "Northeast Boaters Almanac (1-866-6Boater e-mail sails@boatersalmanac.com ). They are using a photo by OPO member Captain Pete Peterson on the Cover. The Almanac gives valuable information from Maine to the bottom of the Chesapeake Bay and a great book to have aboard. Bill and Carla are OPO members # 1 and are anxious for any OPO members passing through Chesapeake City on the C & D Canal to give them a call. They and I want to thank everyone that responds to our requests for photos.
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BVI Regatta
Crew will arrive in Tortola BVI Monday March 26th for the 36th annual BVI Regatta
sailing aboard our Swan 48 Avocation. I will be skippering and we have a pro bowman
to help at the other end of the boat. We have a skippered 4-cabin Beneteuau50 as support
boat. Tuesday will be spent getting the boat ready to race and we will practice for 2 days
sailing to Norman Island and Jost Van Dyke before going back to Nanny Cay Marina for racing
Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On Monday we sail back to St. Martin so crew have the choice of
flying back home from Tortola Monday April 2nd or sail to St. Martin and fly home April 3rd
from there. We have half the boat filled and can use some more crew so you want to meet us and
have a great week in the BVI please call and I will tell you how you can join us. If you want to
check airfares to and from the Caribbean you can call Shane, our travel agent in Arizona, at 602-870-0294.
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Spring Swan Opportunities
The Spring Swan trips are a great way to get your first offshore miles in to show private boat owners and other delivery skippers that you have been offshore and are qualified to go with them. Many members make one trip on a Swan first and graduate to the free passage opportunities with a better resume.
Swan Opportunity # 1 - Crew arrive in St. Martin Saturday May 12th for departure Sunday the 13th for the 1500 mile trip back to Newport or NY depending on which boat you sail aboard. Right now we have Avocation the Swan 48 sailing back to New York and a Swan 46 named Antares sailing back to Newport. We will make a stop in Bermuda on crew change day Sunday May 20th. Both legs, all inclusive is $2565* and one leg is $1300*. OPO members get a $200 discount for both legs or $100 per leg. Price included everything except your transportation to and from the boat and food and drink ashore. To sign up simply send in a $500* deposit now and we will send you our 20-page passage guide and invoice a couple of weeks before the passage. I will be the skipper of Avocation and Gareth Hughes will skipper Antares.
June 9th to 23rd New York to Bermuda and back - Swan 48 Avocation will sail from NY to Bermuda and back. You can make both legs for $2500* or one leg for $1300* all inclusive except for transportation to and from the boat. This is a great first time offshore trip that will take only one week. Send in a $500* deposit to secure a berth and we will send you the 20 page passage guide before the trip so you can get ready.
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Vote: "Seahorse" Magazine Sailor of the month.
Vote: - Did you know that in Australia it is illegal to not vote in a general
election? No penalties here in the United States but we did hear from Australia
Lindsay May who was the navigator aboard Avocation last June in the 100th Anniversary
of the Bermuda Race. Avocation, because of Linsday, was third. This past Sydney Hobart
Lindsay skippered a friend's boat who had recently passed away to first place in his honor.
He has been nominated for Seahorse magazines sailor of the month (PS: If you live in the
NY/Ct LI Sound area and can get Windcheck magazine, I have been picked as the March Issue
Sailor of the month, inside back cover, and will try and get a copy on our web site soon).
But Linsday is not quite there yet and needs your vote. Read and take a minute to vote for Lindsay May.
He e-mails us:
"It appears I have been nominated for Seahorse Magazine Sailor of the Month. It's a UK
based magazine and very prestigious in sailing circles.
I've no idea what is the prize but I never I thought I would succumb to this however
its a bit like Australian Idol so I'm asking you to vote for me (see further down the
link then right click it to get to the link)
With elections coming up you know to vote early and vote often but I guess It
only allows you to vote once. But you can pass it on.
Cheers,
Lindsay
Lindsay May (AUS)
We thought long and hard about this last month, but we will now happily
succumb to the pressure and nominate Lindsay May for his bravura
performance winning the recent Hobart Race on the late Peter Kurts'
beautiful Love & War. In fact we had considered nominating Kurtsie himself
posthumously, but we actually found that too tough a call. Hopefully all
you CYCA boys and girls will now rise to this worthy invitation.
Cast your vote at www.seahorsemagazine.com
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