Notice to OPO Mariners, September 1st, 2005
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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 recently sent all active members the annual notice that annual dues are due this month. Many have already sent in their $100 payment for the year. New members that joined over the past few months do not owe due and would not have received a letter. Trial members, who joined at one of the boat shows or in the middle of winter and paid $100 to join, also owe $100 at this time. We work it this way so it makes it much easier to keep track of who is active and who is not. The new address book will start anytime before the end of the month so if you stop getting e-mails you know you have been inactivated.
This is the busy time of year and later in the season we will in fact run short of crew. Just about anybody that wants to go sailing should be able to get on a passage. If you are short of experience or would like to meet me on a passage so I can help you and give you a personal recommendation, I strongly urge you to contact me and sign up for one of the two passage opportunities aboard our Swan 48 Avocation. If you are planning to attend either the Newport Boat Show or the Annapolis Boat Show we still have a couple of berths open. It is possible to make a one way passage requiring as little as three to five days off. Call and we will see what we can work out for you. By the time your figure in travel to and from the show (with $3.00 a gallon gas), food and hotel accommodations, sailing with us is a much more fun and maybe even a cheaper alternative. After all the wind is still free.
The trip to Newport in a couple of weeks will include going out to watch the 12-metre regatta one afternoon and a possible overnight stop in Block Island on the return to NY. The dates are to depart Tuesday Sept 13th from Huntington (Southwest airlines flies into Islip Long Island Airport) and return by Sunday the 18th. Half legers will be able to attend the show on Thursday and Friday morning before going out to see the 12 Metre Regatta and then a stop in Block Island. We have reservations to stay dockside at "Christies" in Newport, which is a very short walk to the boat show. Call to reserve your berth now.
THE TWELVES
The World Championships for the International 12-Metre Class Association's
will take place on September 14-18 in Newport at the New York YC's Harbor
Court clubhouse and sponsored by The Jibe wines of New Zealand. Expected
are 16 entrants divided into divisions for Grand Prix (Hissar, Kiwi, Kiwi
Magic and US 61), Modern (Challenge 12, Courageous, Freedom, Intrepid,
Lionheart and Valiant), Classic Traditional (American Eagle, Nefertiti,
Weatherly) and Classic Vintage (Gleam, Northern Light and Onawa).. This
will be the largest collection of 12-Metres racing together since the last
World Championships in 2001 at the America's Cup Jubilee in Cowes, when 34
of the 12-Metres were on the line.
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Boat Shows
We know we will be moving boats to and from the boat shows. The downside is that we are at the mercy of boat brokers and dealers who do not always make up their minds or set crew in advance. We know the Hylas 66 will be in both the Newport and Annapolis Boat Shows. I know I will also have one or two boats to move to and from the Newport Boat Show and the Norwalk boat show, which is soon after Newport. Also at the end of the boat show in Newport I get last minute requests from brokers for crew since they did not plan ahead or had crew bail on them last minute. The dates for the Newport Show are to move boats in between Sunday September 11th through Tuesday the 13th. All boats depart on Monday the 19th. Norwalk is a few days later and then the Hylas (and other boats) will be heading from NY to Annapolis departing Saturday or Sunday October 1st or 2nd. I would like to hear from any opo members that are interested in delivering a boat to or from a boat show, (Best to e-mail since I will be away the middle of next week on a delivery), and then Nick or I will call you when we know the specific dates that we will be moving the boats. This is a great way to get a short trip in and meet Nick and I for future passages and references since we do not require experienced crew for these trips.
Toronto in-the-water Boat Show Sept 15th to the 18th - Rick Butler will be manning the OPO 10' x 10' Boat Show booth at the Toronto Boat Show in a couple of weeks. He is looking for any OPO members in the area that would like to help him out for a day or two. He has some help, but particularly needs a hand on the first day, Thursday September 15th. If you are attending the show and want to help out e-mail or call Rick at u4ric@rogers.com Toll free number 866-895-8254 or cell 905-252-7256.
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Swan Passage Opportunities
Many of you may have noticed that we may be looking for two or three OPO members that wish to boat sit this winter and perhaps be the mates on charter opportunities in the BVI's this season. After the Newport show we should confirm if we will be keeping Avocation in St. Martin or at the Bitter End Resort on Virgin Gorda in the BVI's. If we are at the Bitter End the boat will be on a mooring and we would like to have an OPO members stay aboard and act as mate since we will not be sending the boat out on charter without a representative. As mate you would even get travel expenses paid and some money. We are doing this because I cannot spend the entire season in the Caribbean and we cannot afford to hire a full time skipper.
Another part of the winter program besides Racing in some of the winter Regatta's with the OPORT (OPO Race Team) and other new members, is the opportunity to charter Avocation in the Virgin Islands this winter along with our mate or even one of our skippers if you choose to go island hopping outside the Virgin Islands. No charter companies allow you to sail at night or leave the vicinity. Sailing on our Swan not only allows you to go farther and do some real sailing, you are also sailing on a Swan in the Caribbean rather that a "Clorox bottle" like most other folks. If you have a charter weekend in mind please do check with us. As active OPO members you deserve the opportunities to sail on our Swan for less than it would cost to charter a lesser quality boat. As long as your dates do not interfere with any of the winter regattas then we will be able to help put the charter week together for you. Most regattas do not start until March so that leaves December, January and part of February open to OPO members. Let us know and we will help you make plans for this winter.
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OPO Swan Race Team (OPORT)
New an veteran OPORT members will be gathering in Huntington NY the weekend of September 23rd to 25th for another practice race weekend. Members can stay aboard Avocation or we can make plans for you to stay in a hotel or another boat for the weekend. If you are interested in joining the team and practicing with us that weekend please let me know and we will add you to the list. The practice weekend is free to OPORT members (we chip in for food and expenses which should be only about $50 per person), and we will have three practice sessions. OPORT members receive a $500 discount for any and all regatta's this winter (including charters) and preference for any Swan opportunities. To join our OPO Race Team, please call and I will tell you more about the team and practice weekend at the end of the month.
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Narc Rally Crew Request
Swan Fleet - Experienced and flexible crew can try and get aboard some of the boats
that will be joining our rally. This year's NARC Rally will be special because it will
be filmed for a cable TV show segment to air this winter. However if you want to make
sure you will be sailing in this year's fleet and be part of the rally one sure way to
participate is to sign up on one of the three Swans in our Swan Program. Besides Avocation
we will also have a Swan 46 and Swan 59 Sailing south with us. If you are interested in
signing aboard there is a $200 OPO member discount for this 18-day adventure from Newport to St. Martin.
Bavaria 50 - OPO member and boat Owner is looking for one more crew to fill
out his crew roster for the Narc Rally this year. Dan is on our OPORT Race Team
so we know him well and he is a very nice guy. He keeps his boat in Jamestown
RI right across from Newport so if you are planning to go to the show you can meet
him and see the boat while you are there.
Amel 53 - OPO member and boat owner is looking for one more crew to
join him for the passage south this fall. He has an Amel 53 (just a couple years old),
but has owned other boats that he has also taken south before. A notice went out for he
a couple of weeks ago and he thought he was all set, but one crew dropped out so
he has one more crew position open. Eric plans to depart Huntington NY for Newport
and the start of the NARC Rally on Saturday Oct 29th, so you would need to join him
in NY. Although Eric will start with the Rally, depending on a good weather window,
he may elect to bypass Bermuda and head directly for St. Martin, where he has a slip
for the winter at the Simpson Bay Marina where the rally ends.
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