Category: Club News

1973

Ken Lady was elected Commodore.  Races were held every other weekend from early June until Labor Day.  A scoring system too complicated to explain here established the champions of the year.  Gerry and Carolee Seibert started to dominate the racing.

 

1975

Bob and Hedi Strebi sold their Thistle, bought a Blue Jay and joined the club.  They had been watching the activity at Ward’s Cove since it began.  They had their first exposure to sail boat racing during the so called “Spring Series”.  It was a humbling experience.  Wnhen the finally crossed the finish line after a “twice around the course race” the committee boat was already collecting the course markers.  Bob and Hedi had read all the books about racing, but some essential details had escaped them, for example how and where to run the spinnaker sheets.  The club members were very supportive and enlightened them on the matter.  They set and doused the spinnaker 12 times.  They had even brought a practice marker.  At the next race they were introduced to the supreme experience of sail boat racing namely to watch the entire fleet minus one boat over the transom of their boat.  Nevertheless Gerry and Carolee ended the year as club champions.

Below are transcripts of the Windham Sailing Club’s early history. Written by longtime club member Bob Strebi some time ago, who sadly has recently passed.  This Historical document will be an installment feature throughout the summer.  Once all portions are published I will create a new page with all of them in one document. 

 

1972

Gerry and Carolee Seibert and Bill Andersen (former NYC fire boat skipper) joined the club.  Bill Didn’t buy a Blue Jay.  He built one.  He became the first Harbormaster.  He became the first Harbormaster.  At that time the club didn’t administer the mooring process at the cove, so his position was called “Fleet Captain”.

On race days a paid hand (in this case a high school kid) ran the Whaler.  It was a neat arrangement because it allowed all the members of the small club to race.  Some outsiders called it a display of “yacht clubism”.  By this time the commodore’s dinner in fall had become an “old” tradition.

 

Check back again for the continuation of this series, 1973 to 1975.

Below are transcripts of the Windham Sailing Club’s early history. Written by longtime club member Bob Strebi some time ago, who sadly has recently passed.  This Historical document will be an installment feature throughout the summer.  Once all portions are published I will create a new page with all of them in one document. 

 

1969

With serious race activity about to begin the membership decided to purchase insurance.  The insurance agent suggested a corporation be formed to whom he could issue a policy.  So it came that on June 29 a meeting was held at Ward’s Cove to elect officers, adopt by-laws and to do whatever else was necessary to start a corporation.  The Meeting started at 2:10 PM and was attended by Peter and Cassandra Ash, Carol Doen (?), Nino de Prado, Richard Joyce, Roald Magussen, John Plausteiner, Olin Stephens, Lee Sheridan, Richard Engel.

The officers elected were:

• Commodore:     Olin Stephens the III
• Vice Commodore:  Peter Ash
• Secretary: Cassandra Ash
• Treasurer: Richard Joyce
• Directors: Lee Sheridan, Fred Cummblad, George Schneeberger
• Race Commitee: Olin Stephens, peter Ash, Nino de Prado

With a proper slate of officers elected the club started life as the Windham Sailing Club Inc.  The entire mem;bership served as officers.

Other business of note:

From the firm “sails & centerboards” the club received a 14 ft. Boston Whaler as a gift.  The club owned one Blue Jay (Sora) Which was loaned to “boatless” members for racing.  Olin and Carol Stephens finished first in most of the races.  Repeatedly the Commodore exhorted, begged the membership to please pay the club dues.  Well, life was hard in the days before “mooring fees”.

 

Up next, the year 1972.  Stay tuned.