January 2012 Papoose Article

Our activies for 2011 ended on on December 4th with an Awards Party at the home of Rich and Gail Miner where we celebrated our activities for the year, both ashore and on the water. A good-sized crowd of adult and junior partygoers arrived with plenty of food to share, including ceviche by Lana Pollard, meatballs by Shirley Miller, butternut squash with walnuts by Laird Johnson and many desserts. The sailors had a great time socializing and merry-making. The kids also had lots of fun playing with each other.

One of the Club’s onshore activities the group celebrated was winning the Elk’s Club’s First Place Community Organization Trophy for entering Chuck Chute’s Lightning in the 4^th of July Parade. Chuck led a group of adults and juniors in disguising his Lightning as a Pirate’s Ship. The kids rode in the Pirate’s Ship dressed as pirates. We also celebrated the highly successful Mutiny Regatta, run by Constance Gill. In the Mutiny Regatta, the crews skipper the sailboats and the skippers become crew. After the races the kids competed to see who could do the best jumps off of the “Pirate Ship,” while pretending to walk the plank.

The Rotator and Keeper Trophies were presented for the various Series and the three special Regattas. The Lightning Fall Series winners were Rich Miner in 1^st, with crew Gail Miner and Ken Potts; Hank Jelinek 2nd, with crew Adam Enea; Don Okner 3rd, with crew Ed Snook, Matt Gomez and Michael Mackey; Chuck Chute 4th, with crew Dave Newton. The Snipe Fleet Championship award was won by John Marx, with Constance Gill and her crew Angela Hopkins as the Runner Up.

The Lightning Fleet Championship, in which all the races of the year are scored as one series, was won by Rich Miner, with Gail Miner and Ken Potts as crew. The Lightning Fleet Champion First Runner Up was Perry Anderson, with Margaret Anderson and Shirley Miller as crew. The Lightning Fleet Champion Second Runner Up was Hank Jelinek, with crew Adam Enea. In 4^th place in the Lightning Fleet Championship Series was Don Okner, with crew Ed Snook, Matt Gomez and Michael Mackey.

The Yacht Club needed a lot of teamwork, spirit and sportsmanship to get through the 2011 season with Hurricanes Irene and Lee, thunderstorms, no-wind Sundays, high water at the docks and a muddy Yacht Club yard, and still have a highly successful season. A large portion of that needed spirit, cheerfulness and sportsmanship was supplied by Angela Hopkins, who won the Edwin Syracuse Sportsmanship Award. The 2011 John Myers Service Award was won by Perry Anderson. In addition to performing his duties as Treasurer, Perry coordinated and coached the Junior Sailing Program and helped the Club out in many other ways. The Crew of the Year award was won by Ed Snook for his excellent crew work on the Don Okner Lightning. The Most Improved Skipper award went to Hank Jelinek for moving up to 2^nd place in the Lightning Fall Series and 3^rd place in the Lightning Fleet Championship.

A special thanks must also go Rich and Gail Miner. Their leadership and active involvement in every aspect of our activities, as well as their willingness to open their home to us for so many of our club events really helped to make 2011 a great year. Even this article is largely due to the much appreciated help of Rich.

As we turn the page to a new year, please remember to visit us on the web at www.lakemohawksailing.org and consider joining us so that you can sail and socialize with us! For more information about membership in the LMYC or, if you want to learn to sail, just call our Vice Commodore, Gail Miner at (973)729-5283, email us at sail@lakemohawksailing.org or write to PO Box 29, Sparta, NJ 07871

Until next month, smooth sailing and God bless America!

Don Okner