TO:      Commodores of General and Affiliate Members
GYA Executive Committee
GYA Past Commodores
GYA Standing Committee and Council Chairmen
GYA Coordinator of each GYA General Member Club
GYA Associate Members

The Winter Meeting of the Gulf Yachting Association will be held on January 13^th – 14^th, 2018 at Southern Yacht Club, 105 North Roadway Drive, New Orleans, LA (504) 288-4200.  Since some mailing and email addresses may have changed since the last meeting, please distribute this information to the appropriate contacts at your club.

Friday, January 12, 2018
1800    Executive Committee Meeting & Dinner

Saturday, January 13, 2018
0800    Registration
0830    Committee Meetings start according to schedule
1800    Cocktail hour and GYA Foundation Silent Auction
1900    GYA Annual Awards Dinner Banquet

Sunday, January 14, 2018
0930    Committee Meetings continue
1030    Board of Directors Meeting

GYA COMMODORES – GENERAL MEMBER CLUBS – Your club’s attendance is very important. If you cannot attend the Board meeting, please send a WRITTEN NOTICE naming your club’s representative to the GYA Secretary-Treasurer via mail at 2295 Club Moss Circle, Biloxi, MS 39532, email secretary@gya.org, or hand deliver at the meeting.

All GYA Clubs and their members are invited to attend the GYA Annual Awards Banquet to be held on Saturday evening at Southern Yacht Club.  The banquet cost will be $30 per person and includes tax and gratuity.  Please make your dinner reservations to Southern Yacht Club by January 6, 2018, via email Coni@SouthernYachtClub.org or by calling (504) 288-4221.              

Sincerely,

Jennifer Schmidt
GYA Secretary/Treasurer
(228) 669-7518

Links:
SYC Guest Card Request Form
GYA Nominations
ByLaws Change Proposal
Regulations Change Proposal
Sailing Banquet Invitation
Sept 2, 2017 Semi-Annual Minutes

 

 

Schedule of Events – 2018 GYA Winter Meeting
Friday (1/12/2018)		Board Room (2nd Floor)	East Dining Room (3rd Floor)	SYC Grill (2nd Floor)
2pm		Foundation 2-3:30pm
6pm		Ex-Com 6-7:30pm
Saturday (1/13/2018)		Board Room (2nd Floor)	East Dining Room (3rd Floor) Projector Set Up All Day – Strong WiFi Connection	SYC Grill (2nd Floor)
8am	Registration Open (2nd Floor)
8:30	Breakfast Served (8:30-10)
9am			Capdevielle Committee (9-10)	USSA C’ship Committee (9-10)
9:30
10am
10:30		Trophy Committee (10:30-12)	Race Management (10:30-12)	One Design Council (10:30-11:30)
11am
11:30	Lunch Buffet  Red Beans $9  Reg Menu Available  (11:30-2) Past GYA Commodore Luncheon (11:30-1)			Youth Committee (11:30-12:30)
Noon
12:30			Viper 640 Town Hall (12:30-1:30 )
1pm
1:30			Offshore Council (1:30-3)
2pm			Schedule Committee (2-3)
2:30
3pm			US Sailing Town Hall (3-4)
3:30
4pm	GYA Foundation Auction (4pm – end of  banquet) 3rd Floor Lobby
6pm	Cocktails (6pm-7pm)
7pm	GYA Awards Banquet (7pm-9pm)
Sunday (1/14/2018)		Board Room  (2nd Floor )	East Dining Room   (3rd Floor)	SYC Grill  (2nd Floor )
8:30	Breakfast Served (8:30-10)		BOD/Committee Sign-In 8:30
9am			Club Commodores Meeting/Workshop (9-10)	Council and Committee Chair Meeting w/Incoming Commodore (9-9:45)
9:30
10am	Bloody Mary/Mimosa Bar (10am)
10:30			Board of Directors (10:30-12:30)	Club Managers Meeting (10-12)
11am	Sunday SYC Brunch (11am-2pm) ($24.95) RSVP to SYC (504) 288-4221

Registration online at: http://www.ussailing.org/race-officials/find-a-seminar/judge-seminar-calendar/

---

One Day Race Management Seminar at Southern Yacht Club

1/20/2018   –   1/20/2018    Enroll Now (early registration discount until )

Southern Yacht Club
105 N Roadway Street
New Orleans, LA 70124

Contact: George Hero
Instructors:   George Hero

$35 seminar fee includes course material, online testing, continental breakfast, morning and afternoon snacks and drinks. Lunch is on your own. Join us in Southern Yacht Club’s dining room for lunch or have lunch at any of the nearby restaurants. Check-in and registration will run from 0730 – 0800; the seminar will start promptly at 0800. Online registration closes on Monday, January 15th @ 2355 (Eastern). Please contact George Hero for additional information.

Please read through your registration confirmation email, as this contains links to pre-seminar materials. Thanks to the generosity of the GYA Foundation the course fee for this seminar has been significantly reduced – to encourage all Race Officers to participate that can.

---

One Day Judge Seminar at Pensacola Yacht Club

1/27/2018   –   1/27/2018    Enroll Now (early registration discount until )

Pensacola Yacht Club
PO Box 989
Pensacola, FL 32591-0989

Contact: John Matthews

Instructors:   Chris Luppens, Michael Dawson

$35 seminar fee includes course material, and online testing. Online registration closes on Monday, January 22nd @ 2355 (Eastern). Please contact John Matthews for additional information.

Please read through your registration confirmation email, as this contains links to pre-seminar materials. Thanks to the generosity of the GYA Foundation the course fee for this seminar has been significantly reduced – to encourage all Judges to participate that can.

---

One Day Judge Seminar at Southern Yacht Club

1/21/2018   –   1/21/2018    Enroll Now (early registration discount until )

Southern Yacht Club
105 N Roadway St.
New Orleans, LA 70124-1633

Contact: Karen Reisch

Instructors:   Chris Luppens, Edith Collins

$35 seminar fee includes course material, and online testing. Online registration closes on Monday, January 15th @ 2355 (Eastern). Please contact Karen Reisch for additional information.

Please read through your registration confirmation email, as this contains links to pre-seminar materials. Thanks to the generosity of the GYA Foundation the course fee for this seminar has been significantly reduced – to encourage all Judges to participate that can.

---

One Day Race Management Seminar at Pensacola Yacht Club

1/28/2018   –   1/28/2018    Enroll Now (early registration discount until )

Pensacola Yacht Club
PO Box 989
Pensacola, FL 32591-0989

Contact: John Matthews

Instructors:   Michael Dawson, George Hero

$35 seminar fee includes course material and online testing. Online registration closes on Monday, January 22nd @ 2355 (Eastern). Please contact George Hero for additional information.

Please read through your registration confirmation email, as this contains links to pre-seminar materials. Thanks to the generosity of the GYA Foundation the course fee for this seminar has been significantly reduced – to encourage all Race Officers to participate that can.

Southern Yacht Club

A group rate has been extended to the GYA for lodging at the New Orleans Marriott Metairie at Lakeway for the Winter meeting hosted at SYC January 13-14, 2018.  Reservations are limited and cutoff date to reserve is no later than December 20, 2017.  Please use the link below to book online.

http://www.marriott.com/meeting-event-hotels/group-corporate-travel/groupCorp.mi?resLinkData=Gulf%20Yachting%20Association%20Winter%20Meeting%20%5Emsymm%60gulgulb%60124.00%60USD%60false%601%601/12/18%601/14/18%6012/15/17&app=resvlink&stop_mobi=yes

 New Orleans Marriott Metairie at Lakeway

3838 N. Causeway Boulevard
Metairie  LA  70002
800-542-8680

It’s hard to believe that summer is over with and the fast paced sailing season is winding down.  It seems like just yesterday I was preparing for the Opening Regatta and now the Liptons are behind us and we are looking forward to the GYA Winter Meeting in January.

It would be remiss of me if I did not thank the Pass Christian Yacht Club Commodore, Board of Directors, manager, staff and countless volunteers for hosting a remarkable Lipton Regatta weekend.  This was such a historic and pivotal event marking the last Liptons sailed in the Flying Scot which has served the GYA exceptionally well for the last fifty years.  We look forward to the newly selected Viper 640 and hope it serves the GYA just as well.  We are fortunate to have the Viper NA’s in the GYA this year at Fort Walton Yacht Club Oct 24 – 28.  With over 70 boats registered, this promises to be a fabulous regatta.

I attended the Wadewitz Regatta at Fairhope Yacht Club at the end of September, as my youngest son sailed in his first Optimist regatta.  Let me say, it’s quite a difference going from race committee to ‘Opti Dad’ but I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward many more regattas with him in the future.  If you haven’t been to the Wadewitz regatta lately, it is rather impressive.  There were at least five separate race courses that I counted and fifteen or so different classes.  It took a small army of volunteers to put this on and FYC did a great job.  Congratulations on a great regatta!

As we all thought the hurricane season was over with, Nate surfed in last Saturday and packed somewhat of a punch.  While the winds weren’t that significant, the tidal surge seemed to have caught most of us off guard.  From Pensacola to Mississippi, several of the gulf coastal clubs suffered some form of damage.  While most of this damage was limited to the marinas and docking facilities, some of the clubhouses experienced superficial damage on lower decks, staircases and general debris, etc.  Our thoughts and prayers are with these clubs as we wish them a speedy recovery and cleanup.

There are still several regattas left on the GYA schedule as we start to close out this sailing year.  Please mark your calendars for the GYA Winter Meeting on January 13 – 14 at Southern Yacht Club.

 

Sail Hard, Sail Fast

Michael G. Hage
GYA Commodore

Due to the impending tropical storm/hurricane Nate entering the Gulf of Mexico and targeting the central Gulf Coast we have decided to postpone the 30th Lost Bay Regatta. We will be rescheduling as soon as possible and will advise in the next day or so on the date for the Regatta. Those of you who have registered will remain so on Regatta Network.

The PRO, Fleet Captain, Race Chairman and I decided to do this, this evening. We hope to see you at the rescheduled Regatta.

John Horner
Commodore
Point Yacht Club

Due to the ominous weather forecast please take note that the 2017 Back to School Regatta and Dinghy Challenge Cup has been cancelled for this weekend and Rescheduled for Sept 9-10.

 Kaia Schindler
General Manager
Pontchartrain Yacht Club

Club 985.626.3192
Cell 985.502.2042