Hosted by: Gulfport Yacht Club
June 17th-20th, 2021

What you need to know:

• All four classes will be scored using ORRez. Please start the process now if you haven’t already.
• Seven (7) races or scheduled.
• Friday will be the distance race around the Sound.
• Three races on Saturday and three on Sunday.
• PFD’s must be worn at Check-In each day on the water.
• Notice of Race will be posted soon. Waiting on a crew limit clarification from the GYA Offshore Council.
• Entry forms will need to be turned in by Monday, June 14th. 2021.

Rating Bands:

• A Class – 15-72
• B Class – 75-111
• C Class – 114-150
• D Class – 153-213

What you really need to know:

• Free beer during Protest Time after racing!
• Free sandwich buffet for sailors starting at 9:30am each morning!
• Free food before Trophy Presentation!
• Door Prizes and Raffles!
• Live music Friday & Saturday nights!
• Cash, debit, and credit will be accepted. No GYA reciprocal cross charging.

Please contact the GYC Sailing Director, Samson Vasquez if your club plans to attend or have any questions. samsonvasquez@gmail.com or 228-323-1336.

The Gulf Yachting Association is hosting their quarterfinal eliminations for the US Sailing Triple-handed Jr. Championship (Sears Cup) on May 15th & 16th at Buccaneer Yacht Club in conjunction with the Spring Regatta. Competitors shall bring their own Viper 640. All sailors must be 13 yrs old by the day of the event and must not turn 19 in this calendar year.

The top two GYA teams will advance to the US Sailing Area D Semifinals at Fairhope Yacht Club on June 26th & 27th. They will compete against the top two teams from FSA, SAYRA, & DIYRA in supplied Viper 640’s. 

The winner of the Semi’s will advance to the Finals at Eastern Yacht Club in Boston, MA on August 10th-13th. Finals will be sailed in supplied RS 21’s. 

All teams shall register for the quarterfinals before May 13th by contacting the GYA US Sailing Area D Representative, Holly Murray at holly@fairhopeyachtclub.com or (228) 363-0073. All teams must also register for Spring Regatta,

Link to Final’s information 

2021 Chubb U.S. Junior Championship

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 Gulf Yachting Association Annual Board of Directors Meeting, in conjunction with the Opening Regatta will be held April 30 – May 2, 2021 at the St. Andrews Bay Yacht Club, 218 Bunkers Cove Road, Panama City, Florida, (850) 769-2453. GYA Standing Committee Chairs and Council Chairs should submit their written reports prior to the meeting to the GYA Secretary. As some mailing and/or email contact information at each club may have changed since our last meeting, please distribute this information to the appropriate contacts at your club if applicable.

GYA COMMODORES (GENERAL MEMBER CLUB COMMODORES) – As a member of the GYA Board of Directors, your club’s attendance is very important. We request that you please respond to the GYA Secretary no later than Monday, April 12, 2021 as to if your club will have representation at the meeting, either by you personally or by a proxy (secretary@gya.org). This information will help to ensure a quorum is met for business to be conducted.

If you have recently lost a member of your sailing community and would like to have them included in the silent prayer during the Board of Directors meeting, please contact the Commodore or Secretary with that information.

St. Andrews Bay Yacht Club will provide all GYA Clubs the program and schedule of events for the Opening Regatta competition for the following trophies:

➢ Commodore J. Gilbert Scheib Trophy
➢ Commodore John Dane Trophy (Masters Trophy)

Schedule of Events
Friday, April 30, 2021
1700-1800 GYA Executive Committee Meeting (Commodore Ruthven’s Home)
1830-2030 GYA Commodore’s Cocktail Party (Ballroom, by invitation)
1800-2300 Dinner in restaurant and Karaoke in the Bar

Saturday, May 1, 2021
0800-1030 Breakfast Buffet
0830-1000 GYA Meeting Registration (Lobby)
0830- 1100 Regatta Registration (Bar)
0900-1000 GYA Trophy Committee Meeting (room TBA)
GYA Capdeveille Committee Meeting (room TBA)
1000-1100 GYA Board of Directors Meeting (Ballroom)
1100-1400 Lunch Service (regular menu)
Sailors may order a sack lunch.
1115-1145 Flag Raising Ceremony by Representatives from the Florida Commodores Association (FCA)
^{The FCA is an organization of Past Commodores of Recognized Yacht Clubs in the State of Florida. GYA Clubs that have FCA Chapters are Davis Island YC, Bay Point YC, St Andrews Bay YC, Fort Walton YC, Pensacola YC, and Navy Yacht Club}
1200 Skippers Meeting (Sailing Center)
1400 Warning Signal all Classes (back-to-back races to follow)
1700-2000 Deck Party (Fish Fry with live music)
1900 Gift Basket Raffle and 50/50 Drawing Announced
Lodging Drawing Announced

Sunday, May 2, 2021
0800-1030 Breakfast Buffet
0845-0930 Sailors may order a sack lunch.
1025 Warning Signal all Classes (back-to-back races to follow)
No races start after 1400
Trophy Presentation (Ballroom ASAP after races)
1100 Sunday Brunch in Dining Room

The following proposed changes will be presented during the Board of Directors meeting:

Proposed change to Part 4 – OFFSHORE REGULATIONS, Section M – Sanctioned Offshore Events, Paragraph 41 WEST FLORIDA OCEAN RACING CIRCUIT (WFORC)

As reads: The Commodore Ronald F. Richards Memorial Trophy will be awarded to the winning skipper of Class A based on corrected Time.

Change to read:
41.1 Host Club and Schedule
(a) The host club shall be the Pensacola Yacht Club and it shall conduct the event.
(b) The event shall be held in October unless otherwise directed by the Offshore Council.
(c) Entry fees may be charged.
3
41.2 Eligibility
(a) Entrants shall be members of GYA clubs. There is no limit to the number of entries per club.
(b) Entrants shall register and sail in their boat’s PHRF Spinnaker Class.
41.3 Number of Races.
Five (5) races are scheduled. One of the five shall be designated as a Distance Race. Two (2) races shall be completed to constitute a series.
41.4 Boats
(a) The series shall be sailed in owned, chartered or borrowed PHRF boats.
(b) Each competing boat shall have a current, valid GYA PHRF Certificate
41.5 Trophies
(a) All trophies for each class shall be purchased by the host club.
(b) The winning skipper of Class A, based upon corrected time, shall be awarded the Commodore Ronald F. Richards Memorial Trophy, a perpetual GYA trophy. The winner shall also be provided a marker trophy.
(c) The winning skipper of Class B, based upon corrected time, shall be awarded the Commodore John R. Chappell Memorial Trophy, a perpetual GYA trophy. The winner shall also be provided a marker trophy.
(d) The Dr. J. Lindsay Riddle Cup shall be awarded to the skipper who wins the Most Competitive Class of all classes entered in the WFORC Regatta.

Please wear your appropriate blazer, club badge, dress slacks and cap for the flag raising ceremony. Your GYA Flag Officers look forward to seeing you during the Opening Regatta festivities and at the Board of Directors Meeting hosted by St. Andrews Bay Yacht Club.

Sincerely,
Jennifer Schmidt
GYA Secretary-Treasurer

To order bow numbers for your Viper, you will need to go through the Viper web site.  https://v6ca.wildapricot.org/event-3987541

BOW NUMBER MUST MATCH HULL NUMBER – not GYA sail number!!

There are 4 options:

1)   Order a set of black bow numbers (do this if you have a light color hull)
2)   Order a set of white bow numbers (if you have a dark hull)
3)   Order black bow numbers and state ID – light hull (if your state requires your viper to be registered)
4)   Order white bow numbers and state ID – dark hull

Decide which option is right for you, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click Register. (You aren’t actually registering for an event; you’ll be taken to the pages for ordering bow numbers.)

Also, when ordering was set up through the Viper site, it was geared toward one-boat owners. There are several clubs and/or individuals who have more than 1 boat so, unfortunately, you’ll need to separately go through the ordering process and submit payment for each boat.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Cathy Cromartie

VP South, Viper 640 Class
251-895-0993
cathy.cromartie@gmail.com

GYA Board of Directors Annual Meeting & Opening Regatta will be hosted April 30 – May 2, 2021.  The official Notice of Meeting will be published 30 days prior to meeting with additional details, but until then please mark your calendars . . . .

Friday, April 30^th – GYA Commodore’s Cocktail Party

Saturday, May 1^st – GYA Board of Directors Meeting & Flag Raising Ceremony

Sunday, May 2^nd – Awards