September Newsletter
Commodore's Message
With summer wrapping up we can look back on some great weather and very successful and fun Yacht Club events both on and off the water. We have recently been able to enjoy one of the nice benefits of SWYC’s reciprocal privileges. Our family did several day cruises around Lake Union and Lake Washington and enjoyed a lunch and a Happy Hour at The Seattle Yacht Club along the way. The Seattle Yacht Club was very welcoming even though we pulled up to their guest dock in a humble pontoon boat (I guess yachts are not required). It was fun just to walk though the clubhouse and absorb the nautical décor and look over all the club memorabilia and photos and we enjoyed a nice meal out on their Marine Room deck. It was a pretty simple process to register for guest dining privileges which can be done either on their web site` or by phone.
As we move into the Fall season the Nominating Committee chaired by Jim Rogers is working on preparing the slate of Flag Officers and Board Members for next year. Fortunately, most of the Board members have expressed willingness to continue to serve in their current positions for at least one more year. We do still need to identify a candidate for Rear Commodore*. We hope to be able to announce the slate at our September Club meeting. Again please let Jim or myself know if you have an interest in serving on the Board next year.
Fall is also the season for our big Commodore’s Bash event. This year’s Bash will be held on Saturday evening November 15th once again at the Useless Bay Golf Club. See the Commodore’s Bash article in this newsletter for more details and save the date. We will be sending out RSVPs with a link to register. Hope to see you all there!
Oh and please don’t forget we will be returning to the Progressive Club in Greenbank for our September and October monthly Club meetings. The September meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 17th at 6:30. Hope to see you all there too!
*Rear Commodore Duties: The Rear Commodore is responsible for planning our monthly meeting programs, engaging speakers and managing the meeting logistics. They collaborate with other club members who offer up ideas and contacts. So, rarely is the burden severe. The hope is that the individual will move upward through the flag ranks over time.
Vice-Commodore's Report
tbd
Kapitan J
Kayaking by Co-Fleet Captains Nina Fitts and Diane Lagerstedt
Trip Report
August Paddle
Possession Point Kelp Beds
One of the most popular paddles of the summer is the Possession Point kelp beds.
A total of 17 paddlers took part on August 8th this year. Gayle Austin has led this outing over the past several years and it’s always a favorite.
She not only is aware of the tides, currents, and weather but she helps us identify the wildlife in the area, including the long legged and elusive Kelp Crab pictured here!
Great paddling conditions on a wonderful sunny day. Lunched at Bailey’s Corner and filled their parking lot with our brightly colored boats. Got some feedback from the community at large saying they saw our large group out on the water. Inspired some new members who saw us having a great time! Impressive group paddle.
Thanks, Gayle, for putting together this event.
Upcoming Kayak Events
- September 18-21: Orcas Island/West Beach Resort Kayaking Trip. Last count 27 attendees for our Orcas adventure. We’ll communicate through group me to organize a Thursday noon time paddle for those arriving early. Potluck will be Thursday night at the Farmhouse at West Beach Resort. Please check your maps and navigation tools for possible paddles for Friday and Saturday. We may split into smaller groups to explore the waters around Orcas. If there is a particular area you want to go, let’s get it on the agenda for the weekend. A group dinner is happening at Matt’s Smokehouse, no need to sign up. We are going to show up and order off the menu. There are many other local places to dine too and some of the group have made other plans. Let’s have a safe and sunny time together on one of the gems of the San Juans. Can’t wait!We will be putting out details regarding this trip in a separate email and in the Group Me chat specific for people attending this trip. This trip is open to all SWYC members, whether you paddle or just like to visit Orcas Island with friendly SWYC members.
- September 25: Baby Island Circumnavigation and Potluck Brunch. The details and sign up can be found on Group Me. Twelve early morning paddlers so far! We’ll be launching fom Saratoga Community Beach- gates open at 7:15 am and we should be on the water by 8:00 for a 3 mile round trip paddle. Expect to see some wildlife on this outing! The beach has a cabana, water, picnic table, boat ramp and a rest room (honey bucket). If anyone is having trouble with Group Me sign up, please reach out to Diane Lagerstedt or Nina Fitts. This app really keeps us organized so thanks for taking the time to familiarize yourself with it.
Coming Later!
Witches Paddle date TBD
Deer Lake Lighted Boat Caroling and Kazoos date TBD
Shall we plan a November Pilgrim Paddle?
Details and RSVP for the upcoming kayak paddles and events can be found on the Group Me invitations located in the Group Me Calendar for the SWYC Kayak Group. Not on Group Me for the Kayak Fleet? Contact Nina Fitts or Diane Lagerstedt to get you set up.
Save the Date!
SWYC Camping / Kayaking Trip
June 2026
Already planning next summer’s activities? Be sure to add next year’s SWYC Camping/Kayaking trip to Sun Lakes/Dry Falls State Park scheduled for Monday, June 22 – Thursday, June 25, 2026. All SWYC members are invited to join our kayaking members for 3 full days of exploring the high desert dramatic landscape, local points of interest as well as the lakes in this park and region. Swimming, boating, sailing, kayaking, birding, wildflowers, hiking, paddle boarding, golf, biking, group dinners and camaraderie. Lots to do.
If you’re tenting, you’re welcome to stay in our reserved group campsite. If you camp in anything other than a tent, you’ll need to make your own individual site reservations. Reservations open September 22, 2025 at 7:00 AM. Camping not your thing? There are several resorts and other accommodations in the area to reserve so you can still join in the fun.
More information will be shared later this fall. In the meantime, check it out and make your reservation, if needed.
Windward Women by Fleet Captain Katy Shaner
Goodbye August. Hello September. Let there be more summer-like days to come!
This year the August Social was a fun success and hosted by the Windward Women. It was held at the Organic Farm School. The OFS provided the pizzas, the WW provided the salads made from the fresh produce of the OFS, and SWYC members brought side dishes and desserts. The abundant wine and beer from the Crab Fest was shared at the August Social and our own creative WW extraordinaire, Diane Lagerstedt, created a photo frame for the evening. All the picnic tables became festive with the colorful tablecloths shared by Judy Hucka. A good end of summer event!! Dare I say, fun was had by one and all?
Following our dinner, Judy Feldman, OFS Executive Director, led us on a guided tour of gardens and grounds.
As summer comes to a close, so do most of the activities of the season. Our last hike was held at the Trillium Community Forest. It was led and hosted by Leslie Flohr. Trillium offers abundant trails to explore. The four that joined the hike shared refreshments afterwards at Leslie’s home not far from the trail.
End of Year Windward Women Social
The last social of the Windward Women year is to be hosted at the home of Debra Richardson. Please mark your calendars for this event.
This is a social to thank all of you who not only participated in the variety of activities we had this season, but an extra thanks to those of you who led a hike, hosted a social, and gave of your time and energy to make each other welcomed to the group know as the Windward Women!
Debra Richardson’s
Sunday, October 12th 3:00 – 5:00
Debra has offered to provide not only her home but all the refreshments and beverages.
Thank you, Debra!!
Remember, you can always go on the SWYC website for the calendar of WW activities.
All women of the SWYC are invited to participate in Windward Women activities.
Sailing / Racing
Pelican Fleet
Pelican Series Concludes on Lone Lake
The Club 2025 Pelican series wrapped up on September third, with four races on Lone Lake. This year, the lake tested with unsafe levels of algae toxins only once. Then it surprisingly returned to safe levels, unlike recent years when the lake remained unusable for most of the summer and fall. Hopefully this new trend will continue.
Going into the final races, Team Soledad (Clyde Jenkins and Lisa Irwin) was in first place but by only three points over Bob Rodgers and Sara Stawarz sailing Perigee. Clyde, the usual skipper on Soledad, was away cruising, so Lisa recruited Penny Harger as crew to defend their position. Clay and Judith Canfield sailing Ruby and the Randy Weers Starke Scott team usually sailing After You were within two points for third but well behind the leaders. Also, the Canfields and Randy were unable to race that evening, so Starke represented the team sailing his boat Crayola without a crew until the last race.
So the stage was set for a showdown between Lisa and Penny vs. Bob and Sara for the season championship. As it turned out, Lisa found the better side of more wind shifts, winning the evening with three firsts and a second and extending their series lead. Congratulations to the ladies for a gutsy performance.
Complete series results can be found on Sailwave.
Bill Brown
Laser Fleet
The South Whidbey Laser Fleet finished strong with 4 races on a beautiful sunny Tuesday evening 9/9 with a slowly waning 10 knot NE breeze with 11 boats out racing! Lots of very close mark roundings and close finishes. Series II ended with 33 races total, bringing the official 2025 season to a close with a total of 69 races sailed!! We had juniors racing in radials and then full rigs for the first time, new laser sailors coming from YSA classes joining us for racing, new experienced sailors joining us for the first time making for close racing, and developing sailors improving big time this year. Big thank you to our intrepid race committee team of Starke, Randy and Remy who helped safely organize races from 20 knots to drifting conditions!
Once results are compiled, they will be updated on Sailwave.
– Zak Malbin
Cruising by Fleet Captains Jim and Kathy Rogers
September Cruise
The September cruise is underway. We’ll hear back from the survivors soon. See the next newsletter for all the details.
Youth Sailing Association
The YSA team is already planning next summer’s classes. They welcome anyone interested in helping to offer the joy of sailing to our island youth.
YSA meets every Wednesday at 9:00 am. Check the club calendar for meeting locations.
Safety Matters #25: Boating Statistics
by Clayton Canfield, Safety Officer
Okay okay, I admit, I’m a statistics guy! I don’t like to rely on luck. My education is in engineering, I flew helicopters for the Marines, I crewed on racing sailboats, I hunt birds with my dogs, and I ride a motorcycle. I guess it is a bit counter-intuitive since most engineers try to avoid risk. However, I’ve always felt that if you are well aware of the risks and take steps to address them, you are ahead of the game. You cannot eliminate luck, but you can greatly reduce it with your preparation and actions. I received an award for 1000 accident free hours in the military, I have ridden over 350,000 miles on motorcycles without an accident. I sailed for 30 years, and capsized at least four times in dinghies wearing a life jacket.
Here is a link to the latest Coast Guard report on boating safety, for 2024: U.S. Coast Guard Safety Report
What I like about this and similar reports is the ability to quickly identify the greatest risks and address them. I’ll synopsize those risks here, but the article is worth reading for background on these items.
The Coast Guard has identified five major takeaways for staying safe:
Wear a life jacket!!! It’s the number one way to prevent drowning. 76% of boating victims drowned, and 87% of those who drowned were not wearing a life jacket!
Avoid Alcohol: Booze and boating don’t mix. Alcohol was the primary factor in 20% of all boating deaths.
Knowledge is power. 69% of deaths occurred on boats where the operator had not received boating safety instruction.
Know the “Fatal Five” top causes of boating accidents.
- Operator inattention
- Improper lookout
- Operator inexperience
- Machinery failure
- Navigation rules violations.
Notice a theme: it’s almost always about situational awareness and preparation.
It’s not just motorboats! These principles apply to kayaks, paddle boards, canoes, jet skis, and any other water craft. Even kite boards!
I hope this article benefits at least one person, in which case it will have been worth the effort to write it. I trust everyone will have a safe and enjoyable Fall. Remember: Situational Awareness is Life, Boating knowledge and skill is life insurance, and proper boating equipment is premium life insurance!
Clay Canfield, Safety Officer
Coming Events
General Meeting
Rear-Commodore Phil Simon
Greenbank Progressive Club
September 17th @ 6:30 pm
Our own Phil Simon will share photos, stories and antecdotes about people he and Judy met on two river cruises
1) from Moscow to St. Petersburg Russia in 2015 and
2) from Amsterdam to Budapest in 2024
Commodore's Ball
Saturday, November 15th
Useless Bay Country Club
“Islands in the Stream” Commodore’s Ball
Save the Date – Saturday November 15th at UBCC. We’re spicing it up this year with a tropical Caribbean vibe. The theme is “Islands in the Stream”. Drinks, appetizers and a buffet dinner is included.
DJ Darrell Christel (aka DJ Cool Daddy) will be serving up Rock, Reggae and Roll to get us up on our feet. We’ll even mix in a bit of Club business. Be on the lookout for more details and a link to purchase tickets as the date gets closer. Hope to see you all there!
Holiday Party
Wednesday, December 10th
Planning is underway for this year’s holiday party. We’re seeking volunteers. Please contact Gayle Austin if you can lend a hand with decorating and such.
Vice-Commodore John Porter is looking for any ukulele players out there to abet his plot to offer up some ukulele joy during the party. Contact John if you have some level of ability. (This could be the beginning of John’s third career: music empresario.)
2025 Calendar of Events
Check out our Calendar for the dates of all of our Annual Events. And be sure to get them on YOUR calendar!
All Annual Events
SWYC Branded Clothing & Merchandise
Looking for snazzy SWYC apparel (perhaps for a gift this holiday season)? Or maybe looking forward to the cooler fall/winter season? Don’t forget about warm hats, canvas tote bags, aprons, towels or throws for the boat or home? Two different SWYC logos plus Windward Women logos to choose from. Make your customized selection and order on line.
Land’s End Online Store
Alternatively, Washington Design Company, here on Whidbey Island, offers a broad range of SWYC branded apparel. Shop online, then either ship to your address, or pick up at their shop in Ken’s Corner.
Washington Design Co. Online Store
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