GBCA Discussion Forum

I stole this from Facebook but 40% off your US Sailing membership today (7/1) if you use the promo codes below:

https://www1.ussailing.org/mem/default.aspx

Join US SAILING today at a special, limited time only, 40% discount for a one year membership. In addition to supporting the sport of sailing, a US SAILING membership saves you hundreds of dollars on valuable products and services. Please share with your friends? Use promo codes ?Julyfb? for individual memberships and "Julyfbfam" for family memberships.

GBCA is a member organization of USSailing, your membership usually gets you a discount on our regatta entry fees, etc.  

I saved $24 when I renewed my individual membership and will be getting a new rulebook with my membership...not a bad deal.

It looks like Ben Miller, registered under GBCA colors, is doing quite well up in Grapevine!

https://www.regattatech.com/scoring/action/showResultsRoster?clubCode=GSC&eventCode=Cat22Nationals11&divisionName=all

Nothing beats having a sailmaker aboard but here's some interesting technology (for you teckies) to tell you the status of your sail shape

Essentually you upload a pic and the program does an analysis of various factors, like draft position, etc.

In the not so far future, I can see this going "real time" where the computer beeps at you to put your drink down, get off your lazy butt and grind or ease for proper trim. I'm sure some of the megayachts do this already...

Of course, we might be upgrading to rigid wing mainsails in the future...hmmm...

Here's a pdf on what it does..
http://www.ukhalsey.com/download/pdf/AccuMeasure2011.pdf

Download link (of course, they want your e-mail to get the download)
http://www.ukhalsey.com/accumeasuredl.asp

Has anyone has tried this software?

From the HYC e-newsletter:

There will be casual Friday night races June 17 and June 24 at HYC as a warm up to the Leukemia Cup Regatta.  All Vipers, J22s, A-Cats and others who are interested should meet at the Beachcomber at 5:30 p.m. June 17 and June 24.

Another challenging (slightly crazy?) race going up the Texas coast!  S.Padre to Seadrift
Looks like quite an adventure!

Forum
http://texas200.com/phpBB3/index.php

Racing on the bay starts 6/19. Some twenty boats have signed up.
Go out and cheer on the local guys...alot of the Wednesday Night DS boats will be there.
Or grab a boat and go race!

RN registration
https://www.regattanetwork.com/clubmgmt/applet_registration_form.php?regatta_id=3764

FB group
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_57099028193

Create your own fundraising page/information here:
http://www.leukemiacup.org/txg/

Kickoff party at the Post Oak Grill on 5/22, $30, Kelly McGuire, Silent Auction... RSVP by 5/19
713.680.8088 or Shandrika.May@lls.org

Regatta on the weekend of June 25 at HYC
Probably a little early for the NOR to be up
http://www.houstonyachtclub.com/raceregatta.html

Wow. The 'best of the best' are coming to our backdoor  

Coming up:
Melges 24 Worlds in Corpus, May 11-21
http://www.melgesworlds.com/
on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/TheRoadToCorpus

This fall:
J22 Worlds at Southern YC, Oct 9-15
http://www.j22worlds.com/

I'm sure the racing will be spectacular, even as a spectator.
Would like to hear from the local J22 teams competing.

Also, I bet plenty of good boats for sale after both of these events.
If you ever thought about buying either a M24 or J22 (or a set of lightly used sails, used one regatta) some deals to be had!

Starts at 1400

Open to all sizes and types of boats, in front of the Kemah Boardwalk
$20 to enter the boat decor contest, commercial boats compete for cash prizes and pleasure boats compete for trophies
Some of the shrimpers go all out

http://www.kemah.net/blessing.html
Tom Hults 713-545-5246

Wordsmiths and shutterbugs:
Please submit your articles, and other GBCA news you'd like to share for the upcoming Spring edition of the Cannon!

Also, if you would like to advertise (very inexpensive, I might add) ping sailchick or me!

If you're looking for an excuse to float around and spectate, the Finns are in town at TCYC

Since 1952 longest running class in the Olympics.

https://www.regattanetwork.com/clubmgmt/regatta_uploads/3640/2011FinnNorthAmericanChampionship1.pdf

Not sure if Zack Railey going to be in town (Silver medal, Beijing). He's making a run for the 2012 bid...

If you've ever had the pleasure of clearing a prop, cutting your foot or dragging one around the race course wrapped around your keel, now is your chance to get even with the crab traps February 18-27.   

Once again, a drop off point will be at the Seabrook boat ramp, under the Kemah bridge.  Sometimes TPWD will provide you with gloves, wire snips and tarps (to protect your boat) while the supplies last the morning of Feb 19th.

From the press release:

"...Texas Parks and Wildlife Department officials are gearing up for the 10th annual abandoned crab trap removal. Volunteer to be a part of this 10-day effort that will take place Feb. 18-27, and help save marine life that could get caught in these unused traps.

During this period, all Texas bays will be closed to crabbing with traps.  Any traps left in a bay will be assumed to be abandoned and considered ?litter? under state law, which allows volunteers to legally remove any traps they find. TPWD will be facilitating trap drop-off sites at several locations in each major bay system along the coast from 8 a.m. to noon on Feb. 19, weather permitting.  Additionally, at all sites, dumpsters marked with banners will be available to receive traps for the duration of the closure.  Volunteers may help out on Feb. 19 or work at their own pace anytime during the closure, but traps cannot be removed prior to Feb. 18 or after Feb. 27..."

The Galveston Bay contact to find out more, or how you can volunteer is Bill Balboa, 281-534-0110

You know you want one!  

They are super stylish. Double layer (warm!), high quality, made by a lady in California who usually does these for school fundraisers.

Jody, Liz, Bev, Mary and Shelia will attest on how 'cute' they are!  

We had a couple of the caps at the last Icicle party...
I'll upload a pics tonight when my hat model is ready.
The cost is (a steal) at $20 per.

Why not order a few for the ladies on your crew?

Zap me your email and I'll follow up on the details.
ckelley at cobfen (dot com)

Will try to get the order in time for delivery at the GBCA Frostbite on February 26.  Since we can't guarantee that, if they show up after, will mail them to you.

In other words, we need to know your order soon!

Starting this thread in an effort to keep the number of threads consolidated for I#2!

Weather forecast looks like Saturday (again) is the day to go sailng.

Need crew? Check out the Crew Finder

I guess now is a good time to start a KWRW 2011 tread.

A few local Galveston Bay boats you may know will be racing:

Mojo: Melges 32
Hot Ticket: King 40
Solaris: J105
Andale: J80
Revolution: 1D35

In addition I'm sure some of the local crew talent will be sprinkled around other boats, guys like JT...

Racing starts Monday 1/17. Give 'em hell!
http://www.premiere-racing.com/keywest11/pages/KW11_home_page.htm

Good morning!
On behalf of the entire GBCA board we are proud to bring you a fresh, new and exciting web page. 

http://www.gbca.org/

Special thanks in particular to Jody, Emma, Chris Alk, Corrie, Kevin Bednar, Jim Powers...for getting this off the ground and making it happen.

Renew membership online? Yes!
Volunteer for stuff? Yes!
Pretty pictures? Yes!
Brown bag color? No!

The site has many really cool features we have yet to activate and a few things under construction as we learn...so check back often!

As always, we welcome your input and suggestions.
Enjoy!

On 12/11.
I believe Seabrook Shipyard will only let you in with a SSY sticker, as last year.

http://www.clearlakearea.com/events/boatparade.asp

For the first time, GBCA is putting together a 2011 wall calendar this year, featuring 12 of the 17,793 pictures this year from the Lacy Brothers!  
As a bonus, the calendar will also include next year's Galveston Bay Racing Schedule printed right on there.
How cool is that?  

If you would like to sponsor a 'page' (one month). It's $150. For your $150, we'll work with you to feature your boat in racing action!
OR
If you're a business owner, we'll feature a banner at the base of the featured picture, promoting your business.

Your $150 sponsorship will cover printing of 150-175 8"x11" wall calendars and post office delivery to every GBCA member.  
We don't intend to make money (or lose money) on this venture, but the goal is to promote the local racing scene somewhat like the Sharon Green/Ultimate Sailing style.

Of course, you have the option to sponsor multiple months :-)

Please PM (contact) me ChrisK if you are interested

So far, we've narrowed the available Lacy pics down to about 60 for consideration. We have some great ones!

Also, if you have a specific picture (from your own stash) that you'd like us to consider that captures the GBCA racing spirit and meets 'calendar criteria' (aka. landscape format works best, boats and crew in racing action, cool sunsets, etc.)
Let me know.  Of course, $150 will certainly help...heh-heh.

We're running a tight deadline on this. Next Thursday, 12/9 we want to put the print order in.  
That way, we can get the calendars mailed to the membership sometime before year-end and have them hanging proudly by New Years.

What better way to re-live one of those awesome racing moments and remind yourself it's time to go racing?
Who is game?

After 6 revisions and the annual schedule meeting with TCYC HYC & LYC (thanks Jim and Leigh Ann) it is finally 99% complete.

*Drum roll please* Here are the dates for GBCA events coming in 2011
(The complete Galveston Bay calendar will be posted soon below)

NOTE: Dates are subject to change, current as of 11/04/10 11/16/10 12/06/2010

January 8:  Icicle #1
January 15: Icicle #2
January 22: Icicle #3
January 29: Commodore's Ball
February 5: Icicle #4
February 12: Icicle #5
February 26-27: Frostbite
March 19: The Conundrum
March 26: Spring Regatta
April 9th: Women's Regatta
May 14th: Singlehanded Regatta
May 15th: Mixed Doubles Regatta
May 28th: Rum Race #1 / Intro to Sailboat Racing
June 4-8: Race to the Border -Galveston to S.Padre
June 18: Rum Race #2
July 9: Rum Race #3
July 16: Rum Race #4
July 21-23: Texas Race Week
August 13: Rum Race #5
August 20: Rum Race #6
August 27: TCYC/LYC/HYC/GBCA Predicted Log Race
September 10: Rum Race #7
September 24: Rum Race #8
October 1-2: GBCA Performance Cup (Bank) Regatta

24 GBCA events and this list doesn't include the other clubs...  

Unlike the other guys, we don't have a paid staff. GBCA is all volunteer!
Everything from race committee boats, event food/snackums, promotion/newletter/media relations, merchadise sales, membership, securing sponsorship, entertainment, website/discussion board technology, opening prep and shutdown of the clubhouse, ice runs, trash hauls, vacuum cleaner use/repair, cleanup and care of RC gear, regatta NOR/scoring results/trophies, club handicapping, money management, rum/mixer management, kegerator care and feeding... The list goes on!

My point is this: all of these great events don't run by themselves, why not make 2011 a year to volunteer?
I promise, it's alot of fun to give a little back  

Stumbled across this. The exhibit looks interesting. 

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7204889.html

Get your permission slips, dress like a pirate and man the land yachts: GBCA 'day at the musuem' field trip?