From the GBCA mailbox

[ChrisK]

GBCA occasionally gets fan mail. I thought a few of you might enjoy this history tidbit...

Subject: 1965 Entertainment Chairman Platter
I have in my possession the sterling silver platter awarded to Janis Scharf for her being head of the entertainment committee for 1965.  Janis has passed away as well as my father, Philip D. Hinton. The Scharf and Hinton families were some of the original members of GBCA.  I?d like to return it to the association if the association would like to have it.  Please let me know if you have any interest.
-Joanna Garrett

Joanna,
It would be an honor to have the platter returned and displayed in the GBCA trophy case. If you could provide a short history about Janis or Philip, maybe a picture or two from that era it would help complete the story. I'll send you an address shortly...
-ChrisK

ChrisK,
I have no pictures from that era...In those days (back in the 60?s) the races, with the exception of one boat with two women and a Ladies? Day Race, were for the men and the women worked with Janis Scharf in preparing the meal that was served to everyone after the races.  Lots of potato salad during those days ? my mother made more than I ever have in my lifetime.  It was a time of the Jones?.  If someone bought a boat, you had better believe there was another person who would match it if not in length then in the price tag.  My family had three boats (not at the same time)and we raced them under the GBCA rules.  It was a fun time for all and when I became a teenager, it was nothing for the kids to take the family boat out on Saturday (like borrowing the family car keys).  The girls would all go to the Maudlin home for their dates on Friday night, spend the night with the Maudlin family, and be up and ready early on Saturday to make breakfast and pack lunches for the Saturday sailing.  There was a common rule about sailing ? if you were not on the boat when it got ready to ?Push off?, you were left behind.

And the very worst thing about it is now a lot of us have skin cancer because it was nothing to burn and reburn on a weekend ? catches up with you if you are not careful.
-Joanna

[Bee]

How about a picture of Joanna?

[ChrisK]

Here's another letter/treasure find from Alice, and input from J.Howard

Good afternoon,
My name is Alice Humphrey. I am writing because of a purchase i made recently while thrift store shopping. I found 4 silver plated bowls with lids. What I thought were just silver plated bowls were not. Once I started to clean them, I noticed they were all engraved. They appear to be some type of trophy or award item. See the engraving below?

-1972 GBCA Sabine A

-1970 Lipton Cup

-1969 GBCA Frost Bite Class A - 1st

-1971 Ocean Racing Circuit - 2nd in fleet GBCA.

I don't know what the engravings mean, but I wanted to touch bases with someone who could possibly tell me the history behind these items.
Let me know when you get a chance. I will finish cleaning them in hopes of sending pictures.
Thanks for your time.
-Alice

Alice,
Neat find!
GBCA (Galveston Bay Cruising Association) has been around a long time.
We're a sailboat racing club, still going strong since 1947
I've recently updated our history page as well as trophy information.

http://www.gbca.org/StoriesBehindTheSilver

I'm also cc: J.Howard. He's a living legend and wrote a book on the early days of sailboat racing on Galveston Bay and the Gulf. It's a available on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Love-First-Sight-Lifetime-Galveston/dp/0595348297

ok now to the good stuff, more specific trophy info

-1972 GBCA Sabine Class A:  This is part of the Texas Offshore Racing Circuit (TORC), at the time 7 seperate races offshore (including a race to Veracruz!)  This particular race is also known as the Sabine Pass Triangle Race. Now known as the Heald Bank Regatta. Starts from the Galveston Jetties and goes about 100 miles. The winner of that particular trophy was Jerry Smith on "Utopia" he also won the overall in that race.  Jay Howard (mentioned above) was there in 1972, he did not win this race but won his class that year for the entire TORC Series aboard "Rebel"

-1970 Sir Thomas Lipton Cup: Donated by the Lipton Tea Company in 1962. We have a permant trophy on display at the GBCA Clubhouse.  Details on this particular race I don't have handy. I do know records the race was held on May 2, 1970 and was 30 miles. A picture of the trophy is on the StoriesBehindTheSilver link provided above.  The winner is probably engraved on the cup. I'll have to check it out next time I'm at the club.

-1969 GBCA Frost Bite Class A - 1st: We still do this race. First five weekends in January on Galveston Bay. We get 50 boats regulary and its hotly contested. Class A was one of the bigger boats. No winners listed in the 1970 GBCA Year Book so I don't have much at hand. Like the Lipton Cup, I bet there is a name engraved on the trophy at the clubhouse.

-1971 Texas Ocean Racing Circuit - 2nd in fleet GBCA. No winners listed in the 1972 TORC Handbook. This one would have been a prized trophy.

Sailors in those days were a really unique and tough group of folks.  They didn't have the technology or safety gear we do today. Navigation was still an art. The time committment just to do these races is something you don't see nowdays.
Your trophies are a little jem of Galveston Bay history!
Hopefully Jay will see this email and have more to add. His book has some great details and is a snapshot in time. 
-ChrisK

Alica and ChrisK,
I would guess a closet of one of the crew for Jerry Smith was cleaned to provide a treasure trove like that.  I gave trophies to crew from time to time.  Sue and I ran out of room to store them.  I'm sure Jerry had the same problem.  It's not that we were so good; we simply sailed more races, something like maybe 40 each year for many years.  My book that you mention, Love at First Sight, is available as an e book from Amazon for $4.  It was based upon my boat logs.  Unfortunately, I had a lapse of keeping the log on Rebel from 1968 to 1975.  Sorry I can't be more help.  Thanks for keeping me in the loop.
-J.Howard

[hayesrigging]

Thats pretty cool to learn more about the history of GBCA and hear from people that have the old trophies, stories, etc.  I have alot of my dads old trophies from the 70's and 80's.  I think the oldest that I have found is a 1972 or 73 IOR Championship regatta trophy.  Back then the trophies were silver platters, trays or silver cups!!  There really nice but a pain to keep polished which is why they were in storage at my parents house for years!!!

Keep up the great work, Chris!!!

[ChrisK]

Thanks Kevin!

I hope others take an interest in the history of racing on Galveston Bay/GOM and (of course) GBCA

I've got a few others I'll post...

[ChrisK]

I got some neat correspondence while researching past GBCA Commodores earlier this year. You may notice history repeats itself in regards to the club/cruising handicap that has been so successful the past few years! (Thanks Kevin Box errr Super Chicken) 

Past Commodore Kelley, Greetings;

Thank You for sending on the Commodore's flag, I still have my "actual" flag, proudly on display.

Also have the 'original' Single-Handed Ship's Wheel trophy on display over the mantle, It was given to me permanently after I had won the trophy (79-82) 4 years in a row. (A new, similar, trophy was purchased to replace it.)

In those days we used the CCA, IOR & TIRC measurement rules and there was no provision for spinnaker - non/spinnaker classes. Also there was no self steering allowed, if you needed to go up on the foredeck, the sails had to be trimmed (balanced) well and the tiller or wheel locked down. I usually ran a line around the inside of the lifelines that was attached to the helm so adjustments to the helm were possible. I should note that I was a member of the Joshua Slocum Society and well versed at single-handed sailing (have logged over 15,000 nm). So, when I flew the spinnaker(s) in '79 (THEY said it couldn't be done!). Others had tried previously and were not successful.

I notice with pride that the Ladies are well represented in the lists of Officers, as well they should be. My Wife, Holly, taught me how to sail. She was usually the Captain &/or Tactician. Holly was solely responsible for bringing interest in PHRF to GBCA. She, on her own, wrote to PHRF headquarters and procured the very first set of PHRF established ratings. Paid $50 as I recall. We started the "Cruising" classes of racing so those that were not hard core racers, or couldn't afford to stay competitive, could still enjoy some friendly competition. The numbers of boats racing on Galveston Bay really took off after that.

I got my start racing Ensigns at HYC, if I wanted to date Holly, that was the way it had to be. We also raced offshore with Bud Smith on his 'Spun Sugar', 'Spun Gold', 'Spun Dreams', etc., series of boats.

Some other notables we sailed with; Howard & Sue Williams, and Bill & Vergie Scott. We live in Lakeway TX, now. Howard Williams is nearby in Georgetown, Vergie lives just down the street here in Lakeway.

Holly was transferred, with IBM, from Clear Lake City TX to Colorado Springs CO in '93. We moved to Lakeway TX in 2006.

We have a room full of trophies, and hearts full of memories, from sailing on Galveston Bay and racing/cruising with GBCA.

Fair winds to All,
Lloyd Ludlam 1980

[Deckhand]

Great history Chris. When John and I bought Tramp there was a plaque above the front window showing David Whitaker as the "Bay Captain" of the GBCA 1979. David Whitaker was the original owner of Tramp. I was able to contact him and talk about the boat and also send him his "Past Commodore" Flag. Follows is his letter to Commodore Box in 2009.


Commodore Kevin Box
Galveston Bay Cruising Association
P.O. Box 1496
Kemah 77565

Dear Commodore Box,

Yesterday I received in the mail and very nice flag commemorating my 1973 term (and honor) as Commodore of GBCA.  I wish to Thank Scott Lacy for tracking me down and mailing me the flag.

GBCA has been one of the highlights of my life. I became a member back in the early sixties and I practically raised my children racing with me on my Cal 40, Vaquero, in the many Bay races and the many TORC races that we sailed in.  I moved to Kemah (Lazybend) just to be nearer the racing scene and to enroll my children in the very fine Clear Creek School District .  My son raced with me on all the races that I raced in and he eventually grew up and won two World Championships.

I lived in Lazybend for 37 years and just recently move to Katy , Texas .  Unfortunately Hurricane IKE destroyed my home so I suppose it was time to give up the good life.

I send my best wishes to all the members of GBCA and wish all fair winds and good seas.

David G. Whitaker
Past Commodore, 1973
GBCA

[Charles]

Good Stuff!

[ChrisK]

One more. This was a handwritten letter from the widow of Marco Amadeo (1991 GBCA Commodore)

February 9, 2012

Dear Mr. Kelley,
Thank you very much for sending the commemorative Commodore burgee; it certainly brought back fond memories of sailing and racing with GBCA.
Marco passed away in September 2010 at the age of 80 after a two year struggle with cancer.
I know that he always considered it a great honor to have served as Commodore.
Racing was certainly one of his great passions in life.

Thanks again,
Gabriella

[jwells]

This history of GBCA is certainly a worthwhile project. Thanks for your research and posting, Chris.