JibeTalk

At Pequot Junior Yacht Club, Keeping the Tradition Alive

To kick off the summer season, many clubs take a leaf out of history’s book for their annual commissioning ceremonies.

Ship commissioning dates back to the ancient world, when dignitaries in ancient Greece would wear olive wreaths, drink wine in honor of the gods, and pour water on new vessels as symbols of blessing.

In more modern times, naval fleets assembled for ceremonies where officers read commissioning directives and raised pennants for new commands. In recent years, naval commissionings remain formal ceremonies, with addresses and guests gathering to celebrate new officers.

There were no olive wreaths at Pequot Junior Yacht Club’s commissioning ceremony, but there was plenty of pomp and circumstance to go around as members met in late June to mark the official opening of the summer season.

The junior flag officers are elected by their peers at the final awards night in the prior summer. They then assume leadership roles in the junior program for the following year. The PJYC officers officiate the commissioning ceremony, attended by sailors, club members, and senior flag officers.

Bridget Clarke, this year’s Junior Fleet Captain, commented on the ceremony.

“I felt privileged to wish luck to all the sailors in the audience. Now I realize that the commissioning is not only the chance to reunite with past summer friends, but also the chance to be positive for the upcoming season. Beginning the sailing program with a content attitude will only benefit our time as junior sailors,” said Clarke. 

For Clarke, and many others at Pequot, club traditions such as these play an important role in having memorable and successful summer seasons. 

“In every Pequot commissioning, we will remember our past summer memories and focus on creating new ones," she said.

Pequot's junior sailing program chair, Tim Clarke, said the commissioning ceremony "allowed us to point out some of the awards that Pequot sailors had won over the winter or past years. This included the Everett Morris, the Clinton Bell, and the Thomas Fowler. So it was a nice way to showcase the JSA of LIS tradition in the context of the Pequot tradition."

Images: Top - PYC sailors and families, Bottom - Junior Flag Officers at PJYC, L-R: Nathan Arndt, Vice Commodore; Bridget Clarke, Fleet Captain; Karl Forst, Mentor Leader; David Watkins, Commodore. Photographs courtesy of Tim Clarke.

Junior Sailor Meets Sailing Idol

Anna Tunnicliffe recently won the 2010 Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Award, becoming the first woman in the award’s history to earn it three consecutive years. 

But what we find most interesting about Anna is this glimpse into the small world of a sailing rock star and a junior sailor from Manhasset Bay.

In her On The Bay column that appears regularly in the Port Washington News, Andrea Watson writes:

Anna has not only captivated the sailing community worldwide, she has captures the hearts of those who have met her when she has raced here on Manhasset Bay. Anna and her team competed in the 2009 and 2010 Knickerbocker Cup and all those who came in contact with her were impressed with not only her racing skills, but her genuine kindness and thoughtfulness. A story that emerged from the 2009 Knickerbocker Cup highlights the type of person she is.

 
2009 Knickerbocker Cup photo by Andrea Watson

The story goes like this: Sabrina Lorson, who was just 10 years at the time, really wanted to meet Anna. Young Sabrina sails in the Junior Sailing Program at Manhasset Bay YC and crews for her father, Pedro, in the IC Dinghy during the frostbiting season. She has been known to take the tiller of the IC Dinghy and do quite well.

During a no-wind afternoon at the Knickerbocker Cup, Sabrina had a chance to interview her idol. Readers, I wish you could have seen Anna and Sabrina sitting on a couch talking as if they had known each other forever. Just two sailors hanging out. Then Anna took Sabrina around to all the other racers for signatures. Each of these match racing “rock stars” spent time with Sabrina, and posed with her for a photo. As the winds filled in on Manhasset Bay, the interview ended. The women grabbed their gear and as they headed toward the dock, turned one more time to give big waves to this young sailor.

It doesn’t get much better than this – an Olympic Gold Medalist and a junior sailor, together, talking about the sport they love. Your columnist, who took the photo of Sabrina with Anna and her team, gave the photo to Sabrina, who according to her parents, still has the framed photo on her night table right next to her bed.

Yes, Anna Tunnicliffe is a true champion who has left her mark on our corner of the world."

Sabrina has been mentioned in print before, in an article from WindCheck magazine where we found this photo. 

Frostbiting at Manhasset Bay is truly a family affair. Crews Sabrina Lorson, Johanna Silbersack and skipper Pedro Lorson on a Sunday afternoon racing IC Dinghy #536. Sabrina is the youngest crew member in the fleet and won the Frostbite Crew Championship Trophy in 2007.

Starting the Season at Riverside

I had the chance to visit Riverside Yacht Club as they were starting off their summer program. It is great to see kids getting on the water and getting geared up for a summer of sailing and racing. I went out on a powerboat with Riverside's Head Instructor Evan Oleson, and got to see kids out racing on only the second day of the season. Riverside has quite a big program this year, with 70 sailors in the morning and 30 in the afternoon. 

Riverside is trying something new this year to enhance the kids' experience and practice time on big boats throughout the summer. At the end of the day, kids who have signed up can then go big boat sailing with Evan or Morgan Kellog of Indian Harbor. 

I loved how Riverside is such a community-centered club. You could tell from walking around and seeing kids having fun with their friends, going to the pool, playing on the beach, and enjoying the water. Evan told me: Some of the older kids have such full schedules, I don't know how they do it. They JI for us in the mornings, sail in the afternoon, have an hour off and then come back for big boat sailing. The level of involvement by juniors and adults at Riverside is really something. 

As the summer season gets going, Riverside sailors are looking forward to a bunch of great activities. Riverside is going to be hosting an Opti Open on July 11, which promises to be a big event. All of the sailors and instructors are also looking forward to Captain's Cup, a weekly competition between the Greenwich yacht clubs Riverside, Indian Harbor, Belle Haven, and Rocky Point. It is only one week in, but it looks like things are shaping up well for a fun summer.

One of the things I really enjoy about the JSA is how many different clubs with different atmospheres we have. I want to visit as many clubs around the Sound this summer as I can, and take photos and hear stories about the everyday life of the junior programs. If you are interested in having me come by, drop me an email.