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Date: 6/23/2024
Subject: June Mainsheet
From: Grande Maumelle Sailing Club



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Commodores Corner – June 2024

by Mary Michaels

 

Ahoy, Sailors!

 

As summer is in full swing, our club is hosting many fun events to make the most of the season!  Please be sure to visit our beautiful GMSC website to see upcoming events and join in on the fun!  

 

EXCITING ANNOUNCMENT:  US Sailing Championship of Champions Partnership

 

I am excited and proud to share that GMSC is partnering with US Sailing, the national governing body for sailing in the United States, to host the 2024 Championship of Champions Regatta. 2024 Championship of Champions - US Sailing .  The regatta is scheduled for October 2-6, 2024 (races occur October 4-6). Hosting this prestigious regatta is an honor and a privilege for our club, presenting a wonderful opportunity to display the stunning beauty of Lake Maumelle and our esteemed sailing club. 

 

As background, the Championship of Champions represents a very notable event in the world of sailing. It brings together up to 19 competitors who  have demonstrated exceptional skill and achievement by becoming the current national North American or World champions of their respective classes.  The race determines who is the CHAMPION amongst the champions!  

 

Our CoC committee, led by Drew Daugherty, is working hard to put on a world-class regatta. To make this an extra exceptional event, we are looking for corporate sponsors – our goal is to raise at least $10,000.  We are seeking sponsors at various levels:  Presenting ($5,000), Partner ($2,500), Benefactor ($1,000) and Patron ($500).  If you know of any businesses, or potentially your employer, that would be interested sponsoring (and of course getting recognition and benefits) please let Drew Daugherty know.   

 

We will provide regular updates to club members to keep you informed. With guests arriving from across the country, we plan to ensure our grounds and clubhouse are pristine!  One thing EVERY MEMBER can do between now and October is to look for opportunities to clean, tidy, and maintain our club. This includes regularly maintaining your slip and boat(s) as well as ensuring our grounds and clubhouse are well-maintained. 

 

Racing Updates

Centerboard racing is in full swing!  A big thank you to Jon Claas, who is running the races for the 2024 Centerboard season, as well as Greg Hamilton, who continues to coordinate RC volunteers and program needs.  The fleets are seeing good participation and of course everyone enjoys socializing after the races! 

 

I would like to encourage every member to serve on the race committee at least one time every year.  Racing is the lifeblood of our club and serving on the RC is fun, keeps racers on the line and provides a terrific opportunity to be on the water with fellow members! Race Committee Details and SIGN UP

 

The Spring has Been Busy – With Social, Education and  Volunteerism!

GMSC Spring Clean-Up

 

We had a hugely successful Spring Clean-up Day at the lake.  Per our historian, Drew Daugherty, this was the second most successful clean-up day in our club history - bested only by a clean-up that occurred with temperatures in the single digits, requiring the beer to be defrosted beside the burn pile! 

 

The clean-up crew helped get the Opti’s and Sunfish ready for summer, cleaned the grounds, removed and broke down derelict sunfish docks, removed trash / debris  (2 dumpsters full!), cleaned our race committee boats, tidied up Kiko’s corner, spread sand on the Hobie beach and cleaned out and organized the clubhouse and junior shed, to name a few items. It was great to see the teamwork involved as well as the amazing results produced by this group!

Spring Fling and 2nd Annual Crawfish Boil

 

Our Spring Fling and Crawfish Boil was a delightful and well-attended event. The décor was phenomenal, the crawfish delicious, and the spread of fantastic appetizers and desserts brought by partygoers added to the enjoyment of the evening!  I would like to extend a BIG THANK YOU to our fabulous social chairs Cait and Kim Tribett as well as to Garrett McLaurin for all their help in putting together a memorable Spring Fling! 

Sailing Education and Classes

 

Learn to sail classes (adult and junior) not only provide important sailing education for folks looking to build skills, but they also serve as a fantastic way to engage members and attract potential new members to our club.

 

Tracy Sykes organized an Adult Learn to Sail class in May. With the help of other volunteer instructors, they conducted both classroom and on the water training. While the wind was extremely light, the group still found enjoyment and value in the class. 

 

Nicole Claas Moore led our Junior Learn to Sail program in June, with the help of Shelby Bellew. This class was one of our largest to date, with approximately 35 kids ranging in age between 7-16 taking part in the class. The kids learned a variety of sailing skills including rigging, capsizing, tacking, gybing, and sailing upwind and downwind. They even sailed to WestRock marina for a snack!  Thank you to the many volunteers required to ensure the program ran smoothly and safely!

I hope to see you at the lake soon!


Upcoming Events

June 23 - Centerboard Race
July 7 - Centerboard Race
July 13-14 - Thistle Regatta
July 21 - Centerboard Race
August 4 - Centerboard Race
August 18 - Centerboard Race
August 31 - Sept 1 - Labor Day Regatta
 
Reminder: Tiller Time is Every Wednesday

Race Committee Support Vounteer Sign-Up Reminder

Please sign-up for specific dates using this link Volunteering and join the fun and support our racing program.
For more information on the race committee, please see the Race Committee page of our website.

You can also now quickly get to the link by clicking "Vounteering" on the "Volunteer" tab on the home page of our website. 

Website Continues to Expand

 

Neil Jones continues to make our website amazing! It is truly an asset of this club!  As a reminder, we now have the MARKETPLACE! This is a free classified ad service designed to help the sailing community (members and non-members) to buy, sell, or trade relevant items.  Check it out and be sure to post any items you want to sell! Also, for all of you wanting GMSC merch, Neil is working on a GMSC store – stay tuned on this exciting development! 

 

Get the Full Website Experience

 

If you have not logged into our new website and activated your user account, do not miss the benefits.   The site is easy to use, and we would like for you to ensure that your information in our directory is current and give you access to the directory for ease of finding contact information of fellow members.  Also, this is the most convenient way to register and pay for club events.   Please go to the Login Page link below and then click "Forgot My Username/Password" to get your password reset.

 

 


Looking for a Boat or Sailing Stuff?


Visit our website page and see GMSC Marketplace


Grande Maumelle Sailing Club is a non-profit organization formed to promote sailboat racing through educational, social, and competitive racing activities.

Please visit our website to find out more about our events and volunteer opportunities.

Mailing Address: PO Box 55237, Little Rock, AR 72215 USA

Physical Address: 12000 Maumelle Harbour Road, Roland, AR 72135 USA