FROM THE EDITOR...
By Steve VanderVoort, Tiller Time Editor
So far it’s been a good summer for Sail Chicago. Classes are full, membership is now above three-hundred, thanks in part to the new rule that students must also be members. Tiller Times and MCOs are back on track. The racers I talk with seem to be having a great time. Social events allow us to meet new friends and fellow sailors. Our new technology efforts seem to be paying off in terms of ease of contact and promoting volunteerism among our members. Best of all, our fleet is in great shape with few incidents reported. I believe this was due at least in part to the informal instruction on “Caring for our Colgates,” initiated by members of our Board. This instruction will become mandatory in a couple of years for skippers who wish to reserve boats for private use.
Of course, none of this would have been possible without the efforts of our many volunteers. Remember, Sail Chicago boasts a community of sailors who step up to do whatever needs to be done. This is one of the many reasons I love this organization.
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STEPS TO BECOMING A SAIL CHICAGO SKIPPER, PART II
By Matt Stuczynski, Lead Instructor
In the July issue of The Telltale we discussed the concrete steps to becoming a Sail Chicago Colgate 26 Skipper. Now, we can think about other ideas to help you become the best skipper you can be and take advantage of all possible Sail Chicago learning opportunities.
As a new Skipper, keep in mind that you must sail with another Sail Chicago Skipper and crew appropriate to your skill level and experience during your first twelve months as a Colgate 26 Skipper. More than anything, simply getting time on boats and then time on the tiller, getting practical hand-on experience is the best thing to do. Of course, that goes hand-in-hand with more book-learning about sailing skills and best boat handling practices that you can learn on your own time whenever you can.
For boat time, please think about Sail Chicago programs such as Tiller Times, Share-a-Sail, Member Cruise Outings, help with Maintenance crews/deliveries and, of course, our Racing Program. For book learning, try to become as familiar as you can with the Sail Chicago Rules and Regulations, on-the-water Skipper Skills Standards, the U.S. Sailing Basic Keelboat text, videos and other material on the U.S. Sailing website, weather apps. etc. When you sign the "Sail Chicago Keelboat Skipper Personal Statement", you agree to the idea that receiving Sail Chicago Colgate Skipper status does not guarantee that you are a great skipper, but rather, indicates that you are "trusted to continue learning while sailing the Colgate 26". Sailing is a thinking-person's sport where the learning never ends, which I believe, is why so many of us love the sport so much and makes us want to continue learning for a lifetime. See you on the water, and I look forward to continuing learning with you!
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DATES FOR BASIC KEELBOAT CERTIFICATION EXAM
By Alan Summers
The U.S. Sailing Basic Keelboat Certification Exam will be given at Pete’s Coffee, 686 E Ogden in Naperville at 9 am on the following dates:
- August 14
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August 28
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September 11
The exam consists of 70 multiple choice questions based on the U.S. Sailing Basic Keelboat book and your training at Sail Chicago. This exam is a separate offering from Sail Chicago and is NOT related to your Sail Chicago skipper requirements. This certification connects you with U.S. Sailing, comes with 1 year membership in U.S. Sailing, and costs $50. The certification is another measurement of your basic keelboat sailing skills. It is a written test only and we encourage everyone to obtain the certification,but it is an optional exam. If you wish to take the exam please notify Alan Summers.
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UPDATE: END OF SEASON DINNER & SILENT AUCTION
By Rachel Granneman
We are hoping to be able to hold our annual End of Season Dinner this year, and have booked space at Columbia Yacht Club for the evening of Friday, October 8! However, it is possible we may not be able to hold a large in-person event due to the COVID-19 variants -- in which case the Dinner will be cancelled, but the Silent Auction will be transitioned to an online platform. Several companies have already committed to donating to the Silent Auction, including Ronstan, Spinlock, Rooster, Boating Closeout, and Quantum Sails!
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MONROE PARKING PASSES
On several occasions throughout the summer parking passes have gone missing or have not been returned to the Monroe Harbor lockbox on a timely basis. Please remember, if you use a parking pass, return it immediately after your sail is finished. As a community of sailors we depend upon one another to act in a caring way to other members. One way to do this is to return your parking pass quickly so that someone else can benefit from its use. If we all do this, no one will be inconvenienced.
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SPOTLIGHT ON VOLUNTEERS
By Norris Larson
Th is week we focus the spotlight on Melchior Dikkers, one of Sail Chicago’s most active and capable instructors. We begin by commending Melchior for his handling of a medical situation on a recent Colgate sail.
A crew member announced he was feeling ill and started to lean back. Melchior went over to him and removed his sunglasses so he could see his eyes. Shortly thereafter his eyes rolled back and he became unresponsive. Drawing on the first aid/medical training he received as an advanced sailing instructor in France, he saw what seemed to be a heat related condition and proceeded to cool him by opening his life vest and pouring water from water bottles over his head and chest to cool him. Soon, he regained consciousness.
The boat was just south-east of the harbor entrance. Melchior decided it would be quickest to sail back to the mooring can. He asked the harbor master to send a tender as soon as possible because he had a medical emergency. The ailing crew was taken ashore by another crew, a resident at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Melchior later called his spouse, using the emergency contact information provided by the crew.
Melchior, who grew up in France, was a member of a volunteer sailing organization there much like Sail Chicago. He learned to teach sailing and worked his way up to offshore instructor, teaching 14-day live-aboard courses. When he came to Chicago a friend said he should find a way to sail on our inland sea. Melchior went online and discovered Sail Chicago. After a few emails and phone calls he chatted with Ray Beikzadeh and Bob Lapin about Sail Chicago and joined in time for the 2017 season.
Since joining Sail Chicago, Melchior has earned his BKI and several other US Sailing instructor certifications including coastal navigation, performance sailing, and spinnaker. He has taught numerous Crew and First Mate Courses on Colgates. In 2019 he taught Sail Chicago’s navigation/chart reading class. He also worked with Vildana Celik to create a questionnaire to survey our students about their experiences with Sail Chicago training. Melchior has several ideas about how Sail Chicago can upgrade its program by offering courses in performance sailing and spinnaker flying, sail trim for racing, and racing rules and strategy.
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Melchior and his girlfriend live in Hyde Park. He is a business consultant and also teaches sailing in Corsica and Martinique, which he can arrange as he carries a French passport and French certifications.
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BOAT DAMAGED ON PRIVATE SAIL
By Norris Larson
Recently a member single handing a boat on a private sail had an accident that damaged the boat. Upon thorough review of the event by the Safety Director and the Board it was decided that although the member is a skilled sailor, poor judgement had been exercised regarding keeping watch and respecting wind guidelines. The member was practicing heaving-to and lost track of the proximity of a lee shore, was blown onto it, and required assistance from a passing powered vessel. The member sailed the boat back to its mooring.
The member took responsibility for the accident in a way we hope and expect all members would and agreed to abide by the Rules and Regs that state that up to $250 should be contributed toward the cost of repair. Members should know that while SailChicago is focused on learning and providing resources to experiment and get better at sailing, there are boundaries that require everyone to care for our shared resources for the good of the group.
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SAIL CHICAGO REMINDERS
Who to Contact
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Missing Previous Issues of Between the Sheets?
You can always find the current issue and an archive of previous issues of Between the Sheets at the first (and open to the public) page of the Sail Chicago website.Look under "News/Newsletter."
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Click on the links below to find more information about Sail Chicago.
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