All posts by Kathy Rubino

Events, News, Series Racing

Year End Party Date Set

Good morning!

Julie and I were talking last night about getting a year end date set, and looking at our schedules, along with CRAM’s regatta dates, we decided to pick Sunday September 22, a Sunday to make it easier for Michael K. to attend.  Also, it’s easier to book a restaurant for a late Sunday afternoon. 

Also, since last night was so painfully loud at Jac’s with the music, I’m thinking we should try a new place if we have another cancellation.  Maybe Main St Pub or Monelli’s. 

Stay dry and don’t float away!

– Kathy Rubino

ALCA Fleet 519 Secretary

News, Results, Series Racing, Summer Series

Summer Series Week #1 – July 9, 2024

Greetings!

Who’s ready to start the summer racing series?  I am!  I am!  Let’s see what the weather gods have in store for us!  Forecast calls for temperatures in the high 70s, with SW winds at 5 mph, and a 60% chance of rain…….BOOOOOO ( but my boat IS ready!). Our Race Chair is Michael Kucharski on John Hayward’s pontoon, with Sydney completing the race team.  Remember to check in at the start finish line so the RC can mark you down on the attendance sheet!  We go to Jac’s afterwards (or instead of, if racing is cancelled).  If you don’t see marks in the lake, check your emails and Facebook for cancellation information.  

Also, our webmaster and statistician, Andy Lenczycki, has gotten the website up once more, here is the link:  

We still need a Race Chair with a pontoon boat for the last two weeks – the sign up sheet can be found here:

See you tomorrow either on the water, or at Jac’s!

– Kathy 

ALCA Secretary 

News, Series Racing

No Racing This Week – July 4th Week

Hi!

As if you haven’t figured it out already – there is no racing tonight!  Enjoy your 4th of July and see you next week for the start of Summer Series on July 9th!

– Kathy Rubino

Fleet 519 Secretary

News, Series Racing, Spring Series

Spring Series Week #1 – 5/7/24

UPDATED Tuesday, 5/7/2024 @ 5:07 PM

Racing is cancelled due to impending weather- we’re under a tornado watch and a big ugly storm is headed our way that is producing tornadoes currently.  Once the worst is past, we’ll be headed to Jac’s around 6:30, and as long as we’re not under a warning ourselves. 

Better to be safe than sorry! – Kathy 

Good Evening ALCA!

Tomorrow (Tuesday, 5/7/24) kicks off our 2024 sailing season – I know, it’s come up REAL fast!  Race Chairman is John Hayward with his pontoon – thanks John!  The forecast is calling for at least a 70% chance of thunderstorms, some possibly severe, starting at noon and continuing until after 7pm.  Airtemps are mild, in the upper 60s with winds 10-15mph.  Water temperature at Austin Lake is reported to be around 64 degrees only, so it’s wetsuit weather if the storms do part and allow us to sail.  The race committee will be keeping an eye on the weather and make the decision accordingly.  If we do sail, remember to sail by the committee boat as soon as you hit the water to check in.  We plan to go to Jac’s after we sail or in the event we are cancelled.  Stay tuned to your email and Facebook for any announcements of a cancellation.  

A special thanks to all who attended yesterday’s race committee information session.  It was great to gather as a group and see everyone’s enthusiasm – former PRO Dave Dunlap displayed everything that is available in the Race Committee binder on our widescreen TV, along with diagrams, flags, etc.  This is now available on the fleet website and the officers highly encourage all, especially those signing up for Race Chair, or to be part of the Race Committee to review it before your Tuesday comes up.  

Thanks all for now! Cya at Jac’s tomorrow, maybe sooner than later – I will have membership forms, so bring cash or your checkbooks if you haven’t joined!

ALCA Secretary,

– Kathy 

Events, News, Series Racing

Spring Meeting (3/24/2024) Summary

Good Afternoon, Folks!

A big thanks to those of you who came to the meeting on March 24th – it was great to reconnect!  To summarized what happened:

  • The revised by-laws were adopted  (see attached)
  • Sailing seasons were voted upon and this is what the majority wanted: 

Spring May 7th through June 25th (8 weeks), 

July 2nd off 

Summer July 9th through August 27th (8 weeks) 

  • Format will be Portsmouth A and B, with 1 start for each race 
  • Race Chairman will be on a volunteer basis (see by-laws for responsibilities).  if there is no race chairman or committee boat for a given week, races for that week will be cancelled
  • Sign up for Race Chair can be found on the following link:  Sign Up Here.
    any questions, please let me know.  Also, once you sign up please let me know.  The officers ask that you only sign up, do not move the names that are entered already.  Everything is open for discussion, in the event of someone wanting a week that is filled.  Also, please see the PDF for the most recent sign-ups.  
  • Depending on the sign-ups, Dave Dunlap and myself will have an early season training session at our place on a Sunday afternoon before the start of the season (May 5).  
  • After sailing gatherings will be at Jacs again this year. 

    For now, I think that is it.  Thank you to all who have joined already!  

Kathy 

Fleet Secretary 

Events, News, Series Racing

Race Committee Informational Session Sunday May 5th

Happy Spring!

The start of sailing season is quickly approaching with the first Tuesday night race scheduled for May 7th.  A big thanks to John Hayward for signing up to be race chair for the first two weeks of racing!  Thanks also to the others who have volunteered – I will include the link below so you can see where we are at with our sign ups.  Dave and I are planning to hold an informational training session for running our races at our place on Sunday May 5th at 1PM.   Dave will have the marks, flags, horns, etc available for demo,  and  we will go over the running of the program on the tablet for the start sequence as well as the mechanics of the stopwatches for timing the finishes.  We’ll also take a look at the forms and have the committee boat binder available so future race chair persons can become familiar with it. Our address is:  5061 South Long Lake Dr. Portage.  

Sign up for Race Chair can be found on the following link:  Sign Up.
Any questions, please let me know.  Also, once you sign up please let me know.  The officers ask that you only sign up, do not move the names that are entered already.  

Everything is open for discussion, in the event of someone wanting a week that is filled.

We are having it early so it won’t interfere with anyone’s dinner Cinco de Mayo plans!  Hope to see you here! 

Kathy

ALCA Secretary 

Events, News

Hobie 16 North American Championships Registration Rate Held Thru August

The hosting fleet (Hobie Fleet 126, Michigan City, IN) for the 2022 Hobie 16 North American Championships, has announced that the registration fee for the event being held September 11-16, 2022 in Michigan City, IN will be held at the present rate until the end of August.

So if you have not registered do it NOW: https://www.regattanetwork.com/event/23790

As of August 22nd, they have 41 Boats registered. This event and venue are not to be missed. Plenty of SWAG with awesome Social Calendar and ICONIC Racing on Lake Michigan. This is an event that comes to the Mid-West seldom, don’t miss your change to participate.

Events, News, Series Racing

summer series week #6 – August 10, 2021

Tuesday’s forecast is for SW winds around 9 mph with temps in the upper 80’s and only a 20% chance of storms….looking good!  Andy Lenczycki is scheduled to be our race chair – thanks Andy!  And thanks to our PRO for putting together that course document I sent yesterday!  if you missed it, look at last weeks post (the document is linked). 

If we sail, Andy may be taking pictures by drone to be used for the next multi-year trophy base. If you want to be in the picture, Tuesday would be a good night to be present.

Year-End party plans are shaping up!  We are looking at having it outdoors, possibly at Main St. Pub on Westnedge on either Saturday September 25th or Saturday October 2nd.  We need your input if you plan to attend:  Which of these Saturdays work best for you?  Please let us know, either by replying to me (not reply to all) with your choice or let us know at Brewster’s tomorrow. 

Speaking of Brewster’s, attendance was extremely low last week after cancellation, so in the event of a cancellation, we will be releasing the room.  Enjoy the evening with your loved ones or gather at a place of your choice.  

Please remember we always sail at 6:30 on Tuesdays Unless RC cancels for weather related reasons.

FOR ANY CHANGES:

To help Statistician/Committee Boat please notify Statistician if your status differs from your membership’s registration:

1.    Skipper change (particularly from race 1 to race 2)

2.    Crewed or Solo

3.    Crew change

4.    Boat Type

5.    Sail Number

6.    A or B Portsmouth Fleet

Changes to be emailed to Statistician by 4:30 PM race day.

Email: Andy Lenczycki (Statistician).

Not the preferred method: Late changes can be texted to the PRO.

Dave Dunlap (PRO) 269-330-5496, dadworksmi@gmail.com

RACE NIGHT:

1.    Please check-in with Committee Boat prior to starting sequence for attendance.

2.    If possible, notify Committee Boat if you are not finishing a race or retiring for the night.

3.    Notify Committee Boat if you are going to protest. PRO will let you know when / where protest will be heard.

see you on the water and Brewster’s afterwards!

– Kathy

Events, News, Series Racing

Message from the commodore June 21, 2021

Hi Everyone! Tuesday (June 22, 2021) looks like a nice, but cool evening for sailing, with temps in the 60’s and W/NW winds around 10mph for our 6:30 start. 

After racing, PRO Dave Dunlap and myself would like to welcome members to our lake home (5061 S. Long Lake Dr., Portage) for a gathering, results, and a short discussion for fleet business.  See the attached PDF for more information.  Next, starting this week and going forward, we are including these reminders in the weekly emails to assist the race committee and scoring process:

PRIOR TO RACING:

To help committee boat, please, notify the PRO and Statistician ASAP (on the Monday before or early Tuesday), if your status differs from your membership’s registration with regards to:

  1. Skipper of your boat
  2. Sail Number
  3. Crew change or if you are solo  
  4. Boat Type
  5. If you are crewing on a new member’s boat, please include this new person’s name, sail number and boat type. 

Email or group text: (PRO and Statistician)

Dave Dunlap (PRO) 269-330-5496, dadworksmi@gmail.com

Andy Lenczycki (Statistician) 269-910-2721, Hobie480@yahoo.com

The race committee is extremely busy on the water and these changes are very difficult to handle at the last minute, so please help support their efforts by following through with this!

 ON RACE NIGHT:

  1. Please check-in with Committee Boat prior to the starting sequence for attendance.
  2. If possible, notify Committee Boat if you are not finishing a race or retiring for the night.
  3. Notify Committee Boat if you are going to protest. PRO will let you know when / where protest will be  heard.  

Thanks all!  Kathy

Events, News, Series Racing

2021 OFFICERS mEETING hELD 3/12/21

Greetings ALCA and Friends!
The 2021 officers met by ZOOM last week to start planning the 2021 sailing season.  The first scheduled race is planned to be May 4th, which is the first Tuesday in May.  We still have yet to define the Spring and Summer sailing seasons, and for this we will need your input!   2020 Members, pay attention to your email which will have a survey to respond to. 

There will be no Spring kick-off this year.  Hopefully with the increase in COVID-19 vaccinations and a decline in infections, we will be able to meet sometime this summer!  At least for the Spring Series, we will not be gathering after racing, rather Andy Lenczycki, our Statistician, will have a ZOOM meeting for the results.  

Next, the officers are planning a tuning/get ready to race day – probably the weekend prior to the start of racing.  The details have not been ironed out yet, so stay tuned.  

See attached for our ALCA-membership-form-May-2016, available as a PDF or Word doc.  If you’d like to join now (highly suggested), print, complete the form and mail or drop off to Faith Akert.  Please, if you have any questions about the fee structure, do not hesitate to ask.  Ideally, the officers would appreciate all boats on the water to be active members of the fleet to streamline scoring.  

Lastly, we are in need of a fleet Secretary.  I am willing to serve as Commodore and Secretary, however, this is a lot of work!  This year is a good opportunity for someone new to step in and fill this position, taking over partial responsibilities and learn.  The duties of the secretary as written in the ALCA by-laws are: 
Secretary – The Secretary shall keep accurate minutes of meetings and take all correspondence.  The Secretary shall also be responsible for updating the by-laws and for  working with the Principle Race Officer to ensure that the racing guidelines are up to date.
Please reply to me if any of you are interested and we could get started!  
Happy Spring!Kathy RubinoCommodore ALCA Fleet 519 (& Secretary for the time being)