Luff 'N Laff May 2024
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| Our Gulf Coast Sailing Club Mission:
As Naples and Southwest Florida’s leading volunteer sailing club, we support inter-club racing, cruising, day sailing, social events, and boating education for the benefit of sailors and their families. Let’s keep it fun.
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From The Commodore:
The Commodore shall be the senior officer of the Club
| Trudell Kolpack
Greetings!
Looking forward to seeing you on May 8, we have a special speaker lined up for you!
Have you ever chartered, or wanted to charter or bareboat?
Kay Milliner Kitchens from Moorings and Sunsail, will give us the latest on power yacht and sailing yacht charters - bareboat and captained.
PLEASE RSVP! We need to set up and have food for everyone.
How much fun would sailing around the BVI's be?
Reminder! We are now corporate members of Wahoo's Club of Port 32 Marina, Naples!
This is a new GCSC Member Benefit!
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What does this mean?
It means all GCSC members can get an annual $99 membership! Savings of $300+!
- 2 indoor restaurants (one open all the time, the other for events and parties)
- Heated pool
- Poolside bar and outdoor restaurant seating
- Inside bar
- 20% Discount to rent boats in Naples and Marco
- Locker rooms with saunas
- Outside hot tub
- Reciprocals!
- Frequent Live Music by the pool!
- And more!
The club is located behind the Naples Airport at 475 North Rd, Naples, 34104
GCSC intends to hold various functions at Wahoo's, including Skippers' meetings, social gatherings, etc.
It's a great place to gather with family and friends!
And it is a $300+ savings off the regular membership because of our corporate membership.
One Wahoo membership is for the whole family!
Drop in during their regular hours and see the facilities. You can get a free day pass from Kristi to try it out!
Instructions to join are below.
Reminder: We have a new way to welcome new members to the Club and help all members with questions.
Everyone (especially new members) are invited to the ORIENTATION TABLE at our monthly member meetings. Starting at 6:00 PM join a director and/or Flag Officers at the orientation table to get acquainted, get your questions answered, and have an informal overview of all the club offers.
Then the meeting starts at 7:00 PM.
We look forward to seeing you at the member meeting on May 8!
Trudell Kolpack
Commodore
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How To Join Port32 Marinas Wahoo's:
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When you want to join Port32 Wahoo's, you'll have to show Kristi at Wahoo you are an active GCSC member.
You can do this by showing her your Profile on our website:
2. Login to the website
3. Click on your name in the upper right hand corner
4. Click on Profile
5. Take a screenshot and print it to show Kristi in person, or email it to her with the contract. You can also show her your profile on the phone when you are at Wahoo.
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Please Welcome our Newest Members!
| March 2024:
We have 161 Memberships, and 273 Members.
Gulf Coast Sailing Club welcomes the New Members who joined GCSC in March:
Igor Kaufman
WELCOME TO GCSC!
Any members (especially New Members) are invited to the ORIENTATION TABLE at our monthly member meetings.
Starting at 6pm, join a Director and/or Flag officers at the ORIENTATION TABLE to get acquainted, get your questions answered, and have an informal overview of everything the Club offers. Then the meeting starts at 7pm!
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From The Vice Commodore:
The Vice Commodore is responsible for Membership, Communications, and Volunteer Coordination activities for the Club.
| John Steiner
Greetings GCSC Members from your Vice Commodore!
Our GCSC Powerboat Rental Excursion to 10,000 Islands this Saturday, May 4, Noon to 4pm is FULL.
Cheers,
John Steiner 847-337-5077
Vice Commodore
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From The Rear Commodore:
The Rear Commodore is responsible for the On The Water activities for the Club.
| Bob Andreini
The month of April was a great time out on the water with 5 events.
We had two regattas, The Naples Classic and The Messmer / Commodores Cup. You can view the results on YachtScoring.com.
We had our annual cruise to Cayo Costa and the final Sugen Sailing events of the season. You can read about both in the sections below.
Next month we have our final BOTY regattas of the season. The Most Memorable and Return to Reality. Please check out the details below and consider either racing or cruising with the 5 boats already signed up!
If you are looking for more information on the event or want to understand more how this two weekend event works, please reach out to racing@gulfcoastsailingclub.org.
Cheers,
Bob Andreini
Rear Commodore
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Sign up for the GCSC Crew Board
So far about 26 people have updated their profiles to select the Crew Interests. Please make sure you complete your profile. This includes your picture, enter your sailing experience in the Biography section and any contact information you would like to share. The Membership Directory search is only available to members who are signed into the website.
The purpose of the Crew Board is to match members with skippers or boat owners. By updating your profile, you can let other members know if you are either looking to crew on someone's boat or if you are a skipper / boat owner and are looking for crew for your boat.
For more details and instructions on how to update your profile and then how to search the membership directory please go to our website under the On The Water menu or by clicking here. The Crew Board page has instructions for how you can update your GCSC website profile, provide your sailing experiences, contact details and select the appropriate interests to let other members know you want to be crew, or you are looking for crew.
As always, please go to the club website where you can find all of the currently planned events and check back on a regular basis to look for additions and updates.
If you are interested in helping to plan and coordinate any of the events below, please let me know (bandreini@ra3.com). We have a FUN group of members already highly engaged.
Even if you are not a boat owner, this is a great way to get involved in YOUR club, get to know people, and get out on the water.
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.May 25 - Awards Party at GCSC Meeting Facility Naples
(Moss Hall at Moorings Presbyterian 791 Harbour Rd. Naples)
All Are Welcome!
You Must get your ticket!
$35 includes all food and beer!
BOTH parties are 1 fee of $35.
The party at Davis Island, AND the party in Naples!
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Who: Hosted by The Gulf Coast Sailing Club
What: The “MOST MEMORABLE & RETURN to REALITY REGATTAS”
(A FUN SWFL BOTY EVENT)
Where: Racing/Cruising from Naples (Gordon Pass) to Tampa Bay and back to Naples!
When: May 17th - 24th, 2024
- May 17, 11:00 AM – Race/Cruise from Naples Gordon Pass to Tampa Bay
- May 18 - Awards Event at Davis Island Yacht Club
- May 24,- Race/Cruise with DIYC from Tampa Bay to Naples Gordon Pass
- May 25 - Awards Party at GCSC Meeting Facility Naples
Entry Fee: $125.00 Includes Skipper Reception Food & Soft Beverage
(CREW @ $35.00 each – RESERVATIONS REQUIRED)
ONE reservation of $35 covers parties for both races!
Dockage in Tampa:Free Dockage at DIYC - limited availability. Overflow and Cruisers Dockage available at Marjorie Park with full services available (current fees apply)
IMPORTANT: To register for the 7th Annual “MOST MEMORABLE & RETURN to REALITY” REGATTAS, PLEASE sign-up by May 10th at: yachtscoring.com
QUESTIONS? Contact Jerry Watkins, GCSC at 239-287-6737
BUT WAIT = THERE’S MORE
For one price you can race to the TAMPA BAY AREA
- Enjoy the member privileges of the DAVIS ISLAND YACHT CLUB
- Enjoy the celebration of a regatta awards party/dinner.
- Enjoy the camaraderie of 600 fellow sailor members of The Davis Island Yacht Club
- FREE Dockage (until the “RETURN to REALITY” event starts – the following Friday)
- ALTERNATE: Marjorie Park Public Marina = complete cruiser hookup facilities is very nearby.
- Participate in the oldest premier (78th annual), sailing event on the West Coast of Florida
- Sail along the coast for about 100 miles (never out of sight of land)
- Enjoy continuous Cell Coverage.
- Feel the comfort of alternate ports of call if required.
- Be a tourist in the TAMPA AREA for a week (SEE Internet for a complete viewing of Options) EXAMPLE: https://travel.usnews.com/Tampa_FL/Things_To_Do/
BUT WAIT = THERE’S STILL MORE YET
- The “RETURN to REALITY REGATTA/CRUISE sailing event is included.
- Participate in a 2nd awards party (unlike any you have experienced previously)
- Enjoy the summary of events experienced during the 9 or 10 days of sailing.
- Rejoin friends and family for the Memorial Day weekend at your home port.
Please enter at: 2024 Most Memorable Regatta on Yacht Scoring
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Cruising Cayo Costa –April 26-29
Trip Report!
On April 26 - 29 we cruised to Cayo Costa and back. A total of 4 boats met in Matanzas Pass on Friday, Apr 26 after a fantastic day of sailing. There, they joined 8 additional club members for a landside dinner at Nervous Nellie's in Ft Myers Beach. The next day, three boats continued on to Cayo Costa, with two taking the passage outside of Sanibel Island and one taking the inter-coastal waterway. While Cayo Costa State Park is still closed due to hurricane Ian damage, the Pelican Bay anchorage was alive and well. Members took some time to visit the nearby beach and go manatee watching. On Sunday, all three boats departed for a secluded anchorage south of Ft Myers. Skinny water, some time at the beach, and lot of camaraderie ensued until it was time for everyone to depart for home on Monday.
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DAY SAILING
Fleet Captain Day Sailing: Peter Russo
| | Boats needed to take sailors!
Going out sailing for a day or few hours, would like to take other members out on your boat to help them learn more about sailing from your experience?
If so, please send me your dates and times when you are planning on going to sail and I'll setup a calendar event for people to sign up and go with you. Please include your name, email or text info, boat information, how many guests you can bring, and what each person needs to bring with them (lunch, beverages, gloves, etc).
| | | The Goal is to get more Gulf Coast Sailing Club Members on a boat and enjoying Sailing our beautiful Florida Waters. Be sure to update your profile for our new Crew Board!
It is equally important for us to help Boat Owning Members and their Families enjoy more sailing on their own boat‘s with new Friends and Crew to help them enjoy the Florida sailing life.
The Plan: This year, we are going to include more Skippers and Raft-Ups in this new Club Program by creating events on the website where we can match up boat owners and crew members looking to day sail. | Stay tuned for the next Day Sailing event, and always check the website Calendar!
Now Let’s Go Sailing,
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SMALL BOATS
Fleet Captain Small Boats: Doug Foss
| | If you are interested in learning more, reach out to
Doug Foss
| | | Message from the Small Boat Fleet Captain
I want to thank all the participants and volunteers for making our Sugden Sunday and Monday events successful and fun. Unfortunately, we had to cancel numerous scheduled events this season due to weather; however, we still had more than 160 individuals participate at our Sugden sailing events, as compared to 144 last year.
Also this season we invited meet-up groups to two of our Sugden Sunday Sailing events. This greatly improved our Club recognition in the community.
I want to specially thank all of the Sugden Sailing event volunteers. I could not operate these events without your generous support. Special thanks to Ann Graham and Lora Donia for significantly improving the Sugden Sunday registration and boat assignment process. Thanks to Jeff Gage, John Steiner, and Jerry Watkins for operating the recovery boats without you we could not run the Sugden Sunday events.
Also thanks to our awesome grill masters: Michael Charalambous and Scott Lange. Additionally, a big shout out to the event skippers: Alexandra Bartsch, Kathleen Cahill, Charlie Cannam, Frank Day, Jeffrey Fabacher, Jude Feingold and Peter Russo.
I was very proud of all the Gulf Coast Sailing Club members who volunteered their time at the Murdo Adaptive Sailing event. This was first time I volunteered for the annual event. It was extremely gratifying to take special need individuals sailing and to watch how much they loved to sail!!
As your small boat fleet captain, I am always open for suggestions on how to improve our small boat sailing program. Please provide me with any comments and/or suggestions and ideas for increasing our on the water activities.
Thanks!!
Doug Foss
Small Boat Fleet Captain
|  | ADULT LEARN TO SAIL PROGRAMS
Adult Learn to Sail Programs are offered by Collier County at the Sugden County Collier Sailing Center.
This is an 8 hour program over a 4 week period (i.e., two hour sessions per week). This includes classroom instructions and on the water instructions. Cost $150 |
Member Meeting May 8 at 6pm
(Always the 2nd Wed. of the month)
🙋♂️ Join us! 🙋♀️
PLEASE RSVP! WE NEED TO SET UP AND HAVE FOOD FOR EVERYONE!
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Our next Member Meeting is May 8th!
Kay represents Sunsail and Moorings.
⛵ Learn About Bareboat Chartering ⛵
⛵ Captained Chartering ⛵
⛵ Sailing Yachts ⛵ Power Yachts ⛵
🏨 Location: Moss Hall at Moorings Presbyterian 791 Harbour Dr. Naples (Signs are posted)
👨🏫 Speaker: Kay Milliner Kitchens - Sunsail and Moorings
🍴 Serving: Food at 6pm
🍪🍰 Please bring a dessert to share! (Feel free to take your dessert home if it's not gone after the meeting!)
🍺 🍷BYOB (Water and Iced Tea provided)
Please Note: Non-Members and Guests are $15 each, payable at the meeting. Thank you!
Non-Members and Guests will be credited the $15 if they join the club at the meeting!
If you have trouble, just reply to this email to RSVP, thanks!
Thank you!!
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Renew (or Start!) Your Membership!
| Have you Renewed your Membership for this year?
Our fiscal year is July 1 to June 30, so memberships expire June 30th each year.
Renew or Join Now! The annual membership fee is $115 and will cover your membership until the end of June, 2025.
Club dues allow the Club to provide:
⛵ Races & Cruises planned and put on
⛵ Day Sailing events planned and put on
⛵ Raft-Ups planned and put on
⛵ Charters planned and put on
⛵ Small Boats Events planned and put on
⛵ Sugden Sunday Fun Day's 🏊🍔 planned and put on
👩🏫 Monthly meetings planned with activities for engagement, fun, food, and occasional speakers
🎉 Parties with food
😋 Comradery with your fellow sailors
🙋♀️🙋♂️Unlimited volunteer opportunities
You can complete the payment process online with PayPal or a credit card.
If you prefer, you can mail a check for $115 to Gulf Coast Sailing Club, P.O. Box 2121, Naples, FL 34106 and your membership will be manually renewed.
Please include any changes to your contact information.
We look forward to seeing you at events, on committees, and on the water!
| Our Very Own GCSC Online Store!
You can also get to the Store on the website at Membership --> Merchandise (see pic below)
Please Note: Because all merchandise has our logo, it can be returned only if defective. If you need help with the Store, please contact Michael Charalambous michael@charalambous.us
Thank you Michael for setting up this Store for GCSC!
| Do you have a boat or equipment to sell? Equipment you need?
GCSC BURGEES and NAME TAGS:
You’re a member – say it loud and proud with a GCSC official Burgee or Name Tag!!
(Not a boat owner? Hang it at home or in your office!)
Burgees are large (17” X 25”) fully embroidered – not printed. $65
Name tags are magnetic (no damage to clothing) and feature our logo, your name, and either “member” or your boat name if you choose. $11
E-mail Paul Carlson the exact spelling of your name and whether you want to have a boat name added to your name tag at least a week before a meeting so he can deliver it to you at the meeting: skippersail1@gmail.com.
Pay Paul with cash or check when you order.
| Sailboat For Sale!
New Price! $42,000 or Best Offer
Grand Cru is a 1980 Bristol 35.5 a true classic beauty designed by Ted Hood with a history of excellent maintenance and many recent upgrades.
She is the centerboard model with shallow draft ideally suited for Florida coastal waters. | Sailboat For Sale!
Cathun Sun Too (pdf) is a beautiful boat and perfect for cruising/racing in SW FL.
Please contact Tom or Mary beth:
| Our Club thrives on your expertise, enthusiasm, and your presence!
This is a list of current volunteer opportunities - and there are always more, so if you have a desire, let any flag officer or director know what that is and we'll help you find a spot you love! We appreciate you 😃
The fastest way to get to know your fellow sailors and members is to volunteer!
😃 Committee Members - Landside Events - help plan, execute, and set up & clean up at member meetings as well as social events. We have the blueprint, many hands make light work!
😃 Communications - Want to help with Facebook, the website, and Luff 'n Laff newsletter?
😃 Sailing Certification Program Chair 😃 and Certification Captains - Help members improve and prove their sailing literacy so skippers can recruit them for crew.
😃 Race Captains - We will train you!
😃 Race Committee - We will train you! | |
Do you have a sailing story to share with the rest of us sailors? Please submit your story to Michael Charalambous or Laurie Conrod at newsletter@gulfcoastsailing.org.
| Our Gulf Coast Sailing Club Mission
As Naples and Southwest Florida’s leading volunteer sailing club, we support inter-club racing, cruising, day sailing, social events, and boating education for the benefit of sailors and their families. Let’s keep it fun.
Our Gulf Coast Sailing Club Strategy
· Be an innovative volunteer and non-profit organization of beginner, intermediate and experienced sailors.
· Provide year-round on-the-water and land-based activities for our members, their families, and their guests.
· Build a robust sailing program by interfacing with all southwest Florida sailing clubs and coordinating interclub activities.
· Build community outreach through supporting local boating programs and marine industries.
· Actively support sailing and seamanship education programs.
Our Gulf Coast Sailing Club Core Values
· Maintain a welcoming and friendly environment for all.
· Respect all levels of experience and interest.
· Exhibit leadership, Integrity, and honesty.
· Have fun!
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