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Membership News

Hello Sailors!

The 2023-24 Season is almost here.   We are looking forward to another great season of sailing in Tampa Bay.
 
Membership dues are $49/year ($15 for students).  The membership season runs from July 1st until June 30th. See list of benefits at this link:https://spsa.us/spsa-membership-benefits/
 
Payments can be made several ways: 
– SPSA Website: https://spsa.us/membership/join/  
(Paypal check out, you don’t need Paypal account, see attached)
– Venmo users:  send payment to : paypal@spsa.us
– See attached membership form, and mail a check to  Post Office Box 174 St. Petersburg, Fl 33731
 
Please reply to this email if you have any questions or are having trouble with payments.
 
Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner (9/8/23)
We are thrilled to invite all our members and guests to the highly anticipated Annual Meeting and St Petersburg Sailing Association/SPYC Twilight Awards Banquet, and an evening of elegance and celebration! Join us for a night to remember at the prestigious St. Petersburg Yacht Club. Please contact secretary@spsa.us to check ticket availability.
 
 

BrianConlin

SPSA Membership Chair

https://spsa.us

https://www.facebook.com/StPetersburgSailingAssociation/

https://www.instagram.com/spsasailing/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcrcXtSgNarvTOFnPSmrRow

https://www.facebook.com/groups/334874608036907

SPSAlogo250.jpg

SPSA is a member of the United States Sailing Association (US Sailing) as well as the Florida Sailing Association. We are a dedicated group of sailors who race throughout the year on Tampa Bay. Founded in 1972, our mission reads, “The St. Petersburg Sailing Association has been formed to encourage participation in the noble art of sailing and to organize such events to further that end.”

 
 
 
 
SPSA-Annual-Meeting-menu.pdf
 
spsa-membership-form2022-23-2.pdf
 
SPSA-webstite-paypal.docx

PHRF Certificate Renewals/General Rating Information

Hello, St. Petersburg Sailing Association members!


PHRF rating renewal time is upon us, so we wanted to send a friendly reminder to our members to make sure boat modifications and changes are reported to West Florida PHRF or the SPSA ratings chair (if sailing with a provisional SPSA rating). We believe it's important to keep ratings adjustments up to date to ensure we're all competing respectfully and in a sportsmanlike manner. Below are some examples of the types of credits and penalties we should report to WF PHRF. 


For all classes: Modifications you've made such as increases in rig height/boom length, modifications to underwater appendages, the addition or removal of ballast, or adding an oversized spinnaker need to be reported to West Florida PHRF or the SPSA ratings chair. The full list of penalties is available in appendix C of the West Florida PHRF Class Rules document, which is linked below. 


For cruiser class: In addition to the credits and penalties outlined for all classes in the WF PHRF rule book, the cruiser class enjoys additional credits, as well as a sail cloth penalty. WF PHRF assumes woven polyester is the base material for cruising yachts and applies a penalty for sails made from laminate materials. Sail age is also important to note on your rating application, as credits are issued for woven polyester sails over five years old. Please remember: if you are currently receiving a sail age credit and have purchased new sails, you should report this on your PHRF renewal application. If you add items such as a folding/feathering prop or a roller furling system, these additions should also be reported. With regard to any bulk equipment and canvas credits, these items must be on your boat and fully deployed at all times when racing. 


For more information on credits and penalties, please see appendix C of the West Florida PHRF Class Rules document. 


Microsoft Word – WFPHRF Class Rules CURRENT as of 8-12-21.docx (westfloridaphrf.org)


Thank you, and happy sailing! 


Charles Archer

Rating Chair SPSA

rating.chair@spsa.us 

July Update Membership Renewal

Hello Sailors,
July marks the beginning of a new year for SPSA. Which means it is time to renew your membership. Cost is still just $49 for a year of fantastic racing and social events.
*NOTE: If you first joined SPSA after January 1st 2023, your membership is good until 2024. No need to renew at this time.
Go to SPSA.US  and log-in to renew.


SPSA May Update

Hello Sailors,
 
It’s May and the wind is still blowing and the temperatures are fine. Take every moment you can to go sailing!
 
Let’s see what’s happening:
  • KOB winner for April is Doug Jones and crew sailing DJ Sonar. They sailed the course a couple of times on April 14th. They changed direction on the second run – S-G1 – Lil J – S was the winning time.Congratulations Doug.
  • This Tuesday May 2 at 6:00 – Location TBD – is our next Board of Directors meeting. The meeting is open to all members. Let me know if you plan to attend. Send email to commodore@spsa.us. If you are interested in serving on the SPSA Board of Directors for the upcoming season please let me know too.
  • The SPSA Couples/Doublehanded Regatta will take place on Saturday May 13th. The race will be a pursuit start. Starting times will be announced before race day. This is always a fun event and the last official race of the SPSA 2022/2023 Season. Don’t miss it – sign up now. 
  • There are a few days left to enter the Bone Island Regatta Race to Key West May 17th to the 20th. The race starts in Sarasota. It’s sure to be fantastic, I mean, who doesn’t want to race to Key West! The deadline to sign up is May 6th.
  • Another opportunity to do some long distance racing mixed with a slow cruise home is the May 26-27 iDIYC to Naples Race.
  • Have you heard about the Summer Sailstice? It’s a world wide sailing event taking place the weekend of June 24th celebrating the Summer Solstice. We’d like to plan a sail/meet-up/party possibly in conjunction with other local clubs. If you have ideas or would like to participate on a planning committee, please reach out to me at commodore@spsa.us.
  • One more Item – June will be renewal time for our PHRF certificates. I spent some time recently reading through the WestFloridaPHRF Class Rules and gained a better understanding of the certificate and ratings. Put it on your summer reading list. 
Cast the lines and set off on a sail. See you out on the Bay.
 
Sincerely,

Penny Simone
SPSA Commodore

SPSA April Update

Hello Sailors,

 
It has been a busy and fun couple of months of racing locally. The weather has been fantastic with some days of challenging winds. I thought of coming up with a clever phrase or include a poetic quote about March winds and Spring, but I am not ready for the weather to change and didn’t want to jinx it.

 
Here’s what been going on and coming up for SPSA racers:
  • March SPSA Spring Series Race Results: We did it up right for our annual St. Patrick’s Day Race. The boats and crew – true to the tradition – were decked out in green to honor the holiday. Bumugo’s crew won best dressed and out on the race course, Cayennita III and Warrior were the winners of the day . A special thanks goes to John Ovink and Connie Reichert, our Rear Commodore team for providing a festive post race celebration. 
  • The King of the Bay (KOB) winner for March is Slow Bell. Congratulations to Jeff Lewis and Crew. Don’t forget about this self timed race. Get out and run the course. We have a winner every month – you get to “take” the big KOB flag for the month and you get a keeper flag to add to your winning collection. It’s a great way to tune your boat and your crew. Report your time to commodore@spsa.us.
  • SPYC Twilight Racing started on March 17th and will continue every Friday night until August 25th. You can still register. It’s a great way to spend a Friday evening. 
  • The next SPSA Board of Directors meeting is Tuesday April 4th at 6:00pm at the Sailing Center. All members are welcome to attend. If you do plan to come please let me know by sending an email to commodore@spsa.us.
  • Our Next SPSA Races are Saturday April 8. Start time is 1100. Tack Tick will be Race Committee. Post race gathering will be announced after the BOD meeting. This will be the last race of the SPSA Spring Season. Let’s plan on a great turnout!
  • Davis Island Yacht Club hosts the Hospice Cup on Saturday April 23. This Regatta, Dinner, and Auction benefits Hospice, and Honors Sailing Legend Charley Morgan. If you can’t race but would like to make a donation or participate in the auction here is a link for the details
  • The 44th Annual Suncoast Race Week kicks off April 28th. This is a 3 day event sponsored by SPYC in cooperation with Davis Island and Bradenton Yacht Clubs. 
  • The SPSA Couples/Doublehanded Race will take place on Saturday May 13th. The race will be a pursuit start. Starting times will be announced before race day. This is always a fun event and the last official race of the SPSA 2022/2023 Season. Don’t miss it – sign up now. 
  • One more event happening in May is the Bone Island Regatta Race to Key West May 17th to the 20th. The race starts in Sarasota. It’s sure to be fantastic, I mean, who doesn’t want to race to Key West! It’s also a great way to jump into a little cruising if you have the time. Sail to the Tortugas, or visit the other islands in the Keys chain before heading back home.
One ending note.  You may have noticed some new boats out on the race course and some new faces at the post race gatherings. SPSA is growing. 35 new members have joined SPSA in our 2022/2023 season. Congratulations and thanks to everyone for promoting and encouraging participation in the noble art of sailing.
 
See you all out on the Bay!

Penny Simone

SPSA Commodore