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September 2024 SPSA Update

Hello Sailors,

Some quick notes on upcoming events this month:

 

  • SPSA Fall Series Races 1&2: –The first race is this weekend Saturday 9/14 with a 1100 start on the bay.   Please sign up on the scratch sheet to make the job easy for the Race Committee and for scoring the races. Regatta info & click the links to enter https://spsa.us/racing/regattas/

 

  • Special Notice : There is NO Parking in the Sailing Center on 9/14-9/15.  The SPYC Green Fleet Regatta will also be happening.  They are expecting 300 Opti’s! Please consider parking at other parking locations (Al Lang Stadium, or South Core Garage and others.

 

  • Post Race event at Localz one of our new Directory sponsors.  Come hang out with SPSA membership and support our sponsor.  If you can't race,  you can still come to the afterparty.  LOCALZ , 1 Beach Dr SE, St. Petersburg, FL 33701

  •  King of the Bay – August’s KOB winner is Charles Archer sailing Sprite, a Frers 30. The winning time was sailed on August 10th with a corrected time of 0:49:06. Congratulations Sprite Captain and Crew! https://spsa.us/racing/king-of-the-bay/

  • Upcoming Events: There’s more sailing to be had in Tampa Bay!
  • SPSA/Dolphins Cruising Happy Hour : 9/18, 
    6 p.m. to 8 p.m.  at Doc Ford's Bay Pines
  • 8790 Bay Pines Blvd, St. Petersburg, FL 33709. 
    This is an all-sailing-clubs social, so please spread the word. Food and drinks are on your own.

 

See you all out on the Bay!


Brian Conlin

SPSA Commodore

https://spsa.us

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

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

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SPSA is a member of the United States Sailing Association (US Sailing). 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 2024-25 Our New Season is About to Begin

Hello Sailors,
I don't know about you, but I can't wait for the 2024-25 SPSA season to begin. We have an exciting racing and cruising calendar of events set for the year. And if you want to participate in other events hosted by other clubs in the Tampa Bay area check out the  West Florida Racing Calendar.  SPSA' s motto "encourage participation in the noble art of sailing" should be inspiration enough to get out on the Bay.
Our Annual Meeting is set for Friday September 6th at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club. Social hour begins at 5:30, Dinner at 6:15. What happens at the Annual Meeting you ask. Well you get a chance to socialize with fellow members of SPSA. The new Membership Directory and Sailing Instructions booklet will be distributed, the awards for the SPSA 2023-24 Season  and the 2024 SPYC Twilight Racing will be presented. You will meet and vote in the new SPSA slate of Officers, and hear about a couple of new and exciting additions to SPSA. And you get to participate in the now famous Trivia Contest. Don't miss out. You can purchase tickets here. If you prefer to pay by check please RSVP number of tickets to be purchased to secretary@spsa.us. Deadline to purchase tickets or RSVP is September 1st.

The kick-off race for the new season is on Saturday September 14th, with a post race event at Localz, one of our new Directory sponsors. The cruising season starts with the Halloween Cruise to Gulfport on October 25 – 27. 

Are you ready for the new season? 
This email wouldn't be complete without mentioning the upcoming 15th Annual Classic Regatta benefiting Neighborly Senior Services Meal on Wheels program. The event takes place on Saturday October 19th. You can register your 20 year old or older boat on  Yacht Scoring. If you need some inspiration to enter the race, check out this article that was in the Old Northeast Journal. Thank you Rich Treinen.
See you all out on the Bay!

August 2024 Happening

Hello Sailors
Lots coming up – let's just dive in:
  • SPSA Annual Meeting & Awards and the SPYC Awards Banquet is scheduled for Friday September 6th. Social beings at 5:30 Dinner will start at 6:15 followed by a brief meeting, election of the new Board of Directors, Awards and our famous trivia contest. Don't miss it. Tickets are $64 per person and can be purchased https://spsa.us/banquet/.  If you prefer to pay by check please RSVP number of tickets to be purchased to secretary@spsa.us. Don't miss out. This is always a fun event – a chance to dress it up a bit, think Snappy Casual. Deadline to purchase tickets or RSVP is September 1st.
  • The beginning of our 2024-25 season is a special time as we embark on our trial year of merging with the Dolphin Cruising Club. Like SPSA the Dolphin Cruising Club has a rich history of sailing around Tampa Bay and beyond. We are very excited to welcome Dolphin Cruisers to SPSA and participate more fully in the upcoming cruising events. 
  • Our racing and cruising events schedules are set.. Follow the links to see all of the events and to register. When you visit the events page you will also find links to easily add SPSA racing and cruising events to your own calendar. And if your racing prowess extends beyond SPSA you can find a schedule for all of the races and regattas taking place in the Tampa Bay area on the West Florida Racing Calendar.
  • All are invited to the SPYC Ocean Racing Awards celebrating the incredible accomplishments of our sailing community over the past year. Take place this Saturday August 17th, 6:00pm at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club – hors d'oeuvres will be provided with a pay-for-your-own-bar. Please register here.
  • The weekend of August 17th is also an opportunity for a Full Moon Sail. Try a full moon KOB, let others know that you plan to go. We can do a group sail and maybe a social afterwards.
  • Speaking of KOB – Slow Bell is the winner of the July KOB with a corrected time of 0:57:04. Congratulations Slow Bell Captain and Crew! July starts the new year of KOB monthly winners. Top time of the year will be crowned the Annual King. And who knows, your run around the marks may make it into the top 10 best times. See the winning times here.
  • Start swabbing the decks and polishing the stainless of your good old boat to be ready for the 15th Annual Classic Regatta benefiting Neighborly Senior Services Meal on Wheels program. The event takes place on Saturday October 19th. You can register your 20 years or older boat at Yacht Scoring then jump on over to the event website for more details including sponsorship opportunities and an Auction Donation form. Let's flood the Bay with boats and love and make this another successful event to support the seniors in St. Petersburg.
I think that's it for now. As always See you out on the Bay.

July 2024 Update

Hello Sailors,
Some quick notes for the end of July:
  • Exciting news – We have finalized the details for the trial merger with the Dolphin Cruising Club. Dolphin members will join SPSA for the 2024-25 season. We have a full fun schedule of racing and cruising events to look forward to. See attached for details.
For additional racing opportunities around the Bay go to https://spsa.us/racing/west-florida-racing-calendar/
  • SPSA Membership renewal and the  Membership Directory – If you would like to have your name and contact information included in the directory, you will need to renew your SPSA Membership by August 6th – just before we go to print.
There is still time to place a business or personal ad in the directory – contact me at commodore@spsa.us for more information. The deadline to submit artwork for the ad is August 6th. 
  • PHRF Certifications– just a reminder that all certifications expired on July 1. It's time to renew https://www.westfloridaphrf.org. Renew now and be ready for the new sailing season.
  • King of the Bay – June's KOB winner is Jeff Lewis sailing Slow Bell, a Mirage 33. Their winning time was sailed on June 28th with a corrected time of 0:54:25. Congratulations Slow Bell Captain and Crew!
We have another Full Moon KOB opportunity the weekend of August 17th. Don't miss out.
  • Save the Date for our Annual SPSA Meeting and Twilight Racing Awards Dinner on Friday September 6th at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club. Details coming soon.
  • The next SPSA Board of Directors meeting is Tuesday August 6th at 6:00PM at the Sailing Center. All members are invited. Please let me know if you plan to attend commodore@spsa.us.
Looking forward to a new season of fun sailing.
See you all out on the Bay.

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Midsummer update 2024

Hello Sailors:
"Summertime, summertime, sum, sum, summertime…"  "When it rains it pours"
As I write this we are in the middle of one of our summer storms. It's been building all afternoon and came on with the typical wind and thunder and torrential rain. The cat hid under the courch and the power flickered for a moment. I was reminded of  summer storms here when I was a kid in the seventies. A storm like tonight's almost certainly resulted in a power outage. Flashlights and candles were always at the ready.
Speaking of the 70s, SPSA is entering into its 53rd year as a sailing club. Founded in 1972 to encourage participation in the noble art of sailing. 53 years later we are still a vibrant sailing club racing and cruising in the Tampa Bay area. 
  • July 1, 2024 marks the beginning of our new year and it's time to renew your membership. Thanks to everyone who has already committed to the 2024-25 season. If you haven't renewed your membership yet, please do – go to spsa.us.
  • Big news – although some of you may have already heard – SPSA is working with the Dolphin Cruising Club on a merger of the two clubs. The 2024-25 season will be a trial period – more information is forthcoming, but look forward to some cruising events showing up on the SPSA calendar. If you'd like to meet members of the Dolphins they have a social event scheduled for this Tuesday evening,  7/16 at Tiki Docks at the Maximo Marina, 5 pm to 7:30 pm. This will be a good opportunity to meet other sailors and find out more about the Dolphin Cruising Club and its history.
  • Sailing opportunities this summer. We of course have the SPYC Twilight racing happening every Friday night, and this coming weekend we have a full moon. Let's do a group KOB on Saturday July 20th. Sunset is at  8:26pm. This will be a self timed event. report your finish times and the course you sailed to commordore@spsa.us. We also have another opportunity for a summertime KOB sunset sail in August – on Saturday the 17th. 
  • Our Annual Meeting and Award Dinner is scheduled for Friday evening September 6th at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club. Details are forthcoming. As a warmup to the traditional annual meeting trivia contest here's a question for you – Who wrote and first recorded the song Summertime, Summertime. Extra points for those of you who can answer the question without Google.
Whew! That was a lot of info. Let's go sailing!
See you out on the Bay!