Category Archives: News

SPSA Renewal Notice and other stuff 12 July 2022

Hey Sailors,

Here’s your reminder to take care of a bit of club business as well as information on our upcoming events and other interesting stuff.

The SPSA fiscal year runs from July 1st through June 30th. It’s time to renew. A few of our members have already renewed and a few joined late in the year. Those members are free to skip to the next dot point. If you need to renew you can do so on our SPSA web page. http://spsa.us/ Under MEMBERSHIP on the blue bar, click on the JOIN / RENEW line. Thanks for staying with us, we have another great year ahead.
Our first event is the Classic Regatta on September 10th. This event is in it’s 13th year and is a benefit regatta for Meals on Wheels. Initially started by SPSA, we have joined up with the St Petersburg Yacht Club to capitalize on the facilities the yacht club offers. The Classic Committee is composed of sailors that are members of both SPSA and SPYC and Neighborly, the parent organization of the Pinellas County Meals on Wheels program. If your boat is 20 years or more young, she is eligible. There are many ways to support this charity and our local senior citizens. Here’s the link to the regatta page. https://neighborly.org/st-petersburg-classic-regatta/
Our Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet is scheduled for Friday September 16th. This annual event will be held in the Yacht Club. You will need to RSVP. Watch for additional details.
Here’s the current slate of SPSA Officers for 2022-23: Commodore Penny Simone, Secretary Suzzane Hooper, Treasurer Richard Boler, Rating Chair Charles Archer, Membership Chair Brian Conlin and Marketing and Mass Media Chair Raúl Calzada. We are still looking for commitments for Vice Commodore, Rear Commodore and Race Chair. Please consider stepping up, we have a good thing going. This is a good group to work with. Let me know if you can help TreinenRich@aol.com
The SPSA Series kicks off on September 24th. This is a 8 race day event that runs until April with two sub seasons, Fall and Spring. Two races are scheduled per race day.
June’s King of the Bay winner is Back Off skippered by Tony Barrett. Her corrected time was 45 minutes and 41seconds which is a good time but not fast enough to break into the all time top 10. She’s in 11th. Next time you see Back Off out on the water wave to her grinning new owner, Brian Conlin. You’ll find the current King of the Bay report on the SPSA web site.
The entire SPSA Event Calendar for 2022-23 will be posted soon. We have one race date with a conflict we need to resolve.
We are looking for members wishing to kick in a little extra to the SPSA. Buy a half page in our Members Handbook. Any message, with bounds, acceptable. Please act quickly, contact our Treasurer Richard Boler soon. You can email me too TreinenRich@aol.com
SPSA is rocking it in the Twilight Series. Tack Tick, Cakewalk and Gimme Shelter are holding down the top three sots in Spinnaker A while Cayennita III, Moonshine and Last Tango are in a close battle for the top in the Cruising Class. We have 18 SPSA boats running in this all summer long event.

Rich Treinen

SPSA Commodore

King of Bay Update, some good stuff and boring stuff

Hey Sailor,
Here’s an exciting update on the King of the Bay for May 2022. You’ll find complete details on your SPSA Web page. Click the RACING tab on the Home MENU BAR and select KING OF THE BAY – RESULTS. • For a good run around the KoB course you’d like NW winds with some velocity. Those were the conditions when the top ten boats KoB records were set. Lots of boat speed and no tacking. On May 20th those were not the conditions. The conditions were SSW and 12 to 14. Two boats were out that day. Last Tango had started first at the S Mark headed toward G1. Bumbugo followed a few minutes later on the same course. It was a good opportunity to adjust sail trim to see what helped and what hurt. Bumbugo stayed close even though Last Tango should have walked away. • Bumbugo’s corrected 42:35 time took the May KoB honors while Last Tango’s 45:07, was not good enough but still an awfully good time. • The amazing thing, both runs placed in the Top 10 of all time. Bumbugo takes the 4th fastest and Last Tango captured the 9th. So much for that NW wind theory. • Unfortunately there’s only room for 10 boats in the Top 10. Now currently occupying positions 11 and 12 is Cayennita III. Something tells me not having a top ten time will not be Cayennita’s fate for long. • The King of the Bay runs every day of every month all year long. Give it a try. You’ll find information of the SPSA Web page.
Some good stuff. • The Twilight Series is running every Friday evening. Contact Brian if you are looking for crew or a spot on an SPSA boat Membership.Chair@spsa.us • The Sailing Center is hosting an Adaptive Sailing Day for area disadvantaged sailors. June 29th, 10:30 to noon. This a chance to these fine folks to get out on the water and is one of those events that makes you feel good all the way home. If you are able to help send the Sailing Center a message offering to help sailingcenter@spyc.org Dana or Min Min will get back to you. • Our next SPSA event is run in conjunction with the Yacht Club, the Classic Regatta scheduled for September 10th. The event is a fund raiser for Meals on Wheels. If you’d like to host a cash paying donor looking for a ride on a racing boat please let us know. BTW Meals on Wheels keeps the cash and you play a big part in helping this event raise a boat load of cash. Last year – $55,000 for our needy senior citizens. Watch for registration announcements. TreinenRich@aol.com
Sadly here’s the boring stuff. It’s not really – read it and decide. The last bit is bit sad. • We have a Board Meeting on Tuesday June 7th at 6 PM in the Sailing Center. This meeting is open to all members. • The Officer Nominating Committee has been appointed. Brian Conlin, Penny Simone and Richard Boler. This committee is still looking for a couple more members to help run the SPSA. It’s a great group of people and you will enjoy it. • We now have 93 members on the SPSA Members Group Facebook page. This is a closed group. You need to apply for membership. Search for the SPSA Members Group. It’s been mostly good stuff posted so far. Please be nice! • Your SPSA 2022-23 year renewal will need to be paid soon. No change in price – still $49/yr. Watch for an email with instructions. • The Annual Meeting and Awards Banquette is scheduled for Sept 16th we and are needing to jack that cost up. But just a little. Think along the lines of $45 for a dress up and sit down dinner at the St Petersburg Yacht Club. Well worth it. Instructions to RSVP will be with your membership renewal notice. • Surge has been sold and is soon moving up the East Coast and eventually may take a trip to London.

SPSA May 14 Couples & Double-Handed Race

Saturday’s make-up date for the Couples & Double-Handed race saw a small fleet floating around the G3 start mark hoping for a breeze to fill in before the 14:00:00 pursuit start time. The light breeze made for a frustrating downwind run to G1 but the wind pick-up by the time we all turned the mark for a reach to Little J. It was a beat in the still freshening wind back to G3 for a lively finish.

We all gathered at the Sailing Center for an Italian meal of crisp salad and Mazzaro’s Lasagna including good conversation around the dinner table. Much thanks to Dan and Noreen Dawson for planning and executing a wonderful dinner. Great choice!

Here is the order of finish:

Boat Finish Time

1. Tack Tick 15:28:22

2. Sonar Lewis 15:33:00

3. Cayenita III 15:36:36

4. Double Dutch (Sonar). 15:40:06

5. Sonar McGough. 15:49:19

6. Bumbugo 15:49:45

7. Desiderata 15:55:45

8. Fiddlesticks. Time not reported

This was the last scheduled race of the SPSA 2021/2021 season. Our next event will be our Annual Meeting in September.

But…Remember the King Of the Bay race! Run it often. Report your best time each month. Monthly winners will receive a KOB flag and be in the running for the annual KOB award. It is a great way to practice and tune your racing and tactical skills. See you on the Bay!

Couples & Double-Handed Regatta Round 2

Hey Sailors,

Here’s the information you need for this Saturday’s 2nd attempt at the Couples & Double-Handed Regatta. The weather certainly looks better. As of Thursday afternoon the weather experts are predicting 6% rain with a ENE wind at 11 mph. That would be very good conditions for a double handed sail on the bay. If the conditions appeal to you and your Aunt Matilda cancelled her tea party, just show up. The start times in the attachment list every boat in the SPSA. Having dinner with out making a reservation is a different matter. See dot point 3 below.

Your course and start times follow in the next message.
Please bring your finish clock time (hour:minute:second) to the Sailing Center or text with boat name to 727 430-8964 Record who finished ahead and behind you.
The post race event will be held in the Sailing Center Classroom. It starts at 4 PM or as soon as the J-70 Training Class gets out of the way.
The post race dinner needs your reservation or confirmation by midnight today. It is confusing as to who that was planning to eat last Saturday is also planning to eat this Saturday. Please confirm. TreinenRich@aol.com It’s $15 cash for two paid at the food line and BYOB.