Category Archives: News

November Events and Other Stuff 1 Nov 2020

Hey Sailor,

Here’s your list of November SPSA events!


  • 4 Nov 2020 6 PM  SPSA Board Meeting.  If the world has not ended, this is the Wednesday after that 1st Tuesday after the 1st Monday in November. This is a Zoom event, probably not the last.  On the agenda:  our usual officer reports, post race planning for 7 Nov, some race management stuff, King of the Bay business, and possible SPSA merchandise.  This meeting is open to the membership.  Let me know if you’d like to sit in, I’ll send you the Zoom link.  Commodore@spsa.us 

  • 7 Nov 2020 Fall Series Race Day 3.  11 AM Start. Robert Hopkins will be running RC.  Look for his Scarab power boat.  Monitor VHF Channel 72.  Remember this is a two race event.  Looking for crew?  Contact Brian Membership.Chair@spsa.us  With the pandemic ebbing and surging, we will continue to work this and ask everyone to respect the health issues of everybody else.

  • 7 Nov 2020 Post Race Gathering.  We haven’t decided yet.  Most likely we will meet under the tree for post race camaraderie and best of the day liquid trophy presentation.  Watch for details.

  • Other Stuff:
  • We just about have our King of the Bay act together.  We hope to have something you can actually see that tells you how well you’ve run the course relative to other boats. That’s been a problem in the past that nobody liked.  Watch for more news on this subject.
  • We still have old SPSA branded stuff plugging up valuable space in our lockers.  I hate throwing stuff away so please come to the post race gatherings and take one for the team.  I’m particularly having trouble giving away the old Classic Regatta tee shirts.  We have blue and gray colors.  100% cotton, not giza.   You can hand them out to people you don’t know on the street.  You could put one in an Amazon box, set it on your porch and magically both the box and tee will disappear.  If nothing else they make great rags.
  • Would you like to add another family email address tied for these exciting email blasts?  Well, it’s not an option in our club management software.  However, we can do that.  Let me know.  Commodore@spsa.us 

Let’s Go Sailing!

Commodore’s Cup Results

Commodores Cup Winners  18 October 2020

Spinnaker
  1. Tack Tick
  2. Schock Therapy
  3. Sonar Dee
Cruising
  1. Galene
  2. Cayennita III
  3. Desiderata
Tight racing in a good breeze.  A 2 hr & 20 min race, and everyone crossed the finish in a 14 minute window.  
Another great day on the bay!

Commodore’s Cup Postponed to Sunday Oct 18th.

Hey Sailor!

We have just learned there is a political boat rally planned for Downtown St Petersburg Saturday Morning from 10 AM to Noon.  The expected number of boats participating is between 1000 and 1200.  We expect there could be great difficulty crossing the parade to reach the starting area or even transiting in and out of the marina entrances.  There will also likely be an extraordinary number of vehicles and vehicles pulling boats in the vicinity and traversing all approaches to the Demen’s Landing boat ramp as well as overwhelmed parking anywhere near a boat ramp.

  • We have postponed the Commodores Cup to Sunday 18 Oct 2020.  
  • First Start will be at 11 AM.  
  • Post Race Brat’s will be at 3 PM under the tree.  
  • Watch for start times to be posted by 10 PM Friday Oct 16.  
  • Cruising Fleet spinnaker declaration deadline is now 10 AM Friday Oct 16.

Sunday’s weather still looks good.

Lets Go Sailing on Sunday!

Details of the Commodore’s Cup and Post race Grilled Brats

Hey Sailors,


Here’s the latest bit of information about Saturday’s Race and Grilled Brats

  • Your start time and the course to be sailed is not in this message.  The course and start times will be posted by 10 PM Thursday Oct 15th.  There will be an email blast to all members and the times will be posted on the news page of the SPSA and placed in the  Docs  link for the Commodore’s Cup.
  • The NOR and Sailing Instructions can be found by punching the  Docs  button for the Commodores Cup.  You’ll find it on the SPSA web site Regattas page.  Here’s a link.  http://spsa.us/racing/regattas/
  • Cruising spinnakers are approved for the cruising fleet for this race.  A couple of our members had requested this option.  We are giving it a try.  A cruising  spinnaker rating has been set for all boat that had indicated an interest in flying a cruising spinnaker.  Those boats will find two start times, one for main and jib and a second one for cruising spinnaker.  This class of spinnaker must not be flown from a bow sprit or a pole.  It must be attached to the deck like a jib.  If you intend to race with a cruising spinnaker you must declare your intentions by 10 AM on Thursday October 15th.  If we do not have a cruising spinnaker rating on record for your boat, we will provide one ASAP with a corresponding starting time.
  • Cell Phone Time  Record your finish time, who finished ahead of you and who finished behind you.  Report your information at the tree or email me.  TreinenRich@aol.com
  • The Best News.  The concrete barriers of the Grand Prix will not block the entrance to Demen’s Landing until Wednesday.  That’s what the Sailing Center is saying.  I sure hope they are correct.
  • The Free Food.  We will be serving grilled brats with a little bag of potato chips. The logistics of providing potato salad and red cabbage got too complicated.  Sorry about that.  Get a plan together with your crew for your sides.  If you are planning on eating a freshly grilled and delicious brat, racing or not, you had better let me know you are coming. So far I’m only cooking 25 brats. You’d better tell me real quick.  Thanks to everyone that has already done so.  TreinenRich@aol.com  
  • You’ll find us at the tree on the east end of Demen’s landing after the race.  Approximately 3 PM.
  • The forecast is looking really good.  It’s going to be a great day on the bay.  That’s what the SPSA is all about.

Let’s Go Sailing!