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. 

• Your SPSA Membership is renewed. No? Here's a link to the renewal page on the SPSA website. 
• You've renewed your PHRF Certificate or applied for if you are a new racer? Click here to renew or submit for a rating
• Tune up your boat and crew by running a KIng Of the Bay (KOB) self timed race. There are still a few days to submit a time for August, but what better way to spend the upcoming Labor Day Weekend than sailing a KOB.

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.

• Don't forget this is the time to renew your membership with SPSA and if you are a boat owner, to renew your PHRF rating certificate.

• 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.

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!

Hello Sailors,

If you haven't heard about the Summer Sailstice its an International Celebration of Sailing. It takes place annually in June celebrating Summer Solstice – the longest day of the year.

The Celebration will take place on Saturday June 22 (solstice is on June 20). We've been trying to come up with an event and Yowza we have one! A Sailing Trifecta

1. SPYC Twilight Race on Friday – June 21
2. Sail to Boca Ciega Bay and take part in the BCYC Pot Luck Dinner at their clubhouse in Gulfport.
3. Race in  BCYC's Club Race on Sunday. The Race starts at noon.

BCYC has officially invited SPSA members to join in the Club Race on Sunday and the Pot Luck on Saturday.  Here's the details:

Penny Simone