The OSC Safety Committee is looking forward to 2018 racing season, and hope you are too! An important part of pre-season preparation is ensuring that your crew's safety certifications are up to date per OSC's SER:
Read articleIn an era where tradition is trashed and you’re only as good as your next event, the Off Soundings Club continues to do pretty well. Maybe it’s because we have a long “tradition”, which means we’ve done a lot of “next” events. I took a quick look at “Reflections”, Bruce Lockwood’s personal chronicle of the club since 1933 to tabulate just how many events have actually occurred. The Club has been in existence since 1934. The first race was held in Spring, 1935 when 11 boats sailed from Block Island to Dering Harbor. Since then, there have been 81 Spring Series and 78 Fall series. Two of the Fall Series were cancelled due to Hurricanes and in the Spring of 1945, with WWII ending, 25 boats sailed from Stamford to Manhasset and then back the next day, but there was no Fall Series that year. Thus the uneven number of Spring and Fall Events in our long history and three years of war.
Read articleI hope you enjoyed the Off Soundings Club Fall Series. As you are aware, Saturday's race was exciting with a very busy finish, followed by protest and redress hearings. The hearings are completed, the cases are closed and the results have been reviewed, the audio tapes checked and the questions answered. I can report that no changes were apparent in the Podium Finishes as announced Saturday night with the exception of Class H-3 Juliet. The Protest Committee granted Redress to Alliance resulting in First place points award to both Alliance and Balance in Race Two.
Read articleIt was the 79th running of this perennial event and 109 skippers and their crews enjoyed solid breeze, dying breeze, shifting breeze, sunshine, clouds, and drenching rain. 1BI reared it’s ugly tidal head each day and the uncertainty of wind direction, coupled with the variety of wind strength turned tacticians into dart throwers, hoping to end up in the wrong place at the right time. What happens on Block Island, stays on Block Island, and often, only happens on Block Island.
Read articleChanging conditions, challenging racing and a solid weekend of racing entertainment was held for nearly 100 boats and their crews. There was even an impromptu diving contest in the 3 hour wait on the calm waters of Gardiner’s Bay Saturday. In the end, two races were sailed and trophies were dispersed.
Read articleThe race committee, Greg Gilmartin and company, along with Henry DuPont's Nor'Easter, did an excellent job in conducting the races on both Friday and Saturday. They deserve a lot of credit sheparding 13 classes and 118 boats.
Read articleAs many of you will recall we invited a contingent of local Sea Scouts to join us at the Charles W. Morgan Rendezvous last summer and they were incredibly grateful for the opportunity. They are very interested in racing with us but don't have vessels suited to Off Soundings racing. If you have an opening in your crew for the Spring Series, please consider bringing along one (or several) of these adventurous scouts as they would revel at the opportunity to come racing with our members. This is a great way to make yourself eligible to compete for the Lockwood Trophy and to help foster the next generation of sailors and future Off Soundings members! If you are interested please contact Seth Olson, the Off Soundings Youth Liaison, who is coordinating this with the Sea Scouts, he can be reached at 203-530-3705 or email Seth Olson
Read articleThe Off Soundings Club was represented by Jay Spalding (Blue Moon) and his daughter, Lisa, and son, Evan, at the annual Dyer Dhow Derby hosted by the Mystic Seaport.
Read articleWhy should competitive sailors be concerned with the subject of sportsmanship? Find out in this discussion with a top sailor and thinker.
Read articleEver lose your phone overboard? Here is the un-officially sanctioned voicemail message indicating to callers that it might be a while before you get back to them.
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