In this issue:

ASI Partners With Livonia Community Recreation Center - - Bob Frank

ASI goes to Livonia with the "Joy of Sailing" program. A Level 1 program will start with the first classroom session Tuesday June 3, 2014 at the Livonia Community Recreation Center [LCRC], 15100 Hubbard, on Five Mile Road between Merriman Rd. and Farmington Rd.

 

The program's format is the same as the community college format. There will be three (2) hour classroom sessions all held at the LCRC on Tuesdays. On Thursday June 5, 2014 there will be an Introduction/rigging class at Kent Lake followed by five on-water evenings concluding Tuesday July 1, 2014. All students will be offered to purchase a sail pass which will provide them the opportunity to continue sailing to achieve their Level 1 rating.

 

ASI will be sailing, sort of speaking, in uncharted waters since this will be the first time we will partner with an organization other than a community college. However LCRC has over 12,000 adult members. Their catalog has an abundance of active programs which would suggest our 'Joy of Sailing' program would be very appealing. The LCRC program will compliment our ASI classes since all sessions take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Of course, the ASI/LCRC program is open to all adults not just Livonia residents.

 

Registration begins Monday April 7 for LCRC members, Tuesday April 8 for Livonia residents and Thursday April 10 for all others. Registration deadline is 5pm Friday May 30, 2014. Click here for the flyer. https://www.ci.livonia.mi.us/Portals/0/Content/Departments/Parks%20a nd%20Rec/Documents/Special%20Events/Learn%20to%20Sail.pdf  

Spring has sprung! Time to splash the Interlakes soon!

Here are some dates to put in your calendar! We assemble at Crawford Farm at 9 am, Saturdays in April (that's where the Interlakes are stored for the winter). If the weather cooperates - which it didn't do last Saturday - we generally work for 2-4 hours: 

All hands on deck!Work should be greatly eased due to the work done last fall in shrink-wrapping the boats.   We'll need lots of hands on deck on these dates in April and for the Interlake launch, so be sure to enter these dates in your calendar. Spring's coming! Details to follow in the weekly Burgees.

Sign up now for the 2014 Advanced Level 1 sailing class!

ASI’s advanced Level-1 sailing class completed another successful season in 2013, with a full roster of 10 students and some very positive student feedback on the curriculum, which continues to improve. The 2014 advanced L1 sailing class is now open for prospective students to reserve a spot.

 

The purpose of the class is to build on basic ASI L1 instruction to take students to the next level of sailing skill and confidence. Content includes reinforcement of key concepts taught in basic L1, instruction on more advanced techniques and controls (including flying a spinnaker), and sharing of practical tips in a wide variety of sailing topics. This class does not cover racing rules, techniques, or tactics. Some potential students include capable rated L1 sailors, new L1 instructors, L1 racing students, future L2 students, and even L2 or above sailors who would like to refresh or strengthen their basic understanding of sailing concepts. You must have paid your 2014 dues, be up to date on volunteer hours, and be rated to take the class. Unless you have significant sailing experience prior to joining ASI, I recommend taking this class only after you have completed at least one full season as a rated L1 sailor.

 

The class will be taught at Kent Lake 5 times this year, with 2 students per class date. Class time is spent roughly half at the dock and half on the water over a 7-8 hour period. The cost is $35 paid in advance to the Sail Secretary.

 

Class dates are: Sunday, May 25th, Sunday, June 15th, Saturday, July 5th, Sunday, September 14th or Sunday, September 28th.

 

If you are interested in taking the class, please send an email to:

Steve Poulos at stepoulos@yahoo.com with a copy to our sail secretary,

Lisa Drumm, at secretary@sailasi.org.

 

Include the following information:

• Full name and current rating

• Confirm you have paid your 2014 dues and volunteer hours are up to date

• Years since you were rated L1, as of January 1st, 2014

• List of all class dates that will work for you, in order or preference (first, most preferred)

 

Responses will be prioritized by the order in which I receive your email request for each open class date. Based on the responses I get, I will fill out and publish an initial student roster in the Burgee before the end of April and will contact selected students so that they may confirm their position and pay the fee to the sail secretary, holding their spot. Please do not pay until I have confirmed your spot via email. There are no refunds and you must pay the fee within 7 calendar days of being confirmed by me that you are on the student list or your spot will be released to the next interested student.

 

Several potential students who could not find spots last year have already expressed interest in this year’s class informally, so I would encourage you to respond soon via email before these few class dates fill up.

 

Thanks, Steve Poulos, Adv. L1 Instructor 

General Sail Meetings - - Claire Zepeda

 

 

Come one, come all! Think Sailing! Think Spring!! 

Saturday May 3 is Interlake Splash Day! - - Mike and Judy Nolta

Come one, come all – To Level 1 boat put-in Saturday, May 3 rd , beginning at Crawford Farm. After this harsh winter, sailing season is finally here! Station Leaders – please report at 0830 to go over several safety-related items.

 

Anyone interested in being a Station Leader is requested to let us know at mjnolta@sbcglobal.net. Ditto for anyone with a trailer hitch who is available to haul the boats to Kent Lake – haulers, please provide your cell #’s as well. Everyone else – please report by 0900.

 

Bottom line – we need you! Thanks in advance for your support. Level 1 Launch Coordinators, Mike & Judy Nolta

Keelboat commissioning - - Tom Baker

Last Saturday, many keelboat sailors braved the cold and the wind to begin preparing the keelboats for this season.  With temperatures barely  above freezing and facing a stiff wind out of the northwest, our members removed  the shrink wrap and did other work on the boats.  

 

While there is ice covering most of the slips and fairways of the marina, the  ice on the lake is melting and there  is a great deal of open water out on Lake St.  Clair. Next week work we will begin cleaning the boats, waxing the hulls, and other  tasks to prep the boats for launch.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is a significant amount of work to be done next Saturday so we need all Level 2, 3 and 4 hands on deck! We will have donuts and coffee ready at 9am!! This year, we have decided not to take a formal lunch break. Plan on bringing your lunch - we promise we will give you a chance to eat it.

 

We hope to launch Voyager, Manitou,  Overture, and Interlude on April 22 nd .

 

Thanks to the boat captains and all the volunteers who helped last Saturday.    Tom Baker  Maintenance Director  

Tuesday sails for 2014 - - Warren Puggini

A huge thank you to Susanne Guendelsberger for coordinating our awesome Tuesday morning sails the last two years. Paula Merideth and Warren Puggini will be coordinating Tuesday sails this year. Only four weeks (28 days) to our first Tuesday Morning Sail starting at !0:30 A.M. May 6. Fair winds and blue skies.

John Tiley's postings

Booty and Swag deals!

Keel Boat Coordinators Needed!

Thanks to Tom Langelier for stepping up and volunteering to be Maintenance Captain for Interlude.  More help is needed...please consider becoming more involved with your club. It is fun and rewarding. The following are available:

 

Level 2 Manager- Work with the maintenance team and Level 4 Managers to coordinate level 2 keel boat prep, launch, oversee timeshares and float plans.

Level 2 Maintenance Manager- Coordinate Level 2 maintenance activities and boat improvements.

 

If interested or need more details, please call Suzanne Benloucif at 734-276-0569 or email sbenlouc@umich.edu.

Sailing Turquoise Waters? Maybe next winter?

A Caribbean sailing week is being considered for late January/early February 2015. This is not an ASI sponsored trip, but an attempt to organize a week for anyone who might be interested.

 

We are considering USVI and/or BVI.  Do you have a preference?  Are you interested in being a captain or crew?  We normally do the last week in January to get good weather and keep costs down (pre-prime time). 

 

Are you interested?  E-mail and let us know: bviusvi2015@gmail.com

A few more things - - Don Caley

 

 

Please send your Burgee input to asidon@comcast.net for inclusion in an upcoming Burgee. Sail hearty and often, and don't let your jib luff!

 

* Pilgrims!