May 2011
Sailing season is upon us. Our first regatta was a success. We had six boats on the line and the only casualty was the anchor we used on the windward mark. Kent and Jannette Knowley graciously provided their luxurious boat to act as the Committee Boat. Lars Bertelsen and Mike Masterson made sure our mark and start line were properly aligned. Our Commodore Brain Blundell, John Domingo, Marty Ming, and Trish Link all served perfectly as the remainder of the Race Committee. Mahalo to all of you for your help. Our next regatta is June 18 and we hope to have even more boats compete. Regatta schedules and results are available on our website www.lahainayachtclub.org .
The Victoria to Maui International Yacht Race (Vic-Maui) is scheduled to begin with staggered starts June 28, 2012. Eight boats have already committed to the twenty-third edition of this 2308 nautical mile ride on the great circle route of the Pacific. As of last count, five more boats are considering making the voyage. This race we have added a cruiser class for those less serious about speed and more interested in just making the passage to Maui. Sponsored by the Royal Vancouver and Lahaina Yacht clubs, the Vic-Maui is the only international yacht race that finishes in the United States. We are proud to be such a substantial part of the world yacht racing scene. A link to more information about the Vic-Maui can be found on the lahainayachtclub.org web site.
The last Friday of every month at 5:30pm we hold a meeting in the club board room to plan and work on this great event. We still need your help. We need sponsors, organizers, greeters and anyone willing to help is welcome, regardless of experience with yacht racing. One of the biggest responsibilities of this club is to have each boat greeted by a bunch aloha wielding locals providing food, drink and a big cheer for arriving on our island shores. Please consider joining us at the next meeting or contact me at sail@honolua.net.
The junior sailing program filled up quick again this year. Curtis Robb, Mike Sowers and others have done another great job getting the boats ready for the kids again this year. The fun starts June 6th through 10th and then again June 20th through 24th.
There will be Friday afternoon fun races sponsored by the Maui Boat and Yacht Club for five Fridays starting July 8. These will be one medium length pau hana fun race off of Lahaina. No pressure, no points, no calculations, JUST GOOD SAILING FUN! These will be great afternoons and we want to thank Maui Boat and Yacht for making this event possible.
One final thought; we are still working on making a lighted boat parade something to look forward to during the winter holiday season. If you have any ideas or could help with such I would greatly appreciate hearing from you.
C-U on the water…..
Dan O’Hanlon, Rear Commodore of Sail
June 2010
Well it's been a while. We are through the doldrums and back into the trades. Junior Sailing starts up June 21 and classes are filling up fast. Vic-Maui is scheduled to start and all sailing activities appear to be on course.
December 2008
Well another year has past. What a wild ride it has been. With all the bad economic and world news it is hopeful to note that we have had the best local sailing year in recent memory. We will top it off with the Inaugural Maui X-mas Lighted Boat Parade on December 13, 2008.
January 2008
Time to get the calendars done and get ready for another year of sailing. Anyone interested in helping out please contact me at sail@ honolua.net .
Summer 2007
Aloha,
Summer is upon us and with it so is sailing. Our regattas, international regattas, junior sailing, Sea Scouts and beer can races will all find their place in this summer season.
Our first regatta of the season was held May 19 off Puamana. Four boats competed in unusual conditions. The first couple races were nearly a 180 degree bearing along the coast. Then the wind switched over to the more normal 240 degrees. That kept the race committee busy moving the mark and the starting line. It was a beautiful day that concluded with pupus, drinks and results at the club. Our next regatta is June 16. You can see race results at Lahaina Yacht Club Regatta Results .
The Louis Vuitton Cup which determines who will compete for the America's Cup has been televised on the Versus channel. The coverage has been very good and we’re looking forward to watching the America's Cup starting June 23. I hear there will be some gatherings at the club to watch and cheer on your favorite. A link to Versus and information is available at www.lahainayachtclub.org .
Junior sailors are signing up and classes should be underway as you read this. Fleet Captain, Curtis Robb and Vic-Maui Chairman Mike Sowers have spent a lot of time and have got the sabots all fixed up and ready.
Sea Scouts are in need of scouts. Youths from 14 to 20 are welcome to join in and enjoy a great program that includes all aspect of nautical activities along with some community service, character building and leadership skills. Anyone interested in joining or helping with the Sea Scouts can contact me at sail@honolua.net or call my cell at 808-276-3039.
With the sabots all fixed up and floating off the club it’s hard to resist the chance to wade out and jump in one for a little race. We will have weekly evening beer can races in the sabots this summer. Days and times will be posted at the club and on the web site. Come on down and race our watch and enjoy the great food and friends at the club.
It’s going to be a very active summer and there is something in it for everyone. Come on down, get involved, get active, make some new friends and have some fun.
August/September 2005
The kids keep showing up so we keep them sailing. Every week our Junior sailors show up at the club wanting to sail. Practice makes perfect. It's great to see such enthusiasm.
The Summer regatta was a great success. Three boats competed in picture perfect conditions off Puamana. Check out the results on our results page.
If you haven't volunteered to help with all the sailing activities this year you're missing out on all the fun.
The Labor Day Weekend was wonderful. Our Regatta on Saturday, September 5 was a sight to see. Fourteen boats fought hard for first through third place trophies in two classes of races. Check out the results on our results page.
June/July 2005
We survived another season of Junior Sailing. The kids were great and the
volunteers made the whole thing a great success. It's now time to gear up for
our future Regattas. Anyone interested in joining the race committee
please let me know. It is a lot of fun and we can teach you what you need to
know. The 2006 Vic-Maui committee is up and running but can still use more
volunteers too. We hope to have a larger sailboat for qualified members use and
for sailing classes soon.
May 2005
Wow! Summer is upon us. The Hurray it’s May Regatta turned into a Race Committee seminar. Anne Reiser was kind enough to show up and tutor us all on proper procedure. Thank you Anne and those volunteers, Keith, Curtis, Mary, and John for your presence. We will be using the Summer activities (Junior Sailing, Laser Racing and Wednesday Evening Regattas) to hone our race running skills. Being on the Race committee is going to be fun so volunteer and get on board.
April 2005
Aloha,
Well we’re off to a wild start. Opening Day was a great success with some interesting adventures. Volunteers sailed the Lido 14 and our three Lasers from Mala Wharf to Canoe Beach. The boat parade was impressive. When we started regatta sign ups there where those who worried that there would not be enough wind. I assured everyone the wind would arrive. I didn’t know my own strength. The wind arrived right on schedule for the first race. But at a gusty, swirly, 15 to 30 it overpowered our rusty Laser Sailors and even overpowered the rigging of one of the Lasers. Fun was had by all though and it was good to see so much happening on the water. Mahalo to everyone.
We are still in need of volunteers for VIC-MAUI, and other sailing related events. Please take a look at our new web site, www.lahainayachtclub.org . There is a complete schedule and a volunteer sign up page. There are also some pictures of Opening Day.
Well we’re going to work on not being rusty in the future. Get involved and volunteer to get out in the water. Next time the wind won’t win.
Dan (Dano’) O’Hanlon
R.C. Sail
February 2005
Aloha!
Mahalo for your support in electing me. I am new at this so please let me know if you have suggestions, ideas or other input. I am hoping to get to meet many of you, on the water, as we get started with sailing activities in this coming year.
For starters on Opening Day we plan to incorporate a regatta and the use of our Lido 14 and the Lasers near shore. We are also looking to acquire a committee boat (preferably trailer able and with a head) and a sailing vessel for the clubs use. Keep your eye out for such vessels and let any of the Board of Governors know if you see something that might serve well.
Be a sail, not an anchor, volunteer! Anyone interesting in getting onboard for regattas, lessons, keiki sailing, Sea Scouts, day sails, cruises or whatever please click here contact me via e-mail at sail@honolua.net. Those who volunteer to help with sailing related activities are the first to get out and under sail. So get on board and help out.
I hope to increase the use of our fleet and keep those interested (and deserving by virtue of their volunteering) members sharp on the sailing skills by giving them more opportunities to get out and sail.
I also need to compile a list of all the members who have boats and what those vessels are. Having this information, we can better plan activities that take full advantage of our fleet.
Once again thank you for your support. Lets get out on the water this year. Together we can make 2005 a year at sea.
Mahalo, Dan (Dano') O'Hanlon