This booklet is a collection of LYC sailing stuff, and it is my hope that it will be a source of information to both new and lifelong club members. As desired it can be expanded upon in the years to follow.

I would like to thank all the past and present officers as well as all the members of the Lavallette Yacht Club for their input and advice in this book especially P.C. Richard G. Adams, P.C. Ron Laurence, P.C. Art Lange, P.C. Rene Bertrand, P.C. Anne Attridge, P.C. Jim Fertakos, Noel Cram, Ed Bitzer, Artie Lange, Jr., Jack Melen, Anne Ventimiglia, Jack Melon, Mary Claire Gomeringer, Dave Magno, Del Kusma, Patricia A. Kennelly-Murray, Georgia Stulz, and Bill DaCosta.

Vocabulary 1

Junior Code of Conduct 8

Internet Knots 10

Awards & Trophies 11

Life Jacket Tips 13

Map of Barnegat Bay?? 14

Anecdotes 15

For More Information 19

Famous Last Words 20

Aft – toward the back of the boat

Aground – stuck on the sea floor

Backstays – support cables that run from the top of the mast to the stern of the boat

Bailer – a cut apart milk carton or bucket used to bail out water

Ballast – weight placed in the bottom of the boat to provide stability (quite often a small child)

Batten – thin fiberglass or wood slats that are inserted in to the leech of the sail for added support

BBYRA – Barnegat Bay Yacht Racing Association

Beam – width of a boat at its widest point

Block – a pulley, or sheave, used to change the direction of a line or rope

Boom – the spar that extends from the mast to the foot of the sail and to which the foot is attached

Boom Vang – a line that runs from the boom to the base of the mast; the boom vang helps pull the boom down and tightens the back part of the sail (leech)

Bow – the front of a boat

Bow line – mooring line at the front of aboat

Bulkhead – a below-decks fortification or partition in the hull of a boat

Buoy – a floating marker anchored in place to indicate a channel or mooring

Burgee – yacht club flag, usually triangular

Capsize – To flip, sink, or just generally submerge the boat beneath the water

Catamaran – twin-hulled boat

Centerboard – a wide, flat board that can be raised and lowered to counteract leeway

Cleat – a fitting of wood, metal or both, with horns to which lines are fastened

Clew – the outer-most lower corner of the sail where the foot and the leech of the sail meet; the outhaul is attached to the clew

Close hauled – sailing at as high an angle into the wind as possible, also known as "beating"

Come about – to bring the boat through the wind from one tack to the other

Daggerboard – removable centerboard

Dolly – a lightweight trailer that is used to move boats from their storage place to the docks

Downhaul – a line attached to the luff of the sail that pulls down, thus controlling the luff tension and adjusting the sail shape, specifically the draft of the sail.  When you tighten the downhaul, the draft moves forward.

Duct Tape – miracle tape!  Can be used for anything!

Ease off – to fall slightly off the wind; or to slack a line or boat speed

Forestay – a support cable running from the foredeck to the mast, supporting the jib

Head – a boat’s toilet; also refers to the top of the sail

Heel – the tilt of a boat, caused by wind

Hike – to lean over the windward rail to counteract heel on a small boat

Hippity-Hop – A brightly colored inflatable bouy

In irons – facing into the wind, unable to make headway

Jib – triangular headsail set on the forestay or headstay

Jibe – to change directions with the wind behind the boat

Knot – a nautical mile per hour (a nautical mile is 6,080 feet); also a bend, hitch, or splice

Leeward – away from the direction of the wind; pronounced "lu-ard"

Line – the generic term for all ropes used on a boat

Luff – the forward edge of a sail, "luffing" occurs when a boat comes into the wind and the sails flutter

Mainsail – the sail attached to the main, or largest, mast on a boat

Main sheet – the line used to control the mainsail, attached to the main boom

Mast – vertical spar used to support sails and booms

Match Racing – a competition between two boats

Off-shore – away from land

On-shore – hmmm.  Let’s think about it for a moment ...

Outhaul – rope used to release or put tension on the foot of the sail

Pinching – sailing so close to the wind that the sails begin to lose their power

Planing – a maneuver by which a boat rises onto its own bow wave enabling it to exceed its theoretical maximum speed

Port – left side of the boat when looking towards the bow

Port tack – when a boat is sailing with the wind coming over its port side

Protest – When a boat or Race Committee calls a foul upon another boat due to misconduct or un-sportsman like behaviour. A red flag is flown when announcing a protest.

Privateer – Twenty-three foot cuddy cabin skiff used mostly by the Race Committee

Race Committee – The brave volunteers who monitor and run the races (see personal anecdotes)

Rig – general name for a boat’s mast and sail

Roll tacking – advanced technique used to speed up a tack

Rubber Duck – A fiberglass hulled motor boat with inflatable sides. Used mostly during sailing lessons.

Rudder – detachable blade used with a tiller to steer a boat

Shrouds – wires which support the mast

Skiff – A wood (ceder) hulled boat of the classic skiff design, built by Charles Hankins of Lavallette.

Spars – general term for mast and boom

Spinnaker – the "balloon thing" at the bow of the boat that is hoisted when sailing down-wind

Starboard – the right side of the boat

Starboard tack – when a boat is sailing with the wind coming over its starboard side and the boom is over the port side

Tack – To reach a point in the same direction as the wind is blowing from, one tacks.

Telltales – strands of wool, plastic, or string (or the tape out of a dead cassette) attached to either side of the jib at its luff used to check wind flow and direction

Tiller – length of wood or metal which fits horizontally into the top of the rudder and is used to control it.  Dinghy tillers have tiller extensions or "hiking sticks" to enable the skipper to retain control when leaning out

Transom – The flat area at the stern where the rudder is attached

Trapeze – harness and wire attached to the mast used by crew to get his or her weight much further to windward than by just leaning out

Upwind – towards the wind

1. Juniors are expected to follow a normally acceptable code of conduct.  The following are not acceptable: foul language, defacing or destruction of property, fighting, and disrespectful behavior to others.

The use of alcoholic beverages or illegal substances by juniors is strictly prohibited.  Failure to comply with this regulation will result in expulsion from the Club.

Parents are responsible for their children.

2. Life jackets must be worn at all times during sailing instruction, and while on club boats.  Shoes are to be worn while on club powerboats and at all times during sailing lessons.

3. There shall be no swimming allowed in the channel between the Club and Mosquito Island.

4. No jumping from, or pushing others off of the docks or bulkheads.

5. All boats must be tied down.  If you have to move a member’s boat, please have the courtesy to return the boat and tie it down.

6. At the end of the day all personal articles must be removed from the porch and the Juniors’ room.  Particular attention should be taken to keeping things clean and neat when the Club is crowded.  It is the responsibility of the Junior Officers to see that the Juniors’ room is kept clean.

7. Wet sailing gear, sneakers, and towels are not allowed in the Clubhouse.

8. Under no circumstances are juniors allowed in the stewards’ room.

9. The above rules and regulations are not to be considered all-inclusive.  Please think before you act, and take into consideration the welfare of others and the Lavallette Yacht Club.  

Applegate-Irons Trophy:
Best Senior sheet tender in Sneakbox

Barnacle Trophy:
For an outstanding act of nautical ineptitude by someone who should know better

Bob Barnum "Hats Off" Trophy:
Junior skipper who has participated in the most BBYRA races during the season

Hoffman Trophy:
Most improved junior sailor in Puffers

IRA Ross Trophy:
First LYC Lightening on BBYRA Regatta Day

Marie Magno Award:
The non-sailor who most supports and understands a sailor’s love and dedication to the sea

Merit Trophy:
For outstanding service to the club

Radcliffe Trophy:
Awarded to a senior member who performs distinctive service for the general benefit and welfare of the club.

Russ Lord Trophy:
For sportsmanship in Senior Sneaks and Sanderlings

Sieder Trophy:
Winner of last Lightening Race

Tom Watson Trophy:
First LYC finisher in the Archbald Race

Ventimiglia Trophy:
Mid Fleet Award

Ward Thomas Trophy:
"For service such as his."

Winkelman Trophy:
Awarded to the junior member who performs distinctive service for the general benefit and welfare of the club

After three summers of "adult sailing lessons" on Wednesday evenings the regular students were well-trained to follow the instructions shouted to us from Commodore Kusma who, aboard the skiff or from the shore, was able to monitor and advise several boats full of sailing novices.  He would call out "watch the telltales!", "You’re luffing!", "Where is the wind?", "Pull the tiller toward you", and many other commands which kept us all from stalling and from spilling out of our boats.  "Ease the main!" saved a puffer from an accidental jibe and broach (just barely!).

We joined in 1952. Artie–the older boy was 11 years old and got a sailing lesson from Gwen Sindle.  I met them at the dock as they landed and she said, "How do you like sailing?".  "Wonderful." said Artie.  Gwen mentioned they had a few Jets left in Island Heights.  That was a fast sale; we bought Jet #8 three hours later.

That first year Artie was very light (weight), so I crewed for him.  One Sunday morning it was so windy, the Vice Commodore suggested a third crew member.  We got a beautiful start and were tight hauled.  Artie yelled, "The jib is luffing.  Pull it in, pull it in tighter!"  I pulled so hard the cleat came out of the deck.  Then we had a real jib luff.  The race was called off before more accidents.

We had a three man-woman Committee one Sunday to run the races.  I failed to tell the new cannon shooter to put her foot on the end of the cannon.  I’m looking at my watch, counting down, and said "Fire!".  The cannon pointed towards the deck and the wad went through the deck.  The regular woman on the boat said, "The boat’s burning up!"  I said, "No, that’s only smoke."  She said, "Where there’s smoke, there’s fire."

Well, the smoke cleared and no fire.  Do they still use that cannon?  I doubt it.

LYC in the 30’s and early 40’s

The Club was located on the bay at President Avenue, before Bay Boulevard was completed.  We walked directly from the porch onto the dock. Saturday night bingo games were popular, and raised money to keep the club solvent.  There was no bar.  Mr. Chadwick was the part time and only steward. He also met the trains at the station on Reese Ave. and picked up the mail for the Post Office.  We had a soda cooler, and could buy candy from Mr. Chadwick. That was the extent of the snack bar.

There was no formal junior program or sailing instruction.  Juniors whose parents were not members could join the club for $10 a season, or $5 for a one month trial.  Often after one season, the parents took a family membership. Juniors wore an identification badge.  Popular junior pastimes were playing pool, or dancing to the jukebox upstairs.

Kids learned to sail by crewing, or being taught by relatives or friends. There were mid-week junior races and Sunday races in addition to the BBYRA. Tows were scarce, especially during the war years, so we sailed to the various Yacht Clubs on Friday afternoon, and hitchhiked back and forth.  All boats were wet sailed.  We pulled them up on the beach every week to clean the bottoms. When I was 8, I pestered my brother, who was 18 to teach me how to sail.  He had a Comet class sloop.  He told me I could learn to sail, when I could row out to the mooring and show him that I could tie the boat up with a bowline.  When he was satisfied he gave me the main sail, and told me to go out and learn how to sail.  He was too busy with girls.

Typical no wind morning— known as a drifter.  Water smooth as glass, committee boat surrounded like a hen and chicks.  To break up the boredom the committee on several occasions broke into song—a chorus of "Row, row, row your boat" (much appreciated by the sailors).  Then a change!  The wind was building up from nowhere, "Nowhere" being the wrong direction.  Time running out, we opted for a downwind start, invoking much confusion.

Another popular goof - The person assigned to change course numbers delays the flip, resulting in B Cats sailing two different courses, with two winners—a definite trip to the Protest Committee

Then there was the anxious patrol boat who picked up the windward mark, at a special regatta, prior to the fleet reaching the chosen mark.  The Race Committee Chairman (in his infinite wisdom) seeing one of our young members in his power boat asked him if he would take the red hippity hop and plop it in front of the fleet pointing north across the bay.  The volunteer willingly accepted the task and saved the day.  Later, it was overheard about the difficulties beating toward the windward mark.

One day on Junior Race Day, young Richie Law was in need of a crew for the Penguin race.  It was urgent—Richie had two cuts and only a few minutes left until the warning gun.  A sympathetic parent, seeing his dilemma, chased around and discovered Dawn Wenzel without a skipper.  She reluctantly consented.  Upon this good Samaritan presenting Dawn to the skipper, Richie calmly with only a few minutes to start, asked, "How much do you weigh?"

For extra information and some really good sailing tips, you can also look in these helpful books or magazines:

Sailing: The True Techniques by John Terry

Sail Magazine

Sailing World Magazine

Hold your course

Dip under him

We have the right of way

Barrel room —  Tacking room

You can make it.

Stressful Phrases:

"Over" the line

Equipment check

Bargeing

Recall

Postponement

Who has the course sheet?

Protest

Life Jacket Flag

Last place

Should I chicken jibe?

Was that thunder?

— Marcel Bardiaux