OF Course there is This

if you don't care for the Gilligan look, a steal at only $44!

For the Gents

Stars & Stripes Attire, Ladies

Getting Ready

Well, I wouldn’t go overboard (so to speak) buying things. The MSYC Sunfish cap is really the only required article of clothing.

I went sailing last weekend, and the weather was, by San Diego standards, rather wintery — a storm moving in and so overcast, rain forecast for later that night, and “strong” winds (about 12 to 15 knots). That means that I started out in shorts and a polo shirt, and after a couple of hours of sailing I put on my LBI fleece. I was comfortable the whole time.

That’s about as severe as it gets here. So, certainly, bring a sweater; bring shorts, but also long pants just in case. If it comes down to it, you’ll be welcome to my foul weather gear.

(Do you remember when we were kids that Dad would mention foul weather gear and you would think it was the funniest thing in the world? I think I remember, but my memories are always suspect; seems as I get older I invent more and more of them without realizing it.)

For your feet, a pair of Sperry Docksiders would be perfect if you have them, but if not, sneakers are fine. (Converse high tops, aka “Chucks,” are held to be particularly cool sailing shoes.) My own shoes are high-end Sperry that look like sneakers. The general rule of thumb — anything that provides some traction but does not leave scuffs.

I’m officially off work on the days you’ll be visiting. Can’t wait till you get here!

Preparation

What are we wearing for the Stars and Stripes sail? I mean I want to be prepared and there must be lots of stuff I need to buy. I don't want to show up and have them say "Sorry you can't come on the boat with those shoes" or some such comment. Of course I will be wearing my MSYC hat, that goes without saying. Jacket? Shorts? Long Pants? What??????

All You needed was a little Digital Enhancement

A picture worth a thousand....

points??? After looking at maybe a million/billion/trillion cars over the last several months I spotted this vehicle in a UCSD parking lot with New Jersey plates, a Sea View sticker (wherever that is) and a Ron Jon sticker. Now for some reason I see Ron Jon - Cocoa Beach, Florida T shirts and stickers somewhat regularly but this is probably the first time that I've seen a genuine Ron Jon sticker. Wow, was I excited. It was like striking gold. O.K., it wasn't EXIT 63 or LBI or a Barnegat Lighthouse sticker but Ron Jon represents LBI as well as any institution and so I figured that I scored some points. What I mean judges is that a Brant Beach Yacht Club, a Surf City 5 & 10, a Joe Pops Shore Bar or a Whites Deli sticker should be worth points if such stickers exist don't we all agree? I'm even on the lookout for Loveladies Art & Crafts Center or whatever they call themselves or Farah's rentals if I come across them. So, anyway I get out my camera and take three pictures which all look pretty good in the viewer and then I load them onto my computer. I can't believe it! I can't even tell by the picture that it is a New Jersey license plate. I can't read any of the Ron Jon letters. This is why I hate photography. My pictures always stink. At least there is a nice shadow of me taking the picture. Very nice. I suppose that I could get a much more expensive camera and maybe the pictures would turn out better. By the way I know the date thing on my camera is set incorrrectly. My only hope is that since we can see the large UCSD sticker in the window then obviously the owner is a UCSD student and perhaps this student will park again in a space that I will come across and I will take a super close up of Ron Jon. I am still on the lookout for the elusive EXIT 63 that I saw multiple times in La Jolla last year.

2007 Sunfish World Championship

Will be held August 19-24th at Brant Beach Yacht Club, which we all know is located on Long Beach Island.

here is the NOR!

"Sitting on the beach - Down the Shore"

Not sure you can see this but it appeared in the New York Times - New Jersey Section Today. Who is that girl in the bathing suit on the left?

What is Up wit dat

Chargers Shut Out Pats Fans

"The San Diego Chargers have restricted sales to the Divisional Playoff game to residents of Southern California and the surrounding areas only," Ticketmaster warned. Residency will be based on your credit card billing address. Orders by residents outside of southern California will be canceled without notice."

And more importantly, why is Southern California capitalized and then not capitalized. But interestingly enough, "canceled" can be spelled canceled or cancelled. How weird!

Nice day for the Beach!! In January????

Caroline has set a new Christie Family record ( we think?) . She went swimming at the Beach (Ocean Grove) in New Jersey on January 6!!. Skim boarding was great and the water was not as cold as one day in July.

GLOBAL WARMING?

A New Blogger?

Apparently there is a new "Blogger" which claims to have many new and improved features (naturally!). However, from what I can tell without switching over, it looks like all of us will need "Google Accounts" in order to post to msyc.blogspot.com in the future if I convert it over to the new system. While the improvements are dubious it's probably safe to say that eventually the new blogger will replace the old blogger so we might as well switch. I have a google account, how about the rest of us?

LBI SWEATSHIRT

I spotted a guy, mid-40s, wearing an LBI sweatshirt today. I asked him if he owned a car with an EXIT 63 or a Barnegat Light sticker parked nearby. He replied, " No sorry, I'm driving a rental this week." Man, it's tough scoring points out here!

you wanted legs

christmas day at the christies

It's getting out of control??

That's nothing!!! It's bordering on tasteful. This guy needs to make a trip to N.J. to see how Christmas Lights are properly done!

Yankee-Swap!!!

Yankee-Swap, "it's the hyphen"

More Fun Than Bumper Cars

On the last day of the Fall 2006 Capri 22 Regatta, things were pretty much decided from the start. Steve McNally had taken first by a few points on the first day; Emma and I had taken second; the two Matts — Brown and Hurlimann — were in third. The second day was the Fall Fleet Race and, as you know already, Ross, Kyle, and I won that one; the Matts were third in that race, and Steve put himself out of contention by missing a mark and being disqualified. So we were well ahead and, on this final day, only four boats showed up; Steve was not one of them, and only the Matts mattered. All we had to do was stay in front of them. Ho hum. Or so it seemed.

We, on this day, were Seth and me. Seth is a friend from my days on board Valhalla as well as the husband of Traci, whom I’ve mentioned before — both a friend from Valhalla and, on this particular day, a competitor on another 22. We began this Saturday ignoring Traci and her crewmate Jon (you’ve heard of him before as well) and the Chapmans (the fourth boat, and you’ve heard of them too). Whew! You can’t tell your players without a scorecard! We tried only to start and finish ahead of the Matts, and in the first race, we succeeded; we were second, they were fourth.

Then it got exciting.

In the second race, I had an appalling start. I was so early to the line that I seemed to have a bizarre shot of salvaging things — going to the windward side of the line, circling back round the pin end, and getting into contention. It didn’t work out quite that way, though; we were somewhere between five and ten boat lengths behind the third-place boat when we crossed the start line. However, the other three boats made a mistake — went off to the right side, leaving the favored left side to us. Easy enough to say so in retrospect; who knew it was favored at the time? We just figured we were last and so would go where the others weren’t and hope for the best. And the best happened — we were second at the upwind mark, a boat length behind the Matts.

As we went downwind, we gained. We drew alongside, and to leeward, both boats on port tack. We edged ahead, by inches, with only a few boat lengths to the finish. I (perhaps foolishly) chose to use my leeward-boat advantage to push the Matts to a course that would take them just outside the finish line. We were close enough that Hurlimann had to grab his boom and pull it in to avoid contact, and — sudden inspiration! — he shoved it over to the other side of his boat, called “Starboard!”, and bumped us.

I should have remembered rule 15, which says that when a boat acquires right of way, it must initially give the other boat room to keep clear; the Matts gave no room, so it was their foul. But I didn’t remember, took it as my foul, did a penalty turn, and went from first to fourth in about 30 seconds. And finished there.

We were pissed. Seth was pissed at the Matts for having pulled such a BS move, and I was pissed at myself for having fallen for it. It was time for revenge.

So, the start of the third race: the Matts reached along the line and I timed things perfectly to force them over the line and, on top of that, bump them from leeward to force a penalty on them. It was a wonderful moment. I didn’t need anything good to happen for another week.

And just as well, because it was a five-race day, and I took second, fourth, second, fourth (damn that kelp!), second — for a fourth (that is to say, last) on the day. But the racing was very close — the scores were 10, 13, 13, 14 — so I easily took first overall in the Fall Regatta. Chalk up another win for the Maris Stella Yacht Club!!

For the Montclair Clan

Net Sister!

just so you don't think we're not having fun too

trying to take a picture with your cell phone while you are driving 70mph on 84 in connecticut is fun too!

3 points for linda!!