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Chatham Yacht Club

TEACHING LOVE OF SAILING ON PLEASANT BAY SINCE 1921

SPINSHEET

August 14, 2026



Congratulations to CYC members Natalie Coleman-Fuller and Allison Coleman for a 1st place win and to  Mary Bush and Brian Bush  for winning 3rd in the Day Sailer Nationals! See article below for the full story.

Additional Congratulations to our 420 Race Team for a podium finish at the Durant Jr Team Race Trophy! What exactly is team racing and how is the different from fleet racing?  Jump to the brief overview below to learn more about the strategy.  

Saturday Races - Change in Start Time As many of you know, there is a celebration of life this coming Saturday August 15, 2026 at 3:00pm for Roslyn Coleman, the mother of Allison Coleman and Natalie Coleman-Fuller.  Given that many if not most of the Race Committee and Dock Committee members, as well as many sailors, plan to attend the service, we will start the CYC races this coming Saturday at 12:00pm noon instead of the usual 1:00pm.  Please pass along the word to other CYC members.

For details on the Celebration of Life service, please see below. 

Thank you and please let the Race Committee know if you have any questions!

Save the Date : Last Hurrah Cocktail party Friday, August 21st! 5:30 pm at the clubhouse.  Join us for a farewell sunset,  bring a beverage of your choice and appetizer to share. 


Staff Appreciation Fund

As you begin your plans to depart the Cape, please consider our staff.  Our sailing school staff has done a wonderful job this year! If you feel positive about the job these hard working young people have done for the last eight weeks, or if you want to give an extra thank you for your child's sailing school experience, please donate to the staff appreciation fund.  The club uses these funds to give bonuses to the teachers.   

Thank you!  Contribute Here

The Flag Officers of the Chatham Yacht Club

Bart Wesp, Commodore 

Gwen Shipley, Vice Commodore
Emily Richmond, Rear Commodore
Nick Proia, Treasurer
Carrie Spring, Secretary


SEASON AWARDS PRESENTATION & CLOSING MEETING - SATURDAY 22nd 3PM!  Please return your engraved trophy to the clubhouse by Friday.  Everyone is welcome to attend. It's a great way to see the impact so many of our members have on the club.

CLUBHOUSE CLOSING: SUNDAY 23rd, 9AM! We need you!  Join us at 9am on Sunday to close up the clubhouse.  The more hands we have, the quicker it goes.  We especially need some muscles to help move the boats into storage. 


SAILING SCHOOL


SAILING SCHOOL AWARDS DAY!

We cannot believe it is the approaching the last week of sailing school for the season! This week will be busy with Sailing School Awards and cleaning up boats. Crew and Helmsman will be holding sailing school awards Wednesday August 19 at 12:00, instead of sailing school races. Opti B/I, Advanced Opti, and Sunfish sailing school awards will be held on Thursday August 20 at 12:00, instead of sailing school races. Parents, come and support your student!  (this is a GREAT photo opportunity day full of smiles, pennants and cheering for one another)

While you are at the clubhouse for awards or as you are dropping off / picking up your students, please take a look at the LOST & FOUND bins. They are full of many items that need to be claimed and taken home. 

Work Hard, Be Kind: Award Winners  This award honors the memory of John W. Hughan, a beloved member of our club known for his caring spirit and for always going above and beyond for others.   It is presented to sailors who demonstrate exceptional kindness, respect, and perseverance.

This week's winner:  This week's winner is Warren Richmond. Throughout the summer and especially during the regattas, Warren assisted in getting dollies, pulling boats and jumping in to help where it was needed. 

2026 Lane Leighton


In 1966 shore school instructors Charlie Leighton and Julie Lane instituted a year-end elimination race for all shore school students and donated the Lane-Leighton Trophy, a milk can, which has traditionally been used to dunk the winner.


The Lane Leighton Race took place over four days this past week. All sailing school students competed in the first two races during class time, and the semifinals were held before sailing school on Wednesday in very light wind.

Qualifying for the final race on Friday, August 14, were Lucy Davis, Lane Davis, Tierney Voekel, Emmeline Hughan, and Andrew Reydel. The final was sailed before classes in heavier wind.

Congratulations to Emmeline Hughan on winning the Lane Leighton Trophy!

CLUB CYC

Sailing School held their annual Karaoke night on Wednesday. There was a lot of dancing and signing by everyone there. Each class entertained the group by signing a couple songs. There were also many people who came up and sang favorites.  Karaoke is one of the sailing schools most anticipated evenings and it's easy to see (and hear) why!





PODIUM FINISH AT THE DURANT TROPHY!

The SMSA Junior Team Racing program was organized in 1976 to promote racing among the various SMSA yacht clubs as a means of creating additional interest in junior sailing programs.    The philosophy behind the team racing ... it is a teaching and learning experience affording juniors an opportunity to sail a variety of one design class sailboats at different yacht clubs under different weather and sea conditions.

SMSA DURANT TROPHY - TEAM RACE CHAMPIONSHIPS

3rd PLACE (11 teams) Hyannis YC


 Sailors Competing 

 Brooke Bartlett

 Sam Bartlett

 Ada Hubbell

 Mia Nadeau

 Leah Parker
 Jake Parker

 Jessica Scipione

 Alex Wesp


CYC 420 and Opti Season Results

What is team racing? Team racing in sailing is a fast-paced format where two teams—usually consisting of three boats each—compete directly against one another. Instead of individual finishes, the winning team is decided by combining the overall finishing positions (points) of all competing boats on each team. 

How Scoring Works

  • Combined Points: Standard low-point scoring applies (1st place = 1 point, 2nd place = 2 points, etc.).
  • Winning Combinations: The team with the lowest total combined score wins the race.
  • The Math: In a common 3-boat versus 3-boat format, the total points add up to 21. A team must score 10 points or less to win (for example, finishing 2nd, 3rd, and 5th equals 10 points). Finishing 1st does not guarantee a win if your teammates finish in 4th and 6th (11 points).

Sailors must be quick to use their math skills and remember their calculated plays to keep their team point totals in check while sailing each race. 

Key Tactics and Strategies

  • Sacrificial Plays: A leading sailor might intentionally slow down or stop to penalize or block an opponent, allowing their trailing teammates to catch up and pass. 
  • Rule Enforcement: Sailors aggressively use right-of-way rules to force opposing boats into penalty turns or unfavorable positions. 

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GETTING YOUR BOAT TO OR FROM CYC:


No boats or sailboards may be carried over the hill to be launched at CYC.

Launching may take place at Jack Knife Harbor, the Town Landing on Crow's Pond, Ryder's Cove or in Round Cove. Please pay attention to any permitting needs for launching any boat.


Transportation of 420s and Optis over the hill for the purpose of attending regattas during the summer may occur ONLY before sunrise and after sunset per our lease with Eastward Ho! This includes wheeling on a dolly. (If you have purchased an Opti for your sailor and are depositing or removing your Opti for the season, these same Eastward Ho! requirements apply.)

Thank you in advance for your cooperation!

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Our staff is the foundation of our program. This year, we have a mixture of returning and new staff.  The 2025 instructors are racing enthusiasts, sportsmanlike competitors, and passionate teachers. They are a truly inspirational group for younger sailors to learn from.

Meet your staff!


RACING CORNER  

Congratulations to Natalie Coleman-Fuller and Allison Coleman on their impressive first-place finish in the Daysailer North American Championship!

The racing took place under surprisingly windy conditions for Annapolis, making for an time on the water.

Coming in third was another Chatham Yacht Club boat, sailed by Mary Bush and her father, Brian Bush. A terrific result for the CYC sailors and a wonderful showing for the club!

Six of the top eight boats skippered by women, including the top three. Three of the women-skippered boats had their dads crewing for them making this an especially strong showing for female sailors.

For those who may not be familiar with the class, a Daysailer is a 17-foot sailboat equipped with a mainsail, jib and spinnaker. Daysailers have a long history at Chatham Yacht Club, where members raced them from the 1950s through the 1980s.

The Daysailer North American Championship has also returned to CYC in recent years. The club hosted the championship in 2015 and again in 2024 — with the Coleman sisters taking the win in 2024 as well!

Congratulations to all the sailors, and especially to Natalie, Allison, Mary and Brian for representing Chatham Yacht Club so well.


A Celebration of Life for Roslyn Bayha Coleman will be held on 3 PM Saturday, August 15th at the United Methodist Church, 569 Main Street, Chatham.  A reception will be held following the ceremony at the Chatham Marconi Maritime Center, 847 Orleans Road, Chatham.  Carpooling is encouraged due to limited parking. 

For those unable to attend and wish to participate by zoom.  Please use this link for streaming. 


CYC RACING


Please see the Racing page for all details, instructions and charts.

Marshall Bartlett & Ted Dickson

Family members are welcome to come watch all these races!                                                                                                    TOP


CYC REGATTA SHARED PHOTO ALBUMS

Check your CYC What's Ap feed for links to more shared photos and photo albums. 

420 Line Photos shared by Meg Parker

420 Line Photos shared by Kristin Berner

Sunfish Line photosshared by Kristin Berner

Regatta Photos shared by Gwen Shipley

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 PATROL

THIS IS IT! ThE FINAL WEEK of THE SEASON!

CYC has a tradition of the powerboat patrol which keep our sailors safe while racing, and we thank those who volunteer year after year.


Thank you to all of our volunteers who have kept our sailors safe.  If you want to join a patrol THIS week, please contact Rick Barnard.

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CYC SOCIAL


SAVE THESE DATES

If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact our Social Chair:   Jen Gilmartin



THE LAST HURRAH

FRIDAY, AUGUST 20th

5PM

Bring your beverage of choice and an appetizer to share. 



AWARDS & CLOSING MEETING

SATURDAY, AUGUST 21st

3PM

Following the final Saturday Series race.


VOLUNTEER CORNER


THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO VOLUNTEERED THIS SEASON!  

CYC only functions with your helping hands.

                                                                                                   

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CYC Parking

The parking lot configuration allows for multi-directional Fox Hill Road access from three points as illustrated in the diagram below. It is essential that all CYC traffic use the third entrance on Fox Hill road to minimize the access traffic and pedestrian hazards in the other parts of the parking area.

Sailing School morning classes

CYC instructors will be available to help students to and from the CYC club house so parents can enjoy the convenience of “drop and go” noted by the yellow cross-hash area.


Before 11:30 am, parking may be available on a first-come, first-serve basis in the designated area, highlighted in green box, for parents to bring their children to classes, meet the instructors and fellow parents. Please be aware this area is not exclusive to CYC but shared with EHCC. If there is a shortage of parking spaces in the designated area, please park on the shoulder of Fox Hill Rd.


“Pickup and go” will also be available for your convenience at the conclusion of morning classes at the Pick-up spot shown in the diagram. This is a safer and shaded location where our students can be ready for pick-up.  Please be mindful of cars who need to get around you while you are waiting. 

Mid-day


Parking begins to get busy around 11:30 when Eastward Ho! Lunch service begins. After 11:30, We ask that CYC members park on the Fox Hill road shoulder during lunch if the CYC area is busy.


Afternoon classes and races

Due to the limited amount of parking spaces, Parents are encouraged to enjoy the convenience of “drop and go” where appropriate for the children. Parents who would like to see your kids in action during the afternoon races can check for available parking spots in the designated (green) area after 2 PM. If there is a shortage of parking spaces at any time, please park on the shoulder of Fox Hill Rd.

Eastward Ho! will have parking lot attendants available to assist with traffic flow and direct CYC members to the designated (green) area. Please don’t hesitate to speak with them if you have any questions or need assistance.

As always, safety is paramount as we balance convenience and consideration for a shared parking resource with our friends at Eastward Ho!

Thank you for your cooperation!                                                                              Top



Courtesy & Safety on the Golf Course

An average golf ball leaves the tee traveling 115 mph or more, and our path to CYC takes us right in front of the first tee. ADULTS & CHILDREN NEED TO TAKE CARE AS THEY CROSS IN FRONT.  

  • Eastward Ho! has provided a fence to protect us. 
  • CYC members should STOP at the edge of the fence, LOOK and ASSESS the situation. 
  • Always wait while golfers are teeing off, but if the golfers are waiting, they may signal it is safe to cross.
  • Be aware as you approach the ninth green as well, since it is just beyond our path.

Eastward Ho! and CYC have a great working relationship, but it depends on CYC members being courteous to and respectful of the golfers.  Please wear shirts and shoes when crossing the hill, and do not use your cell phone.  It is best to be quiet when golfers are on the 9th green.  You may stop and wait, or move quietly by,  but try not to distract those focusing on their putts.

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Chatham Yacht Club | P.O. Box 531 | North Chatham, MA 02650

CYC is a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization. Your donations are tax deductible!

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