Posts of Welcome to the South Flathead Sailing Association

  1. 2011 All Islands Race
    The SFSA All Islands Race was held Sunday, September 11th.  The wind was light throughout most of the race and none of the Half Fast Fleet finished.  The overall winner was Skip Moorehouse and the crew on Grim Reaper in a punishing time of six hours, thirty four minutes.  Skip followed his Labor Day distance race victory last weekend with this race victory showing that the Impulse 26 is top of the fleet.  Thanks to all the racers for showing up and supporting the SFSA.    
  2. SFSA 2011 LABOR DAY REGATTA

     

    The SFSA 2011 Labor Day Regatta was held Sunday September 4th and Monday September 5th, 2011.  The SFSA wishes to give a big thanks to the SFSA Labor Day committee for a great race and wonderful dinner.  Tom Gignioux supplied the unique briquettes and the great corn and, of course, was the cook de jour.  Roger and Sue Bergmeier for getting the french bread, wine and the great Labor Day tee shirts. Kurt  and Kathy Hafferman for heading up the organization and getting the sea food, drinks and prizes, and of course as the race stewards for both days.  Nice job running the races to both Kurt and Kathy.  The SFSA particularly wants to thank Kathy Hafferman for letting Kurt help us so much.  Thanks to Tom & Becky Sutton for all the breakfast goodies and for the great pasta and green salad.  A big thanks to Jim LeKander for the use of his front yard and the barbeque pit.  Of course we also want to thank all those unnamed and named souls that helped set up and clean up, we do have a great group at Dayton and things always just seem to get done.

     

    Lastly we want to thank all of the sailboat racers that show up and participate and help support the SFSA.  Sailing and sailboat racing is still alive and well at Dayton and we want to help it continue to thrive.  The SFSA believes that traditional regatta's and Saturday beer can races are the life blood of sailing now and in the future.  We believe in preserving the institution of sailing and the history of Dayton Yacht Harbor and we believe that the sailors that participate in the Labor Day Regatta are a big part of that history each year.

     

    Race results are posted below and under the Race Reults tab to the left. 

     

    Please join our Facebook page and post any comments, menu comments, race suggestions or anything else to help plan the 2012 Labor Day Regatta.

     

     

  3. Wildhorse Island Race
    The South Flathead Sailing Association held the annual Wildhorse Island Race on Sunday, July 31, 2011 at the Dayton Yacht Harbor, on Flathead Lake. There were sixteen boats that participated and the event was won by skipper Dennis Gregory and the crew on X-Rated.  The A-Fleet was won by the J-109, White Boat, the B-Fleet was won by Dennis Gregory and the crew on the J-24 X-Rated and the C-Fleet was won by Reggie Good and the crew in the Cal-27 Knot Ready.
     
    The race started slow and everybody piled up on the line and again on coffin corner but the winds picked up late in the race and the first boat to finish, the J-109 White Boat, crossed the line in 2 hours 54 minutes so the end was fast and bunched together.  The last boat to finish, the Bergmeier's on the Cal 31 Ruby Yacht II finished just under the four hour time limit at 3 hours 58 minutes.  Pictures are posted on the Facebook site.
     
    Thanks to Bill Brown and Western Montana Equine LLC for organizing and sponsoring the race.  Thanks to all our friends from around the lake that showed up and special congradulations to Dennis Gregory for the win.  Dennis said that he has been trying for several years to get his name on the trophy and seemed very happy to have fianlly accomplished the goal.  Lastly thanks to last years winner Jeff Fisher and the crew on Maniac for keeping good care of the trophy.
     
    happy sailing
    kurt
  4. SFSA Sailing Clinics, July 9th and 10th
    Update: We need a minimum of 6 people each day to cover our costs - so sign up now! Please email jerkeene@gmail.com if you intend to sign up so that I can get a head count. We will have to cancel the clinics if we don't have enough people by July 5th.

     

    The SFSA is pleased to offer two sailing clinics this year. The clinics will be geared toward beginner to intermediate sailors with basic skills looking to improve their confidence on the water.

     

    Cruising Clinic

    July 9th, 1:00 – 5:00 pm

    ·         Points of Sail

    ·         Coming About/Gybing

    ·         Reducing Heel/Depowering

    ·         Reefing

    ·         Heaving To

    ·         Safety/Man Overboard

    ·         Docking

    ·         Powering

    Class size is limited to 10 people. Boats will be provided.  Cost is $75 per person.

     

    Racing Clinic

    July 10th, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

    ·         Rules

    ·         Starting

    ·         Upwind/Downwind Tactics

    ·         Spinnakers

    ·         Crew positions

    Class size is limited to 10 boats. Skippers provide their own boats and crew.

    Cost is $75 per skipper.

     

     Instructors

    Pete Sauer, Sail Montana, is a native Montanan and lifelong sailor on Flathead Lake.  Pete is a US Coast Guard Licensed Captain, Master, 100 ton, for both sail and motor yachts. He has extensive cruising and racing experience including Mexico, Caribbean, Intercoastal Waterway and the San Juan and Gulf Islands in the Pacific Northwest.

    Scott Galbraith, Sail Montana, is a USCG licensed captain and North Flathead Yacht Club Race Steward. Scott led week-long classes for Barefoot Yacht Charters in St. Vincent this winter and is certified to teach US Sailing Small Boat, ASA Basic Keelboat, Basic Coastal Cruising, and Bareboat Charter.

     

    Registration

    Registration is on a first come first served basis. Registrations must be prepaid to reserve a spot. A reistration form is attached here or see the SFSA board in the Dayton Harbor House for registration forms.

  5. SFSA Life Membership

    The South Flathead Sailing Association (SFSA) Board of Directors has voted to begin a tradition of offering a Life Membership to long standing SFSA members.  It is the intent of the SFSA to use this process as the means of retaining institutional knowledge.  The Life Membership is judged on three criteria; long standing SFSA membership, service to the SFSA judged to be above and beyond, and SFSA sailors that have legendary sailing status on Flathead Lake.  New Life Members can be proposed to the SFSA Board and membership at the Winter Board meetings.

     

    A Life Member is not required to pay SFSA annual dues, pay KISS Race dues, or race dues for the Wildhorse Island, Labor Day Regatta, All Islands or any other feature races sponsored by the SFSA now or in the future.  Life Members are welcome to participate in any SFSA social events at no cost.  The endowment is to be in force for the members lifetime.

     

    We ask in return that Life Members continue to promote the SFSA, share their knowledge and understanding of the SFSA with new members and safeguard and defend the SFSA.

     

    The SFSA Board has bestowed Jim LeKander the Founding Life Member of the SFSA.
     
    The SFSA Board has bestowed Buck Love as the First Life Member.
     
    It is the judgment of the SFSA Board that these Founding and First Life Members epotomize the definiton of  long standing SFSA membership, service to the SFSA judged to be above and beyond, and SFSA sailors that have legendary sailing status on Flathead Lake.   
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